Jake struggled to keep a straight face, wishing Alex could have heard it all go down. “He didn’t dare argue with Mama. She is a force when she wants to be.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“She told him it was a day for the ladies, not the men, and warned him to stay away or ‘I will spank you like a child.’ I swear that is what she said and I could hear Charlotte laugh. Anyway, Mama explained that they were wedding dress shopping and that it had to be done in Boston, on Newbury Street. ‘We are not poor anymore, Gilberto,’ Mama told him. ‘We are getting the best.’” Jake laughed recalling his mother’s fierce speech.
“Honestly, Alex, my mother can be more frightening than ten rounds in the ring with Mike Tyson, so Gil gave up and they are on their way out now. I suspect one of his low-life friends is following them so keep an eye open.”
Alex thanked Jake profusely for sharing the story, grabbed his coat and ran downstairs and around the corner to the front of an obscure menswear store. He had to wait less then three minutes before a car stopped sharply and the door flew open.
“Get in,” Luiza shouted. “Hurry, someone is tailing us.” Luiza was clearly enjoying the melodrama while Alex scrunched his lanky frame between the front and back seats, hunkering down on the floor uncomfortably.
A stupefied Charlotte tried to ask what was going on but her mother was too busy weaving in and out of traffic like a Le Mans driver.
“This is so exciting,” Luiza told them, confirming Alex’s assumption. “Like a detective movie.”
“Except we are living this one, Mama, so please slow down.”
“I think we are safe now anyway,” Luiza checked the mirror once more then nodded her head.
“I cannot believe this is all happening. We need to be so careful,” Charlotte whispered. “If anything goes wrong people will be seriously hurt.”
Alex reassured Charlotte again that everything was covered. “No one can hear you Charlotte. You are safe now. Gil won’t discover your absence until after six or seven this evening, and by then we will be long gone.”
“He’ll follow us, Alex. You know he will,” she was still fretting.
“Relax, Char. Even if Gil does, he will be looking in Chicago and we will be safe in Aspen.”
Luiza pointed out that Gil might rail and threaten, but what could he do once she was out of his grasp? Alex offered to hire bodyguards again, as he had since they had begun hatching this escape plan. Charlotte was still considering the offer, weighing the peace of mind against her privacy.
They screeched to a halt at the front of the building. “I think you enjoy this cloak and dagger stuff,” Alex told Luiza, kissing her cheek and promising yet again to look after Charlotte. He unfolded himself from the car and began pulling the small cases from the trunk. He pretended not to hear Charlotte’s tearful goodbye.
“I love you Mama, and I will miss you so much. I must admit I am relieved to be getting away from here. I am just sorry that I won’t be here to see Gil’s face when he realizes he’s been duped by my mother. You were the last person he expected to be a problem.”
“Oh Carlotta, he has been tailing your brothers and your father for weeks. Is the man such an idiot that he doesn’t realize a mother protects her young most fiercely of all?”
“He’ll know it now, won’t he?”
“He will indeed, my child. I promise to tell you everything that you miss. And you, my man,” she fixed Alex with a stern glare, “you have made me a promise that I expect you to keep.”
“Yes, Mama,” Alex said contritely, causing Charlotte to laugh freely for the first time in days.
“You take the best care of my daughter. You keep her safe. You make sure she calls home every day to talk to her mama and papa who love and miss her.”
“Yes, ma’am. I promise.” Alex bent to give the tiny woman a swift hug.
“Mama, I am sorry to leave you with all the wedding plans to cancel. I wish I could help you more.”
“Carlotta, are you daft? We never made any plans except for show. We sent the invitations but we never booked the church or reception hall. Your papa would have died before he would have let you marry that pig.”
“That was my biggest fear, Mama. I knew Papa would understand that I was doing it for him. I was always worried he would do something noble.”
“He should never have put you in harms way in the first place, Carlotta. That was his fault. And mine.”
“He didn’t do it by choice, Mama.”
“Well, Alex took care of everything, and we all owe him a debt for that. He was smarter than the rest of us.” Luiza looked around nervously. They were parked in front of the small private plane terminal in plain sight but there were no other cars around, so she relaxed. “We are all so grateful, Alex. How will we ever repay you?”
“I just did my homework, Mrs. Rocha. When Jake told me that Gil was threatening your husband over something that happened more than thirty years ago, it sounded odd to me. I mean we have statutes of limitations, why wouldn’t Portugal?”
“Not on murder, Alex.”
“But it wasn’t murder, Charlotte. There were witnesses. The bakery was on a busy street and had big windows. Did your father really believe no one saw anything?”
“We left too quickly to know that.”
“Now Jonathan has their statements and the case against your father has been dropped. He never murdered anyone. He just defended himself against an armed robber in his bakery. He had a young pregnant wife. He grabbed a knife. It made sense to everyone including the judge we worked with last week. There is no case, no threat. Let Gil talk, there is no one he can harm now.”
