The Agent

by Ellen Lane

  “Fine. Ready to get back to the mainland. All this sun and surf doesn’t agree with me.”

  “I have to say that I disagree.” For a brief moment, the way his gaze moved over her was reminiscent of the way he looked at her when she was wearing nothing at all, and Alice realized how desperately, terribly, she wanted this man to be hers and hers alone. Biting her lip, Alice forced herself to look away from the almost painful handsomeness of his smile, buckling herself in and settling into her seat.

  The flight back to LA seemed to take an eternity, and when they arrived, Alice didn’t linger. The last thing she wanted to do was have herself labeled as clingy. The moment she was able, she grabbed her luggage and caught a cab back home before collapsing onto the bed and mentally berating herself. This was his apartment. The man could come and see her whenever he bloody-well pleased.

  But Russell didn’t.

  For the entirety of one long week after they returned, Alice didn’t see him at all. He didn’t call or text, and he didn’t come to the apartment - which made it all the more ironic when Michael called to give her an appropriately large piece of his mind.

  It had been a particularly long day on set and Alice wasn’t too happy that Russell had, somehow, managed to avoid her for its entirety. Thanks to the rest of the crew - with whom she had become very friendly with in Aruba - she knew that he was around. He simply wasn’t around her. Alice was contemplating what exactly she was going to do about her feelings on the matter when her phone rang. To be honest, she was surprised Michael hadn’t called her sooner. She half expected he might want daily updates on her after she returned from the UK. But no - he waited a good three weeks to contact her.

  And Alice soon found out why.

  “I was wondering when my all-knowing older brother would finally call to check up on his favorite sister.”

  In reply, Michael only grunted like the bear he was. “You’re my only sister.”

  “Bloody straight.” Alice returned cheekily, unable to help the smile that spread across her face. “How’s fatherhood?”

  Rose had, in fact, been sending her roughly one hundred new pictures a week of her niece, all of which Alice had absorbed every spare second she had - not that there had been overly many. Most of her time had been consumed with either work or Russell -though at least one of those things had changed as of late.

  “Exhausting. Victoria is simultaneously the love of my life and the bane of my existence.”

  Alice laughed in amusement, even as the comment tugged at her heart strings. She had no doubt that Michael was a wonderful father - but thinking of her niece, at this juncture, only made her wonder if she would ever have her own children.

  With Russell.

  Bloody Christ, she’d absolutely lost her mind. “I’m sure things are hardly that bad.” She forced her mind back to the conversation at hand.

  “It’s all done out of love, so bad is perhaps an overstatement,” Michael finally admitted, after much prodding. Alice chuckled, merely shaking her head. “Perhaps I can get some vacation time again soon so I can come and take her off your hands.”

  “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “I absolutely would.” Alice rebutted without hesitation. In fact, she’d like nothing more. Spending more time with her niece would distract her from falling in love with Russell Darwell - which she sorely needed right about now.

  “Well, I can only imagine that you must be doing well in the States, if you’d be given leave so easily.”

  Michael’s comment obviously insinuated something he wasn’t quite saying, and at the accusation he implied, Alice arched a cautious brow.

  “I am. I’ve been doing...swimmingly.” She supposed that was as good an answer as any, even if it was only half true.

  Michael merely sighed, and for a moment, little more than silence passed between them. By the time her brother finally spoke, Alice had been on the cusp of demanding that he just come out with whatever it was that was bothering him. “Alice, I know about you and Darwell.”

  The young woman suppressed a groan. That, she could have guessed. Now all she needed to do was ascertain why exactly her brother was going to come after her. Was it that she had broken her word? To protect her dignity?

  “Of course, you do. I imagine there’s not a tabloid in the world that doesn’t.” It didn’t matter where she was in the cosmos, gossip magazine reporters always flocked to her, whether she saw them or not.

  “Alice...are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

  At that particular question, she couldn’t help but bristle somewhat. “Mike, I’m not a child.” Her words came out much sharper than she’d intended, but Alice had no intention of taking them back. “As I constantly tell you, I think I’m old enough to do as I please.”

  Her brother merely made a sound of exasperation low in his throat - one with which she was intimately familiar. “Alice, I’m not questioning your maturity. It’s just...I thought you decided to stay away from Darwell. Can’t you accept that I’m just worried that... well... with a man like him... you’re doomed to unhappiness.”

  “‘A man like him’?” Alice immediately rebutted suspiciously. “What has he done now?”

  “Nothing.” Michael replied much too quickly for her liking. “We just know that he doesn’t like to commit. He doesn’t like to let anyone in and... how can you be with someone you don’t really know?”

  This was a point Alice had considered many times herself. Did she feel as if she knew Russell completely? Of course not. She knew very well that he hadn’t really opened up to her. But she still had time. Maybe...just maybe….

  “Alice, I want to set you up with someone.” At this particular proclamation, Alice’s eyes widened. When Elias set her up with his realtor friend, the results had been nothing short of disastrous. She didn’t think another set up was in the cards.

