Chapter 1
Chapter 1 The doorman’s message that his father was on his way upstairs caught Alex off guard. He rushed his current paramour, a well-known model, out of his penthouse with a haste that deeply insulted her. “Don’t expect me to be waiting by the phone when you call me again. I won’t forget this,” she seethed as he hustled her out. When he didn’t fall at her feet to apologize, she stalked out the front door, slamming it for good measure. Alex sighed and poured himself a drink. It was Sunday evening, and he’d just gotten back into town late last night after a long and grueling business trip. It had seemed like a good idea to call Mela and blow off some steam, but outside of the bedroom, he had little interest in what she did or said. And though she clearly enjoyed her time in his bed, he was already finding the sex a little stale. If she broke up with him now, it would only save him the trouble of doing it himself. Costas was probably here to give him an earful about missing brunch earlier today. Since that first summons a few months ago, his father had been quite insistent that Alex join in the new Sunday tradition whenever he was in town. Only travel was an acceptable excuse, though Costas was accommodating enough to cart everyone to exclusive restaurants near his penthouse to make it easier when Alex’s schedule was heavy. Watching Elynn in those restaurants was one of the few pleasures Alex had in life. Tasting new gourmet dishes had inspired an interest in gastronomy. She dissected dishes like a super-taster and often requested to speak to the chef to question him about his methods. Her knowledge of culinary technique and exotic ingredients always impressed the chef, but few others outside the family. The few times Costas made the mistake of inviting friends with young daughters Elynn’s age to join them, the snobs treated her condescendingly while simultaneously trying to flirt with him. The last one, Anastasia, had been a really spiteful little cat. She subtly put down all of Elynn’s friendly inquiries and comments while attempting to engage with Alex like a seasoned socialite trying to pique his sexual interest. And she had sneered at Elynn while speaking to him in a manner that implied they were sharing in a private joke at her expense. After that, Alex had put his foot down and told his father to stop inviting others outside the family to brunch. He felt guilty for missing it today, but he shrugged off the feeling when his father came in with his ‘I’m about to give you a lecture’ face. “Don’t start Dad. I just got back into town yesterday and I was too tired to drive all the way out to the house for brunch,” he said before offering Costas a drink with a motion to the bar. “Too tired, huh? But not too tired for models,” his father chided. “At least that’s what the young lady who I saw leaving in such a huff appeared to be. Unless she’s another starlet. Not that it matters,” he added dismissively as he accepted the whiskey Alex offered. “I just came by to deliver this invitation for Mary’s birthday dinner and to offer to drive the girls into town for brunch next week,” he said holding up an envelope and putting it on the table. Alex shook his head. “Dragging them to town isn’t a good idea when Elynn has a test, and she has one next Monday,” he said with a frown as he poured his own drink. Costas raised his eyebrows. “I’m surprised you know that much about Elynn’s schoolwork.” “Just trying to be a good big brother,” Alex countered with a touch of sarcasm. “I’m not buying that,” Costas said drily. “Besides, Elynn’s test next Monday is calculus, and she’s going to ace it. Not everyone has to struggle with it,” he added with a teasing smile. “I didn’t struggle,” Alex said, annoyed, as he sat down on his soft leather coach with the Scotch he’d poured himself. He’d had some problems initially, but he conquered it like a Viking and ended up with the highest marks in the class. “You did at first. But don’t worry about Elynn. She has an innate grasp for all things mathematical. She could be a professor if she wanted,” his father added proudly. “I’m sure she could,” Alex replied with a hint of a grin, but there was a distinct lack of edge to his words. If his father had made such a statement a few months ago, Alex would have probably resented it and the girl in question. But Elynn was just so harmless and sweet that he didn’t begrudge her a bit of parental pride. “You didn’t come all the way out here to just to deliver this?” Alex asked as he reached for the envelope. Costas shook his head. “Mary and I are meeting some friends for dinner in town. In fact, I need to get going, or I’m going to be late. I just wanted to remind you of my offer to work around your schedule regarding brunch and about the party. I hardly see you now that I don’t go to the office every day,” he said, rising to leave. There was a tiny hint of a plaintive note in his father’s voice. Now that Costas was almost officially retired, they really didn’t spend as much time with each other as they used to. It was quite a change after working side by side for so many years. Feeling guilty, Alex nodded. “I’ll make it to brunch next time,” he promised. “And the party?” his father asked hopefully. “If I’m in town,” Alex promised reluctantly before walking him out. **** Rain poured down in sheets the Wednesday before Mary’s birthday. Alex had to leave for a business trip the next day and was going to miss the big event. Though he wouldn’t have thought twice about missing his stepmother’s party, the handmade invitation in Elynn’s handwriting his father had delivered made him feel bad enough to agree to drive out to the house for dinner before he left. Costas was pleased he was making an effort to spend more time with the family and had asked him to come over early, so Alex wrapped up his last meeting at two. He had his driver take him out to the estate soon after. He usually preferred to drive himself but always used a chauffeur driven car on the days he went into the office so he could work and make calls. When he arrived, the house was quiet and dark. He checked Costas’ office and the library, his father’s usual haunts, and found both empty. Wondering if Costas was in the master suite, he headed for the stairs and ran into Mrs. Braden, the head housekeeper, coming out of the kitchen with a dishtowel in her hands. “Have you seen my father?” he asked. “He asked me to get here early but he’s not downstairs.” “I’m sorry Master Alex, your father was called away to a last minute meeting in town, but he promised to be home in time for dinner,” the cheerful matronly woman said. “Only Miss Elynn is home. She’s watching television in the family room.” Annoyed, Alex swore in Greek, only to be swatted with the dishtowel. Mrs. Braden clucked her tongue at him, so he gave her his most charming smile before backing up a step. The housekeeper had been with the family for ages, long enough to have picked up enough Greek to know when Alex was swearing. And as a child, she hadn’t been the least bit intimidated by his spoiled rich brat attitude. More than once, she had cheerfully washed out his mouth with soap. But her discipline has always been well-deserved and was normally overshadowed by her warmth. Alex adored her. “Will you be wanting to set up in your father’s office?” she asked him. Alex considered that. “No, I’ll look over my paperwork in the family room with Elynn,” he said. He ignored Mrs. Braden’s surprise as he walked to the family room. One of the new female bodyguards passed in front of the door and continued down the hall. He tried not to frown as she nodded at him before continuing a circuit of the ground floor. Making a mental note to talk to Costas about it, he went inside. The room was empty. Elynn must have stepped out. A TV tray held the remnants of a sandwich and a half-empty bottle of iced tea. Movie credits scrolled across the huge flat screen television. He waited a minute, but she didn’t return. He went to the French doors and was surprised to see his stepsister standing outside in the pouring rain. She was staring at a pink cell phone as if it had grown eight legs and tentacles. Confused, he watched her suddenly pull back an arm and throw the phone as far as she could. It landed in the nearby swimming pool. Alex didn’t hesitate. He opened the doors and stepped out into the rain. “Elynn? What’s wrong?” She jumped and spun around. Her face was as white as a sheet. He put his hands on her shoulders. “Who was that?” Elynn shook her head. “No one,” she said, her face suspiciously blank. Alex frowned. He didn’t really know Elynn, but he could tell she was lying. “Come on,” he said, taking her hand and pulling her inside out of the rain. He went to the couch and pulled a blanket off it and threw it over her shoulders. His suit jacket was a little wet, but she was soaked through. And she was trembling, her hands shaking. “Who was on the phone?” he asked quietly as he pulled off his jacket. Elynn shook her head again and grimaced. “It was no one. Literally. Just someone breathing. I think—I couldn’t tell for sure. There was no reply when I asked who was there. It was probably a wrong number. I just got weirded out. It was stupid to throw the phone away,” she said with a little self-recriminating wince. Alex made a noncommittal noise while studying Elynn. Something was wrong. The kid was scared of something. Or someone. Maybe she’d been getting prank calls. “Well...it was very pink,” he said finally. It had even sparkled. Costas had probably bought it. It was the sort of thing an older man would buy for a young girl when they didn’t know any better. “I don’t really blame you for getting rid of it.” Elynn snorted slightly, and her shoulders eased. But she still looked a little too pale for his taste. “Go change and come back down,” he suggested softly. “We can watch TV or something.” Her expression changed. “You’re staying?” She sounded relieved. He nodded in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. “Costas said you were coming for dinner, but you’re a few hours early,” she added. “He asked me to come as soon as I was free, but apparently he got called away to a meeting,” Alex said carefully. “Yeah, I was still at school.” Elynn