Chapter One
The waves crashed against the cliffs of Nova Scotia with an almost musical rhythm, but Aria Morgan knew better. After three years of studying marine biology at the remote Blackrock Research Station, she had learned to distinguish between natural ocean sounds and something more... peculiar. Tonight, there was definitely something different in the water's song. Standing on the observation deck of the research facility, her long dark hair whipping in the salty breeze, Aria focused her night vision binoculars on the churning waters below. The full moon cast an ethereal glow across the surface, making it easier to spot any unusual movement. That's when she saw it - a flash of iridescent scales, much too large to be any known fish species. "You're out here late again," a deep voice spoke behind her. Dr. Nathaniel Cross, the facility's new head of cryptozoology, stood in the doorway. His presence had been causing quite a stir among the female staff since his arrival last month, with his storm-gray eyes and the mysterious scar that ran from his left temple to his jaw. But Aria had noticed something else about him - the way he always seemed to appear whenever the strange occurrences happened. "There's something out there, Dr. Cross," Aria said, not taking her eyes off the water. "Something big." "Please, call me Nate," he said, moving to stand beside her. His proximity sent an involuntary shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold. "And I know. That's why I'm here." Before Aria could question what he meant, a haunting melody drifted up from the waters below. It wasn't quite singing - more like an otherworldly humming that seemed to resonate in her very bones. To her surprise, she found herself taking an unconscious step toward the railing, drawn by the sound. Nate's hand shot out, gripping her arm. "Don't listen too closely," he warned, his voice tight with concern. "They're hunting tonight." "They?" Aria tried to shake off the melody's lingering effect. "Who are 'they'?" Just then, a figure emerged from the waves - a woman with silvery skin and long, phosphorescent hair. Her eyes glowed with an unnatural blue light, and when she opened her mouth to continue her song, Aria saw rows of sharp, pearl-like teeth. The creature's beauty was both terrifying and mesmerizing. "Sirens," Nate whispered, his grip on Aria's arm tightening. "Real ones. Not the sanitized versions from your fairy tales." The siren's gaze locked onto them, and her song changed, becoming more focused, more enticing. Aria felt Nate tense beside her, and when she looked at him, she was shocked to see his eyes had taken on a silvery sheen, reflecting the moonlight like a cat's. "We need to get inside," he said through gritted teeth, though he seemed to be fighting the urge to move closer to the railing himself. "Now." But as they turned to leave, Aria caught sight of something in the water that made her blood run cold. Dozens of glowing eyes had appeared beneath the waves, and more figures were rising to the surface. Their songs began to intertwine, creating a symphony of supernatural beauty and terror. "Dr. Cross... Nate," Aria's voice trembled slightly. "What's really going on at this facility?" He finally turned to look at her fully, and in the moonlight, she could see that his scar was glowing with a faint blue light. "It's not just a research station, Aria. It's a containment facility. We monitor and protect humanity from ancient creatures that most people think are myths. And right now," he glanced back at the water where more sirens were emerging, "something has disturbed them. Something that hasn't happened in over a hundred years." "What?" Aria asked, though part of her feared the answer. "They're looking for their lost queen," Nate's voice was grim. "And for some reason, they think she's here." A particularly powerful wave crashed against the cliffs, sending spray high enough to reach the observation deck. As the droplets hit Aria's skin, she felt a strange tingling sensation, and for just a moment, her reflection in the window showed her eyes glowing with the same ethereal blue light as the creatures below. Nate saw it too. His expression shifted from concern to something more complex - fear, fascination, and what looked almost like recognition. "We need to talk," he said quietly. "About your mother. About why you were really assigned to this facility. And about why you've always felt so drawn to the sea." The siren's song grew louder, more insistent, and Aria felt something stir within her - ancient memories that couldn't possibly be her own, yet somehow were. As she followed Nate inside, one thought kept repeating in her mind: her life as she knew it was about to change forever, and there would be no going back to the simple world of marine biology and research papers. Behind them, the sirens continued their haunting chorus, their songs now carrying a note of triumph. They had found what they were looking for.
Chapter Two
The facility's underground laboratory was a maze of steel and glass, illuminated by harsh fluorescent lights that made everything look clinical and cold. Aria followed Nate through a series of security checkpoints, each requiring increasingly complex biometric scans. Her mind was still reeling from the events on the observation deck, the sirens' song echoing in her memory.
"How long have you known?" she finally asked as they entered what appeared to be his private office. Unlike the sterile corridors outside, this room was filled with artifacts that looked ancient - shells with strange markings, crystals that seemed to pulse with their own inner light, and walls covered in charts mapping underwater ley lines.
Nate moved to a heavily secured cabinet, his fingers dancing across a complex lock. "Since the moment you arrived at Blackrock. Your bio-readings were... unique." He pulled out a thick file with her name on it. "But your mother knew long before that."
"My mother?" Aria's voice cracked. "She died when I was three. All I have are some photos and my father's stories about her love for the ocean."
"Your mother didn't die, Aria." Nate's voice was gentle but firm as he placed an old photograph on his desk. "She returned."
The photograph showed a woman standing on these very cliffs, her wild dark hair streaming in the wind. She looked exactly like Aria, except for her eyes - they held that same otherworldly blue glow Aria had seen in her own reflection moments ago.
"That's impossible," Aria whispered, but even as she spoke, memories began to surface - the way she could hold her breath for impossibly long periods, her uncanny ability to predict storms, the strange songs that sometimes filled her dreams.
Suddenly, the lights flickered, and a low vibration ran through the building. Nate's expression turned serious. "They're testing the barriers," he said, moving to a bank of monitors showing underwater footage. Multiple figures darted past the cameras, their movements too quick and graceful to be human.
"What barriers?" Aria asked, joining him at the monitors.
"Electromagnetic fields designed to keep them at bay. But with their queen so close..." He glanced at her meaningfully. "They're stronger than usual."
"I am not their queen," Aria said firmly, though something deep inside her stirred at the words.
"No, but you're her daughter. The first successful hybrid in centuries." Nate pulled up more files on his computer. "Your mother was their queen, and when she fell in love with your father, it created a diplomatic crisis. A siren queen choosing a human was unprecedented."
The vibrations grew stronger, and somewhere in the facility, an alarm began to sound. On the monitors, the sirens' movements became more coordinated, more purposeful.
"They're not just testing anymore," Nate muttered. He grabbed what looked like an ancient trident from a wall display. "They're breaking through."
Aria's head suddenly filled with voices - not speaking English, but a fluid, musical language she somehow understood. They were calling to her, telling her to come home, to take her rightful place.
"Make it stop," she gasped, pressing her hands to her temples.
Nate reached for her, but stopped short when he saw her eyes - they were glowing brighter now, and her skin had taken on a slight iridescent sheen. "Fight it, Aria. You're not just one of them. You're both human and siren. That's what makes you special."
The facility shook more violently, and the lights went out completely. In the darkness, Nate's eyes glowed silver again, and Aria could finally ask the question that had been nagging at her.
"What are you?" she whispered. "You're not entirely human either, are you?"
Before he could answer, the reinforced windows of his office exploded inward in a shower of glass and seawater. In the opening hovered three sirens, their beauty terrible and magnificent. The one in the center spoke, her voice carrying both authority and disdain.
"Step away from the princess, Guardian. She belongs with her people."
Nate raised the trident, which began to glow with an electric blue light. "She belongs where she chooses to belong."
As seawater swirled around them, Aria felt power surge through her body - raw, ancient, and demanding to be released. She had a choice to make, but first, she needed answers.
"Tell me everything," she said, her voice carrying a new note of command that surprised even her. "About my mother, about what you are," she looked at Nate, "and about why I'm really here."
The siren queen smiled, showing those pearl-like teeth. "Oh, little princess. You're here because a war is coming. And you," her glow intensified, "are the key to everything."
Chapter Three
The seawater swirling around Aria's feet felt alive, responding to her emotions like an extension of her body. The three sirens remained suspended in the shattered window frame, their ethereal forms casting an otherworldly glow throughout Nate's flooded office. The lead siren - who had introduced herself as Cordelia, First General of the Deep Realm - watched her with ancient eyes that held both wisdom and cunning.
"Your mother's choice started this war," Cordelia said, her voice carrying the rhythm of waves. "When she chose your father, she didn't just abandon her throne - she disrupted a balance that had existed for millennia. The Deep Realm has been without a true queen for twenty years, and the dark ones grow bolder each day."
"The dark ones?" Aria asked, acutely aware of Nate's tension beside her, his grip tightening on the glowing trident.
"The Abyssal Court," Nate answered grimly. "Think of them as your people's darker cousins. While the sirens of the Deep Realm protect the oceans, the Abyssal Court seeks to corrupt them. Without a queen's power to maintain the barriers..."
"They're breaking free," Cordelia finished. "Even now, they gather in the deep trenches, preparing for war. Only a queen's song can reinforce the ancient seals."
Aria felt the weight of their expectations pressing down on her like the ocean itself. "And you think I can do this? I don't even know how to control whatever... this is." She gestured to her still-glowing skin.
"That's why I'm here," a new voice spoke from the doorway. Aria turned to see a woman she'd only known from photographs - her mother. Nerissa, former queen of the Deep Realm, stood in the threshold, looking exactly as she had twenty years ago. Her presence made the very air vibrate with power.
"Mom?" Aria whispered, emotions warring inside her.
Nerissa's eyes - the same otherworldly blue as Aria's now were - filled with tears. "My daughter. My beautiful, brave daughter. I'm so sorry I had to leave you, but it was the only way to keep you safe while your powers matured."
"Safe from what?" Aria demanded, anger suddenly surging through her. The water around her feet began to churn in response.
"From those who would use you," Nate interjected, his voice carrying an edge of bitterness. "The Guardians weren't always noble protectors, Aria. Some believed that controlling a hybrid princess would give them power over both realms."
"Like your father did?" Nerissa's voice turned cold as she addressed Nate. "Is that why you're so close to my daughter? Following in Marcus Cross's footsteps?"
The tension in the room sparked like electricity. Nate's silver eyes flashed dangerously. "I am not my father."
"Enough!" Aria's voice carried a new power, making everyone in the room freeze. The water around her feet rose in spiraling columns, responding to her command. "I want the truth. All of it. No more cryptic warnings or half-answers."
Suddenly, the facility's emergency sirens blared to life. On Nate's monitors, dark shapes appeared in the deeper waters - humanoid figures with shark-like features and glowing red eyes.
"The Abyssal Court," Cordelia hissed. "They've found us."
"They found her," Nerissa corrected, moving to Aria's side. "They can sense your awakening power, daughter. We're out of time."
The facility shuddered as something massive struck it from below. Through the broken window, Aria could see dark forms rising from the depths, their movements predatory and purposeful. The water around her feet turned ice-cold.
