“So why didn’t you?” Alexandra choked, so dazed that all this time, Cane had been in the background, watching, looking out for her. “I was dying, Cane. I missed you and sometimes it was a trial to even get out of bed every morning. And you’re telling me you were right there all along?”
He let out a shuddering breath. “I was your bodyguard, Alexandra. And you were the daughter of this mega-billionaire. At first I was worried about what people would say – not about me because I wouldn’t give a shit, but about you. ‘Beautiful young heiress Alexandra Duke falls for or is seduced by her bodyguard’…the tabloids would make a meal of it and cook up the kind of tales that would probably tear your heart to pieces. I was afraid to risk that. I didn’t want anyone thinking you’re the kind who could be taken advantage of, or deceived – like Lamar tried to do.”
Cane’s lips pulled closer and Alexandra caught her breath, thinking he’d go for her lips, but instead he traced the kiss along her jaw line, his breath snagging. “So when I couldn’t take it anymore, I confessed to Noah how I really felt about you. And he told me he’d always suspected, especially when I changed my mind about being taken off your security detail – and of course when I volunteered afterwards to carry out the constant surveillance on you. And then that was when he told me you’d just called, asking about me. Damn…that day I think my heart just stopped and then imploded. I told myself that I couldn’t dare believe that meant anything…I told myself that sure, you’d grown attached to me as your bodyguard; you still felt some gratitude that I’d saved your life…I warned myself off in all these ways and yet, that didn’t stop me from going to see your father at his office and telling him I wanted to be with you.”
“Wait…what?” Alexandra asked in shock, breaking out of her mesmerized daze of listening to his voice as those last words shattered through her brain. “You went to see my dad?”
“I guess you’ll say I’m old fashioned that way,” Cane said with a lop-sided grin. “I said to him, Sir, I’m in love with your daughter and I want to be with her. I told him I just wanted to lay it on the line that it had nothing to do with who you were; this wasn’t about Donel Duke the billionaire’s daughter, but about Alexandra Duke the beautiful, gifted and adorable woman and what she was to me.”
“Oh my God,” Alexandra gasped, mortified yet joyous at the same time. “I’m almost afraid to ask what he said.”
Cane smirked, his cocky grin showing through. “He chuckled and said he’d been wondering when I’d fess up, considering that I’d already undertaken the duty of following his daughter around. You see, of course Noah had to tell your father about me tailing you and making sure you’re alright since Noah handles all his security matters anyway. Well, to cut the long story short, he handed me a few brochures for St. Maarten and told me, ‘go get her’.”
Alexandra still had that ‘Oh God’ embarrassed look on her face. To think that everyone, including Noah and her father had been in on everything and she’d never even suspected, made her face hot.
“So that’s why I’m here. I came to get you, petal,” Cane said softly, making Alexandra’s throat go dry with the melting look in his eyes coupled with his soft endearment. “Now will you let me sweep you off somewhere romantic where we can kiss for hours and possibly, tousle up some sheets?”
His rakish smile was paired with his eyebrows wriggling suggestively in a comical way that was so different from his usual cool demeanor that Alexandra had to guffaw, covering her mouth with a hand to hold in the mirth.
“Hmm, I don’t know about that, Mr. Smooth. I happen to already have a date,” she finally managed to say while twisting her lips coyly.
“You mean the dashing doctor,” Cane surprised her by saying while his expression crossed between a frown and a scoff. “Yeah, I’ve watched him hover around you like a hawk for some time.”
Alexandra rolled her eyes. “Oh my goodness, just how long have you been here keeping me under more surveillance?”
“About three days,” he confessed, his smile rueful. “I love watching you, Alexandra. I could never tire of that but now I want to do it up close, where you can feel my love.” His fingers trailed down her cheek, sliding past her throat to dip into the soft yet firm hollow of her cleavage. Alexandra’s breathing hitched.
“Hold on…are you trying to sweet talk me into standing up the good doctor for some quality time with you?” she mock accused, her eyes thinning to playful slits.