Alveus (ABC's Inc. Romance #1)

by Lara Earlman

  “I didn’t honor Daddy’s last request – exactly,” she confessed, taking a great interest in her manicure. Dane pulled her chin up, trying to force her to look in his eyes.

  “Exactly?” he echoed, hinting for her to explain further.

  “No,” was all she said, studying his left ear.

  “Pips, how am I supposed to help you, if I don’t know all of the facts?”

  Abruptly yanked from her guilt, Lexi pushed herself off of Dane’s lap and took a few steps away from him. “Don’t you get it?” she ranted. “I don’t want anyone’s help! Everyone thinks that I’m some kind of child who can’t think or deal with anything more than the everyday mundane functions of brushing my teeth or getting a manicure!” She faced off with him, as if he’d even had a chance to respond. “I’m highly educated and thoroughly trained. I have an inherited instinct for this. And, I will pull my parents’ legacy back up out of the muck – where, by the way, I didn’t put it to begin with! Okay, so I trusted my only living relative, but that doesn’t make me stupid! I know what I’m doing! I am not weak. And, don’t call me Pips!”

  Dane sat on the sofa, sporting a cocky grin. That irresistible dimple stood prominent on his right cheek. God knows, she’d always loved his smile! As if magnetically lured, her eyes grazed up to connect with his. Soft and beautiful, they held no refute, no ridicule, nor placation – they were filled with overwhelming, undeniable, pure and passionate love. And it practically knocked her off of her feet. He jumped up from his seat, catching her in his arms, just as her legs began to dissolve beneath her.

  »ɞ»ɞ«ɞ«

  Molecules of memories and feelings that had somehow been dissociated came flooding back to Dane, invading his core in an explosive chemical reaction. As if patching the sequencing of an injured DNA strand, they filled in and complimented its paired double helix. He was whole again, because the missing part of him was the woman in his arms.

  As adults he and Lexi had submitted to the force that brought them together physically, but it wasn’t until the child Lexi came through in her tirade that the young Dane had been freed from the chains which had bound him all of his adult years.

  Of course he’d known that he wanted her – needed her. He knew they belonged together – those feelings had come back quickly. Even the compulsion to protect Lexi was inherent in his make-up, but now he knew that it had been cocooned in a fog. The damned wall his mother had helped him build in his youth, the wall that protected the sensitive young boy from the harsh world, he’d assumed had crumbled when Lexi appeared back in his life – but he’d been wrong. A part of his heart had been locked up with the boy Dane. He understood now why Oma and Greig treated him like he was a ticking time bomb. They were waiting for the Dane they both knew so well to reappear.

  Did she feel it? Could she tell? He hugged her closer wanting to strip her naked – both of them without encumbrance molded together, skin to skin. And then, he never wanted to release her.

  “God, Pips – I love you,” he confessed emotionally into her hair. “Mein liebes.” The words flowed easily, sincere. His heart exuberant.

  “Daney,” she whispered, “please, don’t ever leave me again.”

  “Then, never let go of me, liebling,” he countered with a hint of desperation.

  Suddenly something sharp grabbed at his ankle.

  “Ouch, what the hell?”

  Dane looked down to find a tiny black dog attached to his foot. “Impossible – do not tell me that evil little menace is still alive, after all of these years!” He shook his foot, trying to gently dislodge the scrappy little canine.

  “You’re thinking of the first Louis – this is Louis the fifth,” Fani informed him, without apology. Having followed her pet into the room, she reached down and captured the animal, bringing him into the safety of her arms. Not to be discouraged, Louis took up a diatribe of barking, throwing in an occasional growl just to make sure his warning was being taken serious.

  “That’s ludicrous! Are you telling me that you’ve actually had five of these little, flea-bitten terrors?” Dane could well remember the Carsten family’s pet Chihuahua whose favorite meal was fresh human ankles! In fact…

  “I still have the scar from the time your first Louis had to be surgically removed from my tibialis!”

