by Lauren Smith
“His name was Preston.” Brie drew in a deep breath as the memories came back to her. “We met freshman year in college. He was an arrogant frat guy; you know the kind. And I was a bookworm from the honors college. We only met because his fraternity was across the street from my dorm I lived in.”
“How did you meet?” Alec watched her with open interest.
“He was throwing water balloons at us ‘nerds’ when we left our dorm for classes. One hit my friend, so I…sort of ran at him and tackled him to the ground.”
“I bet he didn’t see that coming,” Alec chuckled.
“Oh, he definitely saw that coming. He just didn’t believe it.” Brie giggled, the memory was less painful now as she shared it.
“But once he saw you, he fell hard.” Alec could imagine how irresistible she was to any man.
“And so did I. I have a soft spot for hot arrogant guys, apparently.” She lightly patted his chest.
“Arrogant? I should be offended, but it’s true. I was a bit of an arse on the plane.”
Brie pinched her thumb and forefinger in the air. “Just a bit.”
“So, you and Preston met in college. When did you marry?”
“One year later.”
“So soon?”
“I know. I know.” Brie felt silly just even saying it out loud. Looking back now, she saw how foolish that early marriage had been. “I must sound like an idiot.”
“Not really. You’re hardly the first person I’ve met that married young. And some are still together. How long did you stay married?”
Brie placed her palm back on his chest. “Just four years.”
“What happened?” Alec caressed her thighs under her covers in a way that made her feel so safe. She stopped that dangerous thought before it could run away with her.
“Probably what you’d expect. We married for lust, not love, but we were too foolish to realize that. We just drifted apart and realized there was nothing to keep us tethered to one another.” She remembered all too well that feeling, a vast invisible current pulling at them until it was too late.
“I can’t imagine what that was like for you,” Alec said. “I’ve never been in love, never let myself have a serious relationship. My job makes things complicated.”
Brie sensed there was more he left unsaid, but she didn’t push him. It was amazing they were even having this much of a conversation. She’d never talked to Preston about her feelings.
“Alec, we both know this isn’t going to go anywhere real. You’ve got your work and I’ll be going back to the States. But there’s nothing wrong with us having an actual connection, right? Make this more than just casual sex?” She knew she was probably asking too much, but the need to pretend, to have just a taste again of being with someone like this mattered too much not to ask. “I mean, we’re both adults, and I don’t know about you, but I think I need this. I need to believe I can go back and start over, you know? I’ve been holding myself back too long.”
Alec nodded. “I think I know what you mean. A relationship with a built-in expiry date.”
“Well that sounds a bit morbid, but yeah, maybe.” Alec was silent a long while but when he did respond it was unexpected. “I could see that. Neither of us needs the pressure to make it into something more, but I do enjoy your company. I’d like to get to know you better. Yes, I’d say it’s possible.”
“I’d like that.”
He lifted her chin up so he could kiss her softly. “Very well. You’re mine, for a few more days.” His smile was playful and possessive in a way that stirred her heart
She kissed him back. “And you belong to me, too.”
They kissed for a long while, until Alec put the journal away and turned off the light.
Morgan wandered down the hall of the family wing and groaned as he realized he’d gone too far a few seconds after he turned the knob on his brother’s room instead of his own.
“Sorry Alec,” he muttered. But no reply came from the bed. That was odd. Alec was a light sleeper and usually woke at even the slightest sounds.
“Alec?” He called his brother’s name again and still was met with silence.
“Alec, this isn’t funny.” He reached for the light switch; Morgan shielded his eyes briefly as he adjusted to the light. Then he stared at Alec’s bed. Empty. Still made.
Morgan glanced at the antique clock hanging on the wall. Merryvale had over one hundred and seventy clocks in the house, all of which were kept perfectly in time by their very dedicated butler.
It was midnight. Alec should be here.
Retracing his steps, Morgan visited the previous places he’d seen Alec tonight: the library, the salon, the drawing room, their grandfather’s study. They were all empty. Morgan crossed the hall to the opposite wing where the guests were staying.
