Making Her His

by Lucy Leroux

  “I think you should spend the night in one of my guest rooms. It’s already late, and you’ll save yourself the long drive tomorrow.”

  “Seriously? It’s only a thirty-minute drive. Besides, I don’t have any clothes for tomorrow.”

  “It’s closer to forty minutes. Everything you need will be provided for you. You already have your most important necessity,” he said, gesturing to the bag with her laptop. “Think of it as a mini-holiday. My staff will meet your every need, and tomorrow I’ll drive you back.”

  Elynn frowned, saying nothing.

  “I stocked up on your favorite ice cream,” Alex continued, “and I can get a masseuse to come in tomorrow morning. Nothing in your lab is ergonomic. You could probably use a massage.”

  Her expression changed. “Ooh. I could use a good massage. My neck is killing me from looking down into the scope all day.”

  This time he did smile. “I knew you could be persuaded.”

  For dinner, he’d ordered chicken cannelloni for Elynn, which was topped with a sundried tomato and cream sauce. As he predicted, she loved it, and he was satisfied with the osso buco he’d chosen for himself. For dessert, he had ordered her favorite Italian dessert, a panna cotta with a mixed berry coulis.

  They ate in the recently renovated kitchen, sitting on barstools off the central island with most of the lights off. It was the most domestic meal he’d ever shared with a woman. He polished off his dessert, leaned back and relaxed, hooking an arm over the back of his chair while he watched Elynn finish.

  “This kitchen is a chef’s dream,” she murmured looking around.

  There were two large stoves and three sinks. Specialty appliances littered the marble countertops, and a huge Sub-Zero fridge and freezer dominated one side of the room.

  “It was remodeled by the previous owner, but I counted it as a major factor in my decision to rent this place.”

  “But you don’t even cook.”

  Alex gave her a mock scowl. “My chef does,” he protested, making her laugh.

  ****

  Elynn finished her panna cotta and hopped off the barstool to stretch like a cat. The large meal was making her sleepy, and she couldn’t stifle a yawn. Alex smiled at her while he cleared away the takeout containers and threw them into the bin.

  “That was delicious.” She sighed as he led her out of the kitchen to the back stairs.

  “You always say that about chicken cannelloni,” he countered.

  She laughed softly. “Because it’s true. But tonight was the best.”

  He beamed at her as though he had cooked it himself, which only made her grin grow wider. But Alex always gave credit where it was due.

  “Yes, that restaurant does it well. Come on, I’ll show you to your suite. It’s the one next to mine. The staff put your laptop there earlier.”

  “Okay,” Elynn said, yawning again.

  Her legs felt so heavy that she was having a difficult time clearing the top of the stairs. Alex laughed and backtracked a few stairs to get behind her so he could push her up the last few steps. Giggling, she let him guide her to a door that opened to reveal a lovely room done in navy blue with white accents.

  The bedroom was so large that the huge four-poster bed didn’t dwarf it in any way. Mahogany bedside tables complemented an antique vanity table and matching dresser. It was the perfect bedroom, furnished exactly as she would have done if it had been hers. Well, exactly like she would have told an interior designer to anyway.

  “My room is through there if you need anything.” Alex pointed to an adjoining door to the right. “What time shall I have the masseuse arrive?”

  “Hmm… Ten?”

  “Ten it is. Goodnight,” he said, casually pulling her to him with one arm and kissing the top of her head.

  Instead of going through the hallway, he walked through the adjoining door, giving her a brief glimpse of the darkened interior behind it.

  She stared at the closed door for a few seconds, feeling unsettled. She briefly considered locking the door, but it felt odd locking it against Alex. Shrugging off her disquiet, she proceeded to undress. Giving her the bedroom meant for the mistress of the house was a compliment on his part. It was very sweet of him.

  Elynn woke late the next morning. She had slept soundly all night. The bed was a massive cloud that swallowed her up. She would have to ask Alex about the mattress. She wanted one right away for her own bed.

