Page 8 of Alluring

Alexis tossed the pills into her mouth. She was thirsty and almost drank the whole bottle of water before setting it on the nightstand. "Why am I here?"

"Tell me what you remember from last night."

Alexis sat up against the headboard. As the covers slipped down to her waist, she noted (with relief) that she was fully dressed. Only her shoes were missing. She walked Jack through her evening and came to a stop when she couldn't remember anything else.

"That guy from the bar, his name is Peter Finchman. At some point during the night he slipped Rohypnol into your drink."

"Rohypnol? Isn't that some kind of date-rape drug?"

"Yes," Jack hissed through his teeth. "The police found more of the drug on his person, and once they get the lab results from your blood, it should be an easy conviction."

She sat up straighter. "I had blood taken?"

"I had a doctor come take a look at you. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"And were you here when all this happened?" Alexis felt extremely vulnerable at not knowing what had happened to her while she was unconscious.

"Yes," Jack said, sitting up straighter in the chair.

"By here, I mean, with me?" She stressed, trying not to panic.

"If you're asking whether I ever left you alone with anyone, then the answer is no."

Alexis sagged in relief. She could understand why the thought of being alone with someone while being unable to defend herself, making her anxious. What she couldn't understand was why she didn't feel any anxiety at the thought of being alone and vulnerable with Jack. She didn't know why she felt so comfortable in his presence.

Maybe, it was the fact that he could have any woman he wanted and wouldn't have to resort to trickery to get one. Yes, he was a womanizer but with his good looks and charm, she was sure women threw themselves at him, so how could he not be one? Who would turn that down? And he seemed honest. He spoke his mind whether you wanted to hear it or not. All that led her to believe, he wasn't the type to take advantage of an unconscious woman.

Jack relaxed back into the chair. "Why don't you try to get some more sleep. We'll talk more in the morning."

"Okay." Alexis realized she was still exhausted. She slid down in the bed, snuggling her head into the pillow. She was asleep in a matter of minutes.

The bedroom was empty when Alexis next awoke. She carefully got up and was relieved her head was no longer pounding. In the bathroom, she used the facilities, washed her hands and face, removing all traces of last nights make-up, and brushed her teeth with an unopened toothbrush she found laying on the counter. She grabbed her bag from the bed and checked her phone. One missed text from Steph. She would call her when she got home. She found her shoes by the side of the bed and put them on while calling up the GPS on her phone. She had no idea where she was and was surprised to find herself at Allure.

Knowing where she was made her feel more confident as she went downstairs. She heard a female voice somewhere off to her right. She tiptoed quietly to the elevator being extra careful not to make noise with her heels when the flooring changed from carpet to marble, in the foyer.

Hitting the call button for the elevator, she looked over her shoulder while she waited, expecting at any second to get caught leaving. She wanted to get home, and she didn't want Jack stopping her. The elevator doors opened. She stepped in, turned, and pushed the button for the lobby. She breathed a sigh of relief when the doors closed, blocking her view from the penthouse. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to make such a hasty escape. She only knew, the less time she spent in Jack's presence, the better.

Alexis was on the couch reading when a knock hammered her front door. She looked at the clock on the DVD player and saw it was one o'clock. She'd been home for about two hours. She stood and looked down at herself. After coming home in a cab, she had taken a long, hot shower before throwing on an old pair of cutoff sweats and a tank top (sans bra). She'd left her hair to dry naturally in curls and waves down her back. She wasn't expecting anyone but figured it was probably Steph. She'd tried calling her after she had arrived home, but it had gone straight to voice mail. She'd assumed, after a late night of partying, that she had still been asleep.

The knock sounded again, louder this time as she made her way to the door. She didn't have a peephole, but she did have a side window that she looked through. Jack stood on the stoop. Surprise must have been written on her face, for when he caught sight of her, he gave a dark scowl. She unlocked the three locks before pulling the door open far enough for only her head to appear. "What are you doing here?"

He looked angry. "Why did you leave?"

Alexis watched as he took a step closer to the door. She backed her head away. "What?"

"I had a meeting this morning that I couldn't get out of. When I came home, you were gone."

At the word home, a tingle slid down her spine, and her breathing sped up. She didn't understand her reaction around him. She'd gone twenty-three years of life and never felt anything like it.

Her eyes absorbed everything about him. He was dressed in a dark suit and a light-blue shirt with the top buttons unbuttoned. He was missing a tie. Did he wear a tie to his meeting and took it off before coming here? For some reason, she had to know. "Where's your tie?"

He looked down at himself. "It's in the car. Are you going to let me in?" He was losing patience.

Alexis stepped back from the door and pulled it open but didn't close it after he walked over the threshold. She stood by the open door, her arms crossed over her chest (very aware she didn't have a bra on) as he scanned the room. She looked as well, to see it as he would. He obviously had money if he called a penthouse at the Allure home. Her apartment was small, and her furnishings were old, but everything was tidy. She didn't make much of a mess living alone. Especially since, working two jobs, she wasn't home much.

He turned facing her. When he noticed the open door, he walked over, closed it, then took her by the arm and led her farther into the room. "Now, are you going to tell me why you left?"

She stepped out of his hold putting a good three feet between them. "I didn't know I was supposed to stay."

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