by Morgan, Sara
Alex treated her to a smile that was guaranteed to weaken the knees of any female, regardless of age.
‘You’re not in the way. In fact, I’m very relieved you’re here or my future on this planet would be in severe jeopardy.’
Libby noticed the way that Adrienne was staring at her brother and suppressed a groan.
Alex affected all women that way, no matter how young or old they were. He was lethal.
‘So come on.’ She looked at him pointedly. ‘What happened? And don’t give me any more of this ‘‘I was saving a life’’ rubbish.’
Alex leaned back in his chair and gave her a slow smile. ‘I decided to do you a favour and let someone else buy you. Someone you could actually have a relationship with.’
Libby gaped at him. ‘But that isn’t what I want. You know I don’t want a relationship.’
‘Of course you do.’ Alex suppressed a yawn. ‘All women want relationships. It’s in the genes. The minute you meet a new man you start scribbling his surname after your name just to see what it looks like.’
Libby was momentarily speechless. ‘I don’t do that! I don’t want a relationship any more than you do!’
Alex regarded her steadily. ‘Yes, you do, sweetheart. You’re terrified of being hurt but deep down you believe in Mr Right as much as every other woman.’
‘You’re an insufferable chauvinist.’ Libby was simmering and Alex looked amused.
‘No, I’m honest. Men have different needs to women. We don’t need all that ‘‘till death us do part’’ nonsense to enjoy a relationship. Even when we do end up marrying we only do it because that’s what women expect. Not because it’s what we want.’
Libby scowled at him, dying to let rip but constrained by Adrienne’s presence. ‘One day, Alexander Westerling, you are going to meet the woman of your dreams,’ she muttered, her teeth gritted as she struggled with her temper, ‘and I truly hope she refuses to marry you.’
Alex threw back his head and laughed. ‘Sweetheart, the woman who refuses to marry me is the woman of my dreams.’
Libby glared at her brother with frustration.
He was devilishly good-looking and his ego had been fed a constant diet of adoring, hopeful women since he’d mastered the art of smiling. Consequently he didn’t believe that there was a single woman he couldn’t seduce into his bed if he put his mind to it.
But that was as far as it went. Libby knew that underneath the light-hearted banter her brother was icily determined never to settle down with one woman. She looked at him sadly, the anger melting away as she acknowledged that he was as much a victim of their upbringing as she was. When things had become heated between her parents, it had frequently been Alex who had intervened. The experience had left him with a serious allergy to long-term relationships.
She’d thought she was the same, but his words had kindled a doubt deep inside her.
Was she secretly hoping that Mr Right was out there?
Was she fooling herself by pretending that she wasn’t interested in relationships?
Alex was looking at her steadily and she sensed that he knew what she was thinking. For all their petty arguing, they were extremely close.
‘So tell me about the man who bought you,’ he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. ‘Rumour has it that he was smitten.’
Rumour?
Libby stared at him, wondering just how much he knew. The hospital grapevine had obviously worked overtime. ‘Did you know that Philip tried to buy me?’
‘No.’ Alex’s smile faded and his blue eyes suddenly lost their warmth. ‘I didn’t know he was turning up or I would have been there. He and I need to have a chat.’
Libby watched as her brother’s fingers tightened around his mug. For a brief moment both of them had forgotten Adrienne’s presence. ‘Defending my honour, Alex?’
‘Maybe.’
Libby swallowed, touched by her brother’s protectiveness. ‘Would you have hit him?’
‘Into the next county,’ Alex drawled lightly, ‘so maybe it’s just as well I didn’t go. I gather someone outbid him?’
Oh, yes. Someone had definitely outbidden him.
Libby stared at her plate, her mind suddenly full of Andreas. His broad shoulders, his powerful musculature and the aura of strength that surrounded him.
All her instincts warned her that he was the sort of man who broke hearts.
He was absolutely the last person that she ought to be daydreaming about.
So why couldn’t she get him out of her mind?
‘Lib?’ Alex leaned forward, his blue gaze sharp. ‘Come on. Tell your big brother.’