  A knock on her door signaled the arrival of the masseuse, a wonderfully trained German woman in her forties who specialized in the deep tissue technique. Though it was at times a little bit painful, when it was over, all the tension in her back was gone. Feeling wonderfully relaxed, she decided to finish off by soaking in the enormous tub before going downstairs for brunch. In the bathroom, she found an array of bath salts, scented soaps, and bubble bath. All the scents were feminine.

  Hmm. Clearly Alex has brought women here before, she thought while soaking in the tub.

  Afterwards, she slipped into an oversized terry cloth robe she had found in the closet and returned to the bedroom. The robe was new, with the tags still attached to the sleeve. She was looking for her clothes from yesterday when there was a knock at the door.

  “Hello dear. Are you in there?” Mrs. Braden called out.

  “Mrs. Braden! What are you doing here?” she said as she let the older woman inside.

  “Young Master Alex made me a better offer. And a chance to make this grand place my home was just too good to pass up,” Mrs. Braden said with a twinkle in her eye.

  Elynn giggled, “Master Alex isn’t that young anymore. How did Costas react to you jumping ship for Alex’s job offer?”

  “Oh, he and your mother travel so much these days that he was just fine,” the housekeeper said, bustling in with several parcels and bags with exclusive brand names on them. “Master Alex had these things bought for you,” she said laying out the bags.

  She pulled out several designer outfits, all of them dresses or feminine skirts.

  Elynn looked at the selection with trepidation. “There aren’t any pants?”

  “It doesn’t appear so,” Mrs. Braden said, checking through the other bags. “Oh, these are lovely,” she said pulling out some strappy sandals with a low heel. “These would look terrific with this,” she said, pointing to a dark green silk dress. “It would bring out the color of your eyes.”

  “It’s a nice shade. I guess that one is fine.” Elynn shrugged.

  Mrs. Braden left so she could change. After slipping off the robe, she reached for the dress. It had a wrap top and a skirt short enough to show off her legs. She was suddenly glad she had shaved them on impulse while in the tub. Dressing quickly, she put her hair up in a casual pile on the top of her head.

  Worried that she was late for brunch, she hurried down the grand central staircase only to be informed by an unfamiliar servant waiting for her that Alex was on a conference call.

  Alex has a lot more staff now. She didn’t even recognize most of the servants here. Of course, the house was much bigger than his penthouse, so it had probably been necessary to take on more people. Still there were so many new faces and they were so unobtrusive, completely unlike the motherly Mrs. Braden.

  Elynn smiled as another unnaturally quiet servant passed by, doing his best to blend into the surroundings. I’m surprised Alex doesn’t make them wear livery.

  With the sumptuousness of the house and its regal grounds, it really wouldn’t have been out of place. She felt like she had stepped into a period drama on television. The classic house didn’t seem like Alex. She had always associated him with a modern streamlined look, like the decor of his penthouse, but it sort of worked. He was definitely a fitting lord of the manor.

  The cool breeze on the terrace was welcome after her warm bath. On impulse, she decided to walk down to the nearby lake while she waited.

  “I won’t take anything until Alex wraps up his call,” she told the hovering waiter before
walking down to the water’s edge.

  It really is a beautiful place, Elynn reflected as the breeze ruffled her hair. Alex had mentioned that the lake was stocked for sport fishing, another activity she couldn’t picture him doing. But this place was so amazing, she just might lose the bet she’d made with him.

  Noting the mud at the edge of the lake, she took off her new shoes and wandered along the shore, lost in thought. A few minutes later, she heard her name being called. Alex was waving from the terrace. He still had a cell phone in hand, and he appeared to be talking to someone.

  He was gesturing with his hands in that way she’d come to associate with Greek men. Costas made similar gestures while speaking. Smiling at the likeness, she began walking across the grass, carrying her shoes in her hand.

  She hadn’t gotten far when a pain in her foot made her gasp. Looking down she saw a wasp on her leg. Before she could move it stung her again and a sharp pain shot up her leg. She cried out and crumpled to the floor, unable to put weight on her foot. Another sting quickly followed and she gasped in pain.

