by T. C. Clark
What the fuck was wrong with her? Sure, he’d been the one to initiate the kiss, but she was the one who responded. What was it with this man? How was he able to make her forget her resolutions? Slowly she stood up and reset the electronic lock. She shook her head to clear the repetitive thoughts. She’d known before she’d opened the door that he was her kryptonite.
She would not sit around and beat herself up over her feelings. She would just do her best to stay the hell away from him. As she walked back into the kitchen, she stopped in the open doorway and stared at the beautiful landscape painting hanging over the fireplace. She didn’t have to look closely to know who painted it. The broad harsh strokes and the delicate depictions of the storm were all signature signs of Maks’ work. That’s how he’d got her the first time.
She’d first noticed his art on Alex’s wall as she waited for him to begin the interview. There was so much emotion in the scene. She stared at it forever, lost in the power of what it portrayed. She knew that whoever had painted it was in the midst of a lonely life.
After a week of working for the indomitable Alex Stravanos, she’d worked up the nerve to ask him about the artist. While sitting at her desk eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, she’d been given the back story of Maks. She would be lying if she said she hadn’t fallen a little in love with the man. He’d been the sensitive brother of the Stravanos clan, constantly surrounded by notebooks filled with drawings.
He’d been a natural with art, and all the brothers were in awe of his talent. It had taken years of practice, including a round at art school, for him to master his style, and, once he’d done it, he’d bulldozed his way to the top of his field.
She’d seen firsthand what he was like when his guard was down and his true nature was revealed. She’d been burned by the fire that lurked beneath. She wouldn’t give him another chance to hurt her. To be honest, she was grateful he didn’t remember the night in question—it helped to preserve some of her dignity. If he could remember, he would be aware of the power he held over her.
He was a man who worked hard and always got what he wanted, and, for some reason, he’d set his sights on her. She sighed and moved forward, driven by the need for eye-popping caffeine.
She would just stay out of his way. There had to be other women up here who would be eager to meet him. She needed to keep to herself. She made herself an espresso and added steamed milk. She took a sip and smiled. A warm drink and some good food would be a good way to restart her day. But first, she needed to call Alex and curse him out for stranding her up here with Maks.
She ran back to her room and pulled out the large designer bag Tara packed for her. She needed her planner. She’d written all of his contact numbers in it, in case he didn’t have his cell on him. For a businessman, he often left it behind.
She paused when she felt a package in a small compartment; she pulled it out and opened it. She wasn’t surprised she hadn’t noticed it because of its size. It looked as if someone had meant to hide it. She opened it, and a smaller cloth-covered bag fell out. On it, she read the elegant penmanship:
I’m sorry, Leslie. By now you’ve no doubt realized who is in the other cabin and you probably hate us for our interference. Alex was sure this would work, but I know women. We are more complex than men and if this is too much for you, I’ve left you a prepaid debit card with plenty of money on it and a copy of the key for the truck in the garage. I wanted you to have the option to leave. I hope you choose to stay and see where it leads, but I want you to have a choice.
Love, Tara
She took a deep breath. Okay, so at least Tara wasn’t so bad. She opened the red package and pulled out the card and the key. She knew herself; she would not run. What was the point in that? That would only work if she quit working for Alex and cut him out of her life. As long as she worked for him she would always run into Maks from time to time.
And anyway she needed a break from regular life. She was using this time to plan out her life reboot. Even with Maks lurking around this was still a paid vacation in a luxury cabin. She appreciated it, but that didn’t mean she would let them off the hook. She picked up the phone and dialed Alex’s cell and waited.
* * *
“It’s Leslie,” Alex said to Tara as they started on their brunch. His thick eyebrows scrunched together as he thought about what he would say to his second favorite person in the world. For a second he thought about not answering it, but he couldn’t take the coward’s way out.
Today he’d made a tomato and basil soup with garlic and cheddar biscuits. He’d finally let Tara out of the bed. They were celebrating their decision to move in together with a day filled with sex, fueled by delicious food. Tara looked like a well-loved woman. Her brown skin was still flushed from their early morning celebration, and she was almost through her first bowl of soup.
“You have to answer it,” Tara said firmly. She’d immediately regretted leaving Leslie there, even though she’d noticed the same connection Alex had sensed between his brother and secretary.
She knew love was never as simple as that. She hoped Leslie had found the small escape package Tara had created while preparing her bag. A woman should have a choice, and if Maks truly wasn’t hers, she needed a way to leave.
Alex sighed and leaned back in the chair. He didn’t want Leslie to be mad at him. She wasn’t just an employee, she was family. He wasn’t used to being on the receiving end of her anger. But he wasn’t stupid, either; he knew he had this coming.