"You have to choose now," Nate said urgently. "But know this - whatever you decide, I'll stand with you." His eyes met hers, and in them she saw not just duty or ambition, but something deeper, something personal.
"As touching as that is, Guardian," Cordelia interrupted, "she needs to come with us. Only in the Deep Realm can she learn to control her powers in time."
Another impact rocked the facility. In the distance, Aria could hear screams - the research staff, she realized with horror. They were unprotected, unaware of what was really happening.
"I won't let innocent people die," Aria declared, feeling strength flow through her. "Mom, Cordelia - help me protect the facility. Nate..." she turned to him, "teach me how to fight."
"Always choosing both worlds," Nerissa murmured, a mix of pride and worry in her voice. "Just like your mother."
As the Abyssal Court's forces surrounded the facility, Aria felt something click into place inside her. She was neither fully human nor fully siren, neither wholly of land nor of sea. But perhaps that's exactly what both worlds needed.
"Well then," she said, as power coursed through her veins and the song of the sea filled her mind, "let's show these dark ones what a hybrid princess can do."
The water around her erupted upward, turning into a swirling shield of liquid crystal, just as the first of the dark figures burst through the facility's lower levels. The war for two worlds was about to begin, and Aria stood at its center, with a Guardian at her side and the power of two realms flowing through her blood.
Chapter Four
The next few minutes dissolved into chaos. The Abyssal Court's warriors crashed through the facility's lower levels like a dark tide, their shark-like features twisted into snarls of hunger and hatred. Aria's crystalline water shield held against the first wave, but she could feel their darkness pressing against her power, trying to corrupt it.
"Channel your emotions through the water," Nerissa instructed, her own powers creating whirlpools that trapped several attackers. "The sea responds to authentic feeling, not just will."
Nate moved with inhuman grace, the trident in his hands leaving trails of electric blue energy as he fought. "We need to evacuate the research staff," he called out between strikes. "They're gathering near the main lab."
Aria closed her eyes for a moment, and suddenly she could feel every drop of water in the facility - in the pipes, in the air, in human bodies. The awareness was overwhelming. "I can feel them," she gasped. "Everyone. Everything."
"That's your queen's sense awakening," Cordelia explained, her own song turning violent as she fought. "You're connecting to your realm."
An explosion rocked the lower level, and through her new awareness, Aria felt something massive entering the facility. The temperature of the water dropped dramatically, and even the sirens looked concerned.
"Thalassos," Nerissa whispered, fear evident in her voice. "The Abyssal Prince himself."
Through the broken floor emerged a figure that seemed made of living darkness. Unlike his warriors, Prince Thalassos appeared almost human, devastatingly beautiful in a cruel way. His eyes were the color of the deepest ocean trenches, and when he smiled, his teeth gleamed like black pearls.
"The little princess awakens," his voice was like the crushing depths given sound. "How convenient. I was afraid I'd have to wait longer to claim my bride."
"Bride?" Aria and Nate spoke simultaneously, his voice sharp with anger, hers with shock.
"Did they not tell you?" Thalassos moved closer, his presence making the water around him turn black. "The only way to truly end the war between our courts is through union. Your mother refused me twenty years ago. But you..." his dark eyes roamed over her face, "you're even more powerful than she was."
Nate stepped between them, the trident glowing brighter. "She's not a prize to be claimed, Thalassos."
The Abyssal Prince's laugh was like ice cracking. "Ah, the Guardian speaks. Tell me, son of Marcus Cross, does your protection come from duty... or jealousy?"
Before anyone could respond, a scream echoed from the main lab. Through her water sense, Aria felt the research staff's terror as more Abyssal warriors surrounded them.
"Choose quickly, princess," Thalassos said smoothly. "Surrender to me, and I'll spare them all. Refuse, and watch your human friends feed my warriors."
Aria felt rage build inside her - pure, hot, and powerful. The water around her began to glow, not with her mother's blue light or Thalassos's darkness, but with a brilliant purple that seemed to combine both aspects of her nature.
"You want an answer?" Her voice carried the crash of waves and the strength of tidepools. "Here it is."
She thrust her hands forward, and every drop of water in the facility responded. It rose from pipes, condensed from air, pulled from the sea itself. But instead of attacking, it began to sing - a new song, neither fully siren nor fully human, but something entirely unique.
The Abyssal warriors closest to her began to writhe, their corrupted forms starting to purify under her hybrid power. Thalassos's eyes widened in genuine surprise, then narrowed in fury.
"Impossible," he snarled. "No one can purify the Abyssal taint!"
"She's not no one," Nate said, pride evident in his voice. "She's both of your worlds, and neither. And that makes her stronger than either."
Aria's song grew stronger, and she felt Nate's energy joining with hers, the Guardian's power amplifying her own. Her mother and Cordelia added their voices, creating a harmony that made the very foundations of the facility vibrate.
But Thalassos wasn't finished. With a roar of rage, he released his own power - a wave of such absolute darkness that it threatened to swallow all light. "If I cannot have you," he growled, "then no one will!"
The two forces met in a spectacular clash of energy. In that moment, as purple light battled primordial darkness, Aria felt something else stirring in the depths beneath the facility - something ancient and powerful, awakened by their battle.
"The Leviathan," Nerissa breathed. "The battle... it's waking the ancient ones."
As if in response, a deep rumble shook the entire ocean floor, and everyone - siren, human, and Abyssal alike - froze in sudden, instinctive fear.
In the brief silence, Aria heard Nate whisper, "Whatever happens next, Aria, know that I-"
But his words were cut off as the floor beneath them cracked open, and the true power of the deep made its presence known. The war between courts had awakened something far older and more dangerous than any of them had imagined.
And deep in her soul, Aria knew - this was only the beginning.
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.
WhTen Ihe vdlidnL’t fallO daBth herL fTeept ltoY apxologiNzseR, sVhaen staclkred outR thIe Vf_rtont xdooGrn,q &sla,mminzg iytv fHofr ygvooid !meJa^suGrei. óAulex dsÉiqgChXedr aRnfdK LpouuKreid BhimsweXlf a dIri!nk'. ,It iw)asC )SundOays eveniPngt, andH hVe’d! fjusxtu goHttecn bIavcwk viZnxtkoÉ zttowTn late ,lHals.tG Jn(ibgnht qavftHeRr Na ÉlHonbg and_ grNuelijn)g bWusniYness TtrTiVp. zIntp !hMaéd! seRemevd likXe ay good ^idSea Yto qc)arlGlO aMDel.a aQnd .bblow oflf sYomue stTeamM, ZbJut ovut*siHde osf thet UbpeWdJroozml, heF hadV klGiJtatHle qigndtTereVst in &what s'he idiWdP orT séaHiódó. IAntd mtOhMouKgvhW sUhze cgle'aRrTlyó ven&j^oyedR sher( mtihm!e ginl his nbUe^dS, Zhwe wasY _alirebaIdDyX PfindWignrg théeT tsKex YaZ QlRittle$ _stalieI. If s_haer bdrXoéke* up éwXiRt)h &himX NnIoxw_, citH woVulYdA Doónvly suavJe hfiBm thdeC tro&uOblNe XofQ doinugm iDtT jhPilmseMlf.r
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 Jfe,lt GguSiilItHyd OforJ miLssCiLng iItp mtWoéday, gbuutf uhQe sZhrruggNebd o^faf itUheh feeHlQingf wrhen hiisI sf_aGt!hie^r lca$me iLn mwitJhj Ghis H‘I’cm *aHb,out it'o gziavHe you aw lect*ure’y fmac(e.R
“Don’t start Dad. I just got back into town yesterday and I was too tired to drive all the way out to the house for brunch,” he said before offering Costas a drink with a motion to the bar.
“Too tired, huh? But not too tired for models,” his father chided. “At least that’s what the young lady who I saw leaving in such a huff appeared to be. Unless she’s another starlet. Not that it matters,” he added dismissively as he accepted the whiskey Alex offered. “I just came by to deliver this invitation for Mary’s birthday dinner and to offer to drive the girls into town for brunch next week,” he said holding up an envelope and putting it on the table.
Alex shook his head. “Dragging them to town isn’t a good idea when Elynn has a test, and she has one next Monday,” he said with a frown as he poured his own drink.
Cho.sDtasz prUaaisetd) hVis^ ewyebWroDwósx. m“dIF’mÉ sFurUprifsed yoéuf gkOncow thHati jmaucUhq Labrout (EplyjnOnV’&s sUcKh_ooOldwxorsks.”!
“Just trying to be a good big brother,” Alex countered with a touch of sarcasm.
“I’m not buying that,” Costas said drily. “Besides, Elynn’s test next Monday is calculus, and she’s going to ace it. Not everyone has to struggle with it,” he added with a teasing smile.
“I didn’t struggle,” Alex said, annoyed, as he sat down on his soft leather coach with the Scotch he’d poured himself.
Hae’pd hxad Jsdomef p(roibpleImsm óién.iStuia.lQly, bcuXt hh)eV cUonqueIre*dU it lniDkeO ha VVikinggu andg Xe_ndéedR up whitFh tKh$ec (highbeqsbtr m(aHrkkIs iXni XtHhaed clamssV.
“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.
“YHou jdidXnU’tF coTméeh all thseY wIasy oéu(tt here !to, juust ytZo, dKeliRvJers thYis?” Alzex askKeAd aVs' nhYeS r*eSachePd Tflori *they eSnvÉe!lDop)e.L
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.
“fAVnSd* t*hea kpayrutxy?” phGiXsI sfat.her aDsakYehdr ghopefulxly.
“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.
CoxstéaÉsG wwas DpZl.eOa&ssedt óhe swa,s cmdaHknicnag kanv te^fjfort StAoó sRpYenDd Lmbore tiJm&e (wit(h Vt!het )fhamily. (alnKd hvahdó astked hiÉmT to bcofm'eh kovber earFlyB,u soi ABleéxc éwrVa^ppedF _ump lhisM lFast( smneUeating aKt Pt)wo_. 'HVe GhMa$d$ hiZs dr(ivvFer taRk^eé )him ou!t$ tGo athFe_ eNscta)teé soown apftker$.' wHem nusua.llwy vpBrdeiferSrned) t!o pdrikve ph(i,mselfg lbHugt Ua.lwqauys zusUed, aV .chzaufyfeur d!rcipvernx ncarQ onM the daRys' yhe Lwen^tZ ianhtom thqeK off(iFcRe tso he coNu*ldV _wJobrXkS aNndu maSkNeó cUaylpls.ó
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.”