“Do not think you are in the clear, Alex. When Jake fires him and he realizes I am gone, he will be furious. He will hunt me. He will hunt you now too.”
“Let him. You will be with me and I am not letting you out of my sight. I will keep you safe always.”
“Hm hm,” Luiza cleared her throat to get the attention of her daughter.
“Yes Mama?”
“No living in sin. Do not make me ashamed of you, Carlotta.”
“Mama, stop that. I am a grown woman.”
“I know, Carlotta. That is what worries me.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Although she knew she was supposed to be impressed by the wide expanse of mountain view – and it was magnificent, no doubt about it - Charlotte could not take her eyes off the light filled space that was Alex’s Aspen home. Arriving at night, it was a beacon against the night sky, huge plate glass windows brightly lit and displaying the unparalleled elegance of the contemporary home on Aspen’s exclusive Willoughby Way.
The sweeping panoramic views from Mt. Sopris to Independence Pass were visible from throughout the open floor plan, rising above the tree dotted landscape and gorgeous wood and rock architecture. Charlotte was overwhelmed by the size and beauty of Alex’s mountain getaway. She thought she was prepared for opulence, having stayed in his Chicago penthouse, but the vast home in Aspen still overwhelmed her.
According to Marnie, the charming and unbelievably efficient caretaker, the house was almost 10,000 square feet of space. Charlotte discovered six big bedrooms each with private bath, a media room, an exercise room, multiple living spaces including the formal and informal living rooms, an office – nicer and larger than her’s at LHRE and certainly with a better view – and a steam room/sauna area. Alex gave her the tour where he also pointed out the wine cellar.
“We store over 2000 bottles” he bragged. Then he showed her the ski storage room and the huge garage, bigger than her old apartment. Hell, her parents could have fit their entire Rhode Island house in the garage alone.
Charlotte had never experienced such excess and luxury. She was not sure she could have even imagined it existed. Alex obviously appreciated it and was proud showing it to her and sharing it with her.
“I have owned it for more than five years, so to me it just feels like home. It’s differ
ent looking at it the first time. I have been here for a while now and so I have just become comfortable. You will too.”
“I don’t know about that, Alex. This is not my usual hangout, you know.”
“My father wanted to buy it and he wanted to do a joint purchase with me. We are both skiers and we enjoy getting away together,” he told her before awkwardly dropping the subject and moving forward to show her more of the amazing house. “It was in the right spot, we liked it. I guess we didn’t really consider that it might be a bit much.”
“A bit?” Charlotte teased. “Okay, it’s a bit much.”
Outdoors, Charlotte admired the decks, the small endless pool where Alex could swim against a current to stay in shape, and then he took her hand and led her a short distance into the trees to a magical hidden hot tub. The size of a small swimming pool, the tub was a small refuge. Charlotte immediately imagined relaxing in the moist heat, enjoying the view and Alex.
The house was perched at the top of the road so that it had unfettered views of Aspen. Constructed of warm Spanish stone and rich wooden accents, it was an architectural gem. But the best feature for Charlotte – besides Alex, of course – were the windows. The soaring apertures created disappearing glass walls making her feel that she was standing outdoors even as she was reflected against Alex with the cozy fireplace in the background.
After she had seen most of the house, Charlotte stopped again to look out the dramatic windows. Alex waited behind Charlotte, wrapping his arms about her and pulling him tight against his body as if he would never let go.
“I prayed for this moment,” Alex bent his head closer and whispered in a husky, emotional voice. “I was so afraid I had lost you. I don’t ever want to be apart from you like that again. Promise me.”
“I promise.” Charlotte stood, safe at last in Alex’s arms, savoring the feel of his breath, warm and moist against her neck, his arms holding her close against the feel of his muscled chest. They stood like that, silently, for several moments until Alex spun her in his arms and kissed her soundly.
Despite her exhaustion, Charlotte came alive in his embrace, returning kiss for kiss, tongue teasing and probing for more. It was all Alex needed to trap her against the cool glass, placing hands on either side of her as he leaned into her body. Capturing her with his seeking mouth, he released her only long enough to divest them both of their warm sweaters. As he reached to unfasten her bra, he pushed up against her body, his broad chest smashing her breasts as his hips ground into hers.
Charlotte let out a small squeal when her body came in full contact with the glass, but before Alex could back off she had her arms tight around his neck, pulling him tighter against her.
“Let’s go to bed,” Alex offered.
“No, take me here, like this. Make love to me here against the glass.”