“Hello, Leslie,” he answered quietly. He winced as her voice screeched into his ear.
“What the hell is Maks doing here?” she snapped.
“Leslie…” he began, only to be interrupted.
“Why would you do this? You know that we…we don’t get along,” she stuttered. She took a deep breath and tried to settle her nerves. She walked back into the small office while she waited for him to explain himself.
“Actually, I don’t know what’s going on between you and Maks because you never told me. Maybe if I knew the truth, I could navigate this better.”
“Are you really trying to say this is my fault?” She barely got the words out through her gritted teeth.
“No…No, I’m not. I just wanted you to take some time off and Maks’ place was the best way to do it. It’s safe and far enough away that I thought you’d like the change of scenery, and, yes, I knew Maks would be there, but I think it’s time for you to settle your differences.”
“So you made the choice for me.”
“Leslie, you are my family. No matter what happens in the future, I’ll always be there for you, but Maks is my brother. I need you two to get along. He’s a good man, and you know he would do anything to protect you; can’t you just give this a chance? Even if I could get you to be friends that would be better than what’s happening now,” Alex said quietly. He removed his glasses and combed his rough fingers through his hair.
Tara reached out and signaled for him to hand her the phone.
“Leslie, I’m sorry, too. If you want to come home, then do it. I put a small escape bag inside the suitcase. But I want you to be sure. Last week I asked you how Maks hurt you and you said it was more emotional than anything else and that you couldn’t understand how he’d forgotten it. You could use this time to figure out why he did it and then use that information to move on, and don’t tell me you already have. We both know that’s not true.”
“Was he a part of getting me here?” Leslie sat down and tapped her pen against the desk. She needed to know if he had somehow manipulated the situation. Maybe he’d just decided to come home and they were unfortunately in the same place at the same time.
“Yes,” Tara said honestly and Leslie cursed. “Say the word and I’ll send the plane out to get you. But I think you should take the time to figure out what happened and move on from him. I can promise you we will never do this again.”
“I just don’t know, Tara.”
“It’s your choice, Leslie. Ye
s, Alex wants you and Maks to get along. But that’s only because he cares for you. He thinks this is hurting you more than helping. If it doesn’t work out, he will survive, and so will you. Take this time to focus on what you want.”
Leslie let them go soon after that. There was nothing more that needed to be said. She reflected on Tara’s words. This was a paid vacation in a swanky cabin. She had time to decide what she wanted to do next. She got up and went into the bathroom. Her reflection showed a woman who was tired. She had deep bags under her eyes, and her eyebrows looked like two caterpillars on her face.
She had the clothes, now she needed to do all the self-care those twenty-something’s on YouTube were always talking about. She would let the issue of Maks go for now. She had a bad feeling that they would have words before all of this was done, and, honestly, it was time to put this to rest.
Tara wasn’t wrong. She was still holding on to too much from their past encounter. It wasn’t his fault that she’d been halfway in love with him before that day. Yes, the memory hurt, but it wasn’t a blow that couldn’t be forgiven.
Her eyes went to the worn Bible on the side of the bathtub. She needed to do a lot of things differently going forward. No, she wasn’t going to run—not again. She would use this time as it was meant to be used.
Two
Chapter 2
Maks watched Leslie’s small figure walk down the driveway and wave at a car coming down the trail. She looked adorable but under dressed in her big furry red sweater and thick scarf. A Ford truck pulled up, and a man jumped out. He was big, especially standing next to her. His skin was a rich shade of mahogany and his hair was cut in a short military style. He handed her a manila folder, which she read through, and then he followed her inside. He must be the nurse Alex had set up for her.
He forced himself to walk back to his kitchen. She’d made it clear she didn’t want to see him. He needed to go slowly and give her time. If he went over now, there was bound to be a scene, and he was already two steps behind as far as she was concerned.
He poured up a big mug of black coffee and walked back into his studio. It was a massive room with huge floor-length windows that faced the south side of the mountain.
The unfinished painting on his desk stopped him. Late last night he’d started redoing this painting. It was of Leslie, but he’d added in elements of nature. He’d made her thick black curly hair into large glistening leaves.
He’d even made the base of the tree in her shape, or, at least in what he assumed she looked like. She kept herself covered in large oversized dresses most of the time. Her modesty was a refreshing change.
He ran his hand over the frame of the painting. He could sense the emotion behind it. She represented something that he needed in his life. His brothers thought he was a player because of the sheer number of women he brought home. But he knew better, he was searching for something. Something that had been missing from their lives when they were kids.