Libby felt her colour rise and cursed inwardly as she saw Alex smile knowingly. It was impossible to hide anything from him.
‘He’s not really my big brother,’ Libby told Adrienne, keeping her voice light to disguise the hammering of her heart. ‘We’re triplets. He was born about three minutes before our sister Katy. I was last.’
Adrienne stared at them in fascination. ‘Triplets? You lucky things. How wonderful to be one of three.’
‘Not that wonderful,’ Libby said, glaring at her brother, but Adrienne sighed wistfully.
‘I think it’s great. I would have done anything to have had a brother or sister and you’ve got both.’
Alex leaned forward, his voice gentle. ‘You’re an only child?’
Adrienne nodded. ‘And my mum and dad died in a boating accident in Greece when I was tiny. I’ve lived with my Grandma for the past twelve years but she had to have a hip operation and now she’s decided that she’s too old to look after me now and that’s why I’ve come to live with Andreas.’
Alex listened carefully to this tumbled speech and his gaze swivelled to Libby.
‘And who’s Andreas?’
‘He’s the man who bought me last night, Alex. Remember? I was for sale, and you were supposed to buy me.’
Completely unrepentant, Alex lifted a dark eyebrow. ‘How much did he pay?’
‘Andreas bought you?’ Adrienne’s eyes were like saucers and Libby suppressed a groan. She’d forgotten that the child didn’t know the story.
‘He just bought a date with me, that’s all,’ she said quickly, throwing a warning glance at Alex. ‘The money was for a good cause. It was all very harmless.’
Except that the sum hadn’t been harmless. He’d paid a small fortune for the privilege of spending an evening with her.
Adrienne’s eyes were very round. ‘Wow. That doesn’t sound like him. Andreas is very picky about women. Especially women he doesn’t know. He doesn’t trust them. Grandma says it’s because he’s handsome, Greek and a millionaire,’ she said ingenuously. ‘They’re after him for the wrong reasons. So why you were sleeping in our spare room?’
Aware of her brother’s amused gaze, Libby gritted her teeth. ‘It’s a bit complicated.’
Alex drained his coffee-cup. ‘I’ll just bet it is,’ he muttered under his breath, and Libby rolled her eyes in frustration.
Whoever thought it was great to be a triplet had never had a brother as infuriating as Alex.
‘None of this would have happened,’ she snarled, ‘if you’d fulfilled your brotherly duty and bought me.’
Alex stood up, as cool and relaxed as ever. ‘Of course, there’s always the possibility that he might have outbid me if he’s that rich.’
‘You’re filthy rich and I’m your sister!’ Libby looked at him in exasperation. ‘You should have been prepared to pay whatever it took.’
‘To keep you out of the clutches of a handsome Greek millionaire?’ Alex’s eyes brimmed with laughter. ‘I don’t think so. I think he could be just what my baby sister needs.’
Libby stared at him, a suspicion forming in her mind. ‘You did it on purpose, didn’t you?’ she said slowly, her eyes narrowing as she looked at him. ‘You never intended to buy me.’
‘I’ve always been very careful with my money,’ Alex said lightly, ‘and, anyway, there’s not
hing like a new love affair to take your mind off your old one. You needed a distraction from Philip.’
He lifted one broad shoulder in a careless shrug and with a conspiratorial wink at Adrienne he strolled out of the room, leaving Libby fuming.
He was so infuriating.
‘He’s gorgeous,’ Adrienne whispered, her eyes still fixed on the door as if she was hoping that Alex would reappear. ‘Really, really handsome. Those blue eyes are amazing.’
‘He’s dangerous,’ Libby muttered, pushing her plate away and reaching for her coffee. ‘Wherever he goes, he leaves a trail of broken hearts and sobbing women.’
At that moment her brother was not her favourite person.
‘Like Andreas,’ Adrienne observed wisely, and Libby smiled wryly.
She could imagine that it was true.
Andreas Christakos was staggeringly good-looking and if he was rich as well then that would be enough for most women.
But not her.
She was far too cynical to be taken in by a handsome face and buckets of sex appeal.
