Solace in Scandal (21 page)

‘Are you going to go?’ The words dragged through her throat like barbed wire. He wasn’t hiding out for the same reasons she was. If anything, he was defiant towards the people who wanted to pry into his life. She knew he’d come here to regroup but, based on this article, he could go back and thumb his nose at everyone. His time had been served. He could do whatever he wanted.

So why had he stayed?

He settled his hand wide across her belly. It felt warmer than the computer, and much more personal. The thin satin was like a second layer of skin.

‘I haven’t finished what I set out to do yet.’

Was that what all the programming was about? Whenever she wandered up to the manor during the day to borrow a book or grab a snack, he was typing all that mysterious computer code and consulting his notebooks. Did he have some big upgrade, some wave-it-in-their-face advances he wanted to spring on all his detractors?

‘Your company needs you now,’ she said, meeting his steady gaze. She fought the shudder that threatened to rack her body. She knew what she had to say, but it didn’t come easily. ‘You should go back, Alex.’

His eyes narrowed.

She licked her dry lips. ‘For your people and for Wolfe Financial. It needs you, too.’

His fingers curled against her. ‘My grandfather’s company can go under for all I care.’

The tightness in his body said otherwise.

‘The Board meeting is in two days,’ she pressed.

‘They don’t want me there.’

She closed her eyes and resignation settled inside her chest, heavy and immovable. ‘If you’re innocent like you say, the investors do. They need someone who can straighten out the mess.’

His slate-coloured eyes took on the chill in the air and tension suddenly snapped. ‘If I’m innocent.’

She lay beside him, feeling small and vulnerable.

He swore. ‘Are you going to make me say it?’

Her hands fisted in the covers. ‘I don’t think anyone can make you do anything.’

His hand set like a rock on her belly, but he didn’t pull it back. ‘I shouldn’t have to, not to you.’

‘I need to hear it.’ She held her ground, but the honesty made her throat feel thick. ‘I need to look you in the eyes as you say it.’

A howl cut through the room, and the sliding glass door rattled as the wind buffeted it. Inside, the silence was just as deafening.

‘I did nothing wrong.’ His eyes were fiery and, as belligerent as his voice was, it cracked.

That one weakness, that one true sign of character …

It cracked the shell around Elena’s heart, and she melted. She believed him, and not just because she wanted to. She could see the pain in his eyes and hear the anger of injustice in his words.

She rolled towards him, cupped his face and snuggled close. Stretching out her legs, she slid under the covers until her body was pressed tight against his. So strong. So defiant. So hurt.

‘Then go help them,’ she whispered. Go help himself.

His hand fisted in her hair. Neither said it out loud, but they both knew it was time to make some big decisions. They’d been living in a fantasy world here, shutting away everyone and everything. It was idyllic, but it couldn’t last. He wasn’t a man who could be held down long. He needed to go out there into the world and reclaim his rightful place.

His pride would allow no less.

She needed to face the world, too, although she’d prefer to do it in a much quieter manner.

She could do that, though, if he left.

Her grip on him tightened when the realisation hit. When he left, the entourage outside would follow him. She could slip away and they’d be none the wiser.

Her heart broke, splintered really, at the thought of letting him go.

He pulled her down to cradle her against his chest. ‘Is it time?’

She pressed her lips together, not wanting to answer, but knowing she had to. ‘I think it is.’

His chest rose as he took a deep breath. ‘All right – but if I’m going, you’re coming with me.’

* * *

Alex stared out of the windows, over the head of a marble wolf, towards the front lawn. Time was quickly running out, and with each second he could feel himself closing in on himself. The weather outside had calmed to the point where it was eerie.

No wind blew. There wasn’t even a hint of a breeze. The grass stood green and tall, not wavering.

Inside, everything felt just as still. Like something was impending … a storm, a cataclysm … an ending …

He lifted his chin, ready to face it. He’d prepared himself for this and it was time to confront everything he knew was going to come at him.

And it was going to come at him fast and furious.

In the past few weeks, he’d grown soft. He’d let down his guard. He couldn’t be like that in the city.

