by Fiona Brand
Picking up the ice pack, she settled it against her head again, and watched as he found coffee grounds and started making coffee. She noticed he had also placed a box of candles and a lighter on the kitchen counter, just in case the power went out. When the rich scent of dark roast filled the air as the machine began to drip coffee into the carafe, Tobias peeled off his wet shirt and dropped it over the back of a chair. Reaching for a towel, he dried himself off. When he was finished, he leaned on the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. “Why didn’t you tell me about the SVT?”
Allegra dragged her gaze from his chest. “If you’ll remember, we didn’t exactly spend a lot of time talking.” Suddenly over being passive and looked after, she set the ice pack down on the table, pushed to her feet and began searching out mugs. “If you must know, I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think it would have mattered—”
“It mattered.” Tobias’s hand stayed hers as she set out sugar and teaspoons, and, suddenly, tension and a crazy nervousness were zinging through her.
Fingers threading with hers, he pulled her close. “I came looking for you because I knew I needed to fix what had happened this afternoon. Then, Janice told me you were in Mercy Hospital with a heart condition. I missed you at the hospital by a few minutes—”
He loosened his hold slightly. “When you walked out on me, I realized I’d made the same mistake in not trusting you that I’d been making all along.” He hesitated. “Before I met you, you know I was involved with Lindsay.”
“You were living together.”
“For a couple of years. Lindsay wanted to get married. She wanted children, the whole deal. I agreed to marriage. She was already starting to plan the wedding, but, at that point, I knew it wouldn’t work, so we broke up.”
In terse words, he explained the difficulty he’d had with trust ever since his parents had broken up when he was ten. His father had had affairs then had left his mother to move in with an A-list party girl, the first in a long line, and his mother had become embittered.
“That’s why I chose Lindsay,” he said curtly. “I was looking for someone dependable and steady, mostly because I didn’t want to be like my father. Then, I saw you on the beach and I fell like a ton of bricks. Combine that with the guilt I felt when I finally left Lindsay because I wanted you...”
He released her and walked over to the one window that wasn’t protected by a shutter, and stared bleakly out at the storm. “But that wasn’t the worst of it. I didn’t know it, but apparently, when I left, she was pregnant. Not long after, she miscarried.” He shrugged. “I went into damage control, and that meant denying that I wanted you.”
A heavy gust of wind hit the beach house, making it creak, but she barely noticed the sound; she was still dealing with the shock of the revelation. “I’m so sorry you lost the baby,” she said quietly. “When, exactly, did Lindsay miscarry?”
Tobias turned his head, his gaze oddly dark. “The day after you and I first slept together.”
And, suddenly, it all made sense. She had always wondered why Tobias had dumped her cold, when the attraction between them had been so strong and it had felt so good to be together. Now, she knew: it had been the shock of loss, and guilt. “You blamed yourself for the miscarriage.”
His expression was remote. “How could I not?”
Then, the online stories had reinforced his decision, ruining any chance of a relationship between them.
Even though it still made her feel angry and hurt, it was time to address the scene in the guest bedroom that morning. “What about your reaction to the jewelry? I’m guessing you read some of the online lies Halliday and Fischer wrote about me.”
His expression was bleak. “It hit some buttons, mostly because my father spent a small fortune on jewelry for his various ‘friends’ and I couldn’t stand the thought that you might have slept with Fischer and Halliday. When I walked out to the garage and saw the new jewelry case and the jewels spilled across the seat of your car, I...reacted.”
She took a deep breath. “Do you realize how much that hurt?”
Tobias crossed the space between them, cupped her shoulders and pulled her close. “Babe, I’m sorry I hurt you, and sorry it took me so long to acknowledge the truth. When you walked out on me, I nearly went crazy—”
They were suddenly plunged into darkness as the power flicked out.
Tobias muttered something beneath his breath. Seconds later, he had the first candle lit and positioned in a glass. Three more candles later, positioned at strategic points, and the kitchen was filled with the warm flickering glow.
The coffee machine had finished filtering, so he poured the coffee, spooned in sugar and handed her a hot mug. “You need to drink that,” he said abruptly. “You look too damn pale.”
She inhaled the rich aroma. There was no milk, but she didn’t care. Hot, sweet coffee when she was wet and chilled was ambrosia.
“There’s something else we need to talk about,” he said. “I got Tulley to investigate the two men who attempted to destroy your reputation.”
Allegra’s head jerked up at the way Tobias had framed his words, as if she was innocent. She winced a little, because the sudden movement made her head throb. “Why?”
“Because the online stories have nothing to do with who you are. And, as it turns out, those two particular men have unsavory reputations.”
“And a lot of money and influence.” She met his gaze squarely. “Fischer actually tried to seduce me in my office—”
Cold fury registered in Tobias’s eyes, and a small shiver went down her spine. Suddenly, the fact that he had been a Special Forces soldier operating in some of the most violent and dangerous places on the planet was starkly evident.
“I’ll kill him,” he said softly.
“No need. I hit him with a stapler.”
“You did what?”
“It was a big stapler.” She didn’t bother to hide the satisfaction in her voice. “He went down.”