nodded vaguely before looking down at her wet clothing. She was still wearing her school uniform, a plaid skirt with a button down shirt. It was by no means anything like the outfit Britney Spears made famous, but for the first time, he could see that Elynn had an incredible figure. It was hard to miss given the way her wet clothes were plastered to her skin. She usually went to great lengths to hide her body. Even when they went out to the most fashionable restaurants, she wore large sweatshirts or sweaters. He was starting to wonder if there was a reason for it beyond normal teenage shyness. “Go change,” he ordered when she continued to stand there distracted and confused. She looked up and smiled with a little rueful nod. Picking up the edges of the blanket so they wouldn’t trail on the floor, she left the room. Alex sat down on the couch with a thump. What the hell was going on? Either Elynn was a particularly paranoid teenager or she was hiding something. It’s not paranoia. Whatever was going on, Costas knew about it. There had been an undeniable air of tension in his father’s household lately. He wanted to question Elynn further, but she had seemed so fragile standing out in the rain with those huge eyes trained on nothing. He didn’t want to upset her any more than she already was. While she was away, he snooped on her tablet, but there were no threatening emails on the screen. She was reading a forum thread about ghosts. He was tempted to switch to the mail app and spy, but he restrained himself. They weren’t close enough for him to violate her privacy that way. Or so he told himself, but he was still holding the tablet when she finally came back in. “What is this?” he asked gesturing with the tablet, trying to cover up the fact he’d been debating whether or not to read her private correspondence. “It’s the creepiest thread on Reddit,” she said with a blush. “I shouldn’t have been looking at it. It got me all worked up,” she added almost apologetically while running a hand through her wet hair. “Why? What’s it about?” he asked, feigning ignorance. “It’s a collection of posts on the creepiest thing you’ve ever heard a small child say,” she said. “What can little kids possibly say to scare you?” he asked with a twist of his lips. “Oh, the most awful things. Like the devil is behind you. Or they point to an empty space and ask who is that?” Elynn said with a little shiver, glossing over the thing with the phone in favor of something genuinely scary. “There are these examples where small children simply knew that someone had died or if they were pregnant. But the most compelling ones are when a little kid mentions details of previous lives out of the blue. There are multiple posts of similar stories in this thread.” Alex made a face. “Do you actually believe all that?” he asked skeptically, wondering now if Elynn had an overactive imagination. Perhaps she’d thrown the phone away for nothing. Maybe she had simply overreacted to a wrong number or one of her schoolmates was pranking her. She was a pretty girl. Maybe she had caught some boy’s eye, he thought before remembering she went to an all-girls school. “I don’t know,” Elynn said with a shrug before lowering her voice to a conspiratorial tone. “But sometimes, when it’s dark, I’m afraid of ghosts. I’ve never seen one,” she added quickly. “But I imagine one is around the corner, and I get a little thrill up my spine. The idea of them just creeps me out.” She ducked her head shyly. “That probably sounds stupid.” Alex snorted and shook his head. “I don’t like zombies,” he said honestly, getting up to grab a drink from the bar. “And they’re everywhere right now. I’ll still watch the movies, but not by choice.” “Really?” Elynn asked. Her eyes lit up. “Hey, do you think Jesus was the first zombie?” Alex nearly choked on his whiskey. “No. I think that was Lazarus.” Elynn blushed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.” “I’m not offended,” Alex frowned, confused. “But you go to church,” she pointed out. “I shouldn’t joke about that kind of stuff.” Alex shrugged. He went through the motions of the Greek Orthodox Church on occasion because it pleased his father. “I do that for Costas, don’t worry about it,” he said lightly, but he honestly couldn’t remember when he had last had such an intense conversation with anyone, let alone a member of the opposite sex. “Why don’t we watch a movie?” he suggested, rather than letting the conversation get heavier. He was supposed to be distracting her, not the other way around. Alex didn’t even talk to his friends about his beliefs. Not even during all of those drunken arguments Calen and Sergei had had about existentialism and the meaning of life. He was more like Gio, less thoughtful when it came to all things spiritual. “Okay,” Elynn readily agreed, getting up to go over to the DVD cabinet. “Costas got the latest releases from one of his movie industry contacts. Which one do you want to see?” she asked, holding up three Blue Ray discs. “Not that one,” Alex said, pointing to the latest romantic comedy in theaters. She glanced at the cover and laughed a little, “Oh, right. That’s one of your exes isn’t it?” Busted. “And how would you know that?” he drawled, secretly relieved she seemed back to her normal, lighthearted self. “Costas can’t stop himself from buying the tabloids you’re in,” Elynn said with a teasing smile. “He leaves them all over the place.” She was right, but Alex wasn’t about to admit it. He chose a blockbuster sci-fi movie that had just hit the theaters, and they settled down to watch it while he waited for Costas to come home. But the movie was slower than he’d expected, and halfway through, Elynn dropped off to sleep, her head and shoulder twisted awkwardly over a throw pillow. She was going to wake up with bad crick in her neck. Getting up, he shifted Elynn’s body onto a pillow and reached down to put her legs up on the couch. He lingered with his hand on her ankle, thinking before he straightened, managing not to start in surprise when he saw his father standing in the doorway, a terrible frown on his face. He started to say something, but Alex cut him off with a nod to the sleeping girl. Costas gestured impatiently towards the door. Picking up his case, Alex followed him out, but not before stopping to put a cashmere blanket over Elynn. For some reason, Costas froze, but Alex didn’t want to stop and ask what was wrong in case they woke her up. He led the way out of the room, and Costas gestured in the direction of his office. On the way Alex noted two additional bodyguards on patrol in the mansion. After stepping inside the office, he sat in one of leather armchairs across the desk from his father’s chair. “All right. What is going on? Why are there so many bodyguards? And what emergency meeting did you have that I wasn’t aware of?” His father no longer scheduled meetings without his knowledge. If the meeting had been business-related, Alex would have known. But Costas wasn’t about to be derailed. “What exactly were you doing with Elynn?” “We were watching a movie, and she fell asleep. She was all twisted up, so I helped her stretch out.” Alex shrugged. “I thought you were pleased that we’re getting on so well.” Costas put his hands on his hips. “I don’t like the way you were looking at her just now,” he said with a dark glance. “It was fine when you were being brotherly, but this is different.” Genuinely affronted, he stared at his father. “You’ve got to be kidding. You are kidding right?” Costas shook his head wearily. “You just have to be careful around Elynn, son.” “If she develops a crush—” he began. “No, that won’t happen,” his father said, shaking his head and waving away his concern. For a second, Alex was almost insulted, but his father’s next words cut off the sentiment. “You have to be careful. She’s been through a lot. Too much...” Costas turned away, and Alex finally noticed how tired and haggard he appeared. It was weird. For the first time, his father looked old. “Dad, why do you have so many bodyguards?” he asked again quietly. Costas looked at him and sighed heavily before taking out his keys. He opened a locked desk drawer and pulled out a file. His eyes were troubled as he reluctantly put a photo in front of Alex. It was of a young man, eighteen or so, with blond hair and blue eyes. The kid was in a football uniform and he was smiling. “Is this a former boyfriend of Elynn’s?” Alex asked, wondering why he found the idea distasteful. “No. Her mother and all the witness reports are quite clear on that subject. Elynn doesn’t have any interest in boys. Not yet anyway. But some boys have a hard time being ignored.” There was pointed silence. “Tell me everything.” His name was Stephen Wainwright, and he was a son of privilege in the small town where Mary raised Elynn. His uncle was the mayor, and his grandfather was lieutenant governor of the state. He was successful and popular and had his pick of girls. But some guys only wanted what they couldn’t have. According to her neighbors, Elynn tripped through town unaware that boys even existed, except as friends. She collected insects and lizards in addition to mushrooms in those days. Most people considered her a nerd, but Elynn didn’t seem to care what people thought of her. And then she hit puberty, and the people who had called her names stopped and stared at her instead. Not that she noticed. Mentally, she was a late bloomer who was unaware of the way others saw her. When she was just fifteen, Wainwright took to cornering Elynn in the hallway to flirt with her, efforts that were completely misunderstood by her. She was friendly but did not flirt back. She didn’t know how. Eventually, he asked her on a date, but she told him she wasn’t allowed. Undeterred, the boy asked Mary if Elynn could date him. Concerned by the boy’s intense manner, Mary told him that Elynn could only go on supervised or group dates. She didn’t want her daughter to miss out on any seminal high school experiences, but she wasn’t prepared for a full-blown romance yet. Except Elynn wasn’t interested in any of those things. When Wainwright cornered her again, Elynn begrudgingly agreed to a group outing, not realizing it was a date. She took a bunch