7 Degrees of Alpha (a collection of seven new BWWM, Alpha Male Romances) by et al Phoenix Daniels Sara Allen

insulting chat up lines she’d heard over the years and those uncompromising insults and jibes over the last few months. Jones was a man who did what he said and wasn’t about to make excuses for following his own mind. She couldn’t see him backing down from anything and could see his attitude getting him into trouble more often than not. If she was sure about anything, it was her unwavering certainty that he would have her back in any situation. Last night had proved that, when he’d been there for her without question, supplying everything she needed, even going so far as to welcome her, a complete stranger, into his own home. 
    She’d cleaned up the mess she’d made and got ready to leave the apartment. She was further away from the Tate on the Southbank than she would have liked, but she knew she was safe with Jones.
    As she headed to her office, a chill came over her, causing a sense of unease. She glanced behind her, trying to see if someone was there. Maybe someone she hadn’t noticed, going in the same direction or following her. Perhaps Damon had decided that he didn’t appreciate her kicking him out last night and had decided to pay her a visit. Whatever it was, she didn’t like it.
    She walked through a sub-gallery in which most of the artwork had been covered with plastic sheeting to keep it dust free, as the lighting wasn’t finished. Suddenly, the lights flickered; once, then twice before pitching the whole gallery into darkness. Val stopped in her tracks. The only sound she heard was her own breathing.
    “H…Hello!” Her voice croaked. “Hello!”
    There was nothing; no sound and no reply.
    There was barely light to see by, and she feared to take a tumble and break something or herself. Val squinted, trying to make out something in the distance. Perhaps a guard or decorator was nearby and had tripped the lights off by accident.
    This whole area should have been teeming with workers, but it was silent, eerily so!
    “Oy!” A torch light pinned her.
    Val jumped, turning and bumping one of the tall displays, which wobbled on and on, echoing her own trembling limbs.
    “Sorry, miss! Are you lost?” The voice came closer.
    Val turned at the sound and breathed a sigh of relief. The short, stocky lighting manager approached her quickly.
    “Hope we didn’t scare you with the lights going out like that. Been having a spot of trouble this morning.” He scratched his head in annoyance.
    “No… It’s okay. Just startled me a little.”
    As Val approached her office door, she breathed a sigh of relief, until she saw the huge bouquet of flowers sitting on the ground next to her door. She looked around, eyeing the corridors for an explanation, someone she could consult about the strange and unexpected gift, but there was no one. In fact, she thought the atmosphere reminded her of the sub-gallery, with its quiet expectancy. The slow building of tension caused Val to break out into a sweat. She felt anticipation rise in her stomach, the feeling one gets when someone was planning a surprise for you, but you hated surprises, and you just knew that everyone was waiting to jump out at you. How she hated that crap!
    She pushed the key in the lock, still feeling apprehensive and opened the door.
    “Boo!”
    “Shit!” Val shrieked.
    “Oh, I'm sorry, Val. Did I scare you?”
    “What the heck, Christen!” Val breathed through her mouth, struggling to calm the panic.
    “Oh, look, I'm really sorry, I saw you standing here looking around, and I couldn’t resist,” Christen explained.
    “It’s not your fault. I'm just super edgy, that’s all.”
    “Come in,” she said to Christen, “Any idea how these got here?”
    “I thought it was that honey you brought in with you yesterday. Where did you find him?”
    “Who? Jones? No.”
    “Come on, Val,” Christen admonished her, “You don’t have to be shy about it. He’s gorgeous!”
    “I mean, no, the flowers aren’t from him. He would have told