  He heard a giggle and turned to find Lexi attempting to restrain her laughter. Her eyes were tearing up with the effort, and he knew she was remembering the incident he was referring to. The two of them were visiting the Carstens when she tried to warn him about the dog’s fetish. At the time, he thought she was pranking him when she told him to quickly remove his shoes and jump up on the sofa. Right, he wasn’t an idiot. When the tiny pup came tearing into the room with his yippy little bark, he’d laughed. With shoes in hand, Lexi was maneuvering to the chair from the couch, making her way across the furniture to the far exit, when the obnoxious, pint-sized Chihuahua attached itself to his leg. And the damned little menace refused to let go!

  “You exaggerate, mein enkelsohn.”

  “Oma!” Dane was startled to hear her familiar, albeit chastising, voice. “But, I was to pick you up from the airport, tomorrow.” He bent down to pull his grandmother into a welcoming hug.

  “I heard that Stefani was coming home today and changed my plans. It’s much better to have company on the long flight. Don’t you agree, jungen?”

  “Perhaps, if that little ankle-biter isn’t considered part of said company!” He glared at the Chihuahua who bared its teeth and growled back at him.

  “Louie the fifth has never done that before,” Fani said, giving the pooch a reassuring kiss between his ears. “He must have thought he was protecting Pip from you. He’s very fond of her, you know. Maybe I should give him to her as a wedding gift.”

  “Wedding gift?” Dane’s defenses were at their limit. What the hell is she talking about, now? Wedding! He looked over at Lexi. She appeared to be shocked immobile. The youngest Carsten girl always was an odd one – words coming out of nowhere.

  “Isn’t that what ‘never leaving’ means,” she asked, all innocent like. What the hell? Were they..?

  “So, you were listening in on a private conversation?” he charged her.

  “Well, we thought it would be rude to interrupt,” she declared, as if the answer was obvious, “that is, until Louis took it into his own hands… feet… er, mouth.”

  At that, Oma and Lexi broke into uproarious laughter! Dane didn’t much enjoy being the butt of their amusement. He turned indignantly and strode in the direction of the staircase.

  “I’m going to change out of these canine drool infested pants. Shit, I think he made a tear in them, and they were one of my favorite pairs!” As if on cue, Louis threw a champion-styled “loser” bark at his retreating form. The female laughter exploded in volume. At least, Dane’s mouth caught on to the humor of the situation, as the right side of it curled unwittingly. A half chuckle grunted loose – damn dog, he mumbled.

  As he climbed the stairs to the second floor, Dane’s step became lighter and his smile wider. Even though he could still hear the hilarity continuing below him, it actually warmed his insides. It’d been a long time since he’d brought that kind of laughter to someone he loved. In fact, the last time had been in this very house. The place was magical, he decided. Yes, it was right that it would remain a part of his life, his future – with Lexi. He slid his sweat pants off and slipped on a pair of jeans, hoping that the tough material would ward off the pain of another attack. Pulling up the zipper, he thought about the three women downstairs and began planning a reunion with the rest of the ABC’s. It was high time they reacquainted themselves with the fun and laughter of their past.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “How much longer do you think they’ll be?”

  Lexi was nervously pacing the formal living room. She’d started out helping Edith in the kitchen, until the motherly housekeeper’s patience had run out and she was kindly persuaded to leave. The
n the petite red-head took up residence in the hallway outside the office door where the senior ABC’s were convened. Frustrated by the discovery that she could not recognize a single word from the muffled sounds coming through the solid door, she’d finally ended up in the living room. Dane patiently kept record of her restless actions, aware that an intervention on his part would likely be futile.

  “The rest of them will be here, soon,” she fretted. “What could they possibly be talking about for so long?” She moved back into the dining room, straightening the already faultless place settings on the table. As she turned toward the kitchen, Dane moved to block her way. That’s it! He couldn’t take her fidgeting anymore. It seemed it was time to take drastic action.

  “Come on,” he commanded, steering her out of the dining room and turning toward the stairs. He knew just the thing to divert Pips’ thoughts away from the meeting of the minds, downstairs.

