Two men stood on either side of Alex, blocking her path. She tried to get around them, but they were playing a game of cat and mouse.
“Girlfriend?” Brittney sounded more hopeful, and he was rewarded with a fluttering of eye blinks.
“No, ma’am,” he answered. “I’m her bodyguard. Excuse me.”
Hunter accepted the tickets, grabbed the jewel-toned designer purse that looked out of place on the vinyl seat, the empty doggie bag, neck pillow and magazines, and made his way over to the unlikely group. He stepped between the men and took her hand. “Mrs. Wright-Foster, we’re ready to go.”
“These men stopped me from getting by.” She was breathless and looked close to tears.
“They’re moving now.” There was steel in his voice and Hunter knew he was invested in her. He’d hoped it was just in protecting her until he delivered her to the brother-in-law she’d never met, but he’d surpassed that level of impassioned professionalism four hours ago.
“I’m going to give you two scenarios,” he said to the man wearing the terrible floral-shirt-patched-baggy-denim short combination. “One, you can spend the rest of your holiday as a guest of the Department of Homeland Security being questioned for unlawful imprisonment, or two, you can step aside and go on about your business.”
Alexandria crowded him, her body seeking protection. There wouldn’t be a fight, he knew, but these weren’t the type of men to back down without a few words.
“She looked like she needed a real man to help her.”
The words were meant to bait, but he wasn’t biting.
“Don’t worry, Officer,” a young man of about twelve said, holding up his video camera. “I recorded everything.”
“Thank you.” Hunter never took his eyes off the man he sensed would be the most trouble.
Slowly they stepped back and once they sat down, the tension eased.
Just then Brittney announced that boarding would be delayed another fifteen minutes.
Hunter tipped his videographer, who happily showed the money to his mother, who waved her consent.
“That was really nice of you.”
“He’s a good kid. Hold on,” he said, spotting a police officer. He pulled out his ID and the paperwork he’d received from Chris. “I’m looking for this lounge.” They were directed out of the main area of the airport to a long hallway with doors on the right wall.
Alex hurried by his side, her skirt forcing her to take baby steps. “Hunter, I have something to say.”
“You can’t walk and talk at the same time?” Realizing he needed to be more sensitive, he stopped. “What is it?”
“Why are you so angry?”
“I’m not angry. Do you always attract that type of attention?”
“What? Those men? I can’t help it if they wouldn’t let me by.”
“I told you to just give me a minute and I’d help you with your phone.”
“I’m not a child. I don’t need help.” She sounded as irritated as he felt.
“Fine. Was that all you wanted to say?”
“No. You look funny carrying my purse on your shoulder.”
Relief filled him and he realized he’d braced himself to be criticized by her. He thought she was going to complain that he’d embarrassed her or treated her badly. He’d heard it all before.
But not Alexandria. She was oblivious to her sex appeal. He handed her the pink purse. “You shouldn’t leave your bag lying around.”
“Thanks for rescuing me. I’ve been practicing how to become more assertive. But sometimes I get intimidated and the right words don’t come out.”
She had to practice being assertive? He’d never met a woman who didn’t know how to assert her opinion about any and everything. And she’d handled her family pretty well considering they were all crazy.
“How were you going to be assertive against those men,” he asked, looking at his watch, noting they only had about five minutes. Still, the quiet hallway was better than the main area of the airport.
“I would have said, ‘If you don’t get out of my way, I’m going to hurt you.’”
He tried to keep his smile hidden. “Hurt them…” He chuckled. “How?”
She put her hand on his shoulder and lifted her foot behind her. He endured her closeness and looked over her shoulder.
“This heel is a spike, and they had on those cheap flip-flops. One step in the right direction, and they’d have been on their knees.”
“You’re right about that,” he said, liking the length of her hair, the feel of her hands on his shoulders and the closeness of her body to his. He cleared his throat. “It’s time to board.”
Turning, Alexandria started back up the hallway. Hunter trailed, watching her sexy heels. He stopped his gaze from continuing, because this relationship would end in less than a day.
Once settled on the flight, he pulled out his cell phone and listened to his messages.
There was no first-class on this flight, so they sat together, Alexandria continuously pressing buttons on her phone during the trip.
“Did you ever figure out the problem?” he asked.
“Someone had it cut off.”
“What?” Hunter said.
“My phone’s cut off. I’m trying to figure out how to pay it if it’s cut off, but I don’t know any bank account information. Marc paid our bills, I think, or maybe the accountant. May I use your phone? I need to call Mr. Feinstein.”
Hunter handed it over, thinking high living at its worst. Alexandria fumbled through her BlackBerry, her hands shaking.
“Take a deep breath,” he said, covering her hands with his. “Everything is going to work out.”
“No it isn’t, Hunter. My husband might be dead, I have a brother-in-law I don’t know, and my phone is off. My world is coming to an end and everybody knows it but me. Do you not see how serious this is?”
The older couple in the seats ahead of them turned around and looked at Alexandria. “You’re being rude,” she snapped at them. “This is a personal conversation.”
“You’re the one who’s talking loudly,” the woman said with a scraggly voice and quickly turned around.
Hunter leaned close to Alex. “If you don’t want people to hear what you’re saying, just bring it down a little.”
“We’re practically in their laps. It’s hard not to hear each other, but it’s rude not to pretend.”
He got real close again, breathing in an intoxicating blend of jasmine and lavender. “Look, everyone knows your business because you keep putting it out there.”
“Your breath is tickling my ear.”
He couldn’t tell her what part of her was tickling his libido. “Just trying to share some wisdom,” he said, eyeing the two-carat diamond and the pretty lobe it was attached to.
“Hello, it’s Alexandria Lord Wright-Foster,” she said, holding the pillow close to her mouth.
She pushed her shoulder forward, her head back and looked at him.
Hunter nodded, letting her know no one else could hear her but him.
“I have a problem,” she told the