of classmates with them mushroom hunting. According to the testimony of her friend, Michael, Wainwright grew furious when Elynn disappeared for half an hour. He was already annoyed with her for virtually ignoring him. At the end of the outing, Michael warned Elynn not to spend any time alone with Wainwright. She refused the boy’s subsequent requests for more dates, and according to everyone, Wainwright just lost it. He started following Elynn home, frightening her and her mother. Things were found broken in their yard, clay pots and garden tools. Then things escalated and dead birds and squirrels were found. The women were living in a state of constant fear and anxiety when things started disappearing from inside their house. “What kind of things?” Alex asked, dread pooling in his chest. “Hair things at first. You know those barrette things and hair ties. Knick-knacks. And then some...underthings,” Costas said, his mouth twisting. Alex saw red. He was suddenly angrier than he had ever been in his life. Bile rose in his throat, and he wanted to punch something. “For Christ’s sake, she was just a kid. She still is. Did Mary call the police?” “Yes, but it didn’t do much good. His family denied he had done anything wrong. He hadn’t been seen breaking into their home. The police claimed there were no prints, but I seriously doubt that. The police would have been on the boy’s side. It was a small town, and the Wainwrights were the most influential family in it. Mary decided they had to move away, but before she could find another job, Wainwright broke into their home when she was at work and Elynn was alone.” Alex didn’t know how he managed to keep his voice steady. “Did he rape her?” “No...No...but only because she fought back. Harder than he expected, I’m sure. Soon it was about more than rape. She fought for her life,” Costas said with tears in his voice, fingering another photograph in the file. “Let me see it,” he told him, but the older man shook his head sadly. Alex stood up and took the folder from his father’s unresisting fingers. And then he wished he hadn’t. There were multiple photographs of Elynn taken at the hospital. Her face was bruised so badly he barely recognized her. She was hooked up to tubes. Others of her hands showed defensive wounds, torn nails, and scrapes. There were a lot of bruises on her body and even a faint bite mark on her shoulder. “You’re sure he didn’t...” Alex couldn’t finish the question. “The rape kit was negative. He didn’t get to finish what he started. Mary and a friend of hers came home while he was still there. They heard him tearing out of the back door, but they didn’t see him. Elynn was in a coma for two days.” “Oh God. That poor kid,” Alex mumbled. He was sick to his stomach. How could anyone hurt Elynn? She was such a sweet person and so damn innocent that it was crazy to think someone could target her that way. If I ever see that kid I’m going to kill him. “We were so relieved when she actually spoke to you and seemed to like you,” Costas said after a long moment. “She hasn’t reacted well to men in general. Especially the blond ones. When you sat next to her that first time at brunch, we were nervous. Sometimes she has panic attacks, although they’re becoming less frequent now.” That explained the supposed power play at that first brunch, he thought, reflecting on his father’s and Mary’s odd behavior when he took the seat next to Elynn instead of the one opposite. “Don’t let on you know,” his father instructed. “It upsets her when people find out. Even if it’s just a bodyguard that needs to be informed.” He nodded. “The female guards,” he said, putting two and two together. “I thought that was weird. And your meeting today—I take it there’s been some development,” he continued. “Stephen Wainwright entered the country two days ago on his own passport.” “How is that possible?” he asked furiously, sitting up in his chair. “Despite overwhelming public sentiment against him, Wainwright managed to buy his way out of a prison sentence,” Costas said with a disgusted shake of his head. “A lot of money must have changed hands. Not that Mary waited. As soon as she got the all clear from the doctor she packed up Elynn and left town. They lived in Connecticut briefly before she got the job working for us. Mary confided in me after I proposed. She wanted to explain why Elynn was so skittish and withdrawn. She’s a lot better now, but not as comfortable with other members of the opposite sex as she is with you. The irony of it is I think she finds it comforting that you’re only ever interested in supermodels and actresses. She feels safe with you. Don’t disturb her peace.” Alex ignored the warning. He wasn’t a threat to Elynn—and she knew that or she wouldn’t have wanted him around this afternoon. “Someone called her,” he said suddenly. With all of the revelations, it had almost slipped his mind. “Someone who didn’t speak. Just breathing. It scared her, and she threw the phone in the pool.” Costas tensed, his face growing dark. “Do you think it’s a coincidence?” Alex shrugged. “Does it matter? Don’t take any chances,” he said, half-wondering if they should add more bodyguards. Costas nodded, and Alex rubbed his temple. “Is she getting therapy?” “She has a counselor she likes now. She went through a few of them in the first few months. But the last one clicked.” “That’s good,” Alex murmured absently. Costas still looked very upset. Alex knew he should have said something else to comfort him, but he was trying to digest all the news. And it was hard thinking clearly when he was so angry. **** Alex was in China in between meetings when he called Elynn on the phone directly for the first time. He had delayed his business trip as long as possible in case his family needed him, but eventually he’d been unable to put it off, and he’d left. Except for the one mysterious phone call, which they hadn’t been able to trace, there had been no signs that Michael Wainwright was trying to get in touch with Elynn. None that they could detect anyway. Costas had decided the call was a simple wrong number, but Alex wasn’t convinced. He insisted on getting regular reports from the security staff and had chosen Elynn’s replacement phone himself. He picked one in her favorite color, navy blue, and had demanded that it have the kind of security encryption normally reserved for CEOs and politicians. Eventually, Costas told him that Wainwright had left the UK without incident. But Alex had wanted to hear from Elynn herself, to check and see if she was okay, even if she hadn’t been aware that Wainwright had been in the country. She was very surprised to hear from him. He asked her if she wanted him to try and find some Paddy Straw mushrooms. “No, but maybe if you have time you can ask one of your people to go to a Chinese herbalist and get an assortment of medicinal mushrooms. They use a lot of different things there that we can’t even imagine. I’d enjoy seeing some of that stuff,” she said wistfully. “Done,” Alex said and then made enough small talk to make even his most experienced PA turn to him in surprise. Alex was notoriously short with everyone when he was working on a big deal. Phone calls home never lasted more than a minute or two. Even calls to his father. After that, calls to Elynn became a regular occurrence. His duties with Hanas Industries took him all over the world, and it was nice to have someone normal to talk with. Someone who never made any demands on his time or for his money. He kept a breakneck pace that would have wrecked a normal man. The turnover on his personal staff was high; in fact, they frequently quit in exhaustion. Those that remained were loyal and worked hard to meet his exacting standards, but he never confided in them or asked them about their lives. Elynn was different. A crisis in the Chinese stock market called Alex away the week of Elynn’s eighteenth birthday. He’d wanted to be there but had been mollified to learn that all he was going to miss was a quiet family dinner because Elynn didn’t want a big celebration. He was pissed off when his father told him Mary had talked her daughter into inviting a few school friends over for dinner and cake. It was Elynn’s first birthday party in their family and he wasn’t going to be there. Well, screw that. He proceeded to attack the business at hand with a brutal efficiency that startled his seasoned staff. There was no way he was missing that party. **** Despite his exhaustion, Alex practically ran up the stairs of the house on the evening of Elynn’s birthday celebration. He had just flown twenty hours to get there, and he was even later because he’d had to stop at his penthouse to get his gift. He’d stumbled on it in Prague a few weeks earlier and had known the moment he saw it that he had to get it for her. He swept into the dining room, shocking everyone, especially his father. But it was worth it to see Elynn’s shy smile and the quick furtive hug she gave him when she opened her gift. It was an artisan’s sculpture of a forest of delicate hand-blown glass mushrooms with a little fairy peeping out from behind one. The fairy had black hair, just like Elynn. She was still marveling over the wonderful gift when Alex edged away from the flock of chattering girls surrounding her. Several were giggling and giving him flirtatious looks. Hurriedly, he went to pour himself a drink from the sideboard only to make eye contact with his father. Costas was frowning slightly and staring at him with a grave expression. “I want to speak with you before you leave,” Costas said before he joined the festivities again. An hour later, Alex left the house feeling raw and angry, hanging onto his temper by a thread. He threw himself into the Shelby and tossed his coat aside onto the passenger seat, before putting a Tupperware on top of it with more care. Elynn had surprised him with an extra piece of birthday cake on his way out. His father’s words rang in his ears. As much as it galled him, Alex knew Costas was right. However, patience was not one of his strongest virtues. At least the argument had served one purpose. He was no longer tired, which was good. It was a long drive back to the airport and an even longer flight back to China.
