Manhattan: In Love with the Infamous King

Chapter 12

Alex POV

I woke up alone in Nolan's bed and realize he's not there, probably off doing whatever he needed to. The clock at his bedside table read 11:15 AM. Damn. I have lunch plans with Kennedy at 12:30 PM. I won't be able to make it to Brooklyn to change and come back. Maybe I can buy some clothes on the way. When I sat up on the bed, I hold myself a little bit as the events of last night flush back into memory. I don't want admit it, but that was the deepest sleep I have had for I don't know how long ago.

When he walked in on me before jumping into the shower, I was startled, but I didn't know how to face him. It sucks because it's like I'm finally awake after a long sleep and I'm not sure how to react to him. I'm confused and I cant process my own feelings because he is here. My head starts to cloud over and it makes me fuzzy to my own thoughts as the rest of my body takes over.

"Bullshit." He says it softly, not angrily. I can tell he's irritated with my responses. His hands release me but he still traps me on either side as he places his hands on the wall behind me. I breathe in deeply and as I exhale I meet his eyes that are trying to study me.

"Can I get dressed?" I ask softer than I had anticipated. I don't even recognize my own voice. His eyes stare into mine before it lights up with realization.

"It's okay to feel safe, Alex." I exhale loudly through my mouth and close my eyes. Part of me just wants to crawl back home and put my cradle myself in a corner. He's anticipating an answer and I simply nod at him as I open my eyes. "I'll take you to get some clothes. You won't have time to grab some before your lunch."

With that, he walks out to let me change. I reach out to a flannel that looks big enough to be a dress. I look in his mirror and see that the flannel does look like a dress on me. This should suffice, if he doesn't mind it. When I walk out, he is on the phone and isn't happy with whoever is on the other line. I grab my phone to see that Kennedy is already on her way. She's super early, probably anticipating on hearing whatever news about Nolan. Little does she know, there is nothing to tell.

"Ready?" I didn't even hear him get off the phone. He stands straight with his black acid wash shirt and jeans. He's dressed pretty casual today, wonder what that's about.

"Yes, I'm sorry." We head out and I realize he said that he was going to take me to get clothes. "I don't need clothes. I can walk over to Priza's." We haven't hit the lobby yet in the elevator. He turns to me promptly.

"I'm dropping you off." His eyes tell me he's not taking no for an answer. What is with him? The elevator doors open and we stand there staring at each other before I finally break the contact and step out. He leads the way to his parking garage and proceeds to drop me off at the brunch place. 12:27 PM. I am barely on time. Grabbing the door handle, he places his right hand softly on my left one to stop me. He doesn't say anything nor look at me but hands me his phone. Releasing my hold from the handle, I take the phone and put my phone number in before handing it back.

"Anything else?" I ask him as I stare forward. The tension between us feel likes it's ticking away and I'm trying to not add to that, but he doesn't make it easy. He calls me and my phone rings, so I have his number now too.

"Text me when you're done. We need to be at the training area after lunch." His voice is cold, sharpening the tension already building between us.

"Fine." I reach for the door handle again, but Nolan stops me yet again with his hand.

"If you feel someone watching, call me immediately." This tone is softer, but serious. After the words come, he looks at me to make sure I understand his seriousness, to which I just nod in understanding. Finally, he releases me and I head inside the restaurant.

Kennedy waves me down from table at the window. Damn it, Kennedy. She knows I hate window seats. It's too vulnerable and people can see where you are. Thankfully Priza's on the second level, but it's still not ideal.

"Was that Nolan?" I simply nod at her and she squeals a little. "Tell me everything!" I tell her all of the details minus the illegal stuff.

"And that's it. He just wants my security program."

"Like hell he does! He is so into you! You guys slept in the same bed!"

"Because we were tired, Kennedy!"

"I don't buy that one bit." Kennedy takes this time to tell me about a new guy she is interested in and in another hour and a half, we finish our catching up and lunch. As we are getting the check, she looks over to me seriously.

