It was his. His bedroom. His private place.
‘Here,’ he murmured.
She wasn’t ready when he turned, and she bumped up against him, a tall, muscled brick wall. He steadied her, still holding her hand. ‘Sorry. Forgot to use my turn signal.’
She smiled nervously, a little out of breath.
Again, he hit the light switch before entering the next room. When she looked around, she realised that he’d brought her directly into the heart of the wolf’s den. Her breath went short and her eyes widened. It was his office.
He walked to the desk and picked up the book that lay open next to his laptop. ‘Is this what you were looking for?’
She tilted her head to read the title. ‘Yes,’ she said in surprise. It was an advanced book on macroeconomics. What was he doing with it? ‘But I can wait if you’re using it.’
His grey stare bored into her for a moment longer than was comfortable. At last, he closed the pages with a snap. ‘I was getting nowhere with it. Maybe you can explain it to me.’
Her jittery insides cooled. Explain market behaviour and trading philosophies to a white-collar criminal who’d secretly managed to rig the entire system?
‘I somehow doubt that,’ she said flatly.
This was the home office of a billionaire entrepreneur. A software magnate and a perpetrator of a Ponzi scheme whose spider webs were continuing to be found weaving throughout society. There wasn’t much that this man didn’t understand or couldn’t master.
Was this where he and his grandfather had come up with the plan?
She took the book and clutched it to her chest. Her jaw set as she looked about the room. The office furniture was made of glossy cherrywood, and the chairs were that same luxurious leather, only deep red. Wall clocks kept track of various time zones around the world. Two monitors sat on the desk in front of the laptop she’d seen in the garden the other day – along with that red spiral-bound notebook. It was opened next to where the book had been, and a pen had been dropped haphazardly on top of it. Whatever notes had been written were scratched out in a cloud of black ink.
‘You already taught me more about the subject than my professor.’ She tapped on the photograph on the back of the hardcover book. ‘And he wrote the book.’
Alex’s face changed subtly, going first to anger. She could see it in the spark in his grey eyes, but it was forcibly dampened. The easygoing charm hardened, but his face went blank. She saw a muscle pulsing in his jaw, an impromptu expression that he couldn’t control. She watched that tiny muscle clench, knowing that it connected with deep emotions. She knew because she’d encountered them, up close and personal.
She took a step back towards the door.
‘Wait.’ His voice was controlled but authoritative. ‘There’s something else you wanted to see.’
Elena watched suspiciously as he went to the side wall, the one that separated the office from his bedroom. ‘You were curious about the situation on the road,’ he said as he picked up a remote. ‘I have a live video feed from my security team.’
For the first time, she noticed the televisions that were arranged on the wall. Pushing a series of buttons, he brought them to life. The footage was black and white, but it clearly showed the main road. The wolf’s head on the front gate was displayed as one camera panned to the left.
Yet that wasn’t what made her stomach turn.
She’d been so focused on the danger inside that fence, she’d forgotten what was lurking outside. ‘So many?’ she gasped. ‘But it’s been over a week.’
Hugging the book tighter, she moved closer to see. The road was packed with news vans. Some call-signs she recognised; others she didn’t. They were parked back-to-back along the side of the remote two-lane road.
‘They’re curious if I’m going to make an appearance at the Wolfe Financial board meeting later this month.’
Elena couldn’t stop staring at the multiple screens. ‘Are you?’
She couldn’t imagine fighting her way through that horde.
He shrugged. ‘I haven’t made up my mind yet, but I’d be more tempted to go to the Wolfe Pack company lunch on Friday.’
She mulled that over, along with the fact that he was sharing such information with her. Wolfe Financial was the blue-blood investment corporation the Wolfe family had run for generations. The Wolfe Pack was the financial software company he’d created on his own in his early twenties, the breakout SaaS startup that had become a worldwide phenomenon.
Why tell her such a thing? Was it a test? She had a phone. All those news vans would gobble up even that little piece of information, and it might lead them away long enough that she could make her escape.
She rejected the idea before it had even fully formed. He’d offered her protection, and it had been an honest olive branch. She knew that in her gut. She couldn’t offer him any less in return, not under these circumstances. He was right. They were unwitting allies in this. They’d both chosen the same spot in this grown-up game of hide-and-seek. They needed to make room for one another.
He flicked a switch and the monitors went black. The loss of the two-dimensional world brought her back to the office with the real, three-dimensional man beside her. He folded his arms over his chest. Even in his dress clothes, she could see the strength in the movement, the power of his body. ‘That’s why I stopped you from hiking up near the gate.’
She bit her lip. If that mob had caught even the slightest glimpse of her …
‘Is there enough security to keep them out?’ she asked.
‘I’ve hired the firm that normally does my security detail when I’m in the city. They’re the best, and they’ve been made aware there’s a beautiful brunette on the premises.’
Elena felt her cheeks heat. Just when she thought she’d gotten her head on straight about him, he had to remind her why being at such close quarters wasn’t a good idea.
‘They’ll give you your space, but they’ll protect you. If you stay close to the lake and the houses, you’ll never even see them.’
