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enough time to relax and decompress.
 There are some things a man wants to do with his own two hands, he replied with a strangely
arresting look.
Elynn felt another blush creep up her face. His gaze had barely deviated from her throughout the
entire meal, and she was beginning to feel strange under his focused single-minded attention. Her
chest felt tight, and she wondered if she resembled a tomato.
 Do you want to check out the woods now? he asked.
 Yes, she said, a tad too eagerly.
A little time away from his intense gaze was just what she needed.
 Good, let s go, he said, getting up and slipping on a pair of sunglasses.
Startled, she looked at him blankly.  Oh, you don t have more calls to make?
 No, I m all yours. Come on, he said, holding out his hand.
She was a little slow to get up and take it, and he put it down as he patiently waited for her to get
up and stretch. He led her down the stairs to the edge of the woods. They walked in companionable
silence under the canopy of leaves for a few minutes before he spoke again.
 I was assured by the estate agent that these mixed woods would be productive for a variety of
mushrooms. If I choose to stay here, you should take advantage of the new hunting grounds, he said
offhand as they picked their way through a litter of dead leaves.
 You re not going to stay here, Elynn said with a laugh.  You ll run screaming back to the jet-set
life in London before 
 Before what? he asked, making her jump when his voice came from directly behind her. She
hadn t realized he was standing so close to her.  Sorry, he said, steadying her with a large hand
before stepping to her side.
Elynn swallowed and kept walking.  Before the leaves turn, she finally said.
 Maybe I ll surprise you, he replied.  Would you care to wager on it?
This time her laugh was distinctly nervous.  What do I get if I win?
 Whatever you want.
 And if you win?
 Whatever I want, he said.
 That sounds ominous.
 It is, he assured her.
Elynn stopped short and looked up at Alex s chiseled face with its sculpted cheekbones and strong,
straight nose.
He doesn t know how suggestive that sounds.
 Okay, deal, she agreed, putting out her hand to shake on it.
Alex glanced down and took her hand in his with a small secretive smile on his face. Elynn left
shortly after that, but not before being told that she was returning for brunch in two weeks time.
****
Alex was in Rome between back-to-back meetings, and he was in a bad mood. His father had called
to cheerfully inform him that he and Mary would be able to meet for brunch at his Oxford home the
following Sunday.
He had thanked his father in a slightly flat tone. Costas was obviously suspicious. The move to
Oxford had been too out of character. Clearly he had tipped his hand with the recent move to the
country. And now Costas was going to interfere with his plans. But as much as he loved his father,
that wasn t going to stop him. Once he committed to a course of action, there was no going back.
On impulse, Alex decided to sell his penthouse apartment in the city. It wasn t right, Elynn visiting
that place where he had entertained other women he hadn t particularly liked or respected. But he
hadn t been able to live like a monk while he waited for Elynn to grow up. He still needed a place in
the city, close to the office, but he would look for a house instead.
Frustrated, Alex raked a hand through his hair. He had honestly believed it would take years before
Elynn would be ready for a relationship. Just last year, she d been rattled by an uncomfortable
situation with a male guest at one of their parent s dinner parties. Her reaction to the handsome, but
decidedly pushy blond young man, Samuel somebody, had convinced him she wasn t near where he
wanted her to be.
It had been obvious during the meal that young Samuel admired Elynn. The little shit didn t try to
hide it, but he wasn t the first dinner party guest to get ideas, so Alex shrugged it off. He did,
however, keep a close eye on the guy. He always did whenever his parent s guests included young
men...or any men actually.
In the case of Samuel, though, Alex s overprotectiveness had been justified. After dinner, Samuel
cornered Elynn in the alcove off the dining room. She refused Samuel s dinner invitation, but the guy
was persistent. Too persistent. Elynn was obviously agitated by the time Alex had interrupted them.
Alex had told her to return to the dining room. Tellingly, she hadn t looked back at him or Samuel.
If she had, she would have seen him throwing their guest against the wall and threatening to rearrange
his face. The younger man had practically run out of the room and was off the estate in a matter of
minutes. He left in such a hurry that Alex had to make up a fake emergency for him when he got back
to the dining room because he hadn t stopped to tell his parents goodbye.
That was a while ago, Alex reassured himself. And he wasn t some jackass off the streets. Elynn
trusted him, and for good reason. Pushing his misgivings away, he refocused on his work. But later
that night, after a dinner meeting, Alex s patience took another hit. He was leaving the restaurant when
a scantily clad Sonia Steele sidled up to him.
Ugh, not now, he thought as she took his arm and gave him a peck on the cheek.
 Darling. How are you? Sonia said in an affected sultry tone.
Out of the corner of his eye, a flashbulb went off. Oh, perfect.
Alex swiftly extracted himself.  Hello Sonia, he said with a hint of annoyance as he took out a
handkerchief to wipe away her lipstick.
 Join us for a drink, she invited, pursing her pouty full lips.
Angling her cleavage in a pose that was probably supposed to be seductive, she tried to take his [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]