Chapter 2
Chapter 2 Four years later. “Elynn, where did you put those samples?” Eric, the lab manager, asked her. At twenty-five, he was four years older than her and young for his position. He was also gay, and he and his partner Fred were probably Elynn’s closest friends in town. “They’re in the freezer,” she mumbled, concentrating on the field under her dissecting scope. “Hey, did you see the latest tabloid spread on your big brother?” he asked, leaning in conspiratorially. “Stepbrother, and no,” Elynn said, looking up and laughing. Regular appearances of the great Alexandros Hanas used to be a regular thing in the gossip rags. But in the last few years, they’d dropped off considerably. His father’s lectures had probably sunk in at some point. Costas frequently murmured to her mother Mary that Alex was finally learning to respect women, citing their happy marriage as a source of inspiration for him. “Was it a supermodel or an actress this time?” she asked, smiling as she turned back to the scope. “It’s the new it girl, that actress Sonia Steele. They were seen entering one of those VIP lounges in a club last night,” Eric said, leaning against the lab bench. “Is that all they got?” she asked. Stories from the early days of their parent’s marriage were far more salacious. “It’s more than anything they’ve gotten in a while,” Eric pointed out. “He’s zealous about his privacy these days, isn’t he?” “Well, Costas says he’s matured. Maybe Sonia Steele is a real girlfriend, although her name is so fake.” “So are these tits.” Eric waved the tabloid photo, which only clearly featured Miss Steele. Alex had his back turned. “She’s a diva through and through, but so talented. There’s Oscar buzz this year for the one movie she did.” Eric was ecstatic. He was a huge fan and had dragged Elynn to the stupid romantic comedy a few weeks earlier. “I doubt I’ll meet her. Alex doesn’t ever bring anyone to brunch,” Elynn said, getting another sample and turning her attention back to the scope. Eric was sorely disappointed to hear that. He wheedled and whined for a long sought-after invitation to brunch, and Elynn regretfully turned him down, reminding him about Alex’s family-only rule again. She left work early and walked into her flat in Oxford just before the landline rang. Grabbing the phone, she went over to feed Jaws Three, her beta fish. Jaws One and Two had gone to the great big fishbowl in the sky. All three had been gifts from Alex. So was the cute little box turtle munching on lettuce in the corner. She was allergic to cats, and her landlord didn’t allow dogs, so Alex had settled for the fish and turtle. She loved them both, of course. “What are you up to?” Alex’s drawl seemed to reach out from the receiver. “Feeding Jaws Three and Alex Junior,” she teased. “I can’t believe you freely admit to naming that beast after me. Try to remember who you’re talking to on occasion. I know that’s difficult for you,” he said in a resigned and put upon tone. “I know exactly who I am talking to. Alexandros the Great. He walks on water, and when he’s done, he turns it into wine. Hey, thanks for that case you sent by the way.” Alex had sent her an assortment of wine from California during his last business trip, knowing which mellow vintages and dessert wines she was partial to. “I don’t know how you expect me to finish it all by myself.” Elynn didn’t entertain or socialize much. She was too focused on her studies. Since she had missed a big chunk of high school because of her long hospital stay when she was sixteen, she had entered Oxford University a semester after other students her age. Her intense work ethic had paid some serious dividends, however. She had caught up and was graduating on time alongside her class. Her final project was a molecular analysis of various fungi used in ancient Chinese medicine. “Those bottles are for when I come by for dinner. You can’t get anything decent in your local grocery, and I have particular tastes,” Alex said. “When is this dinner supposed to happen?” Elynn asked in disbelief as she kicked off her shoes. Alex was always threatening to come to dinner, but his busy schedule kept him in London or out of the country. He hadn’t ever made it out to her apartment for a personal visit. He did manage brunch every once in a while when Mary and Costas came down to visit, but their cherished Sunday tradition was by necessity less frequent now that she lived in Oxford. “Soon. Are you coming up for the holiday?” he asked. “I should be there by Friday night.” “Good, brunch is at my place this time. Don’t be late,” he commanded before asking her about work. While they chatted a bit longer, Elynn moved around, watering her inoculum. She didn’t keep plants. Instead, she cultivated mushrooms. Scattered in the dark corners of her apartment were various mushroom-growing kits—some she had bought, and some that she made herself for button mushrooms, portabella, oyster, and shiitake. Elynn was still trying to get her own home-made chanterelle kit to grow, but they needed a symbiotic association with certain trees to grow properly, and the saplings always died on her. She was hopeless with plants. No matter what she did, within a few weeks, they withered and died. Alex had stopped giving her bonsai trees and exotic orchids some time ago. He said it made him too sad to send all those innocent lives to their doom. Elynn hung up the phone with a smile. Alex couldn’t help ordering everyone around. But he was unfailingly kind to her, despite his ingrained bossiness. And protective. Over the years, he’d become her best friend, although she would never have admitted that to him. One did not impose such feelings or titles on Alexandros Hanas. Despite the gruff warmness Alex reserved for her and his father, he generally kept everyone at a distance. Even after all these years, he was still a bit formal with her mother, although he was always polite. He did have a group of college friends he kept in touch with, but Elynn had never met any of them. Elynn knew she was closer to Alex than most other people, but she also knew exactly where the boundaries to their relationship were. She had her own boundaries as well, and he respected them. For that she was grateful. There were just some things she did not want to discuss with her stepbrother. Not that she had a lot to tell him. After they had moved to the UK, she had settled into a happy studious life with few disruptions. While she was still in high school, there had been the occasional silent untraceable phone call. Those had completely unnerved her, and whenever she got one, she had lived looking over her shoulder for months. But over the years, the mysterious calls tapered off. There might have been one or two last year, but whoever it was hung up quickly, so she’d decided it was probably a wrong number. Elynn put them out of her mind and continued her life, secure in the protection of her family. Early the following Sunday, she made her way to Alex’s penthouse in the city. The night she had spoken to him on the phone, he had takeout delivered to her from one of her favorite sushi places. Alex often did that sort of thing when she was very busy at school. Elynn wanted to thank him and give him his birthday surprise. She had found a 1936 Jaguar SS100 in Oxford and, after several failed attempts, had talked its reluctant owner into selling it. The car was in terrible shape, and she had spent all of her savings to buy it, but it was worth it. Alex had mentioned several times that he wanted to add that model to his collection, but he hadn’t yet found one that suited him. He was constantly scouring ads looking for one, saying he would rather find and restore one than buy one from a specialty dealer. Alex had probably never intended to buy one that was nearly a junk heap, but Elynn knew that at least this way he could have it restored to his exacting specifications. She was just sorry that he hadn’t been around for his own birthday last month or she would have given it to him then. Instead, she’d mailed him an assortment of homemade cookies that she’d spent an entire evening baking. He’d probably taken them to the office for his staff, but she didn’t mind since he always pretended he ate everything himself. Elynn was shown into Alex’s luxurious penthouse suite and directed to the terrace balcony. It overlooked the Thames and had a fantastic view of the city. Excited, she pulled a ribboned box out of her bag and set it on the table in front of his chair. It contained a picture of the car she had stored in a garage in Oxford. She was sitting down again when a woman’s annoyed voice came from the second story balcony, which was connected to the one where she was sitting by a wrought iron staircase. “What the hell do you mean?” the woman said. Elynn didn’t hear anything else clearly as a door above slammed shut. After a minute, it opened again and a voluptuous blonde stalked down the stairs to the terrace. She was wearing a slinky dress and three inch heels. Had she spent the night? “Hello,” Elynn said brightly. I guess I spoke too soon, she thought as she remembered telling Eric that Alex never invited women to brunch. It was indeed Sonia Steel in the flesh. I guess I was right. He does have a girlfriend. She wondered why she felt a little queasy at that realization. “Who the hell are you?” the over-endowed blonde demanded. “I’m Elynn. It’s nice to meet you,” she said, taken aback but standing and raising her hand to shake. The woman looked at Elynn like she was something that had just crawled out of the gutter. Self-consciously, Elynn looked down at her jeans and white button down shirt. The shirt did have a small soil stain on it. She’d been out looking for mushrooms earlier that morning and had transferred some dirt when she’d changed clothes. Self-consciously, she wiped at the mark with her free hand. Elynn’s face flushed red when she realized that the woman wasn’t going to shake her hand. Slowly she withdrew it and sat down. The woman continued to stare daggers at her until the door above opened a second time and Alex looked down from the balcony to see both women staring at each other. Alex, scowling, rushed down the stairs and took Sonia by the arm above the elbow. He pulled her aside and hissed something in her ear. Eyebrows raised, she finally pasted a smile on her face and addressed Elynn stiffly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard absolutely nothing about you,” Sonia said, smoothing out the front of her dress with her hand in a move that accentuated her cleavage. Despite the smoothness of the actress’ voice, Elynn could detect the disdain in it. “Are you staying for brunch?” she asked, trying to smile despite her instant dislike of the woman. “Miss Steel has to go. She has an important meeting,” Alex finished in a stern voice. “Okay. I really enjoyed your last movie,” she called out politely as Alex hustled the woman out. He came back quickly, frowning and running a hand through his hair. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell Costas about your latest conquest,” she teased. “I know you’ll do anything to avoid another lecture from him.” She poured them both cups of coffee, feeling slightly more generous with him now that she knew he hadn’t invited that woman to join them. “I’m sorry she was so rude,” he apologized as he sat down next to her. “The big-chested ones always are,” Elynn sighed reflectively as he lifted the cup to his lips, causing Alex to choke on his first sip of coffee. “They are,” she insisted, as if his choking was a denial. “Do you remember that horrible Anastasia? She used to plop that rack of hers right in your face like it was a gun and then proceed to win the ‘I’m the biggest bitch’ contest.” Alex burst into laughter. “I know several kind, well-endowed women,” he said cautiously. “Do you now?” Elynn’s voice was wry. “And so do you. Mrs. Braden is one,” he pointed out before taking another sip of coffee. “Yeah, cause that’s who you were talking about,” Elynn said with a slight roll of her eyes. “Why are you so early?” he asked, changing the subject. “To give you this before Mom and Costas get here,” she said, nudging the box he hadn’t noticed in front of him. Alex tore open the box and broke out into a huge grin. “Where did you find it?” “I was at a rummage sale when I saw it all dusty and in pieces in the back of the garage. The owner didn’t want to sell, but I went back three times until he finally caved,” she boasted. “I should put you in my sales department,” he teased her, pretending to be impressed. “Yeah, right. You would have had that car for a tenth of what I paid,” Elynn said, sipping her coffee. “No, I take that back. That old man would have just given it to you along with his firstborn once you were done negotiating,” she added in total seriousness. “Thank you for this. It’s great,” Alex said, studying her for a long moment. He started to say something else but cut himself off when their parents arrived. Distracted, Elynn forgot to ask him what he was going to say when Costas and Mary announced an extensive tour of Italy at the start of summer. They would depart soon after Elynn’s commencement exercises, and they wanted her to go with them. “I can’t for longer than a week,” she protested. “I have to work.” “You missed our tour of the Greek Isles last summer because you were working. You work too much. You can’t spend the entire summer toiling away in the lab,” Mary argued. Costas was quick to agree. “You can afford more than a week. A month off is better.” “I can’t,” Elynn said, feeling pressured. She loved her mother, but she didn’t want to commit to spending all of her time off with her and her doting husband. “I’ve already made my plans to get a jump-start on my Ph.D. project. And I’ll be assisting with an ongoing project, which means I get my name on another paper,” she added, having explained many times how important it was for a scientist to publish as often as they could. “Elynn can join you for a week, but a young woman her age needs some independence and freedom,” Alex said, and she shot him a grateful smile. With Alex on her side, she couldn’t lose this argument. Costas and Mary tried to insist, but in the end, Mary reluctantly agreed to a short visit during their time in Venice, one of her favorite cities. Afterward, Costas and Alex exchanged a few odd serious glances, but soon Costas backed down as well. He and Mary left for their town house slightly preoccupied—no doubt figuring out new arguments to convince her to go with them. But Elynn lingered, happy to have Alex to herself for a little while. **** Brunch the following week was at London’s newest and most exclusive restaurant. Elynn was waiting outside for her parents and Alex when a familiar face greeted her. “Eric! What are you doing in town? We’re both due back in the lab tomorrow.” “Well, Fred and I decided to come to town for some shopping and to see a show,” Eric said while looking over her shoulder before pivoting to check out the crowd behind him. “What did I tell you about the family only rule, Eric?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “Why, whatever do you mean, Miss Scallett?” he asked in faux outrage. “I mean you are looking for Alex right now you bad, bad boy,” Elynn said, widening her eyes for emphasis. “He’s really very stern about the only-family-at-brunch thing.” Eric’s face was the picture of innocence. “I’m not waiting for anyone except Fred, I swear. But since you mention it, isn’t big brother running late?” “Alex is always ten minutes late, which gives you exactly four minutes to run along. He won’t be impressed if you crash brunch. You’re going to meet him at graduation anyway, so you should go now. I promise I’ll give you all the details on Monday.” She wondered if she should mention meeting the illustrious Ms. Steele, but decided the better of it. He would never leave if she started telling him about what a cow she had been. Eric sighed dramatically, “Okay, drill sergeant. But I expect a detailed report tomorrow.” He went to hug her and ended up sweeping her into a Hollywood style dip. He kissed her cheek, and with an, “Until tomorrow Miss Scallett,” Eric set her back on her feet. Laughing to herself, she watched as he practically sashayed away down the street. **** Alex was getting out of his town car across the street when he spotted Elynn standing outside the restaurant. He smiled to himself. He could always count on her to be on time. She was paranoid about being late. Locking his car, he was starting across the street when he saw a young lanky man with red hair go up to her. She smiled warmly at him, and Alex froze. When the young man grabbed her and swept her into a dramatic kiss, his gut clenched. It felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. Alex stood there like an idiot before a sudden rush of anger came over him. He felt like tearing someone apart. And he planned on starting with the redheaded toothpick waving goodbye to Elynn. He reached her the same moment Costas and Mary arrived. Chuckling about something Elynn had said, Costas ushered them into the restaurant. The older couple was full of plans. “We’ve decided to throw a party just before we leave for our tour of Italy, to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary,” Mary announced with a huge smile. “Oh, that’s a great idea,” Elynn said, and the three of them fell into a discussion about the party and travel plans. Alex felt the jovial mood lap around him like warm water at the beach, but he was untouched by it. He was having a difficult time being civil and was giving monosyllabic answers to every question. It wasn’t reasonable to be angry with Elynn...but he was. Wordlessly, he stared at her while she engaged in an animated conversation with her mother. No, he was just angry with himself. He obviously hadn’t been watching her closely enough. It was clear to him now that he had been overly cautious. Waiting around for Elynn to be ready for a relationship had simply allowed some other man to sneak into her life. Well, that was over with now. No more waiting.
Chapter 3
Chapter 3 Elynn studied Alex apprehensively as their parents left. He was still sitting quietly, as though lost in thought. When he had first joined them, he had resembled a bomb ready to go off, but as the meal went on, he seemed to have slowly warmed up to the company around him. Which was good, because he’d been behaving the way he had before their parents were married. Although he hadn’t seemed angry with them. Maybe he’d had a fight with Sonia. Maybe the actress means more to him than I realized, Elynn thought with a sinking heart. “Are you okay?” she asked. When he didn’t answer, she leaned forward to reach for his hand, “Did you quarrel with Sonia?” “Sonia?” Alex sounded surprised. “No, we’re not seeing each other anymore.” “So that’s not what’s upsetting you? Do you miss her?” Elynn asked with mixed feelings. “No, it’s not that. It’s nothing,” he said, leaning back into his chair. “Alex, I can tell that something is wrong. You know you can tell me anything,” she reassured him, giving his hand a squeeze for good measure. He stared at her hand on his for a long moment before gripping it tightly in return. He held it when she tried to retrieve it and looked into her eyes. “Something has just come to my attention...something important.” “I hope everything’s okay,” she said, her stomach sinking with sudden suspicion. “It’s nothing serious,” Alex assured her hastily. “I just realized that I missed something important.” “Like a business thing?” “Sort of,” he said, looking at her pensively. “There’s a project I need to get started on. Something I have apparently put off for too long.” “Oh...okay. Well, I’m sure you’ll make up for lost time and achieve yet another remarkable success,” she said in a calmer voice, taking a last sip of her coffee before saying goodbye. She left him with a reassuring smile. **** Elynn was getting ready to go home after a long day in the lab when her phone rang. “I’m in town,” Alex announced without as much as a hello. He always plunged straight into conversation without any of the formalities. “You are? What’s brought you down?” she asked, surprised. “The car of course,” Alex said. “The Jaguar? I thought you’d just make arrangements to have it sent up to you instead,” Elynn replied. Alex had dozens of minions to take care of his every need, something she teased him about mercilessly. She’d told him more than once that she was surprised he bothered to tie his own shoes. “Why when I can do it myself and take the opportunity to have dinner with you?” he answered with a laugh. “Really?” she answered, pleasantly surprised. “It’s too late to prepare a meal at your place, so why don’t I pick you up and we get dinner out somewhere?” he suggested. “Oh, I’m not at home right now. I can meet you—” “No need. I’m standing outside your lab,” he said. Elynn hurried outside to find Alex leaning on his car. He greeted her with his usual restrained warmth. Though a stranger would have found his behavior with her reserved, she understood he was simply accommodating her insecurities. He knew that maintaining a little physical distance made her more comfortable. He drove them to a little restaurant near her place that she’d had no idea even existed. The restaurant was romantic and elegant. “This would be a great place to take a date,” Elynn suggested as she looked around the dimly lit interior. Alex smiled slightly, but didn’t reply. They ordered and received a delicious meal while they caught up. Happy to have more time with him, Elynn asked Alex about his work and his friends. He told stories about them all the time, and even took calls from them during brunch, something she rarely got away with, but he had never introduced her to any of them. “Why have I never met your friends?” she asked, after a few glasses of wine. “Sergei, Calen, and Gio all seem like legends, larger than life figures, more than real men after all the stories you’ve told. But you’ve never introduced them to me. And I know they’ve been here to visit. Wasn’t Sergei just in town?” “Only for the weekend, and you were down here at school. And I mostly visit the guys when I go to New York or Rome for business,” he said. “Besides, Sergei is the last guy I would introduce you to. Him and Calen both. Hell, I wouldn’t even trust Gio