The memory of the flashing lights and waving microphones at Otisville pushed at the edges of his memory. They were still out there, the hungry buzzards, but he was ready for them now.

Because of her.

In worming her way past his defences, she’d made him face himself and grow stronger. He was ready for the showdown now. In fact, he relished the challenge of it.

The only thing he worried about was her.

He adjusted the band of his Rolex. He wasn’t sure she was ready. She was a fighter, but she had a sensitive soul. He didn’t know how she’d hold up under the limelight, because it would shine on her like a laser beam.

There wasn’t much he could do to protect her from that.

The clippety-clop of a roller bag echoed up the stairwell, reverberating as she came around the corner from the elevator. He sighed. ‘Can you not leave anything for the staff to do?’

She propped the plain blue bag up against the wall and began searching through her purse. She seemed … fluttery. It wasn’t a word he normally associated with her. She was graceful as she did yoga, elusive when she hid in the forest, charged when they had sex.

But not fluttery.

‘I don’t want to leave anything I need behind.’ Her laptop bag bounced against her hip. She unzipped it and touched the laptop to make sure it was there, then went on to thumb through pages of notes.

‘If you leave anything behind, we can buy new.’

‘I don’t think so.’ Her raised eyebrows told him that the things she was concerned about couldn’t be bought. She was concerned about her work, as she rightly should be. It had taken her an entire afternoon to pick and choose what she’d wanted to bring from the lake house. He’d gone down to help her pack her notes, but she’d insisted on working with Leonard. Alex had tried not to take it personally.

But she’d piqued his interest.

She’d taken more care packing that material than she had the new clothes and shoes he’d bought for her. Those she’d left for the staff. Her notes and books she’d packed herself.

‘Leonard can ship whatever you need.’

Her lips pursed. It was clear she hadn’t thought about that. Her shoulders relaxed.

He walked over to her and relieved her of the heavy computer bag. He knew it was precious to her, so he set it nearby where she could see it. He slid his hands down her arms and gripped her hands. ‘Just bring an overnight bag and the computer. James will bring the rest.’

Her brow furrowed in a way that was cute. ‘Aren’t we going with James?’

‘No.’ He had other plans for transportation.

Almost on cue, a steady
thump thump thump
could be heard on the horizon. The beat grew consistently louder, invading the tower above them.

Elena’s face turned pale. ‘What is that?’

‘Our ride.’ He caught her hand and nodded at Leonard, who’d appeared in the archway to the front room. ‘These two bags, please.’

He grabbed his briefcase himself. He understood her paranoia. He had some notes that were irreplaceable himself. ‘Shall we?’

He hesitated when she dug in her heels. Her eyes rounded on the window as the helicopter landed in the front yard. ‘You could have escaped here any time you wanted,’ she said.

‘It’s not an escape. The news vans outside will catch up in a few hours.’

‘Then why?’ She was looking at the helicopter like it was a big ugly bug.

He smiled. ‘I do like playing with them.’

Like a wolf with a rabbit …

Her fair colouring went from pale to off-green. Those doubts nipped at his ass again, and he tapped her under the chin, making her look at him. The fear on her face made his gut twist.

What was holding her back? Heading into New York? Or flying in that metal bird? Either way, he didn’t like the idea of making her do something that frightened her.

He stiffened. He’d already made his decision. It was time to go, and he was going big. Yet she still had to have the right to choose.

‘You don’t have to go with me,’ he offered.

Yet his chest hurt as he held his breath. He didn’t know if he could leave without her.

Her eyes were huge as she looked up into his face. ‘They’ll find out about the two of us.’

The words lanced through him and he physically flinched. Out of everything, that wasn’t a reservation he’d considered. She was still concerned about her reputation? She didn’t want to be seen with him?

The snake inside his chest writhed in pain, but instead of striking out it was looking for a safe place to curl up. Lifting his chin, he gritted his teeth and smoothed his face. ‘My security team can get you out of here once I’m gone. You can go anywhere you want … do anything you want to do …’

His jaw tightened so hard it popped. ‘I’ll pay for it.’