Outside Simon’s room, he caught whispers of Simon and Bridget talking to one another. Then he padded down to Brie’s room. He raised his hand to knock but he heard the murmurs of voices from within. And the list of possible suspects was pretty damn narrow.
A slow smile spread across Morgan’s face. So, his older brother and the American…
“Good for you, Alec,” Morgan said to himself. But he knew Alec well enough to know that this little romance was likely to be temporary. He was that kind of person.
Or was he? Morgan smirked. Maybe what Alec needed was a nudge in the right direction.
It’s time you look to the future, Alec. Even if you hate me for helping you get there.
10
Alec woke long before Brie. The sounds of the house stirring to life around him always woke him. The creak of the pipes in the walls as the water moved through them, the bustle of the staff as they started their day, the calls outside of the groundskeeper from where he walked the hunting dogs as part of their morning ritual. The dogs barked and nipped in excitement, the sound echoing off the windows of the bedroom. Pale winter light trespassed through the half open curtains, giving the windows and the space around them a milky glow.
Brie lay beside him, her soft breathing a reassuring rhythm. Her body was flush against his. Her soft skin carried a hint of vanilla and sex which made his blood hum. How different it was to share her bed knowing they didn’t have to part ways, not just yet anyway. Alec wanted to snuggle her closer and keep her in bed all day. In another life, it might have been possible…
His gaze drifted across the expansive bedroom, back to the forest tapestry. Gold threads glinted in the eyes of the wolf, the reddish hue having faded in the light of dawn. The frightening intensity of the beast he’d remembered from his youth had changed somehow. Now he saw a creature of shadow who braved the light in order to watch over and protect his world. A hunter who had chosen to protect rather than hunt the innocent deer that had been sewn so delicately into the exquisite patterns of greenery in the forest.
Alec shifted and adjusted the covers a little. He knew he ought to get up and return to his own bed. His brother had a habit, even as a grown man, of coming into his room and disturbing him at the most inconvenient hours. The last thing he needed was for Morgan to find his bed empty.
“Brie, I’ve got to go back to my room. Come find me when you’re ready for breakfast. I’ll be downstairs.”
She murmured an unintelligible, yet adorable, reply. He caressed her cheek with his lips and left a ghost of a kiss on her before he slipped away. He tucked the covers over her since cold drafts could still seep through the older window casings. After quickly dressing, he exited Brie’s room, only to collide with someone right outside the door. Simon.
“Aha!” Simon hissed in boyish glee. “I knew it. I knew it.”
Alec steadied himself with a grunt. “It’s not what you think.”
“Oh? And how do you know what I’m thinking?” Simon crossed his arms, grinning. Friends or not, Alec was resisting the urge to sock his friend right in his smug jaw.
“I know you, Simon. You always assume the worst about me and women.”
“Actuall
y, I’m hoping for the best.” His friend’s smug smile wasn’t reassuring, however.
Alec dragged his friend into an empty bedroom across the hall from Brie’s. “Get in here.” He shot Simon a death glare, but his friend only found it amusing.
“You had me convinced that you didn’t like Brie. Even when Bridget told you about her plan to hook Brie up with Morgan, you played it cool. You had me fooled. You like her.” Simon drawled out the word “like” as though he were in primary school teasing his fellow classmate.
“Simon, you can’t tell anyone about this. Anyone.”
His brows furrowed. “Not even Bridget? We don’t keep any secrets from each other.”
“This isn’t your secret to share. It’s mine and Brie’s. We’ve decided to keep this casual and at the end of the week we’re ending it.”
Simon was no longer teasing. “Why? If it’s a good thing between you, you should want to continue it.”
“Simon, can you honestly see me giving up my career? I’d have to in order to have any decent long-lasting relationship. Brie doesn’t want to either. The woman has no desire to be in a relationship. And if you tell Bridget, it will get back to my mum and that’s the last bloody thing we want. She could lose her job if her publisher found out.”