within a mile of you. These are my friends we’re talking about, after all.” Elynn blushed. “I thought you said Gio was married.” Alex sobered and leaned back in his chair. “He’s getting divorced now, thank god.” “Why do you say that? Didn’t you like his wife?” she asked, wrinkling her nose. “Hell no. I’m glad he’s rid of her. She was a piece of work.” Elynn frowned. “Alex, are you sure this isn’t a little misplaced misogamy?” He looked indignant. “No. Just because I didn’t like this particular woman, it doesn’t mean I dislike all women. Believe me, she gave me good reason to hate her.” Elynn laughed. “I said misogamy, not misogyny. Misogamy is the hatred of marriage.” “Oh. Well, no. Besides, I don’t hate marriage,” he protested, refilling her wine glass. She raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Who are you and what have you done with Alex?” she asked, laughing before taking a sip of her wine. “People change,” he said, looking at her intensely, unsmiling. The air seemed to swirl with unspoken meaning. She blinked and changed the subject. “How are you going to get the car up to London? Did you rent a trailer or something?” “No, I rented a house,” he announced with a big smile. “What?” Elynn turned beet red. She had practically yelled that. Twisting to look around them, she quickly scanned for irate diners. Luckily they were in a relatively private corner of the restaurant in a cozy little booth. There were no witnesses to her outburst. “I decided to do the work on the car myself. And I decided to do it here. So I rented a house outside of town. I’m going to come down on the weekends to work on it,” Alex said, leaning more deeply back into his chair as their dessert arrived. “Can you even fix a car?” she asked in genuine surprise. “I assure you, I am more than capable,” he said, shooting her an indignant scowl. “Sorry. I didn’t know being a grease monkey was on your long list of accomplishments,” she teased, aware she was one of the few people who could get away with talking to him like this. “Well, it can...sort of. I decided not to take the car to London until I can drive it there myself. And it’s not going to be in any shape to do that anytime soon. So I took a place here.” Despite the opulence of the house Costas had used as a primary residence since Alex was a boy, she just couldn’t picture him anywhere else but the bachelor pad he called home. “That’s some plan. I just can’t picture you down here. Or living in a house,” she said. “I grew up in a house.” “I know,” she said, “but now I can’t see you ever having lived there.” His mouth quirked up on one side as he leveled his gaze right into hers. “I think I’m going to surprise you.” **** Elynn was terribly flustered. She had less than an hour to get ready. After spending all morning cleaning, she had gotten a late start on preparing dinner. Luckily for her, the deep-dish pizzas were ready early, and so were the assorted hors d’oeuvres. She rushed to set the table for eight people, and then ran to take a shower. She had just finished when the doorbell rang. Wrapping a towel around herself, she checked to see who had arrived so early. Peering through the peephole, she swore under her breath. Alex was standing there in her hallway in his shirtsleeves and a pair of casual slacks. “You’re early. I’m not ready yet,” she called through the door. “Let me in. I’ve got ice cream, and it’s going to melt.” Elynn felt a thrill of panic course through her. Swallowing her apprehension, she shrugged off her momentary discomfort. It was just Alex. She opened the door and backed away to her bedroom quickly. Alex swept into the room holding a bag with a foil lining. He stopped short, his attention fixed on her towel. Her very small towel. His mouth fell open slightly. Elynn blushed and continued to back away. “Go ahead and put the ice cream away. The freezer is just through there,” she said, pointing to the kitchen. She ran to her bedroom and shut the door, catching a glimpse of him as she did so. He had closed his mouth, but his chiseled cheekbones sported a slight blush of his own. Oh God. Elynn was more than embarrassed now. She and Alex weren’t close enough for the type of display she’d just made. She had obviously shocked him—and herself—a bit. Why didn’t I ask him to wait outside? Catching sight of her red face in the mirror, she forced herself to relax. Taking several deep breaths, she did one of the relaxation exercises her therapist had taught her long ago. After a few minutes, her racing heart had calmed enough for her to get dressed. “Who is the Dude and why does he abide?” Alex asked when she joined him in the kitchen. She glanced down at the first clean t-shirt she’d found and put on. “Have you not seen The Big Lebowski?” she said, grabbing at the conversational opening as if it was a life raft. She proceeded to give him a complete synopsis of the movie followed by an admonishment to watch it. “Why do I need to? You just told me everything that happens. You didn’t even say spoiler alert,” he said, laughing and shaking his head. “That’s no reason not to watch it! It’s a cult classic,” she replied, taking the pitcher of iced tea and lemonade she had made earlier from the fridge. She puttered around, making small talk and getting everything ready while he leaned on the kitchen counter, watching her every move. Feeling unreasonably hot, she went to the windows and threw them wide open to let in the night air. I might need to turn on the AC, Elynn thought, willing her embarrassed flush to fade away. “What kind of ice cream did you bring?” she asked when there was a lull in the small talk. Alex went to the freezer to dig out the tubs. He displayed the exotic flavors with a flourish and assured her it was the best artisanal ice cream available in the area. She smiled in genuine amusement. Alex had to have the best of everything. Elynn was suddenly seized by anxiety. Her friends weren’t anywhere close to the sophisticated and rarified social circles Alex was used to. She herself usually avoided any social functions that forced her to mix with high society. Large groups made her uncomfortable, although after four years of being in the Hanas family circle, she had learned to cope with the odd party or business function. “I can tell you’re disappointed,” Alex said, breaking her reverie. “I know what you really want.” Smiling, he pulled out a half pint of her favorite ice cream, Strawberries and Cream Haagen-Dazs. She let out a squeal as she took it and thanked him profusely. She put it back in the freezer to avoid temptation and asked him for the tenth time if he was sure he wanted to eat with all her friends. “Stop repeating yourself. I told you I want to meet them, and that is that.” Chastened, Elynn twisted the dish towel she was holding. “It’s just they’re all lab grunts. In different labs, of course, but you know they’re not...fancy. And neither is the food I made, just so you know,” she finished with a warning finger. “You’re no grunt paidi mou,” he replied, crossing his arms and looking even more forbidding. “Don’t cross your arms like that. You’re going to terrify my friends,” she chided as the doorbell rang. Relieved to escape for a few minutes, she went to open the door for Eric. “Fred is going to be late,” he told her breathlessly while shrugging out of his coat. Elynn laughed as she took in his appearance. Eric was dressed to the nines in a sleek new suit and tailored shirt. Even his shoes shone from a fresh coat of polish. “Trying to impress someone?” she asked with a raised brow. “Who me?” he asked, doing a little twirl for her before joining in the laughter. Alex walked in while they were still laughing. She rushed to introduce the two of them and then went back to the door to let in her other friends. Everything is going to be fine, she thought as she turned to Alex with a smile. A scant half hour later, she was praying for death. **** Elynn didn’t know what had gone wrong. All of a sudden, Alexandros was doing his best impression of an iceberg. He was talking in single syllables and wouldn’t crack a smile, despite the collective efforts of her friends to entertain him. She wanted to throw her pizza pan at his head. The stilted conversation limped along painfully. Furious, she shot him a heated glance at odds with the frozen smile fixed on her face. Eric, who seemed to be getting the worst of the deep freeze, jumped up as if he was on fire when the doorbell rang. “That must be Fred,” he said, nearly running out of the room. Elynn leaned over to Alex. “What is wrong with you?” she hissed. “Nothing. Your friends are...charming.” His stiffness and taut features contradicted his words. Elynn opened her mouth to say something scathing when Eric walked in with Fred. Fred was the more flamboyant partner in their relationship and didn’t sit down until he had done his rounds of air kissing everyone he knew. He bravely introduced himself to Alex and sat next to Eric after giving his partner a meaningful look and a reassuring squeeze of his hand. Sometimes you need a gay guy to rescue a dying party. When Fred arrived, Elynn had already resolved to either ignore Alex’s grim and inexcusable behavior or take him out back and shoot him. But with Fred’s brash and amusing conversation, the evening took a turn for the better. Soon Alex was joking and telling witty anecdotes that had everyone laughing out loud. Elynn gave Fred a grateful smile as she sipped a Pinot Noir from the case Alex had sent her. Lingering over dessert after the others had left, Eric and Fred peppered Alex with questions about Sonia Steele and the other famous women he’d been associated with over the years. Sipping a French Armagnac he’d brought with him, Alex skillfully evaded their questions without becoming angry, much to Elynn’s relief. She finally had to rush the pair out before he had a change of heart and lost his temper. Alex had been very mercurial lately, and he’d indulged her friends far longer than she would have dreamed. She closed the door behind them with a sigh of relief. “They’re a nice couple,” Alex said from behind her. “Yeah, they’re great. They have a lot of fun dinner parties at their place. They love to entertain. They’re a lot better at it than I am,” she said, collapsing against the door. “I think the evening was a decided success. I even liked the pizza. Never had deep dish before,” he said. “Yes, well, eventually it was a success,” she replied pointedly. Alex flashed her a guilty glance. “You’re right. I want to apologize for earlier,” he said uncomfortably. He shoved his hands into his pockets and stared at her as if he was trying to decide what to say. “I was suffering from a misapprehension about something. It...upset me,” he said finally. “About what?” she asked with a frown as she began to clear the dishes. “It’s not important now.” Elynn studied Alex’s tall, tense figure and the way he avoided making eye contact. He seemed genuinely upset. She didn’t know why he was being so evasive. Her stepbrother was unfailingly direct about most things, even to the point of bluntness. She felt her annoyance melt into concern. “You know you can tell me anything,” she said, watching him with wide