First, I wanted to apologize for the delay for updating and I thank everyone who's still there!
Then, I'd like to thank Emtheunicorn for having been my beta for such a long time. You did a great job! 55 chapters of editing, it was not an easy task, so thanks a lot.
Now, I want to welcome OpenPervert-Chan and thank her for the beta of this chapter and the next ones. Thanks for your quick editing and for your positive answer to my request!
Now that is said, let's go back to Terra Nova!
One step closer
The next day Alexandra came to look for Malcolm and Lucas at the lab but found none of them there. She was almost certain they had to meet there at 8. She waited for them for 15 minutes, pacing, until she was fed up of waiting and walked straight to Mark's house, knowing he was sharing the place with Lucas.
When the door opened, Alexandra stopped her jaw from hitting the floor. There, in front of her, was Amy. She was standing there, wearing the same dress she wore the night before.
"Hi…" Alexandra managed to say, her eyes looking at Amy with disdain.
"Hi Alex!" She giggled. "Can I help you?"
"Huh… No." She said simply with a grimace. Lucas arrived a second later, with only a towel around his waist, his hair drenched with water. He smiled at Amy who beamed at him, giving him a knowing look before leaving them alone. Lucas leant casually against the open door, his arms folded on his muscular torso. Alexandra was staring at him, making a strange face. He was so gorgeous it was almost hurting.
"What?" He asked, raising one eyebrow.
"Nothing."
"She's an old friend."
"I didn't ask."
"You didn't have to."
"I've been waiting for you," she said with an assassin look, folding her arms over her chest. He arched his eyebrows, perplex. "We were supposed to meet at 8," she insisted.
"Oh yeah, sorry, I completely forgot," he replied, pretending to be sorry.
"You really wanted me to catch you, didn't you?"
"Pardon?"
"We were supposed to meet at the lab 30 minutes ago! And while I was waiting for you, you were… You were having fun?"
"Oh come on, if you were here she'd be gone, no contest," he smirked.
"I'm not fighting for the place! You do what you want."
"So, that's what this is really all about."
"What?"
"The fuss!"
"There's no fuss! I mean… I don't know what you thought you were doing," she said, shaking her head in disgust. "Amy? She's… She's just a slapper!" She said with a frown. "Or so she was a year ago," she added, already regretting this discussion. She shouldn't be so affected by the situation, but most of all, she shouldn't show it to Lucas.
"Well, obviously I didn't know that at the time," he smirked playfully.
"Did you sleep with her?" She heard herself ask. She couldn't believe that she had really asked him that aloud.
"That's none of your business," he replied seriously, yet a hint of mischief was in his eyes.
"Great," she pressed her lips, annoyed.
"That's really a strange reaction from someone who doesn't care," Lucas taunted. She realized she was grinding her teeth in frustration.
"I don't care. You shag whoever you want."
"Really?" He asked with a playfully smile on his face. The way she was reacting was proving him the opposite. Her reaction was betraying her annoyance.
"It's just a friend's advice. I'm just a friend," she snapped. "I'll see you later when you'll be more… dressed," she said, looking at him from head to toe, before leaving.
"Alex! Come on! Don't be such a j…" Lucas stopped his sentence when he saw Alexandra glare back at him, challenging him to continue. His mouth was still open but he didn't add the adjective that was on his mind to define her attitude.
Once Alexandra was sure he would shut up, she went back walking to the market, upset. Lucas looked around as some people were passing, smiling at the sight of him, almost naked at his front door. He grinned back, not even embarrassed. He was proud of himself and greeted the people that were passing by. Then, he quickly ran to his bedroom and grabbed a pair of pants and his shoes. He didn't bother to grab a shirt and ran after Alexandra, half naked.
Alexandra was angry. She didn't know why she had gone to see Lucas in the first place. What was she expecting? He was not going to wait for her forever. And anyway, she had made it clear she wanted him to stay away from her. But Amy? Honestly? She was so disappointed. He was so disappointing. It was only showing her how messy her emotions were and how hard it was to keep the arrangement she had made with him.
As the market came into view, Alexandra heard someone's footsteps behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw Lucas following not far behind her, shirtless. She picked up her pace, her heart pounding in her chest. Lucas caught up with her as she approached the first stand. He reached out to touch the small of her back, but she jerked away. Lucas stepped back slightly, leaving a foot of distance between them.
"Something's wrong?" He asked, folding his arms on his bare chest. Alexandra ignored Lucas, faking being interested by the fruits in front of her. She wanted him to go away and was hoping he would if she ignored him. That was impossible though, since it was not Lucas Taylor's character to give up, of course. Alexandra saw him smirk. "How am I supposed to know what your problem is if you don't tell me?"
"My problem?" Alexandra spat, casting Lucas an angry glare. "You should try to resolve yours before you think about helping with everyone else's problem."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" He asked skeptically.
"You're playing with women like their toys you can just use and throw away like they're nothing."
"What?" Lucas was stunned. "I'm not sure I'm the one who uses people and then throw them away."
"Oh yeah, I suppose that's me you're talking about," she growled.