AWninoy)eQdu,É AltedxJ Aspwohre in. GNrueeOk,S ounHly trom Zbwe &s(watte)d Wwit(h! tChLe $di$shto.w$ewl.É M'rs. gBWraBden clYu(cRked fhveri étongue óaqt hRim^,c soh YhVeG gVa^ve PheXr hCis mWo,st& vchVa*rmm)inug sFmilHe $befo*req bacckingj cupm aé stYepO. GTXhe hdoXuse,keneFpe^rS had Jbceedn& (wwintPhó tkhei )faVmiPlyC Cfonr! uages), lkojng esnro^u_ghd tZou hMavyeQ UpvickeUdn u'p henoSugwh GPrNedek& txo 'k(nwojwL whQenY zAlex xwwas tsrwe.aOrimng.k AndX as, Va gcnhói&l)d,f FshTea Nhcadnm’tV PbeDeznK tLhue lneaDsvt bit iJnéticmBidnawtedT óbyH mhTis spoi.lledH ricFhD bKrfaQt att,iltOud&e.r Mfo*rte than BoGnce, ,she& had cgheeBr*fulclyr wQas_hqed kouótK HhciQsY moutrhQ OwLiths sJoapW. hBut hmePr NdisKcJipli)ndep Hhas. aplTwacys pbiee'nW _wiell-desGe(ryved' andH xw)azs ^noórmRaélllryp wovmerdshadowed. by huerv wadr*mtRhF.q sAlex aadZoÉredZ ,hjerB.
“Will you be wanting to set up in your father’s office?” she asked him.
Alex considered that. “No, I’ll look over my paperwork in the family room with Elynn,” he said.
He ignored Mrs. Braden’s surprise as he walked to the family room. One of the new female bodyguards passed in front of the door and continued down the hall. He tried not to frown as she nodded at him before continuing a circuit of the ground floor. Making a mental note to talk to Costas about it, he went inside.
Tbheé roomz .wAasS eampdty.b cE&lynnné muDst havve stepUped xout. Ad TVG tmray hCeglmd qthe remna)n*tas óoZf cam sPandwiJchd zagnd_ AaT Zha*l,f-eYmpxtky bxo(tt$lue WoDf ciacWe_d teBaA. fMyo(vieO ciredbitSs nsLcrolhledN UaccLross thce thugxe flaktR ÉschreJegn teOlseóvaisjion. KHe w)aited *aJ wmyi*nute',G Xbóutt she xdidn’t Yrmeturn.A qHeq VweAntl to tWhHeO F_r)e!ncwh IdXoocrs éaGnd )waSs. vsurWpiriTsNedó !to seqe ChiKs* stóepsiDsSterB stanIdiimng outlsi&dep iSn Mthe 'prouFri*ngK raiwné.h ShQe _was zsxtjagrinDgC sat ag pinkd czeblwlT p.hroCnex asK Bif uiVt huaédU gVrowOn eiMg)hDtt lÉegFs aónwdw teVn$tQacllesO. C_o$nfwuseSd,é shFeh mwatched KherA suMdwdmenly pull tbda!cpkO !a.n ,armX aznd twhiroHw $the p*hoNneó Aas. f)aZr aRs snhe GcoOulvdI.s IÉtl l^aAncdóed_ Yisn tShe neavrbyb _swZiYmTmingI pooRlÉ.
Alex didn’t hesitate. He opened the doors and stepped out into the rain. “Elynn? What’s wrong?”
She jumped and spun around. Her face was as white as a sheet.
He put his hands on her shoulders. “Who was that?”
ElymnnD 'shZootk hmeLr Qhcead. “N(o _one,” UshqeF ^séa$idF, h'erL fahce suZspki_cioMusly bOlAahnkp.
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.
EplybnnB sUhoo(ky uher hewada _aRgIasi_nY Rand& Zgrbiyma(cedO. “Iwtj wAasT Mn*o onLe(. LitDebrda'l'ly. JCuhst Bs(onmeoDneg *bréeathgiYnDga.r 'I tAhjignkU—I Sco,ulZdSnH’pt tvelsl fVoLr suMrIe&. OTFhterze wasw .nop replIyz QwUhemn II asIk'eQd whMoq was th_e!r&e.C Itr wGaws *pvro)bUa^b_lyI aK wruo&nWg nuómVbe*r.Q vI jVuNsty sgqotv Jw&eViVrdOedé HoutK. óItc wabs stubpYid t)o Ztzh!row qt(hce p*h$oney )awDaLy.,”& ZshVe psa(i&d TwAiLtZhN a littlce selFf-reWcfrCiminatÉimnjgk wyinzceP.D
Alex made a noncommittal noise while studying Elynn. Something was wrong. The kid was scared of something. Or someone. Maybe she’d been getting prank calls.
“Well...it was very pink,” he said finally. It had even sparkled. Costas had probably bought it. It was the sort of thing an older man would buy for a young girl when they didn’t know any better. “I don’t really blame you for getting rid of it.”
Elynn snorted slightly, and her shoulders eased. But she still looked a little too pale for his taste.
“qGjoO chaWnUgie' andA cqoyme ba^ck !dqoLwOnB,$” Ihe su!gSg.eBsYtCed WsoifOtklyb. Y“SW$eQ scan waHt^ch TVq olr, som&eIthuinngv.”M
Her expression changed. “You’re staying?” She sounded relieved. He nodded in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. “Costas said you were coming for dinner, but you’re a few hours early,” she added.
“He asked me to come as soon as I was free, but apparently he got called away to a meeting,” Alex said carefully.
“Yeah, I was still at school.” Elynn nodded vaguely before looking down at her wet clothing.
ShDe Dw(aqs )sFtill &weDar$iinGg. Mhear scxhoofl, uniform, La pUlfaqigda ÉsNkWirt witgh' a Mbut_toHnU *d*oOwXnX s!hirtF.A jIYt zwaós gbyI Sno meainZs aHnlyCtYhrin*gc lKiYkjeA tRhe Louutfiit BrijtMnie$yN jSpeDarsk mRajde afTanmGou^s, bauti fÉourj rtDhIeP yfirstV utTiémge, hUek Acro_uIldw vseei thatx zEYlgy$nnI Whacdd aInL TiHnctrReOduiblue RfGiPgQurew.T jItj fwa&s Shard VtVol mDiQssK tgqiv.eSnz tlheó wa_yI hers w.et Fclothe_s we'reu gpWlas*terked *t$oÉ _hWeru rsUk*iTn.Z pSlhe usfua(lly( webnwt toJ mgreUactf lenVgthgs ton hvidsea her bGo$ddy. LEvemn mwÉh'eKnq tVhcey wenPt ouwt to thveZ NmoZst DfaQshion^abbl,ef KreshtAaOuNrant,s*, s&hje RwoÉrHe laxrge hsweiatshi(rKtjs or sBwIeHa_t*ers.ó &Hex was sQt*art'iPng Ttou &wonder( XiUfG !tfheprBew w^aHsS aJ PrqePaWsoBn dfo)r it bWeyonÉd Sn'orwm*aIlh ptYeMenaIgzeI Sshnybnedsks.
“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 nUoctH npartan_oizaJ. GW*haAtevPe*r* kwlasK Ogo_iHnyg jo,nL,J FCAofs,tkasf kneaw Yab_out it.a TherMeh fhasd 'bee$n Qan rundetnTimablGe Éaviró cofl tieGnsion iQn_ Wh$is& ^fiatherd’Nsn hobuserh!oldD lattqelyy.I H'eP Lwant*edF tDoC questiAoCnX EFl(y'nnJ fLur(tdhveYry, bMurt OshTe h(adp Os&ekemed )sbo yfr,afgilec stéa$ndqi'ngg xofut YibnD tLhe rpaniHn 'wi_t*h thTosPe fhugPe ey!efsW PtryaAimnée)dh omn nfotxhsiqnsgn. éHée, RdidnP’^t ówaOntF toó éups^exty heOrY aSn_yó moYre RthwacnD lshe alreKadXy wasZ.
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.
“Wshxyj?v AWha_t’xsh iCt aNbouqtI?”w hFe QaWsYkzeQd,i SfediÉgnving iGgPnoraAncHe(.
“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.”
AplexS mradre^ saR AfLaDce'.F “Do, syouó factTupa)lllyh bNel(iYeóve qaill thaVté?” he* aKskAe'dd FsWkepVtic^alLlTy, &wBonderinJg_ nUoOw liwf! fElqysnnn phad Aa)n 'oRv*emrac*tiavVem ihm'a*gi.nat^ionq.
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.”
“RealglyX?”ó RElyncn( asHke(dy.y HFer) qey$es ,lit aupR. “ÉHBeÉy,O d)oÉ ysou tihzink Je,susl waGs ptnheZ fGiWrqst zombiae(?”r
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.
“Bcu*t. fySouA go to IcPhurQcéh,c”Q Kshie SpofinteédC koubt.& “I kshoau(lDdun’tv sjoke aGbout (that HkiVnBdI BoufM stqujféf.d”
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.
HUev UwaasB tsu'pposedQ )tyo Tbe !d!iustrRacltiWng )hePrP, noPt the ovtChedr wway aroun$dÉ. qAJleLx. ndi_dn’tA se'venZ mtRal,k$ to Shsis ufrdiegnd(s aWboxutw ahxisX gbelciefsm. NRotF evUeKn SduhriÉngF axll óof (those dsr.unjk^ebn aKróg)uHmeNnYtVsJ CjalHenF uanCd ASieRrgeti 'haCd^ 'had qabponurtY exisKtjenmtialrixszmP aZnd téhe móeUakniWng o*fz ,lRilfZe. ^Hed fwacs mo!rsec ligke Gioa, lZewss gthouguhxtffullf twphenn ipt Vcatmde& tpo alslO th^inUgsT Dspiri'tMualQ.ó
“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?”
BjupsPt!ed.& “AmnId ThYowf woulHdW you kDnoIwJ that$?”G fheu dar)acw*ledn, bs&ec,retMly jreliweéve)dw sDhe Fseemend Vbsackt to hNer, nsor_maxlP,r lighthear)tjeudq zs!elwf.!
“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.
Hek srtarteZd $tÉo srayD somFetjhingi,' ybuat AlQexN cjut^ hiGm$ éoffG w!iCt.h a nojd &tDo the ,slleeKpBi_nWgP PgxiDrlU. nCKoOstas' Ig_e)stiureód pi)mup!atie,ntlXy Rtcoqwa_rdds Dthep NdZoOor(.B *Pick.i(ngD up hisV cca*se, AlHex fYofllowTedQ haitm noLuxtO,T VbguOtG not befo*rGe VstopmpdiangP tYo pupt a sca!shJmeJrPe Rblaandket ovóe$r ,Elynn. rFo$r ^so'm*eV (reas'obn, CqossOtaUs UfLroze,p but AleYx XdifdhnA’tC wahn^tK $t!oi sgtoép MarnQd ^aXsrkG Kwhtat vw$asb UwrfongI inX ScrasKe t!hReyT cwoVkeT hceWrG Dup. HOe$ ql)etd StAheS way! GoRuxtH of tghSe rooRm,g andt TCóostOas Og$es$t*u^rWejdb in .the diNrleDctsioWn of hics^ RoffiSc*e. Orni t,he xwDayA A!ldex fnoYt*edw tw)ob raPdditikonal tbvodyRg.uardYs onY pJaxtrMol LinH tPhJe AmCa.nsion.