She pressed her lips together. Funny, but it was sounding more and more like the prison he’d just left, only they were keeping people out rather than locking him in.
He stepped closer to her, and her nerves jumped. She tilted her head back to look at his face.
That muscle was still pulsing in his jaw, but his anger had vaporised. He reached out and brushed back a long curl that had fallen forward over her shoulder. ‘We have to find a way to make this work, you and I, living together in this space.’
He’d barely touched her, but she could feel the hot trail his fingertips left on her collarbone. She nodded. They were from different worlds, two ends of a spectrum, but they had to agree on this. For both their sakes.
Off in the distance, a bell rang.
It was soft, but it reminded Elena they weren’t alone. She took a step back, but he wrapped his arm around her waist. His hand took its increasingly familiar spot on her lower back, and he dipped his head so his words brushed over her bare ear.
‘We might as well start with dinner.’
Chapter Six
Dinner was … unexpected. As on edge as Elena was, the evening turned out to be precisely as advertised. When she relaxed enough to forget herself, the meal was pleasant. With Leonard and Marta hovering nearby, it wasn’t the time or the place for pointed questions or fireworks of any kind. She’d forgotten herself with Alex the other day. She was on guard for any signs of manipulation or innuendo, yet all she could detect were signs of a handsome, well-mannered dinner date.
Marta’s meal of cider-roasted chicken, asparagus, and mushroom risotto also made her forget her nervous stomach. With Alex supplying more white wine, the experience was a delight for Elena’s taste buds. She’d been living on cereal and peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches. She could cook, but she’d been more intent on working. It felt wonderful to sit back and enjoy food that had been prepared by someone who obviously loved her craft.
She was still amazed at the little breakfast nook that she’d somehow overlooked. The circular room sat out on the balcony, off the kitchen. The open archway had a door with a rounded top that could be closed for privacy. Other doors opened onto the terrace. They were closed against the weather, and the small room took on the feeling of a gazebo, complete with heat and electricity.
They’d used very little of the latter.
A chandelier lit the table, but it had been dialled down to low and candles provided most of the illumination. They were placed in sconces on the walls, and the ambiance brought her back to times of knights, ladies and castles. Times of chivalry and passion. Out on the balcony, she could hear the howl of the wind and the waves hitting the shore. The darkness would have seemed threatening if they hadn’t been nestled in the safety and warmth of the little room.
‘When was this house built?’ she asked. She’d avoided the manor as much as she could, but now that she was being given access to some of its more unique features she was becoming intrigued.
‘In 1892 by Josiah Wolfe.’
‘How many greats before that grandfather?’
One of Alex’s eyebrows rose and the corner of his mouth followed. ‘Too many for me to count, especially with all the wine I’ve drunk.’
The 2008 Montrachet had been flowing. It made everything seem to go down more easily.
Everything, and that made Elena a little nervous.
She smoothed the linen napkin over her lap. She knew who he was and she knew what he’d done, yet he could be charming.
Like a beautiful wolf who wanted to be petted.
Warning signs had been flashing in her head, but now they were dim and fading. He was surprising her. She’d expected the conversation to continue in that stilted, uncomfortable manner they seemed to have perfected, but the truce they’d made upstairs was holding. So far, they’d managed to be on their best behaviour. They’d stayed away from sensitive subjects, which were many and varied, and kept mainly to current affairs, apart from his release, which had taken over the airwaves. He seemed hungry for news of the world, or at least someone to discuss it with. He asked for her impressions, how the public had reacted to certain events and why things had turned out in certain ways.
Elena was amazed to find herself just as eager for conversation. He wasn’t the only one who’d been isolated from other people. It had been ages since someone had valued her opinion, and she was interested in more than just the stock market. She was leaning forward to press her point about the Yankees’ playoff hopes when a candle over his shoulder flared, seemingly at her.
The admonition cooled her enthusiasm. This was Alex Wolfe. He wasn’t her friend.
‘Excuse me.’ They both looked up when a shadow was cast across the dinner table.
‘Yes, Leonard?’ Alex asked.
‘May I take your plates, sir?’
Her host looked at her dessert plate. ‘Are you finished?’
Elena set down her fork. The Bailey’s-and-cream cheesecake had been rich and silky. ‘It’s delicious, but I can’t take another bite.’
‘Marta will be pleased that you enjoyed it,’ Leonard said.
Elena tilted her head. She didn’t know the cook well, but she was becoming fond of her. ‘Will you thank her for me? That risotto just melted in my mouth.’
Alex drummed his fingers against the arm of his chair. ‘I believe you just told her yourself. Didn’t she, Marta?’
At his raised voice, the cook shuffled around the corner. Her hands fisted in her apron and she gave a quick curtsy. ‘Thank you, dear. I wasn’t given much notice you were coming so I had to make do with what I had on hand.’
Elena smiled. ‘I’d love to see what you could whip up with the Mac-’n’-cheese and pretzels I have at the lake house.’
Marta grinned. ‘I do have a casserole recipe …’
‘Will you need anything else from us tonight?’ Leonard asked as he cleared the dishes.