  “Michael, I don’t know when I’ll next be home,” she did her best to reject him gently. “I don’t think you should worry too much-”

  “He’s an American.” Her brother immediately rushed to assure her. “A construction executive - and he lives in California. He’s given millions to charity and seems like a genuinely good man.”

  Alice swallowed thickly in trepidation. She didn’t really want to go on any blind dates at the moment. She still needed time to come to terms with her feelings for Russell. Even though they weren’t technically together, she somehow felt as if seeing someone else would be...wrong.

  “Michael...I don’t think right now is the best time.” She struggled to find an apt reason to turn down her brother’s ambitions. “I’m busy with work, I don’t know if I’ll have time…”

  “But you’ll have time to see Darwell, won’t you?” The snipe was so completely sudden and unexpected that it caught Alice completely off guard. She didn’t have time to work on her composure. Rather, her first impulse was to be affronted, and she went with it.

  “Why are you so bloody absorbed in who I chose to see? For the love of God, you’re acting like mother when she was trying to find you a wife. Can’t you just stop meddling, for once?”

  It was harsh. She knew that the moment the words left her lips - but Alice was tired. As much as she loved her brother, him attributing her happiness to finding the right man was indeed the equivalent of their own mother implying he had to marry to carry on the family line. Alice didn’t want to be forced into a relationship. She wanted everything to happen as organically as possible - and even if Russell wasn’t the perfect boyfriend, everything that happened between them so far happened because she wanted it to - nothing more and nothing less. For now, that was enough.

  “Alice…” When Michael spoke her name, she couldn’t stop the edge of guilt that twisted into her, despite her resolve. “I’m not...I’m not trying to control you. All I want is for you to be happy.”

  Taking a deep breath, Alice squeezed her eyes closed. “If that’s what you want, then let me make my own decisions, alright?” With tha
t, she hung up the phone - feeling like a complete and total bitch.

  The young woman fought the impulse to immediately call Michael back and apologize. He hadn’t deserved that. Ever since they were children, they’d sworn to watch out for one another. All Michael was doing was worrying about her well-being.

  And she had insulted him for it.

  Christ, was everything in her life going wrong?

  Alice decided she needed a drink - preferably one that was mostly alcohol. And then she needed to sleep until she felt better - whether that meant a few hours or an entire week. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be the latter.

  As it turned out, Alice didn’t get nearly as much sleep as she would have liked. Between being up half the night wondering if her brother hated her and getting no less than five calls from her assistants about various costuming concerns, she might have gotten to sleep around three in the morning. And then her doorbell rang at just past eight.

  The young woman was perfectly ready to tell whoever it was to fuck off and leave her alone, but when the bell rang again, and then a third time, she resigned herself to making a personal trip to the front door.

  Irate enough to destroy something fairly inexpensive, Alice yanked open her front door - and found herself completely speechless.

  It was Russell.

  She supposed she shouldn’t have been so surprised, especially considering it was the second time the man had shown up at her front door unannounced - but she couldn’t help it. Russell had made no attempt whatsoever to contact her for an entire week. For him to suddenly show up out of the blue...well...it was very Russell of him.

  “Um...good morning?” A huge yawn almost dislocated her jaw in her attempt to greet him. She would never understand how he looked so impeccable so damned early in the morning. While she herself had always been an early riser, people in the United States seemed to get started later with their days - and so she had adjusted to a schedule more convenient to days that started at eleven in the morning.

  And yet here Russell was, just past eight, making her want to devour him despite her inherent exhaustion.

  Surprisingly, the man held a huge bouquet of exquisite roses, making Alice realize that it had been half an age since a man bought her flowers of his own accord.

  “Good morning.” She knew she should be put out over his ignoring her for a week, but somehow, Alice couldn’t bring herself to. Now when he was smiling tentatively at her like her welcoming him inside could make or break his entire day. “Did you sleep well?”

  “Well, I was kind of...still sleeping.” She provided lamely, torn between making him suffer and wanting him desperately inside her.

  Russell arched a brow in inquiry. “Mind if I join you?”

  Oh God.

  “Come in.” She barely hesitated. Russell Darwell was, without a doubt, her greatest weakness - damn him to hell.

  **

  He was an idiot. A complete and total idiot.

  Russell had to wonder if he would ever truly make a concrete decision. Of course, he wasn’t going to try to deny to himself that the time he spent with Alice in Aruba was wonderful beyond compare. Even with all his mishaps and inconsistencies, he still managed to enjoy almost every moment he had with her - so much so that he acutely missed her presence the moment she was gone.

  The day they left the sun-drenched, paradise country, he had a bit of a panic attack. The prospect of returning to LA - leaving the isolated island where Alice had been his and only his - was intimidating. Really, Russell only had two options: he could either pretend the entire thing had never happened and return to his old ways, or he could try and go further with Alice than he had with any woman before her.

  Naturally, his first impulse had been the former. He had been cordial with Alice, but little beyond that on the flight back - and when they’d actually gotten back, well...he’d sequestered himself while he tried to figure out what he actually planned to do. Of course, he still worked on the same set as her - he had to see to Regina and make sure she didn’t try to kill Lemmy while he wasn’t looking, but other than that, Russell made a concerted effort to try to stay out of Alice’s way.