Her head snapped back so quickly, her long hair swung. The quiver in her chin disappeared and her hands curled into fists. He’d seen her angry before, almost hateful towards him, yet he’d never seen her livid. Her dark eyes sparked and he felt a charge when she marched forward and planted her hand flat on his chest.

‘When are you going to learn that money isn’t the answer to everything?’

She pushed him right where his heart was gaping. Ax was so surprised, he took a step backward. She followed, grabbing him by the lapels and going up on tiptoe to get into his face.

He dropped his briefcase. It bounced somewhere near his feet and the thud echoed. He caught her in his arms and kissed her like the earth had just been set on fire.

Maybe money didn’t rule the earth …

But he might have just found what did.

The view from the Park Avenue penthouse was stunning. Elena looked out of a window that competed with the clouds. The altitude, the opulence and the magnitude of it all made her head reel. The Art Deco limestone building gave a bird’s-eye view of Central Park and tree-lined boulevards. It was the most coveted real estate in the city.

Yet the clouds hung low and fat, a familiar sight in a not so familiar world.

She turned away from the view to get her sea legs. They’d only arrived a short time ago. She hadn’t yet seen all of the apartment, which took up the entire top floor, but in one sweep she recognised more of Alex here than she’d seen in the entirety of Wolfe Manor. The penthouse was crisp and modern. The style was the reverse of the look-but-don’t-touch antiques of the main house. Here, things begged to be touched. Everything from the curtains to the television to the lighting was controlled by the push of a button.

She should have expected nothing less from a technology guru.

Yet even with as much black-and-glass as she found around her, the place had more soul. More comfort. The sofa alone probably cost more than her yearly rent, but it begged her to curl up on it to watch the huge television that disappeared into the wall.

This was Alex’s true home. She swept her fingers over a plush recliner. He’d been torn away from this place and all his belongings to be put in a prison. They’d locked him in a barren cell with no diversions for that brilliant mind.

She bit her lip as she felt a pang. She couldn’t imagine how that must have felt. He’d had his freedom ripped away, but he was finally home for the first time in eighteen months.

And he’d brought her with him.

She took an uneven breath and perched on the arm of the chair to watch him. He was speaking with his security people. He was in full business-shark regalia: grey suit, blue tie and gleaming Ferragamo shoes. He looked rich and powerful, but the tussled hair and dusty five o’clock shadow pushed the sex appeal into another realm.

She was wearing her Vera Wang blue sheath dress that fit her like a glove. She’d pulled her hair back in the clip that seemed to entrance him so, and new Jimmy Choo shoes smiled prettily from her feet. On the outside, they looked like a power couple. No traces of the nature lovers showed.

Yet he fit into this role so much better than she did.

‘Elena?’ He held his hand out to her. ‘Could you come here for a moment?’

She crossed the room to the foyer. It felt funny to be walking in heels, and it added another element to her gait. As properly as she was dressed, she felt sexy.

Apparently, it showed.

Alex’s gaze glinted and the bodyguards averted their gaze to become overly intrigued with the skylight.

‘I want to introduce you to the security team. This is Smith, Hanson and Vasquez. If you need anything at any time, you can go to them.’

‘Hello.’ She looked over the trio and tried not to be intimidated. Smith and Hanson were the size of linebackers, while Vasquez was whipcord lean. They all had that dangerous quality to them that made a woman’s radar ping. With their concrete chins and scarred knuckles, she was glad they were on Alex’s side.

‘Gentlemen,’ he said, looping an arm proprietorially around her waist. ‘This is Elena.’

So he had seen the male appreciation in their eyes.

‘Miss,’ Smith said.

‘Good day,’ Hanson greeted.

Vasquez merely nodded his head.

‘Whatever she wants, she gets.’

‘Yes, sir.’

Alex turned to her. ‘If I’m not around, you go to them, but don’t ask them to do anything that would put you in danger.’

‘Danger?’

‘You never know which way a crowd will turn, ma’am,’ Smith explained.

A crowd. The paparazzi, protestors and gawkers would soon be here. She knew they were going to congregate.