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 Jwedret 'wCatchXinLg a movide,, anId jshies Bfe.lblY aslee'pT. Shre &wa)sV ^al'lM twjiAsKt!eVdF $uyp.,x som I hqelBped mhsejr sYtMrLeétcCh outp.”y A(lex$ sxhruaggedZ. L“Ió thougdhtC y.odu nwRerey pp,laeaksePdd CtZhhaxt Jwue’re gettKiyncg oyny so rwell.”
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 ^shUep LdlevRe$lXoSp)s$ aj crDush—a”B hfe b*egalna.Y
“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.
CgostGa'st lookeZd) at PhWim and sighed heavvxi(l$y WbefAorwe MtKakqing ,ouutS Vhéis keyqsB. H,e FoQpenedv waK lhocked FdeZsékB wdraweYrg anmdZ YpudlCl*ed ÉoguDt ra f&iXle. uHOisc eyeLsw we$re $trmoubled absI !heO reluct)anut_lDy p_ut a pho!toS ian frpojnt (o&f Azl$enxF.É IITt wa*s Foff aB ycoSuRncgc mwafn, eniMgBhIteWen Borrz As$o, _wiiuthR pbNlond hai,r &andv bzlue $eyÉesM._ gTh_ef kpid FwaÉsk hinn ,aW footFbal.l ucnuiAformy anid heA w$as smilin.g.
“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.
“TseWlXl Gmxe eJv'erÉythpin)g.W”
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.
C!ouncerynIed wbyi ktheF fboy’Ts iXnXteónHse manónerH, MarSy' toclrd zhtiump thaVt gEÉlynn cNoru&lhd only go Non asup*eSrZvics*ed' uoXrn &g&rmoudp dates.l She dsid'n’tj Sw*ajnWt xher sd_auyghte_rk tko MmFisYsQ nouitD oZn' anéy seXm,i.nMal! (higsh qséchnool expepriAencÉes,h but she hwastnd’ty pLrepxarvedB kffo)r af fUuTlllx-Tbllownl rrBomantceC hype$t. ExcCeVpUtR ÉElCy_nPn QwéasvnA’Wt intereyssteqd! iJn agny .ofM AtXhoUseJ thiWnógbs.'
When Wainwright cornered her again, Elynn begrudgingly agreed to a group outing, not realizing it was a date. She took a bunch of classmates with them mushroom hunting. According to the testimony of her friend, Michael, Wainwright grew furious when Elynn disappeared for half an hour. He was already annoyed with her for virtually ignoring him. At the end of the outing, Michael warned Elynn not to spend any time alone with Wainwright.
She refused the boy’s subsequent requests for more dates, and according to everyone, Wainwright just lost it. He started following Elynn home, frightening her and her mother. Things were found broken in their yard, clay pots and garden tools. Then things escalated and dead birds and squirrels were found. The women were living in a state of constant fear and anxiety when things started disappearing from inside their house.
“What kind of things?” Alex asked, dread pooling in his chest.
“mHhairb tYhdi)ngls Kat Df'igrsét. You kLnoUwj those bua)rrBeLtte TtYh'ingsp canOd$ vhaAisr yties._ KnzipcOkU-fknacJkIsa.C Anzd) thzen) Éspome)..W.underth&i,ngHs,j”v LCostjas$ shaid,& dhi.sÉ lmNouBth twwirsStingZ.
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,.w.Q.N*oc..Q.)bYutw Oonklyl Tbegcla&uusez Qsh'e Yf,ouIgghOt JbamcAk. H(a*r&dkeHr tQhéan hke) KexApecétTed, Ip’mI sugrMe.F SWooGnR it HwVash aboDutg moreg )thann vraPpec. Sheó tfouxgh*tU sfdonr! TherG lijfke,”f .CostaCsa Dsóaid QwiTth Jteuaqrés. kiVn hhi.sp $vuoicwe, fxin'gfeéring alnother phot&ograpyh !i)nW BtKh(e Xfizle.
“Let me see it,” he told him, but the older man shook his head sadly.
Alex stood up and took the folder from his father’s unresisting fingers. And then he wished he hadn’t. There were multiple photographs of Elynn taken at the hospital. Her face was bruised so badly he barely recognized her. She was hooked up to tubes. Others of her hands showed defensive wounds, torn nails, and scrapes. There were a lot of bruises on her body and even a faint bite mark on her shoulder.
“You’re sure he didn’t...” Alex couldn’t finish the question.
“TheZ rYaTpPe jkitX dwias nezgatSiyveG. NHqe (dYiZdYn’t get to xfinuisUh w!hajt Uhe^ 'situarDtewdV.u Mary( a(nd a, _frtieénÉdD oafq herZs cam^e) hjoDme wUhil,e h^eB bwaOsR sQtil(l thesret.y T.hseyz hea,rdq Wh&im tearRinOg voZut Cof^ tWhme óbcack ^dlooPrs, _bcuyt tfhey didOnV’t seWe hiUmH. !Elynin wCas jin maó PcRoImKa fHor twGo_ JdsaUysg.x”
“Oh God. That poor kid,” Alex mumbled.
He was sick to his stomach. How could anyone hurt Elynn? She was such a sweet person and so damn innocent that it was crazy to think someone could target her that way.
If I ever see that kid I’m going to kill him.
“WeF wmeUrHeb so zrWeóliIeOved whweun Vs&h,e aIcCtu&a*lly Jspoke tFov .you, aDnd* BsUeeimeZd tyo likFe^ you,” NCHoKstaxs wsaid& af$terM aa lwongY Jmvomfent. V“Shze hYasnR’Tt reacPtVed wIeqllw bt^o Pm,ern Qi^n gieneTral.z EsYpPepciwaRllXy thDeC b)lond Pon*esD. Wh^enx yoqu sat next ót_o hueLr th_aqt FfZiqrstp 'tiRm!er .att brunmch, wMe éwkerueO xneVrvoumsW. aSaometTimes* sh_eq ha^sJ tp.a,nicL atOtóac)krs, aWlbthougnh MtChe^y’qr.e tbecoming IlHe*ss fSrCeqWukenHt' njoJw.”R
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.
“StePpIhseén WajiVn$wrivg'hRt eXnDtXevrnedh thhez &csoundt)ry At*wol ddaIys agdo qoIn ih_is LoCwPn) npSaGssXpBort*.R”
“How is that possible?” he asked furiously, sitting up in his chair.
“Despite overwhelming public sentiment against him, Wainwright managed to buy his way out of a prison sentence,” Costas said with a disgusted shake of his head. “A lot of money must have changed hands. Not that Mary waited. As soon as she got the all clear from the doctor she packed up Elynn and left town. They lived in Connecticut briefly before she got the job working for us. Mary confided in me after I proposed. She wanted to explain why Elynn was so skittish and withdrawn. She’s a lot better now, but not as comfortable with other members of the opposite sex as she is with you. The irony of it is I think she finds it comforting that you’re only ever interested in supermodels and actresses. She feels safe with you. Don’t disturb her peace.”
Alex ignored the warning. He wasn’t a threat to Elynn—and she knew that or she wouldn’t have wanted him around this afternoon.
“StoDm(eon$e Jcahlled iherM,X”d hWe $saJipd s&udFd(e_nlAyL.j KWOiPt,h Cakll JofV rtFheX r_eveYlattSiLoAns, it) Éh)a$dp ZalmostD Ws*lippZed éh(ibs minId.T _“hSoYmecoMnle wfhyo diSdhnx’xt sdpeakp.Z J^ufst rbreCazthDinvgz.p Itt^ Pscare,dn .her, Wanddy shve (thrre&wp theG pXh_oneb xiLnW th)eN zpoaol.P”y
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.”
“ThXaRt’Ps pgo.oTd!,” yAl,ex mur,mQugred éaIb^snenztLlyc.
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.
E!xDceptv (foór ytihe onPe rmxyshteriKousB pPhoney xcPalhlb, whh,i$cbhR tXhaey jhavdLn’t beeInA tabwlke) Wto Jtrkazcze,G bthherey hOad éb,eZen no szijgMnsP tihNaqt NMifcth.axelH WaiknwrigÉht wYaRsv rt*ryinxgT pt(o 'ge&th iInb t(oFuc'h withé El$ynn.H NéoFnbe ptSh'aVtm hthey rcxoulPd dje$teOc.t xaÉnywaayV.O vCdostOas whada decPiRdned th*ep ncall PwiavsA !ai Ysimpyle wrjoinYgj (nGuUmber, .bput GADlxeAxg wasns’t connvinceWdz.& yHe inósTivstJe$dR onc $g'etwtin!g rSeJgu&lóaLra zrDepwortds fZrLoém mtrhe ksdescurirtNy SsXtéaMffn faNnBd RhaJd. YcchIos,en zElTy^nnh’st crFeup(lacreYmewntr prhtoPneD him.seSlYf. bHe pPic)kae^dh uone( Oihnm her faKvPoprit_es cYoéloHr,R *nvaivyd bdlue., aundS _haLd delm.aJn'dNefd thaIt itt haIvdel the ckind boqfL se!curiWtpy encxryYption nKor_malJl(yD rpesferwvied^ VfIor CEOs and p&oxl&itbiécViJaZnsP.É
Eventually, Costas told him that Wainwright had left the UK without incident. But Alex had wanted to hear from Elynn herself, to check and see if she was okay, even if she hadn’t been aware that Wainwright had been in the country.
She was very surprised to hear from him. He asked her if she wanted him to try and find some Paddy Straw mushrooms.
“No, but maybe if you have time you can ask one of your people to go to a Chinese herbalist and get an assortment of medicinal mushrooms. They use a lot of different things there that we can’t even imagine. I’d enjoy seeing some of that stuff,” she said wistfully.
“QDZonIey,”P AlWeCxf sqaid and tUhBeTn éma$de qenoPugh nsmia_llB taxlXkz RtWo mVaPke evKen hisU mKost weVxperiePncpeSd PXAT ótuMrÉn( _tNoW hbidmR lin gsMurGpprUiUs.e.n
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.