Amusement surfaced in Tobias’s eyes. It was an odd moment to realize that, just when she had thought everything had fallen apart, he did something masculine and irresistibly alpha and, even though she knew he was dictatorial, terminally edgy and difficult, she wanted him back all over again.
“I know what they did to you,” he growled. “That’s why I sent Tulley to investigate them. He did some digging and came up with conclusive evidence that both Halliday and Fischer had been trolling online dating sites and misrepresenting themselves to women for years. There were also a couple of assault convictions that had been quashed, probably because the women had gotten threatened or paid off. To put it politely, their behavior was predatory.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “But, as it happens, Hunt Security and the various businesses the Messena and Atraeus families own, do some business with Burns-Stein Halliday. I emailed Burns the investigative report and suggested that if they continued to employ Halliday and Fischer, there would be repercussions. Also, that they needed to make reparations to you, ASAP, or I would be over there.”
Her throat closed up, and, for a long moment, her breathing felt impeded. She had thought she had put it all behind her, that she had healed, but the pressure in her chest told her otherwise.
What had happened had hurt. She had thrown herself into study and work and then, practically overnight, it had all been taken from her in the most humiliating of ways.
When she could finally speak, her voice was husky. “What do you mean by reparations?”
“For a start, an apology. There’s legislation about harassment in the workplace, and they ignored it. Then, there’s the matter of compensation for your lost career—”
“I left voluntarily.”
“You left because of what happened.”
“I can’t, exactly, afford to sue them—”
“Which is why
I’m suing the ass off of them.”
That shouldn’t be romantic but it absolutely was, because Tobias had finally ridden to the rescue and was now fighting for her.
He was on her side, which meant Burns-Stein Halliday was toast. She would not want to be in their shoes if Tobias actually had to go over there. But she would definitely want to be in the room. “When you go, I’m coming with you.”
His brows jerked together. “You’re not going back to work for those clowns. You’ve got a great business right here and, as far as I’m concerned, for as long as you want them, the premises at the resort are yours.”
A delicious glow of warmth started in her chest. Tobias was being commanding in a totally male, sexy way. Normally, as she had said before, she didn’t take orders, but she would take this one because she was in complete agreement with it, and she totally loved that he was intent on protecting her. “Why would I go back to BSH? It would be like redoing the beauty pageant thing. I liked the pageants, and I liked winning, but then I got over them, and they just weren’t my thing—”
“Babe, you’re losing me.”
She gave him a patient look. “The point is, I liked getting the degree, I liked the study and the achievement, but I didn’t get the degree so I could work for Satan.”
Tobias lifted a hand to his mouth to conceal the fact that he was laughing, although that was a pointless exercise, since his shoulders were shaking. “I assume you mean Burns—”
“That’s right. Satan. I don’t even know why you asked the question. And, back to that other thing you said about the lease... Since I’m perfectly happy in Miami, plus I’m beginning to think I’ve finally gotten a boyfriend, of course I’ll be staying.”
An emotion flashed in his gaze that made her heart stumble.
He muttered something short and flat and did what she was aching for him to do... Reaching her in one stride, he took her mug out of her hands, set it on the table, then hauled her into his arms.
They were both still damp and salty, they needed showers and fresh clothing, but Allegra was loath to give up these moments. She wanted to hold onto Tobias because, despite everything that had been said, a kernel of fear still existed that this newfound intimacy could vanish. “I wish I could have known all of those things about your relationship with Lindsay two years ago.”
“Ditto to knowing about Halliday and Fischer,” Tobias said somberly. Then, he rested his forehead on hers, which was totally cute. “We didn’t know...but I’m pretty sure someone else did.”
“Esmae.”
“She knew I’d fallen for you.”
And, in that moment, Allegra’s heart soared and happiness expanded inside her, warm and bright and intoxicating enough to make her feel just the tiniest bit giddy. And not in a get-to-the-hospital-for-drugs kind of way.
She tipped her head back so she could study the lean contours of his face, the tough set of his jaw. “Fallen?” she probed, just to be doubly, positively sure.
Tobias’s mouth quirked. “As in totally, head over heels, in love.”
A slow smile spread across her face. “Just the way I am with you.” She felt like dancing, like doing a victory lap, but she settled for hugging him hard and close.
He bent to kiss her. By the time he lifted his mouth, Allegra was clinging to his shoulders, soaking in his warmth and the steady thud of his heart. “I can hardly believe this is happening. It feels like a dream.”
Tobias reached over to the back of a chair, where he’d tossed his jacket, and pulled a small jewelry box from the side pocket. “We can make it even more real. That is, if you’ll say yes.”
He opened the case, which bore the Ambrosi crest, and took out a solitaire diamond engagement ring that was breathtakingly beautiful in its simplicity. White fire glittered in the flickering light.
“It’s beautiful.”
“And it’s brand new,” he said flatly. “No history attached.”
She drew a swift breath. Now it was real. “You bought it for me.”
Tobias went down on one knee. “Allegra Mallory, will you marry me and be my love?”
There was only one answer she could give.