eyes. “And I will someday...soon. Why don’t you give me a tour of your flat,” he said. “You didn’t get the chance earlier.” “Well, there’s not much to see,” she said, deciding not to pry for now. She led him through the small series of rooms. He asked about the different mushroom cultures in the corners and smiled as he walked toward her with his hands in his pockets. “And the bedroom?” he asked. “Err...it’s right here.” Elynn took him to the door of her room. “Also not much to see.” Alex looked over her bedroom with interest. Glad she had made an effort to pick up her dirty laundry, she watched him examine her bed, which was large for her but probably seemed pretty small to him. Her laptop was on an adjoining table, and her closet stood open on her simple wardrobe of mainly dark colors. “Nothing frilly or feminine in sight,” Alex observed as he ran his hand over her mostly bare dresser. “How different you are,” he murmured. Elynn frowned. “Different from who?” “Hmm? Oh, no one, I was just talking aloud,” he said before turning around to face her. “It’s a little spartan,” he said, gesturing to the bare walls. “No paintings or pictures. Not even a mushroom poster.” “I’m not much for decorating,” she said with a shrug. The gifts he’d given her over the years were prominently displayed in her cozy living room. But there weren’t many decorations in her bedroom. She did have a few framed photos on the bedside table behind her laptop, but they were only visible from the bed when she closed the laptop—which she did every night at bedtime. There was one of her with their parents and another picture of her and Alex on her last birthday. He went over to pick up the photo of the two of them with a smile. “I never seem to have the time or the energy to hang stuff up,” she explained as he put the photo down next to the laptop, where it would always be visible. Feeling unreasonably anxious, Elynn made herself cross the threshold so she would be with Alex inside the room. She wanted to show him her collection of postcards, which she kept under the bed. Whenever Alex travelled on business to a city she had never visited, he sent her a postcard. She had tons of them and had organized them into an album of sorts using a binder with transparent dividers, so the message on the back would still be readable. The postcards, combined with Alex’s stories, had inspired a deep desire to travel, but so far she had only done so with Costas and Mary. She hadn’t worked up the courage to travel alone, and going with the one or two girlfriends she was close with didn’t seem safe enough. Feeling silly for being nervous, Elynn took a deep breath and went over to pull out the binder from underneath the bed. She sat and opened it to display her collection. “I saved all of your postcards,” she said, handing him the binder. Alex took the album with a widening of his eyes. “I didn’t expect you to keep these,” he said with a soft smile as he flipped through the pages. “This is like our whole history.” Embarrassed, Elynn didn’t say anything until he finished and handed the binder back to her. “I should let you get ready for bed,” he said. “I’m going to break in my own at the new house tonight. It’s my first night there. Tomorrow I tackle the SS100.” Elynn put the folder back under the bed and followed him out of the room. He paused at the front door and pulled her in for a hug. Startled, she hugged him back. It was different from the quick and polite hugs they exchanged on birthdays. Alex had pulled her body in so close that it was pressed completely against his. She was so much shorter than he was that the top of her head only reached his shoulder. Her legs were touching his and she could feel his heartbeat under her temple. It felt very fast, but she wasn’t entirely sure because her own blood was rushing in her ears. Feeling very hot and awkward, Elynn took a deep breath to calm herself. Instead, she inadvertently inhaled Alex’s scent, drawing it deep into her lungs. It was heady stuff, vaguely spicy with hints of vanilla, traces from his soap. Her chest tightened and she took another deep breath. The tips of her breasts were incredibly sensitive as they made contact with the top of his hard abs. And then she felt something else. Alex seemed...aroused. Startled, she tensed, and in the next heartbeat, he released her. “Good night,” he said, lifting her face to his with a hand on her chin. He studied her face before kissing her softly on the forehead. Then he left. Confused, Elynn stared at the closed door for a long moment. That was weird. **** Fucking idiot. Alex got into his car and sat there for a long while, willing away an uncomfortable erection. Rolling down the window, he breathed in the cool night air until the heat in his veins began to fade. Laughing to himself, he shifted his erection to give it more room. He had never felt so hard and hot, and all he had done was hug Elynn. Which may have been too much for her, he realized, slamming his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. Everything had been fine for a few precious moments. Elynn had been confused, but she had been soft and compliant in his arms. And then he had grown hard. He hadn’t been able to help it. He’d let go right away but she must have noticed—it was probably why her whole body had stiffened. Alex laughed bitterly about his stupid assumption about the redhead, Eric. He’d been pushed straight into a cavemen rage by an over-affectionate and demonstrative gay man. One with a little crush on him, if he’d been reading the vibes correctly. And now he’d gone and scared Elynn. For years, he’d kept his distance, respecting her unspoken boundaries, even if it had been hell on him. She had felt so right in his arms. Jesus. His heart was still pumping too fast. One simple hug had opened the floodgates of desire in him. There was no going back for him now. But would Elynn want him in that way? Or would her fears always lie between them? Or worse, what if she did want someone in her life someday, but not him? Not as anything more than an unofficial brother? Should he keep waiting? Alex stifled a curse. He couldn’t, not anymore. It would drive him fucking insane. Crazier than he already was. And really, Elynn would be happier once they were together. They would take things as slow as she wanted. Once she knew she was his, everything would fall into place. For both of them.
Chapter 4
Chapter 4 Elynn stared at the message on her phone, trying to decide how she felt. Alex had texted her on and off for the past few weeks. He had been unable to spend the last few weekends in Oxford working on the car because he’d had to go to New York for a series of meetings. And Elynn was relieved. She’d managed to convince herself that the hug was nothing. It couldn’t have possibly meant anything to him. He’d only forgotten whom he was with for a minute. Her preoccupation with the hug was starting to drive her nuts. She needed to get her mind off it. But Alex had been texting a lot more than usual, keeping him fresh in her mind. At most, he used to call her once a week—twice if they hadn’t seen each other at brunch recently. And his calls had always been short, friendly inquiries about her life and her work. Now he was expecting her for brunch at his new rental on Sunday. In typical Alexandros Hanas fashion, he hadn’t asked her to join him. He had simply texted her the time and address and said he was expecting her. Their parents were tied up with a charity event that day so they wouldn’t be there. Except for the dinner party at her place, she couldn’t remember a time when she had been completely alone with her stepbrother for longer than a few minutes. Just go and stop worrying about it. Alex was her friend, and he wouldn’t hold her silly behavior against her. **** When Elynn finally arrived at Alex’s ‘rental,’ she slammed on the brakes of her VW Beetle. In front of her was a pair of imposing wrought iron gates. Apparently there were hidden video cameras monitoring the entrance, because when she leaned out to press the intercom button, a voice greeted her by name and buzzed her in. Shaking her head, she drove up an impossibly long driveway that ended at an equally massive and elegant Georgian mansion. She let out a bark of laughter. Did Alex ever do anything low-key? This place was like something out of the movies, an estate that eclipsed his father’s more modest country home. The interior of the house matched the exterior in its imposing elegance. The foyer led to a huge central staircase and a long gallery was located on the ground floor. Elynn would not have been surprised if there were a ballroom as well. She was directed by an unfamiliar maid out onto a terrace with a gorgeous view of green hills leading to an extensive wooded area to the right and a small lake to the left. Alex was waiting for her at a table shaded by a big umbrella. He smiled at her and brushed his lips over her cheek in greeting, another change. Feeling warm, she sat down in the chair he offered her on his right. “Well, you sure know how to downplay your real estate choices. Is this really a rental?” she asked. “Yes, with the option to buy,” he said, helping himself to the freshly baked croissants and preserves. “You can’t possibly be thinking of buying this place,” Elynn said with a frown as she laid her napkin on her lap. “Why wouldn’t I? It’s a superb estate. I like the views. It has a full gym, spa, and a movie theatre. If I put in a helipad, it would be perfect,” he said as he poured her a glass of orange juice. “I find it relaxing. I may buy it.” Elynn laughed. “You can’t be serious. You won’t be happy living so far from London. You once said you’d rather watch all of Gossip Girl than spend more than a week in the country.” “Things change,” he said before proceeding to distract her from his strange and sudden desire for domesticity with a steady stream of conversation. “How goes the dissertation writing?” he asked near the end of the meal. “It’s not bad, actually. I’m a little ahead of schedule,” she admitted as she sat back and closed her eyes. The sun felt good on her face. With a contented sigh, she curled up in the oversized wicker chair and basked in the warmth. “Well, it’s good that you’re ahead,” Alex said. “That means that you don’t have to rush home. You can help me check out the grounds.” “Yeah, why not?” she said, smiling lazily as she opened her eyes. “How is the car progressing?” “Slow, actually. Finding certain replacement parts is proving to be a challenge. But not one I mind,” he assured her. “I’m still not sure why you aren’t having the car restored for you. You have so many other demands on your time,” she said sympathetically. Alex worked like a dog. He lived by the ‘work hard, play hard’ mantra, but she didn’t think he took enough time to relax and decompress. “There are some things a man wants to do with his own two hands,” he replied with a strangely arresting look. Elynn felt another blush creep up her face. His gaze had barely deviated from her throughout the entire meal, and she was beginning to feel strange under his focused single-minded attention. Her chest felt tight, and she wondered if she resembled a tomato. “Do