‘That should be all.’ Alex laid his napkin on the table. ‘Thank you. Be careful on your drives home.’
‘Then goodnight to both of you,’ the butler said with a stiff bow.
Marta gave another shallow curtsy, which was actually just a wiggle of her plump knees. ‘Sir … Ma’am.’
Elena didn’t know what brought her back to earth harder, being called ‘ma’am’ or the fact that the staff was leaving.
She watched them go. Suddenly nervous, she hooked her hair behind her ear, only to find it already caught in the barrette. Uncertain what to do, she clasped her hands in her lap. She hadn’t anticipated having such a nice time, but that didn’t mean she’d forgotten she was having dinner with a sexy, dangerous man. As comfortable as she’d been in his presence, she hadn’t lost the goosebumps where he’d touched her back … or the tickles where his breath had brushed over her neck …
She glanced across the empty table. In the candlelight, he was even more dark and mysterious. Handsome and tempting.
‘More wine?’ he asked, lifting the bottle from the wine bucket at his elbow. Between the two of them, they’d nearly finished it off.
She could already feel the languor in her muscles and the cloudiness in her head. More wine was not a good idea. ‘I should be going, too.’
‘It’s early.’
It really wasn’t. ‘I need to be up first thing in the morning. I have some research I need to do.’
‘The book?’
She pushed back her chair. ‘The book.’
He was out of his chair and helping her before she recognised the old-fashioned gesture. Once she did, she placed her hand in his and rose to her feet. He hovered over her, tall and muscled. Balancing in her high heels suddenly became tricky, and she tugged at her dress, which had risen too high on her thighs. His gaze slid over the exposed flesh like a warm stroke and she quivered.
‘Thank you for dinner,’ she said.
‘You’re welcome.’ He didn’t step back. ‘It’s gotten rather nasty out there. Are you sure you want to make that walk?’
She glanced at the windows. The wind was whipping. Trees were dancing and the mist had turned into streaks of rain.
‘All the more reason for me to hurry along.’ In the small room, she couldn’t help but brush against him as she moved towards the archway. She was surprised to find the kitchen empty when she entered. ‘Are they gone already? I didn’t hear the door.’
‘The staff parks in the enclosed garage downstairs.’
The emptiness of the house seemed to echo then. All this richly adorned space for only the two of them? It seemed greedy somehow. Indulgent, yet intimate.
The hollowness loomed, like a well Elena was afraid to fall into.
She had to get away from the edge.
Her heels clipped against the tiled flooring as she walked to the coat rack. Once again, he got there first to assist her.
‘I’m not used to men with manners,’ she said self-consciously.
‘You should be.’
She pushed her arms into the jacket he held for her. When she went to release her hair, his hands were already there. He lifted the dark swath with care, sliding his fingers through it as he smoothed it down her back.
‘Your hair is mesmerising,’ he said quietly.
Her crowning feature, as her mother called it.
Elena looked at the floor, trying to get herself under control. Her body wanted to lean back into him, but the track lighting in the kitchen was so much brighter than the candlelight she’d adjusted to. It made everything seem so exposed, so glaring. So judgmental. She cinched up her trenchcoat. ‘Thank you.’
He traced her barrette. ‘Why don’t you spend the night? You’re going to get drenched if you head back to the lake house, and there are plenty of extra rooms here.’
‘I’ll run quick.’
‘In those heels? They’re sassy as hell, but they’re not good for a trek in th
e mud.’
She licked her dry lips. He’d noticed her shoes. ‘I’ll be fine.’
‘All right then.’ He took another jacket from the coat rack, and her head snapped towards him.
‘The least I can do is walk you there.’
‘But … OK,’ she conceded. The book that she was using as an excuse was lying on the counter. Leonard had wrapped it for her. She caught it up against her chest like a shield, such as the knights of old carried for protection.
She waited for Alex to put on his jacket and then opened the door. The wind was waiting. Seeing an opening, it rushed in. The chill smacked into her face and rain splattered against her legs. She wasn’t prepared for the force of it and the door swung back, knocking into her.
‘Ooh.’ She sucked in a surprised breath. Cringing at the thought of going out into that, she nonetheless ducked her head and started forward.
She jerked when the wolf behind her reached past and shoved the door closed, blocking out the howl that threatened.
‘Stay.’
His breath was against her ear, and his chest was hot against her back. Elena’s knees wavered, and she clutched the book so tightly it dug into her breasts.
This request was different. He wasn’t offering her a spare room.
‘Why?’ she whispered.
‘Because I slept the whole night through last night.’ His low voice was so close to her ear, she could feel his lips. ‘And because this time I intend it to be about you, not me.’
The book slipped from her fingers and became wedged between her hips and the door. She’d never heard anything sexier in her life.
There he was. This was the man who’d made love to her in the gymnasium, uncaring of where they were or who might find them. This was the virile male she’d worried she’d find if she came here tonight.
And, at the same time, feared she wouldn’t.
‘We … we shouldn’t,’ she stammered. That pink elephant was now stamping its feet, demanding attention.
‘Why not?’
Because he was amoral and unapologetic. Greedy and self-centred.
Solace in Scandal Page 9