N. Walters - Alexandra's Legacy

That one sentence made her smile. “You’re not God, Joshua. You can’t think of everything.”

One corner of his mouth twitched, but he didn’t smile. “It’s my job to think of everything.” He held the door open to allow her to enter in front of him.

The lighting was harsh and she blinked, allowing her vision to focus. She headed straight to the cooler in the back and slid the glass door open, extracting a couple bottles of water. Joshua had one eye on her and the other on the customers in the store. She had no doubt that he knew exactly where everyone was, what they were wearing, and could give a detailed description of them if needed.

What must it be like to have to live like that? She guessed that she’d better start learning from him, start paying more attention herself. He might think he was responsible for her safety, but ultimately she was responsible for herself.

“Is there anything you want?” She kept her voice low as she made her way back to his side.

He shook his head. “When we get where we’re going I’ll get whatever we need.”

She took her place in the small line, plunking her two bottles on the counter when her turn came. Reaching into the pocket of her jeans, she found a crumpled bill. The middle-aged clerk paid her no attention as he rang up her purchase, took her money and handed her back her change. She stuffed the money in her pocket, grabbed the two bottles of water and headed for the door with Joshua right behind her.

As soon as they were outside, she tucked one bottle into her coat pocket and twisted the cap off the other. Lifting it, she brought the opening to her mouth. The water felt cool and refreshing against her lips. She didn’t swallow though. Instead, she swished the liquid around in her mouth and spit into a garbage can that was right outside the store. She did that several more times, trying to rid herself of the nasty taste in her mouth, before finally allowing herself to drink some of the water.

“Better?”

She nodded as she tilted the bottle up, draining what was left in it before tossing it into the garbage can. She plucked the other one from her pocket, opened it and offered it to Joshua. He took it, his fingers grazing hers as he removed it from her hand. The slight brush of his skin against hers had her entire body clenching with need. This was ridiculous.

He took a long pull from the bottle. The column of his neck was strong and his throat moved convulsively as he swallowed. His face was in profile to her, emphasizing the harsh planes and the silhouette of his nose. She’d never noticed the small bump in the center of it before. It was a fairly large nose, but it suited his face well.

He lowered the bottle and licked his lips. Alex found herself licking her lips as well. What she’d really like to do was lick his lips. Shaking herself, she managed to tear her eyes from him just before he turned back to her and handed her the bottle.

“Thanks. That hit the spot.”

She was careful not to allow their fingers to touch when she took the container back from him. “You’re welcome.” She drank what was left and tossed the bottle into the garbage bin. “I’m ready.”

“You certainly are.” His low, intimate voice stroked over her skin like a physical caress. What the heck did he mean by that? Before she could get the nerve to ask him to explain himself, he was already on the move again. She had to hurry for a bit to catch up before falling in to step beside him.

Physically, Joshua was a sight to behold. She watched him as he prowled down the dimly lit sidewalk. His legs were long and thick with muscles. His jeans cupped his ass to perfection and he had a loose-legged gait that had made more than one woman stop and stare. Alex responded by glaring at them.

It was pure pleasure to watch Joshua move. The man was incredibly good looking in a rough sort of way. He had a fluid grace that she’d only ever seen in one other man—her father. She realized now that it was the wolf in them both that allowed them to move in that manner.

Alex couldn’t deny that there was an animal magnetism about him that drew her. Was he right? Would she be just as drawn to another werewolf? Alex didn’t think so. There was something special about Joshua. Werewolf or man, she would have felt the pull.

What would it be like to make love to him?

A shiver skated down her spine and she rubbed her sweaty palms over the legs of her jeans. It was almost enough to make her come just by thinking about all that male intensity focused entirely on her. He would be a thorough lover. Of that she had no doubt. Everything he did, he did with purpose, putting all his attention into it. It was all too easy to imagine him braced over her, driving himself deep into her core, making her scream with pleasure. She had quite an imagination even though she’d never had a lover before.

She licked her lips as she glanced away, needing to gain some control over her runaway hormones. Alex looked around and caught a few familiar landmarks, eventually getting her bearings. They were near the entertainment district. Art galleries, restaurants and trendy clubs all vied for people’s money. These were, for the most part, upscale businesses, but there were clubs and bars throughout the city, ranging from chic to seedy, and everything in between.

Mind-numbing liquor, loud music and a chance to forget just how brutal and unforgiving the world could be was their appeal. There were private clubs, if you knew where to find them, offering all sorts of illicit experiences. Everyone knew about them, but most never talked about them or knew exactly where to find them.

“Where are we going?”

“We’re going to see someone about getting some new transportation.” Joshua caught her hand in his and tugged her along the sidewalk. She supposed she’d slowed down, although it hadn’t been intentional. The colored lights and the sounds of music drifting out from the clubs had caught her attention. There was a party atmosphere in the air, but beneath it she sensed the darkness, the desperation.

She also sensed Joshua’s growing tension and it made her nervous. It was too loud, too boisterous, too everything here. It almost hurt her eyes and ears to take it all in. Vendors hawked food from steaming carts, while bouncers stood outside clubs, muscular arms crossed, allowing people inside a few at a time. She noted a sharp-eyed youth lift the wallet of one unsuspecting man, and several men and women who passed them were carrying weapons. She might have been somewhat sheltered in her life, but her father had taught her how to watch others so she could protect herself. Not that she could criticize them. She had a knife shoved in each of her boots and a 9mm stuffed in her pocket.

Alex watched all the people streaming by them. Hard-looking men in jeans and leather shared the street with businessmen in three-piece suits. Women in high heels, short skirts, skimpy tops and too much makeup laughingly called out suggestive ideas to some of the men. Other women in expensive dresses and glittery jewelry were let into clubs while others waited in long lines.

Several men glanced at her, but quickly looked away when Joshua pinned them with a lethal glare. They couldn’t know what he was, but it was as if they sensed he was not a man to mess around with.

“Stay close.” He tugged her away from the general stream of humanity. They kept walking and Alex caught a whiff of chocolate on the air. That could only mean one thing—the Fulton River District. Here thriving businesses, that included a chocolate company, sat alongside empty warehouses and million-dollar condos. Development was fast and furious in this section of town.

Alex’s curiosity was aroused. Were they headed for one of the empty warehouses or one of the fabulous condos? Apparently neither. Joshua led her down a dimly lit alleyway that ran alongside a large warehouse. Even from outside, she could hear the heavy pulse of the music pounding from the nightclub within. They passed a long line of patrons waiting outside and went to a closed iron door.