Simon held up his hands in surrender. “Fine. Mum’s the word, mate.”
“Good.” Alec relaxed slightly. He trusted Simon to keep his word once he gave it.
“Word of advice, Alec. Set an alarm and sneak out of her bedroom much earlier. Some of us wake early these days.”
“Why are you awake? It’s only six.”
“Brendan and cartoons. It’s our manly ritual to eat breakfast and watch them together.”
“Ahh.” Alec couldn’t believe Simon had taken so well to being a dad to the boy but he had. If Alec hadn’t known better, he would have assumed that Simon was the boy’s biological father.
“You’re welcome to join us,” Simon offered.
“I might. I need to shower and change first though.” He ran a hand over his slightly wrinkled sweater.
“Good idea. Best to get your walk of shame over with.” Simon chuckled.
Alec flipped him off, though he smiled doing it.
They stepped back into the hallway and parted, Simon heading downstairs and Alec back to his room to shower. By the time he was ready for the day, he checked his phone and winced. Over seven missed calls from the office and thirty emails glared at him in bold font about the new transaction he was supposed to handle. Alec collected his iPad and headed down to the dining room.
Brendan, Simon and Morgan were all gathered around the tablet, which was propped up and streaming cartoons. The three of them laughed as they ate fresh blackberry scones and porridge.
“Morning.” Morgan said, a hint of amusement in his voice that Alec chose to ignore. His little brother had a habit of finding even the most unamusing things funny, especially if they somehow irritated Alec.
Alec settled into a chair and one of the footmen brought him a bowl of porridge. “Morning.”
“Thank you.” He nodded at the young man who returned to the kitchens.
Alec spent his breakfast working and ignoring the trio at the other end of the table. He got the transaction started, gave his notes on the various elements that the lawyers would need to handle, and then pulled up the Wall Street Journal on his tablet and started scanning the articles. Even though he was a London investment banker, it was important to keep a global perspective in mind. Barclay’s conducted business on multiple continents.
After that, he caught up on his emails, those about the current project and those from his clients about raising capital to help them grow their businesses. Emails completed, he now noticed the dining room was full. He checked his watch and realized he’d been working for almost two hours. It was just after nine.
“Alec, will you be joining us for sledding?” his mother asked hopefully.
Alec kept his focus on his mother, but casually managed to eye Brie as well. “Er… Yes. I suppose I can.”
“Good.” His mother stood. “Everyone be sure to dress warmly. We had fresh snow this morning and it’s nippy outside.”
The entire group gathered in the hall where coats, scarves, hats and mittens were distributed. Alec lingered close to Brie but kept the distance between as much as he could to avoid suspicion.
Once everyone was bundled up, they headed outside. Fresh snow almost a foot deep blanketed the landscape. Pepper led the way, the proud English lab perfectly able to high-step through the deep snow. Copper leapt in and out, creating little dents in the snow each time he landed. Yogi just simply plowed through the snow, forging his own path, which made Brie laugh. Alec found himself smiling along with her as the bulldog trudged ahead like a white and brown boulder rolling his way down a hill.
The groundskeeper, Mr. Grange, met them halfway to the nearest tall hill with a wood sled. He was a short, wiry fellow and Alec listened as he explained the history of Merryvale’s lands to their guest. Brie held her small notebook and would pause to write notes every couple of steps. By the time the party reached the main sledding hill, Brendan was practically bouncing in excitement.
Simon lay down a large black toboggan and pulled Brendan onto it, having him sit in front of him. Bridget gave them a push and the sled shot down the hill to whoops and cheers until it slid to stop nearly two hundred yards away.
“That’s a big hill,” Brie said.
Julia grinned. “It is. It’s been used for sledding for almost a hundred years.”
Byron and Mr. Grange set two more toboggans down. “Who’s next?”
“I will go.” Morgan clasped Brie’s hand and pulled her onto the front of the nearest toboggan. “And so will Brie!”