you want to check out the woods now?” he asked. “Yes,” she said, a tad too eagerly. A little time away from his intense gaze was just what she needed. “Good, let’s go,” he said, getting up and slipping on a pair of sunglasses. Startled, she looked at him blankly. “Oh, you don’t have more calls to make?” “No, I’m all yours. Come on,” he said, holding out his hand. She was a little slow to get up and take it, and he put it down as he patiently waited for her to get up and stretch. He led her down the stairs to the edge of the woods. They walked in companionable silence under the canopy of leaves for a few minutes before he spoke again. “I was assured by the estate agent that these mixed woods would be productive for a variety of mushrooms. If I choose to stay here, you should take advantage of the new hunting grounds,” he said offhand as they picked their way through a litter of dead leaves. “You’re not going to stay here,” Elynn said with a laugh. “You’ll run screaming back to the jet-set life in London before—” “Before what?” he asked, making her jump when his voice came from directly behind her. She hadn’t realized he was standing so close to her. “Sorry,” he said, steadying her with a large hand before stepping to her side. Elynn swallowed and kept walking. “Before the leaves turn,” she finally said. “Maybe I’ll surprise you,” he replied. “Would you care to wager on it?” This time her laugh was distinctly nervous. “What do I get if I win?” “Whatever you want.” “And if you win?” “Whatever I want,” he said. “That sounds ominous.” “It is,” he assured her. Elynn stopped short and looked up at Alex’s chiseled face with its sculpted cheekbones and strong, straight nose. He doesn’t know how suggestive that sounds. “Okay, deal,” she agreed, putting out her hand to shake on it. Alex glanced down and took her hand in his with a small secretive smile on his face. Elynn left shortly after that, but not before being told that she was returning for brunch in two weeks’ time. **** Alex was in Rome between back-to-back meetings, and he was in a bad mood. His father had called to cheerfully inform him that he and Mary would be able to meet for brunch at his Oxford home the following Sunday. He had thanked his father in a slightly flat tone. Costas was obviously suspicious. The move to Oxford had been too out of character. Clearly he had tipped his hand with the recent move to the country. And now Costas was going to interfere with his plans. But as much as he loved his father, that wasn’t going to stop him. Once he committed to a course of action, there was no going back. On impulse, Alex decided to sell his penthouse apartment in the city. It wasn’t right, Elynn visiting that place where he had entertained other women he hadn’t particularly liked or respected. But he hadn’t been able to live like a monk while he waited for Elynn to grow up. He still needed a place in the city, close to the office, but he would look for a house instead. Frustrated, Alex raked a hand through his hair. He had honestly believed it would take years before Elynn would be ready for a relationship. Just last year, she’d been rattled by an uncomfortable situation with a male guest at one of their parent’s dinner parties. Her reaction to the handsome, but decidedly pushy blond young man, Samuel somebody, had convinced him she wasn’t near where he wanted her to be. It had been obvious during the meal that young Samuel admired Elynn. The little shit didn’t try to hide it, but he wasn’t the first dinner party guest to get ideas, so Alex shrugged it off. He did, however, keep a close eye on the guy. He always did whenever his parent’s guests included young men...or any men actually. In the case of Samuel, though, Alex’s overprotectiveness had been justified. After dinner, Samuel cornered Elynn in the alcove off the dining room. She refused Samuel’s dinner invitation, but the guy was persistent. Too persistent. Elynn was obviously agitated by the time Alex had interrupted them. Alex had told her to return to the dining room. Tellingly, she hadn’t looked back at him or Samuel. If she had, she would have seen him throwing their guest against the wall and threatening to rearrange his face. The younger man had practically run out of the room and was off the estate in a matter of minutes. He left in such a hurry that Alex had to make up a fake emergency for him when he got back to the dining room because he hadn’t stopped to tell his parents goodbye. That was a while ago, Alex reassured himself. And he wasn’t some jackass off the streets. Elynn trusted him, and for good reason. Pushing his misgivings away, he refocused on his work. But later that night, after a dinner meeting, Alex’s patience took another hit. He was leaving the restaurant when a scantily clad Sonia Steele sidled up to him. Ugh, not now, he thought as she took his arm and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Darling. How are you?” Sonia said in an affected sultry tone. Out of the corner of his eye, a flashbulb went off. Oh, perfect. Alex swiftly extracted himself. “Hello Sonia,” he said with a hint of annoyance as he took out a handkerchief to wipe away her lipstick. “Join us for a drink,” she invited, pursing her pouty full lips. Angling her cleavage in a pose that was probably supposed to be seductive, she tried to take his arm again. Waiting a few feet away was an extremely pissed-off-looking man in a suit. Sonia hadn’t waited long to find his replacement, but Alex didn’t care. “Sorry, I have another meeting. Have a good evening,” he said politely before escaping. Slipping into the car, he pulled out his cell to call his publishing contact. If there was a way to stop the publication of that photo, his man would find it. But knowing Sonia, it was already too late. That photo had probably hit TMZ or Gawker seconds after it had been taken. Brunch the following weekend was uneventful. Elynn was distracted by her dissertation, and Costas watched him like a hawk. There had been no opportunity to be alone with Elynn. Resigned, he let the moment pass and decided to pick her up for dinner on Saturday night instead. Maybe I should ask her first. No. Giving her the chance to say no was not the way to do this. Because she might actually say no? Alex crushed that thought. It was time to start working on his car. At brunch Elynn asked how far he’d gotten on the restoration again, and before he could stop himself, he’d lied. “Oh, it’s looking good,” he mimicked himself. What had possessed him to say such a thing? He had never lied to a woman before. There had never been a need, but now he was trying to show off to impress Elynn. And he hadn’t touched the Jag once since he’d moved it to the Oxford estate. Alex studied the wreck of a car in his garage. Despite his boast to Elynn, he didn’t know the first thing about car repair. He knew makes and models and what kind of engines he preferred. But he was a connoisseur of fine cars, not a mechanic. For a minute, Alex seriously contemplated having a specialty mechanic come in to work in stages. He could easily bluff Elynn into believing that he was doing the work himself. Then he pictured her, those big green-gray eyes on him, while he demonstrated his progress. No, he better make the effort himself. He had never taken credit for another’s work in his life, and there was no way he was going to start now. Maybe the For Dummies series has something on restoring classic cars. With a self-mocking roll of the eyes, he decided to start by removing the seats. At least he wouldn’t need a how-to manual for that. **** Elynn was working late in the lab when Alex texted her that he was waiting outside to take her to dinner. She called him back immediately. “Hi, I didn’t know you were in town this weekend. I’m afraid I can’t go to dinner just now. I have to passage some cultures.” “I’ll be right up,” he replied and cut the call before she could say anything else. Elynn stared at her phone. “Okay then,” she murmured to herself before going downstairs to let him in. Alex was still waiting outside, not having realized he needed an electronic pass to enter the building. Even though he was casually dressed in a black sweater and designer slacks, he was out of place among the passersby in the street. He looks incredible. Oh, hell. Where did that thought come from? Worried, she opened the door and let him in. He swept past her, all six foot three inches of him dwarfing the people around them. He was even taller than his bodyguard. He stopped in front of her, frowning. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing, I just can’t get away right now,” she said apologetically. “Thanks for stopping by, though.” Alex’s lips twisted as his gaze lingered on her face. “You still need to eat. You haven’t had anything yet. I can tell. Go finish up, and I’ll call for something to be brought around.” Elynn flushed. “You don’t have to do that. I have a microwave meal in the lab fridge, and I’m sure you have more important things to do. It’s Saturday night. Don’t you have a date or something?” “Microwave meals aren’t good for you. Why don’t you do whatever you need to do, and I’ll wait.” “Okay. If you’re sure,” Elynn said, nervously tucking her hair behind her ears. She led him up into the lab and directed him to her desk—at least to the part of it that was visible. It was covered in piles of scientific papers, as well as her laptop and some racks of test tubes growing fuzzy bits of fungi inside. She slipped on a lab coat and took the racks before walking over to the laminar flow hood a few feet away. “One of the other students is on vacation, and she asked me to propagate her cultures,” she said, switching on the hood and turning on the interior light. “Sounds...suggestive.” Elynn snorted. “All I mean by propagation is taking a small bit of this culture and placing it into fresh slants so the cultures will keep growing. These particular samples grow very slowly, so this only has to be done once a month at most.” She explained how the slants were made by pouring a hot sterilized mix of nutrients and agarose into the tubes as she worked, using a Bunsen burner to sterilize her tools between sample transfers by dipping them into a little flask of ethanol and lighting them on fire. “You lean them to one side while the agarose is still hot to make a slant. For more surface area,” she said, before lapsing into a slightly awkward silence as she tried to concentrate on making the transfers. She was very conscious of Alex’s dark eyes following her every move. She dipped her inoculation loop into the ethanol and then into the flame while keeping one eye on Alex. “Damn,” she muttered as a stray drop of burning alcohol landed in her flask of ethanol, setting it on fire. “What’s wrong?” he asked from his seat at her desk. “Nothing,” she hastily assured him as she smothered the nearly invisible flame with a thick piece of foil, singeing her gloves in the process. Elynn swallowed hard. Having Alex there was distracting. Shoving his too-imposing presence to the back of her mind she refocused on her task, trying her hardest to avoid setting anything else on fire.
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