Page 44 of Kiss Me Forever

"Nine years."

"What kind of an employer is he?"

"Fair, honest and hardworking. He treats me with respect. I have no complaints." Her tone offered no shades of gray.

Andrea smiled, trying to ease the tension on the older woman's face. "It's clear from your tone that you're very loyal, and Alex must have done something right to inspire that loyalty. I just wish I could get a clearer picture of who he is away from work."

"You'll have to ask him."

"He hasn't been very forthcoming."

"Well, he has a reason to be protective. Everyone wants a piece of him now. It's difficult for him to know who to trust. Some people just want to use him to get ahead."

There was a warning note in Ellen's voice now. Andrea was not going to get anything from Alex's assistant.

"Just for the record," Andrea said. "Alex wasn't forced to do this interview, and I've been completely up front with him. I have a job to do, and I'm going to do it. "

"Then you shouldn't pretend to be his friend," Ellen said sharply.

She sucked in a quick breath at the harsh words. "I'm not pretending," she protested. "And I wouldn't even say we're friends." Actually, she didn't know what they were to each other.

"I saw your lipstick on his face, Ms. Blain."

There was no way she could explain that away.

"I told Alex not to do this interview," Ellen continued. "And I don't trust you for a second. I've never met a reporter who wasn't after a juicy secret. You want to dig into Alex's life, and you won't care at all what harm you do."

"Is there a juicy secret?"

"Your question just proves my point." Ellen shook her head. "If you'll excuse me, I have work to do." The woman turned her gaze back to her computer.

Andrea had no choice but to leave. As she walked back to her car, she couldn’t get Ellen's words about a secret out of her head. The woman had not meant to intrigue her with anything; she'd been trying to push her away. But there was something in Ellen's gaze that Andrea couldn't quite shake.

Alex had a secret. A secret Ellen didn't want her to find. What the hell was it?

Chapter Nine

Andrea was still ruminating about what Alex could possibly be hiding when she got up Wednesday morning. She took a long, hot shower to get the knots out of her neck and shoulders. It had been another restless night. She certainly hadn't gotten much sleep since she'd met Alex.

She'd just finished drying her hair when her phone rang.

"What are you doing right now?" Alex asked.

Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of his voice. "Uh, waking up."

"I know just the thing to help that."

She was almost afraid to ask. "What's that?"

"A run. I'm just about to go for my morning run. If you want to talk, come with me."

"You want me to interview you while we're running?" she asked in dismay.

"It's the only time I have today. Afraid you can't keep up with me, Andrea?"

Never one to let a challenge pass by, she said, "Of course I can keep up with you. Where do you want to meet?"

"The Marina Green. I'll show you one of my favorite runs."

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