And she certainly wasn’t interested in his money.
She stood up and smiled at Adrienne. ‘Come on. Let’s do your hair before he picks you up.’
Andreas rang the doorbell and glanced at his watch in frustration.
He was much, much later than he’d planned. Stabilising the little girl in A and E had taken a long time and in the end he’d admitted her to the ward, leaving instructions with the staff that they were to call him if there was any change in her condition. It had been a nasty attack.
The door opened and, instead of Libby, he found himself staring at a tall, dark-haired man with very blue eyes.
Andreas tensed and the warmth of his greeting froze on his lips.
This was not what he’d expected. It had never occurred to him that Libby could be living with someone.
His reaction to the evidence that she had another man in her life was so intense that he sucked in a breath as he felt a rush of that most basic of emotions—
Jealousy.
The man extended a hand, his expression friendly. ‘I’m Alex—Libby’s brother. You must be the guy who bought her. I tell you now, you should get yourself a refund. The girl’s high maintenance and she costs a fortune in chocolate and shoes.’
Brother?
The tension left his shoulders and Andreas smiled warmly. The knowledge that she lived with her brother and not her boyfriend caused him a significant amount of relief.
‘Come on in.’ Alex stood to one side to let him pass. ‘The girls are in the bedroom. I don’t know what’s going on but there’s lots of giggling.’
‘It was kind of her to bring Adrienne home.’ Andreas glanced around him, noticing the elegance of the spacious apartment. ‘Your sister is good with children.’
Alex gave a short laugh. ‘Better with children than she is with adults. Can I get you a drink?’
Andreas smiled and shook his head. ‘No, thanks. I need to take Adrienne back to school.’ He ran a hand over his darkened jaw. ‘That’s if I can persuade her to go back.’
At that moment a door opened and Adrienne came flying out, her face happy and smiling.
‘Guess what? Libby’s promised to pick me up from school and take me shopping one day soon.’
She had? Why would she do a thing like that?
Andreas hid his surprise. A day shopping with a twelve-year-old girl bent on choosing a totally unsuitable wardrobe wasn’t his idea of relaxation. Why would Libby have volunteered for the task? She had no reason to want to help Adrienne.
He looked at Libby curiously but she carefully avoided his gaze.
Adrienne slipped an arm through his and looked sheepish. ‘I’m sorry I ran away. Did you ring the school? Were they furious?’
‘Yes, I rang and, no, they weren’t furious. They were worried.’ Andreas rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, wondering how he was going to help her to settle in. For all his experience with women, he knew nothing about twelve-year-old girls. ‘It’s a good school, Adrienne.’
Adrienne pulled a face. ‘I suppose the teachers are OK but I haven’t got any friends.’
‘You’ve only been there for a week,’ Libby said quietly. ‘These things take time. Remember what we said.’
‘Yeah.’ Adrienne nodded and then looked at Andreas. ‘Can we go for a pizza before you take me back?’
Relieved to have avoided a long drawn-out debate about whether she should go back at all, Andreas smiled. Whatever Libby had said to the child, it had obviously made an impact. ‘Yes, we can go for pizza.’
‘And can Libby come?’
Libby stiffened. ‘I don’t think—’
‘Of course she can,’ Andreas said smoothly, ignoring the furious look she shot him. ‘It’s the least I can do after the hospitality she offered you tonight.’
‘Fantastic. I just need to say goodbye to Alex.’ Adrienne hurried off towards the kitchen and Libby looked at Andreas angrily.
‘I’ve already told you, I don’t go on dates.’
‘If you think that eating pizza with a twelve-year-old is my idea of a date, you’re in for a pleasant surprise when I finally take you out,’ Andreas drawled. ‘You can relax. This is Adrienne’s evening. You’re quite safe.’
She sucked in a breath. ‘Don’t you understand no? Do I need to learn Greek?’
‘It’s just a pizza, Libby,’ he said mildly, noticing with satisfaction that she seemed very tense. She definitely wasn’t indifferent to him. ‘Trust me, when we go on our date, we won’t be eating pizza.’