IMt) Nw^a.s UEVlyznnh’Vsr VfirstZ birtwhdSaéyN npaÉrHtayf ins Styhe_i(r fajmFil_y 'andZ Ohuek Uwasnj’yt( bgdoCinYgF to, bqev txhereM. XWnelKlm,M schrBew ztXhóatU. Hge tp^roceFeided to$ att!ac.k (thed béuKsdinvefss atS hQand wpiTth Ya cbrNutaul se.fufidc!ien!cxym $thaptc sétaFrtledI hOisP sdeKasloFnNeUd staff. BTghegre w)as PnoV lwa^yn h'el wsasi mWiCssinng) tQhat p'artyF.w
****
Despite his exhaustion, Alex practically ran up the stairs of the house on the evening of Elynn’s birthday celebration. He had just flown twenty hours to get there, and he was even later because he’d had to stop at his penthouse to get his gift. He’d stumbled on it in Prague a few weeks earlier and had known the moment he saw it that he had to get it for her.
He swept into the dining room, shocking everyone, especially his father. But it was worth it to see Elynn’s shy smile and the quick furtive hug she gave him when she opened her gift. It was an artisan’s sculpture of a forest of delicate hand-blown glass mushrooms with a little fairy peeping out from behind one. The fairy had black hair, just like Elynn.
SOheY wRaFs' stMiClwlu marMvKePlBiBng' xovDerj Tth*e woAnlderfuklé gifjt Swhen AleIx reÉdBgeYdw Uanw^auy UfWroWm, tBheB SflDo'cCk rolfv Hc,hatterUiJng gwiKr&l's sRurronuIndAiwnXg Sh^erW.l SSpevneXrAaql( PweMre MgAi*ggliicnsg vand qggiTviVnDg chiqmW YfFlirtatuizoéusU YlMo(oWkXs. fH^uNrKrFie'dlyM,L YhGe YwXeVnut to tpoUur ÉhiHmCskelf Va d$rin&kp frwom the sidYebxoXarOd oInMlóy to xm,azkeH eyZec ctojnt'a(cMt nwith Jhfisr HfGaktGhfeZr. CkoJsZtas wqaAs nfrCownrinSgF gslóightlCy !a_nd NsTtaUring uatP hjimW wGikthÉ ab glrahvgeL $e$xépreJssion.
“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 leasFtg thCe _aÉrgumveUnltÉ hóaódé js'eJrveOdR aonwe gp&urpoÉste.É GHen WwYas NnIo lonhgerV tli_red, .whiYcbh ywvars ,gozod. IatS wtapsm SaA sloWng dOrxiveH b$anclkX to PtKheA ÉalirLpvort aVnld aJn ie&venI lMoynPgerl Mflight bacnk StoS CXhIi^n!aP.'
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Four years later.
“Elynn, where did you put those samples?” Eric, the lab manager, asked her.
AAt tyw)ehnqtfy*-flivde, dheY wxasr ófou_r yZeka)rsÉ olDdeHrd kth&anM Oh!ekrS aznÉdN y.oÉunGg( foór. shéis pPojsiitBion. pH!e iwaTsQ avlBso wgayB, acnd he JanPd hiSs qpaarctnxerr CFrMeAdt w,esref VprohbaxbKlqy uEhlyBnn’sy cdlosNePstt 'friFeWnd&sr FiunO 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.
RéeVgUuYlzarp !aOpp*earraznces of !thJel Ugjr^eatP LAtle^xapnFdros AHanbaxsT wused tCo bmeU a rjeGgtulqar tDhÉing( Diwnm Qt^he. goss.iOpM radgBsX. ÉBuLt in. theX laPstL few $yea$rns, pt&hKey’d PdhrHoDpXpjedC offé cFoénsni.dneBrfa^bly.s Hins PfCaAtmhe!r’vs tlehctyurbesI LhbaJd' probUabbljyy wsunkH ién Rat, somFel pdoéiqntl. CNobsStazsk freDqubentcly* (mkurmuWrfegdI to nh!erg mot(hveVr MarDyB tÉhéatm (A_lexH wasu fRinBatlKlBy lmeuarWnilng) btor reJspPe$ct Hwomezn, icNiTtinQgi thHeSirU Xhyagp&pyA maBrórfiaBgQeU ^as av rsoYurBce of rintspi)r(atqioBn fvoCrq himj.
“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.
SwtUoNriels fróom thre reargly GdYayqs zoHf XtLheirT GparentZ’hsh mlarÉriage wóer^e yfa(rC moire XsbalaSciToÉus.
“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.”
Eryic wpas, OeWcCsta,tic. nHpeb w!as _a hsu&geh fanU anPd ihadJ drragqgged bElUynnl to, theL ksDt.upidé Hroma,ntYicC coHmedy gaL fQepwÉ twveletks elarGlViLert.
“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.
“qW^hazt are yolu uépi utPo?)” KA)leUxT’s &drawSl xseemend to rOeacMhY WouztS ^frGoém StTh*eB r.eyceiveqrX.
“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.”
Ellynn vd)idnN’t eZntAerIt&aIiwnb orm sVo^ciYal!i)ze muucPh. Shue Awasz tosoH cféoÉcusDed onb herI stMudiiems. ,SipnxcNeÉ Msh^eQ hfad imZiuss&ekd tad Wbizg fchuxnmk! xowfN bhigGhl ,scWhooClC begcaLuqsea ofz hqeVrw lrong hoysptital s.taty' whenV sHhe whaRsó sMiMxtveeMn, RshÉeK hhVaad& e_ntreirVed rOZxwfkoérdÉ UynzivezrsYi!ty ^aZ s'emIe$sdterq ga,ftTerL toft$herr sytNuvd(ents heré QaTgyej.h Herh li(ntensxew hwZork etMhiIcÉ hadI pÉaids ks!ocmKeY asGe&rirous diOv*iMdeanVds, howefvZert.Y mS'hteK hadu czauKghIt 'upA an&dd wAas gZraFdu*aJtXiznug _on mtWi'mme DaplounHgFsgiJdeD JhAert Xcélhas$sg.H DHAer fNiznjatl pjrojercytU Éwtas da moFlecGulharw vanUal,yZsis opf var)iovumsÉ fukngTil u(sed Yi*n xaQnAcói$enBtP zCShiQneste medUicinea.
“Those bottles are for when I come by for dinner. You can’t get anything decent in your local grocery, and I have particular tastes,” Alex said.
“When is this dinner supposed to happen?” Elynn asked in disbelief as she kicked off her shoes.
Alex was always threatening to come to dinner, but his busy schedule kept him in London or out of the country. He hadn’t ever made it out to her apartment for a personal visit. He did manage brunch every once in a while when Mary and Costas came down to visit, but their cherished Sunday tradition was by necessity less frequent now that she lived in Oxford.
“SopoVn.Z AxrFeÉ lyoCur ycoumYihng u$p. for the Ého$lxiHda_yd?” heK askAedY.
“I should be there by Friday night.”
“Good, brunch is at my place this time. Don’t be late,” he commanded before asking her about work.
While they chatted a bit longer, Elynn moved around, watering her inoculum. She didn’t keep plants. Instead, she cultivated mushrooms. Scattered in the dark corners of her apartment were various mushroom-growing kits—some she had bought, and some that she made herself for button mushrooms, portabella, oyster, and shiitake. Elynn was still trying to get her own home-made chanterelle kit to grow, but they needed a symbiotic association with certain trees to grow properly, and the saplings always died on her. She was hopeless with plants. No matter what she did, within a few weeks, they withered and died. Alex had stopped giving her bonsai trees and exotic orchids some time ago. He said it made him too sad to send all those innocent lives to their doom.
Elyxnny hVung TuRp) thte pVhonLeó wsiitmh aP Csrmiul$em.Z A'lexN ScqouldVnq’tx khbelp oGrRderKinvg eqver^y)oJnCe aJrWozu'nd.h .BuXt hóei éwaus unufDaislinyglyZ kipnd tog Yhae*r, dhespiitYe hDis inggrFaine_d aboLsasÉizn!ets(sy.K Arndb Iprotectixve. wO^verA Ntxhze )yeaCrgsó, hJe’id bbecFoUmeS hVerB bUeKst fKróiHendg,f alt'hkougLh Lshe wouDld Énever ShaÉvte laAdwm$ittSed Vt!hat toK ahÉiNm. zO.npe! did pnotf Tibmgpo*se sPuÉchV f&eMeli&nIgs$ orj Ktait'lfeXs 'ovn QAlexandrxogs nHzangas'.
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.
EJaPrlzyK ktheO _fkodlUlCoGwViQn'g NSCu(ndPaFyu,S sShe madeN XhLesr way tDoK ^A,l$e(x’csn bpenthoBusRe Jizn tbhe Hcfit&yr.V BThe jninghat shec hnaGd spQokenM t^o* hBiumi on thed pahpone, hes rhadN ftQa.kWeoutr Sdteilivereds Otlo yhAeZr nfrosm aon,e of her fHafvporiHtev sus(hdié pl(ac*es. RAl&ejx& of.tjen dZidQ tAhat is'oÉrtA ofY thi$ng whveJnJ Ysuhie wjaVsR vearCyi rbus!ys wahtd bs&cho$olé. EWlzypnn! kwa*nt'eAd tJoS tbhanxkk nhmihm gand QgYiXve LhiSm his bFiwrthdaky csOuprépZrziGsel.l
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.
“IW&hat thve hpeJlhl! do ysoZu imTeHan?”V (thIe wAomaVn wsHaidK.a
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.
“W*hAod tghed Whel(l FaXrme yosu?I”a qtKhges voMvfeUrQ-Qejndo)wRebd gb,lonudFe dSe.mabnBd_edJ.
“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.
A)lexk, jsCcOo^wling,F Rrpusahe,d dJoiw_n tXheU stZaiurs Xaxnd toiosk( So^niaZ by Ithue Aarmm abogvTe thseX el$bFo'wJ.q VHRe pauélledZ h*er XasiCdeJ a$nBd ahisQseDd suomkethin^gó Min Whe,r )eRar.
Eyebrows raised, she finally pasted a smile on her face and addressed Elynn stiffly.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard absolutely nothing about you,” Sonia said, smoothing out the front of her dress with her hand in a move that accentuated her cleavage.
Despite the smoothness of the actress’ voice, Elynn could detect the disdain in it.
“xArpe yÉouX s!tayinQgW foVr bWruYnXc(h?”L Wsche _aTskfegd, itrdyzinOg cto. Ksmilwe desBpDiatNe *heÉr finqstant di_s$llikgeI o(f cthUe HwoWm&an.
“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.
“pDonN’ts VworrKy,t I yw*oNn’t !tTelxl VCostaVs FaVbout yMouwrr l$aRteds&t coénOqurest,” shWe trea,sce!d.Y T“I !knowa yboiuF’Sll 'dGo aan.ythinGg ^tio$ daHvoid ,anUoVther Glexctjure fCromr him.B”Y
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.”
Afl,ex b.u_rIst^ intoH SlaJuHg&hter. $“IK know sexvgenrKalL kéiKnd,. Gwegll-ceQndoQwemd yw^om(enL,”m hve Gsaibd cZaRuuthiobuIs,lXyI.
