Page 14 of Claim Her

“Maybe because the elevator’s not working?” Jasper raises his eyebrows and wiggles them, making me laugh.

We chat for an hour more before Justin stands and stretches. If I thought he was huge, nothing could prepare me for how massive he looked standing. He may be just a bit taller than Alec, but he’s as wide as a door. “Okay, I’ve seen enough of your faces for today. Let’s go.”

One by one, we file out of Alec’s apartment. Jasper keeps on chatting with me about anything and everything. He even asks about my job and if I like the hospital I work at. For the first time, I feel envious of Alec. I’ve always wanted siblings.

I move to walk downstairs when Jameson touches my arm. “It’s a pleasure meeting you, Zara. Thanks for the cupcakes again. Alec will walk you to your door. He’s just cleaning up our mess.”

“See you next time, Zara. Your cupcakes were really good. If you decide to open a bakery, I’ll be the first in line.” Jasper takes my hand and kisses my knuckles before he strides toward Jameson, who’s waiting by the stairwell.

Justin just tips his head to me without smiling. “Nice meeting you, ma’am.”

I don’t know how to respond so I just bobble my head like an idiot.

As I stand in the hallway waiting for Alec, I can still hear their chatter—mostly just Jasper’s and Jameson’s. Man, they’re so fun to be around. I can imagine how their holidays are.

“Hi. Just had to throw the wrappers or else I’ll come back to a house full of ants or worse.” Alec smiles apologetically and locks the door behind him.

Now that everyone’s gone and it’s just him and me, I feel the now-familiar thickness in the air between us, wrapping around us. This raw need for him isn’t funny anymore. I feel like I’ll die if he doesn’t kiss me again, but I’m so confused about what he feels for me. Does he want me, too? What did that kiss mean to him? What do I mean to him?

7

ALEC

Zara interacting with my brothers wasn’t something I expected to witness tonight.

But I couldn’t deny the way my chest expanded when I saw her smile at something Jasper or Jameson said. She’s comfortable with them and them with her, which is interesting. Because while my brothers look extroverted and sociable enough, they’re actually not … especially with people they’ve just met. Like me, they’re extra wary of who they let into our small circle. They can do small talk, sure, but they won’t go out of their way to make sure others feel comfortable.

Without even saying it, it’s clear that they all welcome her to the fold. Even Justin.

“Your brothers are nice,” Zara says.

That makes me laugh. “You can say that.”

“I have a question that’s been nagging at me since meeting them. Why does everyone’s name start with J but not yours?”

“You picked up on that, huh?”

“Hard not to. Jameson, Jasper, Justin. You’re Alec.”

“I’m actually James Alexander. I go by Alec because James and Jameson sound similar enough.”

Her face lights up in understanding. “Oh, right. Wow. That’s like a rich kid’s name.” She shoots me a look. “This is gonna sound weird, but I’ve never really asked your last name.”

I stiffen at this because it will take one Google search before she finds out who I am, before she finds out who we all are. “Fielding.”

“James Alexander Fielding. You have a trust fund or something?” She says it jokingly, but the humor dies on her face when I nod.

“Yes. All of us when we turned 18. We knew about it when our parents died.”

Her ears turn red, and she covers her face with her hands. “I am so sorry, Alec. Sometimes, my mouth works faster than my brain does.”

“It’s okay. It’s been a long time.”

We walk quietly after that, and I remember my conversation with Jameson earlier. Before they left, he pulled me to the side to talk.

“She seems like a good one, brother,” he told me.

“She is.”