  At least until he figured out what the hell he was doing.

  Russell wanted Alice more than he had ever wanted another woman. More than he had wanted anything in his life. And so, naturally, he fought his impulses. He was far from used to being so strongly drawn to a woman, and the fact that he couldn’t stop thinking about her - remembering how she felt in his arms - was enough to make him worry that he was losing his sanity.

  But ultimately, the pull couldn’t be ignored.

  He was, Russell knew, being a complete arsehole. After what they had shared, he at least owed Alice an explanation. The way he was going, her brother would probably have his guts for garters - and sooner rather than later. It took him about a week to come to the decision that he was going to throw all caution to the wind. It wasn’t like there was even a question of another woman with Alice around. She was the only one he wanted.

  So why not roll with it for a while? See where life took him?

  He’d shut himself off from so many people for so long, he’d almost forgotten what it was like to have someone he could trust.

  He knew that roses weren’t enough to atone for the way he’d treated Alice, but Russell hoped they might be a start.

  She let him in - and that was the first step. Asking if he could sleep with her was bold, but when she didn’t immediately turn him down, Russell’s heart was buoyed. Despite the fact that he’d obviously caught her sleeping, she looked positively radiant - her cheeks flushed with warmth, hair mussed and nightgown just reaching her thighs. Though there was nothing he’d like more than to lift her into his arms and spirit her away to have his wicked way with her, the ball was now in her court.

  “Would you...like some coffee?” He watched her take the roses to the sink to clip them carefully before putting them in an exquisite crystal vase that she just happened to have lying around.

  Running a hand through his hair, Russell tried to decide how best to approach this situation. It was obvious that he was on thin ice. For all he knew, one more wrong move was all it would take for Alice to be finished with him completely. Was he truly willing to risk that- even with his pride and inherent wariness over relationships?

  “Alice...I would like to apologize.”

  The dark-haired woman’s head popped up in obvious surprise before her eyes narrowed in skepticism. “For what, exactly?”

  For everything. For dodging her when he should have been supporting her. For allowing those far beneath her to insult and ridicule her. For making love to her and then avoiding her...and for not being able to make up his mind when it came to what he wanted. For that, especially, he was an insufferable cad.

  “For...not allowing myself to be with you properly.” Alice stared at him as if he’d grown an extra head and Russell took a deep breath. There was no way he was going to get out of this without explaining himself - or at least trying. “Alice...I know I’m not very good at this sort of thing.” Crossing the kitchen, he took the vase from her to set it safely on the counter. “It’s been a long, long while since I’ve felt for any woman like I feel for you and I...to be honest, I’m not sure I remember how it’s properly done.”

  At that, the young woman arched a brow. “You seem to be doing alright so far.”

  That was encouraging.

  “No, I haven’t.” He professed on a sigh. “I admit that you...well…. you intimidate me.”

  Alice’s eyes widened. “Me? Intimidate you?” Disbelief was rampant in her eyes. “I have no idea how.”

  She couldn’t truly be so naive about herself. “Alice...you are honestly everything a successful man might look for in a woman. You’re gorgeous, driven, well-educated, funny...and I can’t help but want to put my hands on you constantly.”

  She flushed slightly at this particular admission, but said nothing, allowing him to continue. “I’ve be
en inconsistent, and I’ve allowed rumors of my tendencies to make up for things I myself should explain to you. I suppose...what I’m trying to say…” He expelled a long breath, hoping he was going about this in the right way. “Is that I want to try something with you...that I haven’t tried with anyone.”

  Alice appeared to contemplate silently for a moment before she answered him carefully. “And I’m the only woman you aspire to do this with?”

  Russell could have groaned aloud. He might as well shout from the rooftops that there was no other woman but her. “I haven’t even been able to think about another woman since I met you. You are most definitely under my skin, Miss Tate.”

  A slow, indulgent grin spread across her face, and Russell felt the nervousness clenching his stomach fall away. She wasn’t going to banish him, and she wasn’t going to turn him away. The first woman he thought to stay with, in half an age had somehow forgiven him his tomfoolery.

  Half of the battle was won.

  Now, he only needs to struggle against his inner self.

  “So, are you going to show me how genuinely apologetic you are, Mr. Darwell?” That sounded like an invitation if he’d ever heard one, and Russell wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. With barely any hesitation, he lifted Alice into his arms, hoisting her onto the nearest countertop as his mouth fused with hers. Though it had only been a week since he last kissed her, it felt like an eternity. Alice tasted - as she always did - of absolute heaven. And in that instant, Russell forgot all of his misgivings. He forgot that he’d once promised himself to be beholden to one woman and one woman alone as a form of penance.

  He forgot everything except Alice.

  She was scantily clad enough that it took little to get to her choicer bits. In an instant, he’d drawn the collar of her nightgown down to expose her magnificent breasts and was sucking a nipple with ardent fervor. Alice gasped, her fingers tunneling through his hair and instantly ruining its immaculate style - but Russell could give two bloody whit’s.