"Alex, look…"
"No," she shook her head. "Don't." she turned and left him. Lucas caught up with her immediately, grabbing at the sleeve of her shirt.
"Wait." Alexandra pulled away and kept walking, wishing that he could stay away from her. It would be so easier if he could stay away from her. Lucas kept following her. "Alex, talk to me, please." Alexandra glanced quickly at Lucas. His expression was pleading and almost desperate, and Alexandra looked away before she would do something she'd regret.
"What do you want me to say?" She replied harshly. "You just said I was a bad person, why would a person as good as you want to talk to me?"
Lucas stopped Alexandra by reaching out for her hand. He spun her to face him and lifted her chin with his other hand. "Why are you mad at me?" He asked forcefully, his gaze locked with hers.
"Wow, are you kidding?" She scoffed, rolling her eyes. She took her hand and broke free of his grip and walked away. Once again, Lucas didn't let her go and grabbed her arm, pulling her with him in the next alley. He placed her against the wall of an unit, giving her no way to escape this time. She was stuck between Lucas and the house. His hands were on either side of her head.
"Talk to me." His eyes seemed to be boring into her, trying to discern her thoughts.
"Lucas," Alexandra sighed. "What do you want?"
"I want you to stop lying to yourself. I want you to tell me the truth," Lucas said truthfully, his hand reaching for her face to caress her cheek. She slapped his hand away, sighing.
"I'm not lying to myself."
"Then why are you so upset with me, huh?" His face was inches away from hers, his hair still wet from his previous shower, his chest going up and down as his breathing became labored.
"I… I'm not upset. I told you. I don't care. I just think… as your friend, that you should choose better … girlfriends," she muttered. She was not convinced at all by her statement. She knew why she was upset and surely he knew as well.
"Hmmm," Lucas moaned ironically in response. He moved his hand along the back of Alexandra's neck and down her spine until it rested on the small of her back. She repressed a shiver, but the return of Lucas's smirk told her that she hadn't done a very good job. "Jittery, are we?"
"Why did you follow me?"
"You didn't give me the time to talk to you."
"What do you want?" She cut him off.
"I wanted to invite you for dinner." His response startled her but she didn't give him the time to see it.
"Not interested," she said quickly.
"A drink maybe?"
"Lucas…"
"Damon walked you back home yesterday. It might be my turn now?"
"What, are you jealous?"
"I don't get jealous."
"That's really funny," she mocked. "The day you won't be jealous of something has not arrived yet."
"No, seriously. Go out with me."
"No."
"You know, I almost died the other day. Malcolm made a bomb with some products and it exploded. I came like this close," he said, putting his thumb and index finger very close to each other to show her how much he nearly died. "How would you feel if I died and you didn't get a chance to go out with me?"
"I'd survive. And you survived. I already know what it's like to go out with you anyway."
"No, you don't. You said it yourself, I never asked you for a date, never. Here's a fresh new start."
"No way. No date. Friends don't date each other."
"Come on! I thought I might buy you breakfast before we start working."
"I've already eaten."
"Oh yeah? What did you have?"
"None of your business."
"Cereal? Fruits?"
"Why do you care?"
"Have you even eaten something?" He inquired, his eyes narrowing on her.
"It's none of your business," she said, mimicking the tone he had when he told her that before.
"You didn't have breakfast yet!" He stated, smiling.
"Fine, tea. I had tea. Curiosity satisfied?" She gasped. She was trying to hold on and to forget how strange this conversation was, him with his body against hers, his arm still around her waist, his hand still on her back, nearly down her bottom, his fingers playing with the hem of her shirt.
"That's sad. It's pathetic. A good day starts with a good breakfast. I'm gonna prepare you a real breakfast."
"No, you're not."
"Don't make me beg you!"
"I came to work, not to have a breakfast!"
"You really want me to beg you, don't you?" He smiled.
"It's a man thing, isn't it?"
"What?"
"The thrill of the chase. I was wondering to myself, why are you so hell-bent on getting me to dance with you? And now to go out with you? You know I don't want it. You know I'll keep saying no. It's definitely a chase. You think you're the predator and that I'm the prey. You might even think Damon is a contestant."
"Well... It's fun, isn't it? Don't deny it, I can see that you're enjoying it too."
"You see! This is a God damn game to you. Guess what? The prey is not gonna let you come close enough to catch her for your dinner," she said, pushing him and trying to leave his embrace. Lucas smirked slightly at her outburst, moving both his hands to hold her by the waist.
"Hey, hey stop," he said stopping her in her move and spinning her back to him. "It has nothing to do with the chase." His eyes darted to her hands that were on his forearms, his hands went up to find them and he laced his fingers through hers.
"It doesn't?" She asked, her eyes looking awkwardly down to her hands in his. She could hear her heart beat in her ears.
"You and me. It is not the thrill of the chase. It's not a game. It has never been."
"Oh yeah? I doubt that." A fight was on in her head. She knew she had to take her hands off his but she enjoyed it too much to do it.
"I need you to be with me. You saw it yourself, I'm bad when it comes to making a decision," he joked. "I need you with me," he said truthfully. "And you're bossy attitude keeps me in line," he chuckled.