"You need to be careful about the other girls, Alex. They're not as happy as I am for you." I know she's probably talking about Liv and Jo, as if I'm surprised.

"There's nothing for them to be worried about. It's a business relationship, nothing more."

"You have never let anyone, business or otherwise, get that close to you in the five years I have known you. There is something about this one that is different than the others. And seriously, Alex, you didn't think I could tell you're wearing his shirt today."

"They practically kidnapped me, I didn't have any other clothes to wear."

"Don't pull that s**t on me, Alex. We both know that you never let Ryker touch you. Better be careful before Nolan takes your v-card."

"Kennedy!" I yell at her to stop. That's embarassing.

"I'm just saying, you barely Ryker hold your hand and you actually dated him." To be fair, I didn't really date him. It was a cover that Ryker enjoyed a little too much.

"He is irrelevant to this conversation. You know that I have to find Aidan and I don't have the time to be distracted by eye candy right now."

"Nolan Dietrich is a powerful man. Why don't ask him to help you?" Kennedy urges. She is the only other person in my life that knows who Aidan is. Before I say anything else, I feel it again. The feeling that someone is watching, staring at us. I immediately change the subject. We are far enough from other patrons that they shouldn't have heard anything, but you can never be too careful.

"Liv is texting me about having another dinner next Friday, are you in?"

"Can't. Huge essay that weekend." I lie to her as I know that the Duval dealing is undergoing next weekend. We are interrupted when our waiter brings me a beverage and that feeling of someone looking finally goes away.

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't order that." He simply smiles.

"Ma'm, the gentleman at the bar ordered this for you before he left." The waiter hands me a note and goes off to his other table.

"Wow, aren't you popular lately?" Kennedy smirks at me and I just give her a confused look in response. She is in natural makeup with her hair perfectly done and curled. Her simple white dress fits perfectly on her body and that nude cardigan helps her tease the men around her. There's no way in hell someone is sending me a drink and not her.

"Until we meet. -K" I rack my brain to see if I could think of who this would be, but I don't know. He hand wrote the letter, so I tuck it into my purse to think about it more later. There's nothing I can do about it now.

We continue to talk as Kennedy gives me the latest scoop on the other girls since I was taken my the Royal Flush. Jo broke up with her soccer player after she saw Nolan that day, almost immediately, desperate much? They're trying to get me to invite Nolan and the others to their dinner on Friday. Liv is vividly upset as always. Jessica finalized her relationship with her current boyfriend. I listen as she trails on about it and I respond every now and then.

As we are winding down, I receive a text from Nolan. "Done?" It's about 3 PM, but I want to go home before heading to the training grounds. There's still stuff I need to do today.

"Going home first."

"I will take you." Geez, that was fast.

"No, I will drive to you."

"I'm on my way." Does he just assume I will do everything he tells me to? Is this what it's going to be like? I flip my phone over and see that Kennedy has been smirking in my direction.

"Trouble in paradise?"

"As if it's paradise." I retort. We pay for our meals and start heading out, laughing about the way Liv reacted after I left yesterday. Once we step outside, I see Nolan leaning against the passenger side of his car with his sunglasses on.

"Damn, he looks better than I remember." Kennedy elbows me slightly. "Careful, you might have more competition."

"Yeah, right." She gives me a hug and I give her one back. We wave our goodbyes and I make my way to Nolan's car. He gets off the car and opens the passenger's side door for me to get inside. Once he gets in, we take off.

"Where's your place?" I keep quiet for a little bit. What the hell am I supposed to say? I don't want him to know where I really live. No one knows, not even Kennedy.

"It's fine. Just go to the training area." His hands grip tight on the steering wheel before he breathes in and out deeply.