“Hold on, Morgan.” Alec started toward them, but his brother laughed.
“Too late!” Morgan leapt up on the sled behind Brie who gasped and clutched the sides of the sled as it rocketed down the hillside. Alec glowered at his brother’s quickly retreating form. The sled hit a patch of ice halfway down the hill and suddenly increased in speed. Alec was rooted in place as he watched the sled head straight for the trees.
“They’re going too fast!” He shouted as he finally jerked his legs in the motion.
“Oh God!” His mother cried out, but Alec was sprinting down the hill, desperate to reach them but it was too late. The sled collided with a large cedar trunk and the distant figures hit the tree before collapsing into the snow.
Alec nearly fell down the hill trying to catch up. Brendan and Simon, who had only just started back up the hill, got there a moment before Alec did.
“Morgan?” Simon rolled Morgan onto his back. Morgan groaned and tried to sit up.
“Stay down.” Simon pressed a hand to his shoulder keeping him flat on the snow.
Alec knelt beside Brie and mimicked Simon’s motions to carefully roll her over. “Brie, darling, talk to me.” Her eyes were closed, and there was a nasty gash over her forehead.
“Simon!” Alec gasped. “She’s bleeding.”
“Hang on.” Simon asked Morgan a series of questions: the day, the year, his name, who the prime minister was, then checked Morgan’s eyes using a pin flashlight from his coat pocket. Only when he seemed satisfied did he come to Alec and Brie.
“It looks bad,” Alec whispered, looking at the blood.
“Head wounds bleed. It doesn’t mean she’s hurt badly.” Simon checked her pulse against his wristwatch and lifted her eyelids and flashed the pin light. Brie groaned, her eyes blinking against the light.
“Brie, how many fingers do you see?” Simon held up his index finger.
“One?”
“And now?” He held up three fingers at a slight angle from her vision.
“Three.” Brie’s eyes drifted from Simon over to Alec. “Alec…I don’t feel so good.” Without warning, she rolled over and vomited on the snow. Alec held her shoulder, trying to do anything he could to comfort her.
“That’s a sign of a concussion.” Simon was frowning in deep worry now.
“Should she go to the hospital?” Alec asked.
“We can take her,” Byron offered while Julia, Mr. Grange, and Bridget looked on with concern.
“Let me get a better look at her wound first, then we can take her.” Simon gently touched the area around the cut.
“No signs of major trauma, but she should get an MRI just in case.” Alec gently clasped Brie’s hand in his while Simon completed his examination.
“Father, get the car ready. I’ll carry Brie.” Alec pulled her into the cradle of his arms and started the trek up the long, steep hill. Bridget and Simon helped Morgan to his feet and collected the sleds to return them to the house. Brendan followed beside Alec.
“Is she gonna be okay?” Brendan asked in a quiet voice.
“She’ll be fine,” Alec replied.
“I’ll be fine,” Brie echoed, trying to smile, but her lips seemed too weak to hold it for long.
“Hold on, darling,” Alec murmured to her.
“Okay, I’m just going to close my eyes.” Brie’s eyes shut and Alec sped up his pace. By the time he reached the house, his father had the car on, the heater running, and the passenger doors wide open. Alec climbed inside, Brie on his lap and Simon took the front passenger seat.
The drive to the nearest ER seemed to take forever. The entire time he kept his gaze on Brie’s face and the bloody handkerchief he held pressed to her forehead. A strange sense of panic threatened to choke him. She was going to be okay, he knew that logically, but it didn’t stop him from inventing terrible scenarios in his head. His stomach clenched with a pulsing fear as they finally reached the hospital. Simon hurried into the ER and returned with a gurney just as Alec got out. The nurses rolled her into the ER, with Simon and Alec following right behind. Alec felt helpless as she was taken into a room for tests.
“May I go with her?” he asked the attending doctor.
“You need to stay outside.” The woman pointed toward an observation window. “But you can watch her through there.”