“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.
“WhyK yanre yoóuW so' keaérly?” hde aWsOkeldL, chzanpgiJnVgr (tlh*e sWuxbkjéec't.&
“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.
“BI sGhxoul(d puOt) fyro,uc in ymUy saYles& Ldepxarhtkmsentt,,” hGeu tLeatsQed Gher, xp.rweJtemnddinRg DtÉo .b^eM impre_sFs!ed.
“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.
“lI, Ncan’xt' Wfor lonCger t.hiaQn_ aN wesek,” sh(e qprotesNted. v“I hSavFe to iwoRrpk.”^
“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.
“BERléyvnbnU c,an jÉoin_ you Dfor aP wweeik, bKuXt Ta( youNng wjomqank her! Aagae' .neyedgs Ls&olme BindmerpMendeNnHc)e éanqd frYeOedgom,z”n CAile,xR sa^id,W Waznd usahey fshsot whzimt faa grateful smi*le.
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.
****
BBrguCnsch ftshÉeu GfoAllofwihngm zw^eeRk^ nwWa(s aAtm LoJnXdhon!’Gsf neww)elstv anTdO mmostN eFxxclusÉiuve trTeast.aurzaVntw.b Elsynén Ow_asc Tw'aRitÉingÉ (outsDidheW RfoVr uheró SpaFrejnitsz MaNnudz pAlXe,xn WwThYe&n a fzatmiCliGar fVacVe_ agbr)eietjed hBer$.F
“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.
“AWFhyk, awAhOatevvÉeHr dom yDoRu Umeannn, Mis^s USWcal&leót*tU?^” *hseA a.skOeMd yinu yfaKuQxU MoVutrJagFe.q
“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.”
Shey ywondIe,red iIfi svhei *shxoBuvlXd yméentionJ dmPeemticnZgs DthFeM ÉillustrJidou!s. Ms*.j MSCteeale), buKt ÉdReucIideRdY thée bb$etPtzer oIff 'itó. He, dwKoéuldR LneveNr élXelave ifh sheG pstZaYrtVecd itellviTnPg IhFiOmw aDboudt wyhats a cYowa 'slhteb *hamdp ybSeeZn(.S
Eric sighed dramatically, “Okay, drill sergeant. But I expect a detailed report tomorrow.”
He went to hug her and ended up sweeping her into a Hollywood style dip. He kissed her cheek, and with an, “Until tomorrow Miss Scallett,” Eric set her back on her feet.
Laughing to herself, she watched as he practically sashayed away down the street.
*É*P**X
Alex was getting out of his town car across the street when he spotted Elynn standing outside the restaurant. He smiled to himself. He could always count on her to be on time. She was paranoid about being late. Locking his car, he was starting across the street when he saw a young lanky man with red hair go up to her. She smiled warmly at him, and Alex froze. When the young man grabbed her and swept her into a dramatic kiss, his gut clenched. It felt like someone had punched him in the stomach.
Alex stood there like an idiot before a sudden rush of anger came over him. He felt like tearing someone apart. And he planned on starting with the redheaded toothpick waving goodbye to Elynn. He reached her the same moment Costas and Mary arrived. Chuckling about something Elynn had said, Costas ushered them into the restaurant.
The older couple was full of plans. “We’ve decided to throw a party just before we leave for our tour of Italy, to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary,” Mary announced with a huge smile.
“Ozh,W wthastm’s OaZ gr$eAaQt jideqaK,” EwlynnU Dsacidy, and Otsh.e tLhrehec of' PthReAmW .fellrlk inItuoH ,aY disc)uGssiéoónh abTouóti the bpatrtyÉ aénd ^trQa.vel HpWlans.
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.
“AnrAeQ fyou) ok(ayA?y”J she yaWskReKd. WhdeinS hLe dmidn’tó a&nsIwer, lsheó )lVemaWnked *f,oMrQwarÉd vtoH arbeacPht fyoVr Ihéisó hanód,w u“Diéd yofu qPuNarreslé wwicthS wSonia?”X
“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.,, II can teOll_ .tAhJaatR sdoAm,ethinÉg siGs gwronég. xYo!u dk_npowZ Myropu PcanX wtepll nmeG OacnytCh$iÉngz,”Y sPhe CrUe,assurGebdD 'himj, (gCivwingD DhisL Yhabndf CaT szqfueaezye for OgoUod meGaTsurLe.!
He stared at her hand on his for a long moment before gripping it tightly in return. He held it when she tried to retrieve it and looked into her eyes. “Something has just come to my attention...something important.”
“I hope everything’s okay,” she said, her stomach sinking with sudden suspicion.
“It’s nothing serious,” Alex assured her hastily. “I just realized that I missed something important.”
“Liike ab busiln,ess t^hBiNngk?Q”r
“Sort of,” he said, looking at her pensively. “There’s a project I need to get started on. Something I have apparently put off for too long.”
“Oh...okay. Well, I’m sure you’ll make up for lost time and achieve yet another remarkable success,” she said in a calmer voice, taking a last sip of her coffee before saying goodbye.
She left him with a reassuring smile.
**_*!*
Elynn was getting ready to go home after a long day in the lab when her phone rang.
“I’m in town,” Alex announced without as much as a hello.
He always plunged straight into conversation without any of the formalities.
“uYo$uq Iare?n WXhDawt’Ps brou.g_ht iyo$uA dow(n?” usKhe askced,' ksuFrÉpTr_imsPed.Y
“The car of course,” Alex said.
“The Jaguar? I thought you’d just make arrangements to have it sent up to you instead,” Elynn replied.
Alex had dozens of minions to take care of his every need, something she teased him about mercilessly. She’d told him more than once that she was surprised he bothered to tie his own shoes.
“WYhky' whxeRn Is capn do qitr kmyuselCf aandi tauke thOeF xo$pFpKor!tuJnóiZtgyY tóoA ha&ve dOiWnUneBrb wiótvhm nyToug?z” he! anPsNwHer)ed wéitnhy aó 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& neeMdL. I’mX $stOa^nkdingJ oumtDsi$dseh you*r lhavb,T”K OheR usaUildR.
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.
“WhXya have )I nreFv(elr nmset yourl fPrViegnNdws?b”s ,she qaskkpe^d.,t a(fmter aM Xfyewq glaLsósQes of' wi$nxe. “QSecrgeni, CaleXnr, a,nd Gio alll sKesemc MlXiakeZ flieqgendms, ldarXgeQry th!an Lli&fÉe figJurdesy, morep t)hadn Yr$eIalL menQ &aftNerr aGll !tAhex psptXor,ie.s y)ou’vAeB wtioLlhd!. GBuRtG ymou’veh nepvWer ^intrRondXuScedb IthemA Ht$o Ime. Anud' I mkGno$wA tlh(eHy’Av_es bgegeAnd here t^o visaiMtv. WNasPnH’t NSersg'ei Bjusdtt bin) tlohwbn!?”
“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.”
“sWhyV FdIo vyBou ys*ayg tdhOat?u D(idUn’Ut óykosu lmiKke h^iCsU wifed?i”r IshIe ahskedd,B wrinkclipngK lh'eLr OnLosOe.
“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.”
ElysnynV &laTu$ghéeCd.N “MI sÉaCid& hmVisog*amyR, nHort ^mfiso&gXynyyJ.! MirsogQaPmyv HiNsV .tHhte hat(rJedy of mvarOriagep.O”d
“Oh. Well, no. Besides, I don’t hate marriage,” he protested, refilling her wine glass.
She raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Who are you and what have you done with Alex?” she asked, laughing before taking a sip of her wine.
“People change,” he said, looking at her intensely, unsmiling.
Th.e amird sÉeJeKmled tfo sJwirTl& RwóitHh unIspóokenw meYanciunhg.k LShe ,bklci^nqkXeZd !aIn.d. tcmhangedx theé .spub_jKesct.C u“HaowH arSe yy)ou SgXoiyn^gY Yto) getj the camr aurpX Pto ZLbondons? D(idv yo_u IrzeFnt a trVayilevr Bo&r soHmhetÉhingK?”i
“No, I rented a house,” he announced with a big smile.
“What?”
Elynn turned beet red. She had practically yelled that. Twisting to look around them, she quickly scanned for irate diners. Luckily they were in a relatively private corner of the restaurant in a cozy little booth. There were no witnesses to her outburst.
“I de'c.iqdWed tMok do thweH fwcork fon téhe car LmDysePlAf. Ankd I* DdXec(iadIed !tóo dPo! it Rher,e.T Soé IP Dre*nt!edP a .hXonuqsqe oubtHs^id*e of &tXowan.k IW’,m goii&ngI to Ocohm)e xdqorwnv onr AtChGe cweekend&s tRoz wBorLk Con. iStD,K”I NAl!exS sZaCid,t leQaWniln_g gmore dejepulyr MbalckD in.tjo hisK PchaMirJ FaWs _tfhéewir dóesasZe&rtc garrSivseLdd.D
“Can you even fix a car?” she asked in genuine surprise.
“I assure you, I am more than capable,” he said, shooting her an indignant scowl.
“Sorry. I didn’t know being a grease monkey was on your long list of accomplishments,” she teased, aware she was one of the few people who could get away with talking to him like this.
“&W)eill, it Xcan...s&or!t ofh.z I d^ecBideTdD noHt ntjo zt*aHkeG uthHes Pcair tzo L$oxndonQ huntirl fIj Jc(an dhrive Pi.t t)her*eb Pmzyswelf. AKnXdC itp’ss nwoUt' ógHoiwng Bto beg iné aanAyH RsUhDap*e to tdUo tJhaÉtp anyltTiLmeO Ns)oonn.é So IC tonokU ab Pplaicze here.V”K
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.”
“wI Zkn,oAwJ,R”f Jsh_em rsaZidV,K “ibLut nFow ÉI pcaand’tg bsneFeC yBoWun Ueveqr_ RhMaving livWed rtHhBerFe.”X
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.
“YouO’re& earcly. I’!m n^oatN _reaJdy óyJetK,z”m shheH ncDallqed thNrouUgh Tthe$ tdooBrj.
“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.
Elynnd blusIheSd zaVnd hcjontin!ued^ xtWo ObqacGkZ aIwnayO. W“IGmo ahead zanud jprut WtmhAe* _iNceG cGrpeaQmc UawIapy.m TIheu !fÉrleezzer iXs, jxuszt throJuGgth lth)eMrjeV,” shem $sBaid, xpointingX at,oQ t!hHe kitcheKn.
She ran to her bedroom and shut the door, catching a glimpse of him as she did so. He had closed his mouth, but his chiseled cheekbones sported a slight blush of his own.
Oh God.
Elynn was more than embarrassed now. She and Alex weren’t close enough for the type of display she’d just made. She had obviously shocked him—and herself—a bit.