"I'm still not going out with you," she insisted.
"You say that now," he smiled.
"Let me go you arrogant brat." Her words were rude, but her tone was teasing.
"That's more like it," he grinned insolently. "That's more like my Alex."
"I am not your Alex," she warned him, taking her hands out of his.
"Aren't you?" He asked, the left side of his mouth lifting up. There was laugher in his eyes.
"I am no ones," she dared to say. His eyes flashed at her answer and she froze as his expression turned.
"Not even Damon's?" He snarled. She rolled her eyes, exasperated.
"I don't have time for you to act this way," she said pushing past him, going back to the market.
"Like what?" he asked, his voice harsh as his hand grabbed her arm tightly, spinning her again to face him.
"Like a fucking jealous and possessive boyfriend," she hissed, her eyes flashing angrily as his narrowed.
"I'm not…"
"My boyfriend? Jealous?" she retorted before he could even finish his sentence. "You're damn right, Lucas. You… are… nothing… to…" She pressed on every word but was cut off as he pushed her against the wall, his body pressing her onto it.
"I'm what? Huh?" He shook her. "Alex? I'm nothing to you? Is that what you're saying?" He asked, breathing hard, fury audible in his tone.
"Yes, you're nothing to me," she said, her voice slightly shaking, proving him how less sure she was. It was a lie and they both knew it.
It had an immediate consequence on Lucas' attitude. His face softened in a second. Lucas' anger was on the edge of passion and he had to restrain himself from kissing her. The resolve he had taken the day before vanished. He couldn't be just a friend to her, he wanted her a lot more than that. Having her pressed against his body made his mind wander to all of the desire he had for her.
"Keep telling yourself that," he smirked playfully. His hand reached up to her face, caressing her cheek slowly. He leaned toward her, his lips brushing her jaw and going down her neck. She couldn't move, trapped between his body and the wall, but she didn't want to anyway. He freed one of her arm and used his now free hand to move down it her body, starting from the side of her breast and going slowly to her belly, stopping at her exposed skin between her shirt and her pants, his fingers tracing patterns up and down. They suddenly both found it hard to breathe. "Tell me again I mean nothing to you," he whispered against her skin as his lips almost kissed her throat, leaving a burning trail in his path.
"You mean nothing to me," she stammered, her voice almost a whisper.
"You're such a good liar," he chuckled on her skin, his mouth still along her jaw.
"I can't, I can't do that," she blurted out breathlessly as his hand slid under her shirt, his palm resting on her old scar. He pulled back, surprised, his gaze questioning her as he heard the catch in her voice. She closed her eyes, unable to stand his stare. She hardly swallowed as his hand touched her face cautiously, her body shaking.
"Why?" He asked seriously.
Alexandra couldn't tell him why. She wanted him so badly that her whole body was aching, but she knew that surrendering to her desire was not a solution. She had been caught off guard but quickly recomposed herself. She looked at him with a mischievous smile and leaned in, stopping inches away from his lips.
"Because…" She let her lips brush his chin, leading to his neck and coming back to his ears, her warm breath leaving a burning sensation on his skin, eliciting a moan of excitement from him. "You forgot something in your lovely theory," she whispered seductively. She made a pause to give him time to think about what she had just said and leaned back, her eyes back to his. He gave her a half smile in response, but it was not his normal confident grin and it didn't fool her. "I'm not stupid enough to make the same mistake twice," she beamed, gently pushing his left arm, and walked away.
She saved herself this time but she would have to be more cautious in the future. She had already told him too much with those two words. He was going to look for the truth, she was sure of it. Above all now he knew she was hiding something. Because she was sure he knew, he was not stupid, he had never been. Her attempt to lighten the situation had been vain. She had noticed the concern and curiosity in his eyes. He would not let it go.
Lucas' plan had worked perfectly. Bringing Amy back home had been a brilliant idea to prove Alexandra still had feelings for him. The girl was so drunk that she had barely made her way to his house. Then, she had just collapsed on his sofa. Spending time with her, faking to be interested in what she had said had annoyed Lucas extremely. But it had been worth it. Alexandra's jealousy was written all over her features and made it obvious that she didn't like to imagine Lucas with another woman.
Now he was sure she still had something for him, if not love, at least feelings. The reaction of her body under his hands was the perfect proof that she wanted him. Yet, she had fought it. His mind was racing as he was trying to figure out why she was restraining herself like that. Of course, they had shared a painful past but somehow, he didn't know why, he was sure it was not the reason. There was something else, something more, something he couldn't put his finger on.
But his plan had also led him to a path he had not expected. Lucas could recognize when a woman was pretending not to be afraid. Alexandra was afraid, he was sure of it. She was afraid and it was not of him. Something else was bothering her, hurting her, and he had to know why. Now his curiosity was at its top level and it was not going to lower down until he knew what was going on.
I know... Alex is weird lately, isn't she? I promise you'll know why very soon. Just keep following me! I swear she has some excuses. I'd like to hear your thoughts about it! Do you think that our genius Lucas is going to find out what's going on?