"Alex, you have been in my home, in my room." I continue my silence. "Fine. I will drop you off somewhere close and meet you in an hour." I understand he is trying to compromise with me, but even if he doesn't follow me, I am too tripped up about what happened at the restaurant to risk traveling home with him. I should have thought about that before I told him I wanted stuff from home.

"We can't." I simply say as I open my purse and grab the note from earlier to give to him. He takes it from my hand and crushes it with his hand.

"Why didn't you call?" His words escape through his gritted teeth.

"He was already gone. No point."

"How do you know he was gone?"

"The waiter brought over a glass of wine and said that the gentleman from the bar paid for it before he left." His silence fills the air in the car and I can tell he is pissed. He pulls up to a line of stores and parks. "Who is he?" I blink and don't look over at him. There is no way he would this pissed unless he knows this person. He doesn't answer me.

"Don't worry about it." He breathes out and gestures to the store. "Can you find everything you need in there?" I nod. We get out of the car and we enter the stores. As we go in, I can tell each of the female attendants practically drooling over him as he scans the stores and checks his phone consistently. Though I try to pay for my items, he always beats me to it. I can tell the attendants are looking down on me, seeing such an average looking girl with a man such as himself.

"Will I be going home tonight?" I ask as he pays for the last item. The female attendant sneaks an eyebrow in my direction.

"No." He says flatly but looks up to see the attendant shocked that I wasn't going home, but snickering at me with his tone of voice. Immediately, he looks back down at me and flashes a grin and grabs my waist with an arm. "Babe, I can barely keep my hands off of you. You're not going anywhere."

"Sir, your receipt." The female's solemn response tries to break our eye contact on one another as I feel something bubbling inside me. I creep up a smile innocently and blush for the show we are putting on. He ignores her and gives me a loving look. Wow, he is too good at this. Instead, I turn over and reach for the receipt.

"Thank you." I tell her politely and she simply acknowledges me. He links his fingers in mine and takes the receipt from me.

"Where to next, love?" He head bumps my forehead as the attendants in the store eye us. He opens the door for me and leads me out with his hand. Once we are out of sight, he doesn't let go, but I do.

"I need a laptop if I'm not going home. Can I use yours?" He nods and I realize I need to go to Victoria Secret for some panties. "I need to go in there." I point and turn to him. "Just wait in the car." He sees the store and nods again as he leaves me.

I am shopping on my own and I have that weird feeling again. What is going on? I am hardly ever followed. Should I message about Nolan about it? I shake my head and continue my shopping, but this nagging feeling isn't going away. I look around, but I don't see anyone. Is my paranoia finally getting to me?

"Almost done?" Nolan texts me and I am about to reply back when I notice someone coming up to me in the corner of my eye. I don't react abnormally. Instead, I put my phone back in my pocket without replying back to him.

"Alex Kane." I turn to be met with light blue eyes of a man that looks about my age. He has dark black hair and pale white skin, decently attractive. I give a light smile.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" He smirks back at me.

"No, I'm Liv's brother, Kendrick." He reaches his hand out for me to shake, but I ignore it. Instead, I give him a smile. He doesn't have any of the same features as Liv, except maybe the blue eyes, but his eyes are so light. I return to my shopping as he rakes his eyes over me. "You are more beautiful in person. I have heard much about you."

"Well then I am sorry to disappoint you, but I have heard nothing of you." The music in the store changes to a classical one. Bach, Prelude in C Major. That's an interesting choice for a lingerie store. When he notices the music change, he gives me wide grin.

"Care for a dance, Ms. Kane?"

"No." I finish grabbing the last of what I need and head to the register. When I turn to see if he is still there, he is gone. Kendrick. That's the K that's been following me, it has to be. The same creepy vibe I get from him is the same one from all the starring, but why would Liv's brother want anything to do with me?

I head to the car thinking about it, but keep my awareness up to make sure I am not being followed. Not feeling anything, I go to Nolan's car. If Kendrick is Liv's brother, then how does Nolan know him?