“With pleasure, my dear,” Alex responded. The shimmied out of their clothes and Alex fondled Charlotte, getting her wet and ready before he bent his knees, wrapped her legs around his waist and surged forward. They both sighed with the pleasure of the moment before Alex began moving. Charlotte slid up and against the cool glazing behind her and the increasing heat of Alex in front. It was only minutes before they both found their release and slid to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs.
“I have missed you,” Charlotte offered.
“Me too. Let’s make up for lost time,” Alex responded with a wicked grin. “Bed or floor?”
“If you take the bottom, floor,” Charlotte laughed.
The days flew by as the two rediscovered each other. Charlotte was carefree and relaxed in a way Alex had never seen before. She was free of Gil, away from work and she loved the mountains and the house. She lounged with him in the hot tub, went for walks, took ski lessons and took long peaceful naps. She sat in the corner of his office if he was working, pulling books from the shelves of the library. She read everything from Homer to business journals. When his work was completed, they wrapped in a blanket in front of the fire, her head resting on Alex’s chest as they shared the couch. They made love long into the night, speaking softly to each other of a future together.
Alex wanted to take Charlotte to some of Aspen’s fine restaurants, but once she saw the gourmet kitchen he could not get her out of it. Alex was enjoying the best of the Rocha family recipes and every night he left the table patting his flat abs as if he had a belly and praising Luiza. “No wonder your family has made such a success of Old World. I could eat like this every night and I imagine your customers could too.
“Yes, my love, but you don’t have to,” Charlotte teased. “You have me to cook for you and these recipes are in my blood. Of course, you could wash a dish now and then.” Alex, who cleaned every time Charlotte cooked, took offense and swatted her with a dishtowel. She threw ice at him in return, missing by a mile, and they were quickly enmeshed in chasing each other around the house until they were falling into each other’s arms laughing, exhausted from the effort.
Charlotte returned to running but the steep climbs and lighter air at these altitudes took their toll and she was forced to slow down and shorten her distances. Instead, she put her energy into her ski lessons. The kids around her made it look so easy, but Charlotte struggled with the unwieldy skis and her fear of falling and reinjuring her ankle. The air and the views were exhilarating, her instructor was a handsome and patient Argentine, but she still found the entire effort frustrating and exhausting.
Having taken her third lesson today, Charlotte was drained. She downed two Advil for the muscle aches and spent the late afternoon with her head tucked under Alex’s arm, dozing.
“Are you asleep?”
“No, just quiet,” she told him.
“I know we have talked about this before, but if Regan is giving you back your old job, and Gil has gone back to Portugal, I don’t see what the problem is.”
“I wonder what made Gil up and leave. That was quite a surprise, wasn’t it?” Charlotte asked, ignoring Alex’s point.
“I was shocked. I mean I knew he had no job anymore, no help from the influential Rocha family, but I never expected him to just pick up and leave. I really did expect him to haunt us for a couple of years.”
“Me too. I wonder what changed his mind. No one seems to have a clue.”
“Are you sure he really went? I mean, that is what his mother told yours, right? Why would she lie?”
“She wouldn’t. She is a lovely woman, despite her son.”
“So if he is gone, what is the problem? Why are you resisting? Is it me, Charlotte?”
“Oh, no, Alex. Of course not. I am so thrilled to have my two lives converging at long last. No secrets, no lies. Regan is being so generous to let me resume at LHRE and she even had some great ideas for recommending Rocha plant expansions as a potential investment for some of our big clients. She has been fantastic. You all have. I have a new, and very protective family in Chicago. I am blessed. It is more than I could ever deserve.”
“It is all wonderful and well deserved, Charlotte, but it still avoids the question of you moving in with me permanently. You already gave up your apartment when you went back East, so just blurt it out. Tell me what is going on in that complicated mind of yours.”
“Oh, Alex. You try to make everything so simple, but it isn’t. It isn’t my mind that is complicated. It is life.”
“It isn’t complicated, Carlotta Maria Rocha. It’s this simple. I love you. I love you with all my heart and with all my being. I want to come home to you every night, laugh with you and make love with you for the rest of my days. How is that complicated?”
“You know I legally changed my name when I started college. Only my family still calls me that.”
“Stop avoiding my question, Charlotte.”
“Look at my family, Alex. Look at yours. Compare how I was raised and how you were. My family is working class, blue collar. Yours is as white-collar as they come. My father was accused of knifing a man to death, for God’s
sake. How can you expect your family to accept me into their world?”
“First, they already accept you. They love you. Why wouldn’t they? You are funny and smart, well educated and good mannered. You are a strong woman, Charlotte, and a catch. They think I am lucky as hell.”
“They think I am from the powerhouse Roche Pharma family too. You have not yet disabused them of that idea, have you?”
“Well…no, not exactly. But not because I am ashamed,” Alex rushed to explain.
“Then what? Why not tell them everything?” Charlotte prodded.
Bedeviled (Beguiling Bachelors Book 3) Page 30