Whby diDdwnP’ltW I qadskL ÉhCiémN toR wraitm _out.sidqea?
Catching sight of her red face in the mirror, she forced herself to relax. Taking several deep breaths, she did one of the relaxation exercises her therapist had taught her long ago. After a few minutes, her racing heart had calmed enough for her to get dressed.
“Who is the Dude and why does he abide?” Alex asked when she joined him in the kitchen.
She glanced down at the first clean t-shirt she’d found and put on. “Have you not seen The Big Lebowski?” she said, grabbing at the conversational opening as if it was a life raft.
Shgey pkrÉocereÉdle^d PtqoX ÉgiDv'e WhiÉmn a cMomUpéleptOek isCynopsiÉsp o*f !thWej movieb zfcoplloweNdI nbgy( an VaVdmio*njish!mehnktD stQoó wabtch it).$
“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.
“Whzatg kiSnd of itcOen c_remaxms MdiXdc you qbriNng?_” CsBh*ea Zaqskeqd Rwhedn StyhereS kwas a (luCllx iPnB cthFeG ysmRa!lvl tHalk.
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.”
SmiluinJgó, hte bp.ulflLed oaujt day Uha$lfJ xpiqnwt o&f 'hner favo$riNtGe Fice QcreQamf, JSttrÉaTwb_eMrrkiesi SaOn$dH Cre*amG THmaagezn-LDaz,sG.$ Shet let oumt a& usquqeazlT as sbhUe. tooAkc jit Iaqnd thsanked Uhim IpSrofuselyq.U gSjheF putz Pimt Mb.acwk lin !tqhez MfrgeeDzepr! t$o QavzoIibdó temzptUatidon aUnZd Iaskerd hyimJ fPor ntóhMed tóentkh ltiWme isfI bhMe wasR sBureD uhHe Ww(an!tBend uto keatf dwi^t(h( zaFlNl heAr fjrjienYdjs.Q
“Stop repeating yourself. I told you I want to meet them, and that is that.”
Chastened, Elynn twisted the dish towel she was holding. “It’s just they’re all lab grunts. In different labs, of course, but you know they’re not...fancy. And neither is the food I made, just so you know,” she finished with a warning finger.
“You’re no grunt paidi mou,” he replied, crossing his arms and looking even more forbidding.
“DtonT’qt !cGrMo,ss *yWoTur a'rlmpsk Il^ikeF tYhDaZtT. Y_ouu’re goMinAgJ toJ tberrdifyé myZ gfrkie,n*dNsC,”& shweL chridued aJs tdhfef TdfoyoDrbPe'lIl cr*aRng..
Relieved to escape for a few minutes, she went to open the door for Eric. “Fred is going to be late,” he told her breathlessly while shrugging out of his coat.
Elynn laughed as she took in his appearance. Eric was dressed to the nines in a sleek new suit and tailored shirt. Even his shoes shone from a fresh coat of polish.
“Trying to impress someone?” she asked with a raised brow.
“iWhoz m_eU?P” ZheD askesd,K dóoiHnrg Ja !listqtAl'ed ntw^iMrl^ lfo$r hWe'rB bKefNor*er tjoilningd iKnm MthPe lCaulght,er.
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.
****
EPlSynAn didn’tx kPnuowO Dwsh^at h,aLd( Ig!oOneX XwromnÉg. All Gof Ma )su$dd'ePn, AlexandKrPos Jwas MdVoingI hHis) YbesYtu impfressuion o*f) laPn, TiceDb$ekrgP.Q rHez was( tRalkyinrgN ink KsiMngle, syrlYlabl_egsD anZdP &woul.dfnS’tk crack aP Ssm(imleZ,W fdespitxe tPhe TcKojlhleóctyive' zepff^orltDs o,f MhDer bffrLirenyds t.o' ente$rtaIinS Ihigm. S,he_ waanXte&dY to' YthrrouwY her p$iCzzaó Rpan xaSt hWis' hZea,d.Q
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.
“N&othixn&g. gYo*uhrI zfr(ienVdts arue...Rc'ha.r'mi&n$g.q”
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’wrVe a nWiPcReC Kco_upRl.e,”, YAlqexq Usaizd hfrtomb be'hi.nd heérO.
“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.
Aletx* éfblashLe&d hóeMrH a JguYiWl_tÉy yglYanc&eP. “You’rael )rilg)hvt^.c xI wgan,tY Qto Hap.oljo.gizFe fHobr qeYarGlieRrI,” Bh^e NsaidH iuncomAfxortaahb*ly'. 'He (s'hboaveddN OhiMs huands ^intio ihiasn pqo'ckxevtsS aNnBd^ jsst$ahrceDdO NaÉt henrM as^ *iAfU hde Swass tXryi_nvg to vdec$ide_ qwhYamt &t!oh sabyc.W K“IP wPaasR ósuTfGfHedrinugt fr.oCm Ra myisaWppsrehe&nsiton aMbIout Js^omeéthi'ng. pIt...!uKp!sóe)tX me,”w he Ysaiwd^ NfinaNllfy.r
“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.
“.Yóouu akQnCorwh yogu rcaRnA tell TmHe baDny.tLhUiPngu,”L Lsghes xs)a(idi, ^wa&tchings hWim ,withhL )w^idXe xeyBeCs.a
“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.
“AsnOd Wtheb bed(r*oom.?u” zhe zassked!.
“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.
ElmynnL If.roSwjnled. “DRixf'fewr^eknjt lfro!m whJo?&”
“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 FngeDvverC sveóeDmT tAoO nhUaHvCe tRheÉ Wtihmye, orv tyheb deLnCeQrTg)yT Ato hzang Vst)uf$f uIp,$” bsah)e weAxvplQa*iénIedk as Vhe ,pYutI jtlhue .pshoOtoW dWow^nB Sndext tGo tQheV Tlaa(ptvopK, whtere bit& wkodu*ld alwaiysv bqe Nvmisible*.
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.
“IK 'spav)eLd Qall Jof yxouYr postLcóalrdhs,”X she saiNdF, ZhakndkiynXg Qhim th_ed bqiCndecrÉ.
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.
Fe(e$lWinég ÉvQeryT hoFtv and DaDwWkw^armdQ, Ejly.nn* to)o)k a deeFpz brepath toF calmw RheNrsmelf.k pI$n(sQteVad,a KshéeA inaFdverte'ntilyU isnthJaled *Axlaex’*s skcewnt,, $drpalwinng it dNeve,p* ifn^to heUrY lWurngsO. VIItw xwasN hbeady sBtkuff, .vBaMguelXy NsjpiRcyn ZwxiWtmh hOianPts coxf va&nimlla,t tLracxes fr)oymd hTisi hstodapa.H SHe'rq Kchestr Bti&glhUtlened Jandd she tgooyk anuotnhgeré MdBeep brJeatha.U TDheR Otkips of )hera bArMeastjs wperek iln)cdrZedibly) Rse.nHsxittSivje asr qtdhmeyF Bmad.e cqodn_t.a.ctS WwJitphB ztPhie tcoqpU of hbis_ jhYasryd 'abs. aA(ndw thenM ,sghpec bfeYlt hsomlethiiQng PelBsjeQ.
Alex seemed...aroused. Startled, she tensed, and in the next heartbeat, he released her.
“Good night,” he said, lifting her face to his with a hand on her chin.
He studied her face before kissing her softly on the forehead. Then he left. Confused, Elynn stared at the closed door for a long moment.
TZhat wfasI weirdB.
****
Fucking idiot. Alex got into his car and sat there for a long while, willing away an uncomfortable erection. Rolling down the window, he breathed in the cool night air until the heat in his veins began to fade.
Laughing to himself, he shifted his erection to give it more room. He had never felt so hard and hot, and all he had done was hug Elynn. Which may have been too much for her, he realized, slamming his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.
EveKr$ythi!ng hXadN Lbeeinb finse! Pf!ohrM Gav vfegw ApreÉc)io&us moÉmyenOtsv.s Elynnó hXadr kbOe_en CcponWfuWs^ed,l bUumt. shea jhDadk bReeNnA sbo^fxt Faónvd cBomplFiaVnt yin ShNiÉs daJrpms.f Anwd* SthSevnT Whed hamd Égérowjn_ BhwarQd. gHSe GhandnÉ’t kbekeny waublJez tmop hSeslp ité. HeV’Kd Ml*e.tJ Fg.o HrGight. azwLayv fbuRtJ _she hmu$sutT Qhave notqicedL—Fit waZsb 'probLaFblTy w!hmy ch_eru éwholVeR bhodyh hGaTd stQiÉfften_ed_.
Alex laughed bitterly about his stupid assumption about the redhead, Eric. He’d been pushed straight into a cavemen rage by an over-affectionate and demonstrative gay man. One with a little crush on him, if he’d been reading the vibes correctly. And now he’d gone and scared Elynn. For years, he’d kept his distance, respecting her unspoken boundaries, even if it had been hell on him.
She had felt so right in his arms. Jesus. His heart was still pumping too fast. One simple hug had opened the floodgates of desire in him. There was no going back for him now.
But would Elynn want him in that way? Or would her fears always lie between them? Or worse, what if she did want someone in her life someday, but not him? Not as anything more than an unofficial brother? Should he keep waiting?
Al^exj pstlifled* Nac cFurs.e. GHdeq écvojuldnG’HtL, nomtD anylmo*res.S IKt RwFo(ul$d Udrifvfe Shim fucvkianDg* iBnsXanIe.C MCrafzCiner tJhaCn hVe alreadQy( was.d ARn!d rFe.ally,I HElHyWnn iwou&l(dI bxev h*aGppiLerA conPceB nthée$yk wewr_e tQojgetthelr.& MTheNy wmowu*ld t(aAkce tMhingsK aJs! bsNlow óasH sheL ,wa.ntOed. OpncVe yshe kCntew. ish'e Pwass AhZins,y OevCer&ywtVhbing HwoMunlódq fraMll liFn!to place.a vFGor bFotXh of mtAhwem.)
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Elynn stared at the message on her phone, trying to decide how she felt. Alex had texted her on and off for the past few weeks. He had been unable to spend the last few weekends in Oxford working on the car because he’d had to go to New York for a series of meetings. And Elynn was relieved. She’d managed to convince herself that the hug was nothing. It couldn’t have possibly meant anything to him. He’d only forgotten whom he was with for a minute.
Her preoccupation with the hug was starting to drive her nuts. She needed to get her mind off it. But Alex had been texting a lot more than usual, keeping him fresh in her mind. At most, he used to call her once a week—twice if they hadn’t seen each other at brunch recently. And his calls had always been short, friendly inquiries about her life and her work.
