Page 68 of Alluring

"Don't leave it up to me. You'll end up back in bed."

The nail tech giggled.

"Maybe we can go shopping. Emily is coming next week, and I want to get her some presents."

Jack sighed. "About that. Maybe it would be better if we waited for your sister to come after this mess is cleared up."

"No, Jack. No way. This crazy person is not interfering with me seeing my sister."

Jack held up a hand. "Okay, but the same rules apply while she's here. If I'm not with you, security follows you wherever you go inside and outside the hotel."

"I can live with that."

"Good." He kissed her palm again. "Now after we go shopping, I say we play doctor. With all this activity, I say you're looking a little peaked and need a thorough examination."

"I do, do I?" Alexis gave him a big grin. "I guess we can always wait until tomorrow to go shopping."

The nail tech walked away, laughing.

* * * * *

Jack sat at his desk, angrily tapping a pen against its top. He was on the phone with Stan and so far the news he'd received pissed him off. "How could no one have seen her?" He growled into the phone.

Stan's voice echoed over the line. "I know how she got in and out of the gym undetected. There are no cameras in or around the entrance. I've spent the last three days going through countless videos from all areas around the hotel at the time of the incident and didn't spot her. But even if I catch sight of someone who I think might be her, we still don't know who she is.

"I ran the door handle for prints. Yours were the only ones on it. That means she wiped the handle down after she touched it because Alexis's weren't on it either. Believe me, I'm just as frustrated as you, Jack. Just try to be a little more patient. Keep a good watch on Alexis. Don't let her go anywhere alone. This woman is going to slip up soon and we'll be watching."

Jack hung up the phone feeling more frustrated than before the phone call. The thought of some crazy person on the loose, out to hurt Alexis, was close to driving him insane. The only thing holding him together was Alexis herself. He needed to protect her and to do that he needed to keep a clear head. He couldn't let his emotions for her override his instincts and abilities to keep her safe.

He picked up his phone once again. He had one more phone call he needed to make before going up to Alexis.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

"She's here!" Alexis yelled, flying down the stairs, cell phone in hand, and running through the living room.

"Whoa. Slow down, sweetheart. You're gonna hurt yourself." Jack came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel. He wrapped an arm around Alexis's waist, halting her mad dash for the elevator.

Alexis tried pushing at his chest to break free of his hold. "Jack, Emily's here."

"Don't worry. I've already sent the elevator down. She'll be up in a minute."

"Tell me again why we couldn't pick her up from the airport?"

Jack shook his head and chuckled. "I told you. She wanted to rent a car at the airport so she had her independence while she was here. She has some old friends she intends to visit with."

"How is it you know more aboutmysister's plans, than I do?"

"We had a long chat while you were in the shower the other day. By the way, I totally agree that Billy deserved that black eye you gave him in the seventh grade."

"Oh my God, I can't believe she told you about that." Alexis covered her mouth on a giggle.

"If I try to get a peek at your panties will you give me a black eye too?"

"Well, I guess that depends on what you plan to do after you peek," Alexis said batting her eyelashes.

The elevator doors opened and Emily stepped out followed closely by a tall, attractive man-boy, with sandy-blond, shaggy hair, blues eyes, and a dimple in his right cheek.

Jack released Alexis so she could rush her sister and enfold her in a close embrace. They held onto each other for a full minute before Alexis pulled away. Her sister looked good. She'd dyed two large chunks of her hair that framed either side of her face a deep burgundy color. She wore too much make-up, but it looked good on her. She had on a faded T-shirt, ripped, jean shorts, and flip flops.

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