  “Elynn!”

  Through a haze of tears, she could see Alex running toward her. He was shouting in Greek and more men were running behind him. But Alex reached her first.

  “I’m okay,” she said in a thready voice as he scooped her up into his arms, his face frantic.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  Alex shouted his questions as he broke into a run back to the house. His panic was infectious and suddenly she was terrified.

  “Wasp,” Elynn said with gritted teeth as her leg was jostled.

  The pain burned, and every movement of her leg made it throb.

  “Are you allergic?”

  “I…I don’t…know. But my…leg hurts…so much.”

  The words came out in broken breaths, the effort to say them too much. She closed her eyes against the pain and barely registered Alex’s lips and face against her own. More jostling indicated she was being taken up the stairs. Elynn opened her eyes long enough to see that she was back in the guest room. Alex shoved the new purchases off the bed and laid her down gently in their place.

  “You’re going to be okay. A doctor is being picked up by the helicopter now,” he said urgently.

  She started to tell him that he was overreacting, but her heart was racing and she was struggling to breathe. Maybe a doctor was a good idea. Her head throbbed and her vision started to blacken at the edges. Alex was talking to her, but it seemed like his voice was far away, and she couldn’t catch her breath long enough to reply.

  He reached for her hand and gripped it tightly. She tried to hold onto him, but her hand stayed limp and weak in his. Then the light faded, and she slipped into unconsciousness.

  Chapter 6

  Elynn drifted awake slowly. The room was dark. Someone had drawn the curtains¸ but there was a chink of bright sunlight in the gap between them. Struggling to sit up, she felt something drag along her chin and chest. There was something plastic over her nose and mouth. An oxygen mask?

  What happened?

  There was a murmur of conversation nearby. She took off the mask and called out. “Alex?”

  Her blurry vision focused on him as he rushed towards her from the hallway.

  “Put the mask back on,” he ordered with a scowl.

  When she didn’t move, he did it himself. Another person moved into view, a friendly looking older man with whiskers and a bald spot that was obvious even from her reclined position on the bed.

  “You gave us all quite a scare, young lady,” the stranger said.

  “What happened?” her voice was muffled under the oxygen mask.

  “I think it’s fine if you take that off now,” he said.

  “No,” Alex said. “Absolutely not.”

  “Really, it’s fine,” the doctor reassured him, and Elynn pulled off the mask gratefully. “I’m Doctor Sterns,” he told her before whipping out a penlight to check her pupils.

  “I’m okay,” she told Alex with a pat of her hand. Experimentally, she tried to shift her leg. The pain was gone, but it felt numb. “Why can’t I feel my leg?”

  “I gave you something for the pain. There may be some numbness, and you should stay off the leg for a bit. At least until the feeling comes back,” the doctor continued as he checked her pulse.

  “I got stung by a wasp. Did I have an allergic reaction?” she asked.

  “We’ll need to get the test results back to be sure, but I suspect a number of factors led to this little episode. You were stung multiple times. There was actually more than one wasp; they were attracted to a discarded piece of fruit. One of the stings directly hit a nerve. Wasps have poison similar to rattlesnakes, so their stings can be painful. Your shortness of breath seems to have been exacerbated by a bit of undiagnosed asthma. Do you have problems in the spring? Any breathing issues of any kind?”

  Elynn thought about it and shrugged. “I sometimes get these coughing fits, but I don’t wheeze or anything.”

  Alex was starting to look less panicked and more angry now. He folded his arms and stared down at her with a frown on his face.

  “Sometimes people with asthma don’t wheeze as much as you see in attacks on TV. It can be subtler. The coughing was your most obvious symptom. The shortness of breath combined with your panic made you faint. It may not have been an allergic reaction to the wasp at all. I’m going to prescribe an inhaler for the spring months. Monitor your symptoms more carefully from now on. And we should do a full battery of allergy tests. Treatment these days is easier than in the past. No more injections. Just a few medicinal drops under the tongue every day. Completely painless. You should be right as rain by tomorrow. But take it easy if you don’t feel well,” Dr. Sterns said.