“Yes, yes and yes.”
She held out her hand so he could slide the ring onto her finger and, as he did so, tears burned at the back of her eyes, but this time they were tears of joy.
Finally, she and Tobias had their happy ending.
* * *
Don’t miss connected books in
The Pearl House series from Fiona Brand!
A Breathless Bride
A Tangled Affair
A Perfect Husband
The Fiancée Charade
Just One More Night
Needed: One Convenient Husband
Twin Scandals
Keep reading for an excerpt from After Hours Attraction by Kianna Alexander.
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After Hours Attraction
by Kianna Alexander
One
Tapping her fingers on the steering wheel in time with the Migos track flowing through her speakers, Ainsley Voss pulled up to the curb at Carter G. Woodson Academy, joining the long line of cars in the pickup lane. It was just before four thirty on a Friday afternoon, and she expected her eleven-year-old son, Cooper, to appear at any moment. Baseball practice always let out on time because Coach Tyler Rigsby was a stickler, with a family of his own to get home to.
A few minutes later, a stream of students who participated in various after-school enrichment activities offered at the academy began to stream out through the glass-paneled double doors. She scanned the crowd, smiling when her gaze landed on Cooper. His dirt-streaked baseball uniform looked like ten or twelve other kids’, but his sideways cap and the bright orange backpack slung over his shoulder made him stand out among his peers. He was chatting with two of his teammates and didn’t seem aware of her presence. She started to honk the horn but refrained when she remembered his whining the last time.
As the two other boys split off in different directions, Cooper looked her way. As he walked up and got into the car, she looked at him in the rearview. “Hey, honey.”
“Hey, Ma.” He threw his backpack onto the seat next to him and buckled his seat belt. “Practice was cool. I know you’re gonna ask me that.”
She chuckled. “Okay. What about the school day before that?”
“It was okay, too. I was bored out of my mind in Social Studies, but other than that...” He shrugged in that aloof adolescent way.
“Gotcha.” She pulled away from the curb, inching along as the line of cars snaked toward the exit. Mindful of the signals from the crossing guard, she asked, “Anything else you want to tell me?”
After a few moments of silence, he said, “Yeah, actually. I need some stuff.”
Ainsley wanted to sigh but held back. Whenever Cooper uttered the phrase I need some stuff, she knew she’d be bidding a sad farewell to a wad of cash. “Okay, I’m listening.”
“Well, first, Coach says I need to replace my cleats ASAP since the soles are starting to come off. Then we have that field trip to DC to go to the Smithsonian in like two weeks. Did you forget?”
Making the left turn into city traffic, she cringed. “Sorry, Coop. I did forget. How much is it again?”
“It’s like two hundred since we’re staying overnight. And the money and the form were supposed to be turned in today, but Mrs. Rush gave me until Monday.”
Damn. There goes girls’ night out. “Is there anything else? O
r is it just the cleats and the trip?” Lord, please let that be it. My wallet is crying real tears.
“It’s only one more thing. Can you put some money on my streaming account? So I can download that new Lil Boosie? I promise I’ll get the edited version.”
Now, sitting in the thick of Atlanta traffic and mentally calculating how much of her hard-earned money she would soon part with, Ainsley felt the subtle throb begin in her right temple. “I guess I can put a few dollars on there, but that’s really all I can spare, Coop.”
“Oh yeah. Bryce asked if I could go to the movies tonight with him. Can I?”
Bryce Redford, son of her neighbors Fitz and Bebe Redford, was Cooper’s best friend. The two boys were thick as thieves, studying together, playing sports together, and whiling away the hours with comic books and Minecraft marathons. She rubbed her temple, careful to keep her other hand on the wheel and her eyes on the road. “Yikes, Coop. I just dropped a stack on your semester tuition, plus those class valentines. I’m not made of money, sweetheart.”
“I know, Mama. I’m sorry I need so much stuff.” His tone sounded contrite.
Guilt squeezed her heart. “Don’t worry about it, honey. I think you can go, but I’m not sure I can give you snack money.”
“That’s okay. Bryce is using his birthday money for snacks.”
She sighed, unable to hold it back any longer. Sure, some of these things were wants, not needs, but she had no desire to get into that with him right now. Honestly, Cooper didn’t ask for much. And he was a good kid. He studied hard, made good grades and stayed out of trouble—with the exception of the occasional youthful lapse in judgment. Southwest Atlanta held all kinds of trouble for a young boy his age to get into, and yet, despite his lack of a male figure in his life, he kept his nose clean. She was proud of him, and the whole reason she worked as hard as she did at 404 Sound recording studio was to make a good life for him.
By the time they got home, she was in full-blown headache mode. She entered the house and headed straight upstairs to the medicine cabinet for ibuprofen. Popping two of the pills with a handful of water from the sink, she flipped off the light and walked to her room to change. Once there, she kicked off her black suede pumps, then got out of the lavender button-down blouse and black pencil skirt. Donning a pair of leggings and an oversize Disturbing Tha Peace sweatshirt, she tucked her feet into a pair of bunny slippers and headed downstairs to make dinner.
