AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘I’m very well, thank you, Theresa.’ He said her name with a whisper of cynicism and her pulse picked up a notch. Had this been a gigantic mistake? He was teasing her, laughing at her, and Tessa really wasn’t in the mood for it. All of Europe was already laughing at her after Jonathan’s latest tabloid splash.
She jerked to a stop, tension radiating from the lines of her body. ‘If you’re going to treat me like a joke, I might as well turn around and leave.’
His eyes narrowed, fixed on her face, so her heart almost stammered to a stop. He wore a navy-blue suit that had clearly been made for him, lovingly hand-stitched for his six-and-a-half-foot frame, his broad shoulders and muscular abdomen. The jacket was discarded on his chair back, and his crisp white shirt was unbuttoned at the neck to reveal the thick, tanned column of his neck. Memories of scraping her lips across his stubbled throat burst into her mind, unwelcome and surprising. Her pulse shifted into tsunami territory.
But it was his face that made everything go wonky.
When they’d slept together, she’d been twenty-two and innocent, completely sheltered from the world by over-protective parents; she’d had no idea about men and sex, despite the fact she’d attended school in her mother’s native England, and college in New York. Now she was older, wiser. She’d been married, for goodness’ sake, and her girlhood crush on Alex was eons ago, so her body’s reaction was as unexpected as it was unwelcome.
She’d always been fascinated by the hundreds of little micro muscles of his face that moved when he felt something, the way his dark brown eyes turned an almost grey when he was angry, or gold when he laughed. And in the heat of passion his eyes closed, those long lashes fanned over his tanned cheeks, and his lips parted...
‘Maybe this was a mistake.’ The last couple of years had taken their toll on Tessa. She was emotionally bruised and battered and, despite the fact she was making her last stand here and now, she wasn’t sure she was ready for what she’d feel if he rejected her. Or accepted!
She stood completely still as his eyes roamed her face, tracking all the changes he’d no doubt see there, boring into her caramel eyes and full red lips, dropping to her bare decolletage and the swell of her breasts, the nip of her waist and the slimness of her hips, right the way to the red-soled shoes she’d donned for confidence that morning, before returning, slowly, all the way back to her eyes. Heat followed his gaze, burning her with its intensity.
‘Why don’t you tell me what you came here for?’ He crossed his arms over his broad chest, drawing her attention to the muscular definition there.
‘I...’ Uncharacteristically, she was lost for words. She swallowed, attempting to focus.
‘It’s been four years,’ he pointed out with cool disinterest. ‘Is this a social call? Or did you come here with something specific to discuss?’
Come on, tear off the Band-Aid!
‘The latter,’ she assured him, her voice cool as she strode towards the seats, conscious of the way his eyes followed her the entire way. She sat, crossing her legs neatly and keeping her hands clasped in her lap.
‘Then by all means, enlighten me.’ He was still pushing her away, just as he had that night, holding her at arm’s length, so her stomach tightened and she doubted, again, the wisdom of this plan. But the purpose was clear: for her father, and the legacy he’d spent a lifetime building, she’d do whatever was necessary.
‘I have a proposition for you,’ she said haltingly. ‘One that’s going to sound completely crazy, admittedly. Hear me out?’
He dipped his head in acknowledgement, so she fumbled her fingers a bit, aware that she couldn’t prevaricate for much longer.
‘Naturally, whatever I say in here is confidential.’
‘Of course.’
She offered him an apologetic grimace. After all, she had no reason to mistrust Alex, but after what she’d been through with her ex-husband, she couldn’t help making the stipulation.
‘I have to be sure,’ she muttered.
His eyes were mocking. ‘Cross my heart, hope to die.’
She ignored the droll sarcasm.
‘I’m serious, Alex. This is—important.’
He dipped his head, silently encouraging her to continue.
‘Okay.’ Her voice shook a little. She swallowed, trying to clear her throat. ‘You obviously know how my parents feel about you.’
He furrowed his brow. ‘Is something the matter with Elizabeth and Orion?’
Grief was like a knife in her gut. She’d already lost so much, the idea of life without her father made her uncertain and cold to the bone. ‘Dad’s heart condition isn’t responding to medication, and another surgery—while necessary—is not without risks.’ She swallowed, desperate to keep her voice level even as grief saturated the words. ‘Until he can have the procedure, his specialist has instructed him to avoid all stress.’
‘I know he takes his health seriously,’ Alex murmured, but there was tension in his voice too, that spoke volumes for how much he cared about her parents.
‘They’ve always adored you,’ she said softly, so he took a step closer, to hear her better, and she caught a hint of his masculine fragrance. Her stomach somersaulted. ‘After Stavros died, they took a lot of comfort from how often you’d call in to see them.’
He said nothing, and that silence was powerfully unnerving.