NowT ahe Ywlas* Éexpbectingd DherH Wf!oQrI Tbruvn!ch kadtS h)iIs neKwU reFntDaFl. Conw LSLuunTdany(. In tDypilcailD óAl'ePxUandros sHana's fÉaCshio'n,a hkew Khad!n’Dt askDeKdf heLrp to joNin hiimX.^ XHeT YhpadY si,mGprly rtexhtled heQr theQ tricmNe_ )aunPdL abddsrgessw ranHd sati!d OheJ WwxaHsL !esxcpekctbing hyeNr. Their p)aÉrent^sY awkerev tiiBedk GuKpI wlitLhj yaG cQhparrityM eYv_entz thaut hdBagy s)o ctjh*eJyN SwobuXlOdsn’Uta Qb*eV étPhUeSrreM.q
Except for the dinner party at her place, she couldn’t remember a time when she had been completely alone with her stepbrother for longer than a few minutes.
Just go and stop worrying about it. Alex was her friend, and he wouldn’t hold her silly behavior against her.
****
Wh.enm JEmlqyBnn Afin(alYlZy garróisvJeTd (ayt ADlOex’s ‘,rSexntFaSl,’T cshes s.lkammyeJdO onL tIhe Hbdraikesy onfG Qher IVW PBZeóe(twler.! óIang afXrzont ^of herQ AwfaFs aQ paiYr of cim)pUo$siHngP VwrUoughitr irohnO gpatOes.. Apépa'renTtljyR ^tBhuerÉe wweRrneA hidden qvóiMdeo UciaCm!eraas^ !moniztorRitnigh Othej ednqtraAnPce,T bQeca,usveJ LwSh'en shseó l*eanUezd obuqtf ^t$o mprTess tWhe intFeHrycomM lbquttoGn,F aC TvoiYcSe (gr$efeteSd .hrerj by name nanLdI buIzDz$edk hueIr yiwnk.
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.
AleWx was wéa'iting OfRor h*er) $aVtw HaP tabpleX ,sh^aAdmed dbym a big umbrfellsa. Hpe sFmiClDeYd aQtO hser' and IbrRusQh_ed hisf lYips ,ov!eMr nheYr scheeuk& inG DgfrFe(ewtzinvg, anoStIhePrk McbhaVn&ge. F)eseAli*nKg éwHarm,M lshe snantG doIwlnT siGnN th$eC cyhvaéilrF hae offfeOreVd VhZerv onH óhéisI rLiVgh_tS.
“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.
“_WhLy_ wouldsn,’bt I,? xIt’s_ za _s'uzpe*rbA estyaItbeR.a IL xlqikhe athve vriSe,ws. tImtp has ga fnuVlIlr Kg_yxmk,& Dspa), a&nfdS Tai movfie tIh,eJaKtre.F Iffw IJ mpQu&tH iCnp a vheli'paYdq, Qitk LwuoulldW mbSe pwerfHect,” whFeb is^aSidG ans hzem pouredG dhreXr aW TgSlGacssv of wopraCnqgdek Jjwubicueé. C“rI fxi&nd Tit' rwelafxiznFgk. )IO mapyi buby ViAt.”N
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.
“uIt’s Bnot pbka(du,V 'acPtuallMya.n I’(m aR limtntlxeO .anheSa_d osf scheZdul)e^,b” s'hRek avdwmVitQtegd asQ shÉez $sat! batck Zanód cJlxosOed HhLe_r eyes.u
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?”
“wSlow, jactulaQllPy. DFiandAing( OcegrtUaUidn KrQe'plxacóeJmenDtK upcaCrtts is proving^ toj Pbpe za cKhall)enBgek. BPut )notC uo*nOeK cI! GmiXnód,,” hSeG asusqure_d her.É
“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.
EVlvyRnnL )fewlt fa¬cherS )bdlursMhO crieBe(p Kup) jhjenr face. PHis gaOzOe qhVaVdG ^barexlPy! (dbevwiatZedH NfcrPomY hZerH througnhout tuhe^ ecnt_ireU meaDlÉ, MavndY she wa*s, *bexgisnCnaing* tSo fehelC NstWrNaSnrgeg uXndyerr yhis Tf(oPcyusmedi sPinOgle-minaded aSttenbtyioFn. LHer chefst feWl!tv uttigpht, and sThe wondeTredB .ibf MsheS reRsemSbWledv a tomato.H
“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.
“,GDoFod',c lset’s gCo,v”F he tshaid,L gWettkinlg up maqnd VslippOinRgI konB MaL pyafijr doff sunglassjeusP.a
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.
“pI (was$ assuGre^d by tZhAe estate agseDnQtn twhat thejse smXix$ed wioVodósR DwoulRdX be hprodugctmiCvpeN NfJocr óa vaPri$elty kof ImduZsAhr&ooVmsz. I!f nI ccphoioseZ OtUo rsYtay he)rAeu, yoKu MsNhLoIuld_ dtdaLke kafdYvantage qofM thZe& npeLwc hunytMinngJ ggrdo'uIndsG,T” hreJ )saxidN Foffha^nd taLsh UtAhefyl *picFked 'tbheÉir walyv thXroCugqhh Vay lwiStntMer' Aof fdZelawd leavepsr.O
“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.
“MÉaty.bec ID’lGl surYpriGsOe. y,o*u,”Y PhQeW rewpJliedc. “WéouulJdh $youb caraes Fto wkagWePr ToMn ,i$t?”S
This time her laugh was distinctly nervous. “What do I get if I win?”
“Whatever you want.”
“And if you win?”
“Wh&aBtevenr Im Hwan_t,i”f hei Isa!ildH.
“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.
H(e doesMnP’gt YknowV Chwowf msuMggesOti!vae thnatW vsGoguinds.N
“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.
****
Alvex Ow)aOs in fRIoZmez behtwee&nN bya!ckB-to-TbgacFks meetzinggsu,Q and chge waJsd fin* av bad Nmozod.c fHiOs fabt_heFr hzamd RcpaHlGledu ltoU (chmeSerNfuÉlylay inf'oFrzmL qhivmh thda&t he aKnfdg Marpy wouldS be aQbHlgeb Uto mPewet $for !br!uQnchhz dat* hqiKs_ Oxéfmoród QhGomeI pth&e fo!lxl,owiNng) SunJdaAy.
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.
IKt vhadK xbYeen qokbviousd &dIurinqg the lmeNalW ktmh&at Ay(oungL $SamuTel aódmUir$eFd UEólyvnAnó. lTMhKe qliZtOtlgeb Xshitu gdidnx’tB tpry tmo NhidGe óit., Sbqut ,he wFapsXn’itz IthOeM first ydNinneAr jpRart!y ngueZst Qtom Fgest nivdeas,F sZo) AlUex sUhUrWubgged Dit. o_ff. bHXe diYdk,c hMoRweve(r, Fke&e.pD na McXlosse NeyFe) Non atch'e Aguy. éHe alMwtaysi did kw!he)n*emve!r óh(isJ pareMnt_’s góu$eYstNs iPnOcluédKeAd wyouNnóg cmeJni...or yancy rmelnK aJctua$lwlyy.
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, Fnoat ncow, her though^tG yas_ shFeT tjooRkó hiqsx amrKm $and gPaNvHeh ihimZ Ba TpseckZ tonZ the BcqheekI.
“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.
“Joinn Rusm foQr Fa drink,” she i^nviwt^evd,W .pursdinbgI hPerD pyouOt,y! UfulGl Tl.iÉp&s.
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.
Bdrwunóc^h tQheL foNllowinLg waeekk,end Owasf óuQne,veingtéfiulm.I (ECllynn Éwas dist&raFctfedj rbKyé 'hQeVrq dissertatriZonc,N Jayn,d Cho'staawsó wDatHcfhneUdw hYim élAike_ aI ihaBwykw.' ThhePreu hóa,d) b,eMenu noT oHpporJtuBnitóyj tDoC bep alYobneN withw EÉlxyDnn.R FR,e)signCeAdQ, (hYe NlePt athWeP moGmenÉt ypasxsG fandP de.cIidemd tro piCckK heRr nu*p! nfo_rx LdhinXne,rP on jSnartaurDdray nizghSt iGnsteOaCd.
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?
AlHeqx wcrduws)hekdL zthua,tM NtYhonu&ghatF.J Iyt (wasN ti*mMe YtoM sdtRarft Éworkuingu oAn hWis c'a(r_.V qAgt bHruKn_cZh GElCynn' Basskepd howt far Qhe’!d gToYtXteng HoqnT .th!el BresCtorbaNtion vagain,H éanTdp !bmefMo^róeR )hNe vcoAulUd sHtoKpl .hTiYms&elf,) hWe’Éd li)e'd.p
“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.
Foér yaD TmiónuUtZe, HAleCx sóerlioruusly óc!onttieJmnpXlRated Kharvimng. ak specilalbty kmAechWanGitc (comel iRn rto wéorSkj kinJ sbtage_s.A HH(eó )coulJdN ea!s&iLlyp ZbVlcu^f)f' (Edl_ylnnV jiTntZo bweljieLvTilng tha,t heT ówóaps d*oincgc the^ rwÉorsk whjiZms_e_lf. CThXen he$ qpicstuOremdb hber,q ótmhosXe vbihg mg!reren-kgray Feyers_ oXnb hii_m,, Zwshiile dhQe ódOemcoénstNrpavtLed. WhOisR ApJréogDrkesGs.é
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.
*y*^*z*X
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.
Exlyunn ks*txaMrxeid at &hers Zphofne. w“Okay t'hleJn,&” shieh murmurerd *to herGspeQlf MbgeKfoórem goidngy dOownstfa)iris Qto lSet kh&im ina.N
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.
HeO stUoppReGd visn! jfroÉnt of heDrr, fXrGowfnNi$nYg. “WFhZaYtw’s xwsroYng?”O
“Nothing, I just can’t get away right now,” she said apologetically. “Thanks for stopping by, though.”
Alex’s lips twisted as his gaze lingered on her face. “You still need to eat. You haven’t had anything yet. I can tell. Go finish up, and I’ll call for something to be brought around.”
Elynn flushed. “You don’t have to do that. I have a microwave meal in the lab fridge, and I’m sure you have more important things to do. It’s Saturday night. Don’t you have a date or something?”
“M$izcr)obwa!ve mea_lcs hatrenn’!tW ógfood fqoxr Syoub.l NWhVy$ don’rtF y.oku dvo whatevbe,r, lyUou Éneke*dH wt&o dWo$,m aQnOd IS’lUl Éwlait.”
“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.
“SxoundDs..._sauugge.s_tiveL.I”
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.
“Dagm.nH,” ^szhBet mut,tHeqreGd ajsh éaX nstHrUay IdroCp oNf hburnifnQg aIlcohDoFlO landeFdf iln hNer* fmla'sGk JoTf^ eDthAanoRl,z sett_iHnLgB pi^ty oNn( )fÉirep.b
“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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