  “What are you doing? The twins will be coming soon,” she fretted.

  “I’m sure Fani can keep her siblings occupied for a short time,” Dane assured, as the youngest Carsten skipped down the stairs, meeting them halfway. “Isn’t that right, Fani?” He navigated clear of the little dog in her arms. Even though he seemed to have met the canine’s approval in the last couple of days, he still didn’t trust the mutt.

  “Of course,” she cheerfully assented. “So, the seniors aren’t out of their meeting yet? I’ll bet they’re just schmoozing in there, keeping us waiting until dinner is served.” Her foot slid on the carpeted stair and she stumbled down a couple of steps before regaining her footing. “We’re okay,” she announced. “Aren’t we, baby?” Louis took the trip in stride, obviously used to his mistress’s mishaps, and accepted her apologetic kiss with a quick lick to her cheek.

  Lexi giggled quietly at her friend’s ineptitude. “How she ever managed to get through a fashion show without stumbling on the runway, I’ll never know,” she whispered. Dane chuckled in agreement.

  With a gentle pressure to her back, he guided her into the bedroom and firmly closed the door behind them. Taking a step forward, he pulled her into a fervent kiss, revealing his diversion tactics.

  “Dane, this is hardly the time…”

  “It’s never a bad time,” he insisted, his lips making a trail down her neck. “You look so beautiful. That dress hugs you in just the right places.” Dane clarified his statement by sliding his hands down to caress the curve of her buttocks. He could never get enough of her, and knew he never would.

  “But…” Lexi’s words were cut short as she swooned in his arms. “It would be inappropriate… to keep our guests waiting… while I re-do my face and adjust the wrinkles from my gown.” Her actions made the words come across empty – or should it be said, her reactions. He slid his hand under the garment in question and slowly explored her leg, enjoying the smooth glide northward toward her thigh. She shivered and her hand began its own investigation of his chest, through the cover of his dress shirt.

  “Not to worry,” he confidently assured her, “I’ve had plenty of experience in keeping women in pristine condition. No one will ever know.” Lexi stiffened.

  “You realize of course that I’m not exactly comforted by your declaration?”

  Shit! That came out all wrong! Idiot!

  “I only meant…” He searched for words. How in the hell was he supposed to come out on the good side of this one? “I only wanted to take your mind off of…” Nope, that wasn’t going to work either – damn!

  And she wasn’t helping him – arms crossed, head tilted to the side. She stared at him, patiently waiting for an explanation. Dane felt himself starting to break out in a cold sweat, when he heard a noise. Voices rose from downstairs, announcing that their guests were arriving. Thank God! I owe you one, sir, he told the deity. Grabbing Lexi’s hand, he kissed her before pulling her toward the door.

  “See, everything worked out perfect. Didn’t I tell you?” he said. Her eyes sparkled with amusement – the little minx, she’d been enjoying his uncomfortable dilemma!

  Fani met them at the top of the stairs.

  “Papa sent me to fetch Pip.” She cast sympathetic eyes on her friend. “The seniors want to speak with you in private.”

  »ɞ»ɞ«ɞ«

  Stefani and Dane escorted Lexi down the stairs where Greig, Stefan, and Gretchen soberly greeted her from inside the entrance to the living room. She turned to make her way down the hallway to the office, pulling strength from their show of moral support. Her trek down the pale green carpet to the formidably closed door seemed endless – the green mile, she thought ironically.

  Lexi halted and faced the door to her office. It was after all, her office. Why should she be apprehensive? Because suddenly she was a little girl again, standing in front of her father’s sanctum awaiting judgment for the infraction of acceptable behavior. Yes, that’s how her parents used to phrase it – acceptable behavior. And yes, she used to test that concept on occasion, so she knew what it felt like to await final sentencing. She lifted her hand and knocked on the door.

  “Come in.”

  Lexi threw an anxious glance up the hall to her friends, beseeching their swift intervention should it be deemed that a tolerable amount of time had passed. She then opened the door and stepped through.