  “I’ve arranged for her to have the day off tomorrow. You can come back to conduct the tests then,” Alex ordered.

  It was Elynn’s turn to frown. “I have to work tomorrow.”

  “Your boss is going to have your experiments monitored for you, but you don’t have many at this stage. Your task is mainly writing now. With your laptop, you can work from here tomorrow. You need to rest,” he said, putting his hands on his hips.

  “I’ll be fine. I am fine,” she assured him as he turned away.

  But Alex was already walking the doctor out of the room, engrossed in conversation.

  His concern was touching, but his bossiness was not. She called out once more only to have him close the door behind him.

  That is going to get old fast.

  ****

  Elynn woke up with a little start. She didn’t know when she’d dozed off, but it was night now. The curtains were open, washing the room with moonlight.

  “Are you hungry?”

  Startled, she turned to find Alex sitting in a chair next to the bed.

  “God! Don’t do that,” she said, taking a deep breath and putting her hand over her heart.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I was just checking up on you. You must be hungry. I’ll go get you something to eat,” he said, getting up and heading out the door.

  Tentatively, she sat up, surprised to find herself still wearing the silk dress. Hopefully she hadn’t ruined it. Putting her legs over the side of the bed, she attempted to put her weight on the foot that had been stung. It was still slightly numb, but not painful anymore.

  “What are you doing out of bed?” Alex burst out.

  Elynn jumped. “Stop yelling. It’s all right. I feel better,” she said as she took a tentative step away from the bed.

  Alex gave her a dark glance, his face red, before he walked up and swept her in his arms. For a second he just held her, surprising her into speechlessness. Slowly he laid her on the bed and took her hand.

  “Uh.” She didn’t know what to say. Alex was very close. Close enough for her to smell his skin and feel the heat radiating from him. Feeling warm, she tried to put some distance between them. “My leg is fine now. It’s just a little numb,”
she said, before trying to climb out of bed again from the other side.

  “Na pari i eychi! Why don’t you ever do what I say?” Alex rasped, reaching out to put his hands on her upper arms.

  He dragged her across the bed to him and bent his head to take her lips in a hard kiss.

  It felt like the world had stopped. Elynn could feel her heart beating in her ears. Even her fingertips seemed to be pounding as her hands gripped Alex’s shoulders for support as he pulled away and stared at her face. She watched him with wide eyes, completely transfixed. There wasn’t a single coherent thought in her head. Slowly Alex moved his mouth back down to hers. The movement was almost glacial. She realized he was giving her every opportunity to stop him. But she didn’t—she couldn’t.

  He stopped short, a mere fraction of an inch away from her. She hesitated for a moment, but then she closed the distance between them. Their lips met softly and he pulled her closer, his upper body pressed tightly against hers. Her head was spinning and she almost jumped when he bit her lower lip.

  Reflexively she opened her mouth and Alex slipped his tongue inside. It stroked hers aggressively, demanding that she respond.

  Elynn couldn’t catch her breath, but she was unwilling to tear her mouth from his. Tentatively she touched her tongue to his. That small little sign of acquiescence on her part seemed to set him on fire. He inhaled deeply, the sound harsh in the quiet of the room before he climbed over her to cover her body with his.

  Alex’s mouth devoured hers as he pushed his knee up to nudge her legs apart. He slipped between them and rubbed against her in a rhythmic rocking motion, a perfect storm of heat and sensation. It was amazing, until she became aware of a growing hardness against her leg. Her eyes flew open and she stiffened in surprise.

  What the hell was she doing? What was he doing?

  Alex looked down at her face and swore a blue streak. At least she thought he was swearing—she couldn’t understand him because he was speaking in Greek. He leapt up from the bed as if it were on fire.

  “I’m sorry,” he said hoarsely.

  The door slammed, and he was gone. Frozen, she stared at the closed door for several minutes. A knock finally startled her into awareness, but it was only Mrs. Braden with a tray of food for her.