‘I won’t go on a date with you.’ Her eyes clashed with his and her blue eyes sparked. ‘I don’t want to go on a date with anyone.’
‘But I’m not anyone.’
Her soft lips were parted and he could see a pulse beating in the side of her throat but she was still glaring at him.
‘Sure of yourself, aren’t you?’
He smiled, intrigued by the complexities of her character. On the outside she was prickly and sassy, but on the inside—his guts clenched as he remembered the way she’d handled the children—on the inside she was soft and all woman.
And he wanted her.
He lifted a hand and brushed her flushed cheek with a lingering touch that made her stiffen. ‘Remember the fireworks, Libby.’
He could tell by the expression on her face that she didn’t want to remember them. That remembering them disturbed her.
They took Adrienne for a pizza and then drove her back to school.
Libby helped to settle her into her room while Andreas went to talk to the headmistress.
Noting the awed expressions of her roommates as they stared at both Andreas and his incredibly sexy sports car, Libby privately doubted that Adrienne would have any more trouble fitting in, but she chatted away to the other girls, trying to help Adrienne bridge the gap.
When they finally left the school it was dark and Andreas drove back towards her flat.
‘I owe you a big thank you.’
She glanced at him briefly, suddenly conscious of the intimacy created by the confines of the car. ‘For what?’
‘For being so kind to Adrienne.’
‘She’s a nice girl.’
His strong fingers tightened slightly on the wheel. ‘I feel somewhat out of my depth,’ he admitted wryly, sounding very Greek and very, very male. ‘Dealing with twelve-year-old girls is new to me.’
His broad shoulders were only inches away from hers and she shifted slightly in her seat to try and create some distance.
‘How did she come to be living with you?’ Maybe if she stuck to neutral subjects she’d be able to forget how good-looking he was. ‘She said something about her grandmother deciding that she was too old to look after her.’
Andreas gave a short laugh. ‘My mother isn’t too old for anything,’ he said dryly. ‘She was just playing games.’
‘What sort of games?’
He hesitated and then cast
her a smile. ‘It’s history now.’ There was a brief silence and he returned his attention to the road ahead. ‘I was very grateful for your help tonight. She seemed happy by the time we left her and that was because of you.’
Libby frowned slightly, wondering what he’d meant by the statement that his mother had been playing games. ‘It’s early days,’ she said. ‘It always takes a while to settle into a new school, particularly when you start halfway through a term.’
She gave a little shudder, remembering all too well the nightmares of school.
‘You sound as though you’re speaking from experience.’
‘I am.’ Libby stared out of the window into the darkness. ‘We all went to boarding school. Alex was fine—he’s as tough as nails—but Katy and I hated it.’
‘Katy is your sister?’
Libby nodded. ‘She works in A and E. She’s married to Jago Rodriguez, the consultant.’
‘Really?’ Andreas pulled up outside her building and switched off the engine. ‘I met him earlier tonight. Bright chap. But at least you and Katy had each other at school. Adrienne has no one. That worries me. And I hate her boarding. As soon as I find a suitable housekeeper she can live at home with me.’
‘She’s a lovely girl,’ Libby said. ‘She’ll make friends, I know she will. She just needs a little more confidence and her appearance needs a bit of a tweak. I must admit I’m surprised that your mother expects you to keep an eye on her. You’re a single guy and teenagers can be a handful at the best of times.’
‘My mother is a master manipulator,’ Andreas remarked. ‘She is desperate for me to mend my wicked ways and settle down. She thought Adrienne might fulfil that purpose.’
Libby saw the amusement in his dark eyes and felt her heart lurch. It would be so easy to fall for him.
Why was she feeling like this? she wondered helplessly. She had more sense than to fall for a handsome face and a luscious body.
Maybe it was because he wasn’t English. All that bronzed virility and exotic sexuality was getting to her.
But she had it under control, she told herself firmly, dragging her mind back to the conversation.
‘So how does having Adrienne help?’
‘She thinks it will curb my reputedly excessive lifestyle.’