  Counselor Ed Bravanger sat behind her father’s desk, clearly having taken charge of the meeting. Oma and Lee Carsten were comfortably ensconced in plush chairs positioned along the left side of the desk, leaving an empty seat across from them.

  “Alexiah, please have a seat. I’m sure you know why we’ve asked you to join us.” Her parent’s friend and attorney motioned to the empty chair as he spoke. As if there could be a doubt, each of them held familiar looking sheets of paper in their hands.

  “Yes, my father’s private letters to you all,” Lexi confirmed with a nod. She hoped her use of the word “private” would give her elders the impression that she had valued the confidentiality of her father’s last words to them. “I know he has asked you to look out for me, and even though I appreciate it, I’m doing fine – honestly.” Although her hands remained nervously clasped in her lap, she met each one’s eye in a show of confidence. And, in turn, found their benevolent love reflected back at her. Lexi felt a punch to her gut, as tears gathered in her eyes. These warm, wonderful people were her family and they were making that clear to her without saying a word.

  “You are right in the fact that he did express his concern for you,” Lee established, “but your father worried about your being left alone with no family to turn to for comfort. Sweetheart, Al had nothing but praise for your keen business abilities. He was very proud of you – and so are we.”

  “Ein bisschen,” Oma added, “Alex did not have to convince us to be here for you, and he knew that. He wished in his letters to convey his regrets for the separation from his dearest friends.” Tears slid down her face. “We have been given this day to grieve over the loss of our brother, each with our own regrets.”

  Lexi rushed to her, kneeling down in front of the chair with her head in the elderly woman’s lap. Her own tears joined Oma’s.

  “Al reminded us how stubborn you always were,” Bravanger continued, after he cleared his throat of emotion. “He predicted that the years of separation would prevent you from turning to us for guidance. Lexi, no one – including each of us – can go it alone, in business or as life support.” He looked at his friends. “These two are my life-line, and your friends out there are yours.” He waved his hand toward the door. “Your father had deep regrets for cutting off our support, and he couldn’t bear thinking that you would make the same mistake!” Uncle Ed’s voice always carried a heavy baritone, and in his serious efforts to make his point, it grew deeper and succinct. The makings of an excellent barrister, Lexi concluded.

  “He was right about one thing. I remember that you were the most stubborn of all of our children,” laughed Lee, obviously trying to inflict some humor into the situation.
Lexi took the trip back to the past with Uncle Lee, who had always seemed jolly. The man was a natural to father the rambunctious Bobbsey twins. “You were set on learning to tie your own shoes, and adamantly refused any help!” He looked to Oma. “Her little tongue stuck out of the side of her mouth, as she concentrated… remember?”

  Oma chuckled. “I remember how many times the laces came loose to where she’d trip on them, before she finally got it right. The ein bisschen walked around with scraped knees for weeks!” Lexi’s face heated in embarrassment.

  “But she did it, and all on her own,” Carsten stated. Sobering up a bit, he said, “Sweet girl, we just want you to know that you’re one of ours – you have our love and we are very proud of you.” Embarrassment disappeared, and warmth settled in her heart.

  “And thrilled that you are back in our lives,” chimed Oma.

  “We hope that you will feel comfortable coming to us for anything – and we mean anything at all,” Ed Bravanger added. Standing up, he announced that it was time to join the others. “We would like to have a short conference with the whole group, before we sit down to eat,” he stated.

  Stepping out into the hall, they could hear cheerful laughter pouring from the living room. Hmmm, so much for having her back, still Lexi couldn’t help but smile. It was great to have the old gang together again, although she was surprised to see Reggie and Gareth among those present.

  In an instant, Dane was by her side, handing her a glass of cabernet. Lexi thanked him, noting that Greig was manning the portable drink bar, refreshing everyone’s drinks as they geared up and settled in for the anticipated lecture. Ed Bravanger stood and held his drink out in a toast.

  “Indeed it is a pleasure to have this group assembled together in this place, once again. I am sure that each one of us carries fond memories of past gatherings – it has been a long time.”