He thought back to the day that he’d finally seen beyond Leslie’s frosty exterior. When he walked in on Leslie praying with a janitor who’d lost his wife, he felt something in the center of his chest; it transcended everything else he’d ever experienced. It was her kindness that touched him. The man had been on the verge of being fired because of bitterness. He’d taken to snapping and cursing at anyone who came near him. He’d even yelled at Alex.
Maks had walked in just as he’d finished saying something nasty to Leslie. With a mutinous expression, she’d stood up and walked over to him. His dark eyes had widened as she got closer. She didn’t hesitate; she pulled him into a hug. He tried to pull away but she just held on.
She whispered, “Each day will be better than the last, and the pain that you’re feeling, you’ll be able to live with it. One day the world won’t seem so bad.”
Maks waited at the door watching them carefully. He didn’t know how the man would take her comment. But he’d broken down as quickly as a sandcastle on a beach. He dissolved in front of them, holding her tightly as if he was afraid that without her he couldn’t stand.
Leslie hadn’t known anyone was around her when she asked the older man to tell her about the first time he’d met his wife. She didn’t need applause when she promised to stop by and take him to church with her that Sunday, and she didn’t require an audience to pray with him.
Every time he came back afterwards and saw that same broken man, he seemed a little brighter, and he knew that was because of Leslie. Leslie had earned a piece of his heart that day, and she didn’t want any of it.
He’d asked her more than once why she didn’t like him, and she’d finally revealed that something had happened between them in the past. He needed to get to the bottom of it.
He looked at his watch an hour had passed since he came upstairs to think. He went to his window and pulled back his thick curtain and scowled when he saw the truck still parked in front of her cabin.
He knew he should stay here. But even as the words replayed in his head, he donned his jacket and headed her way. Leslie was his. It didn’t make any sense that he was completely comfortable with the possessive thoughts he was having about a woman he barely knew.
He walked quickly through the hard snow. His Timberlands crushed the white snow underneath. He stopped when he saw them through one of the open windows. She was laughing with him, her body completely relaxed and calm.
Her smile, that fucking smile. He’d only seen it directed at him once when she’d awakened after surgery from a gunshot wound. Her walls had been down then. Either the medicine or the trauma had made her forget to hate him.
She’d smiled at him with such warmth and love that he was unable to speak. It was at that moment that his decision was made. Before it had only been a quiet interest that grew with every moment he spent with her. Now, he needed to know more.
When he got to the heavy oak door, he paused and centered himself. She didn’t owe him anything, they weren’t together. He would have to tread lightly here.
He knocked hard on the door and within seconds, he heard Leslie’s voice.
“Who is it?”
“Maks,” he said quietly. He didn’t have to see her face to know that she was rolling her eyes.
She cracked the door open and shaded her eyes against the sunlight at his back. Her thick black hair was a large mass of curls. It framed her face. His fingers itched to touch it. He wondered if she understood her natural beauty. Her light brown skin was flushed from laughing, adding to it a delicate pink hue.
She’d removed the furry red sweater and scarf. She was wearing gray leggings and a black long sleeve t-shirt and for the first time he could make out her delicate curves. He swallowed, she was exactly as he imagined. His eyes must have revealed his hunger, because her fingers tightened on the door frame as she focused on him.
“Hi, what are you doing here?” she asked, her small nose scrunching in confusion.
“I came to check on you,” he said with a sinful smile. He used his boot to gently widen the door and step inside. He knew if he waited for an invitation he would be waiting forever. She stepped back and tripped over the small rug in the hallway. He caught her and pulled her back up. She felt so light in his arms. She quickly brushed off his hands.
“Well, why don’t you come in,” she said sardonically. She turned and walked back into the living room where the man was waiting. When he walked into the room, he stopped. The guy was handsome up close. Maks frowned at the thought.
“You must be the nurse Alex sent to check on Leslie’s wound,” Maks asked with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. The man sitting on the couch stood when he recognized his expression. It was just as he thought; he was interested in Leslie as well.
“Actually, I’m the doctor. My nurse is on leave with his wife. They just had a baby. My name is Terrence Mitchell,” he said, calmly walking over to stand by Leslie. They looked good together, which only pissed Maks off more.
“Oh, it’s nice to
meet you. I’m surprised I haven’t seen you around these parts. I’ve been up here for a few years,” Maks said.
“I just joined the practice a few months back,” the doctor explained.
“How is she?” Maks asked.
Instead of answering him, Terrence looked at Leslie, who sighed and nodded her head, giving him permission to tell him. “He won’t leave until he knows everything is fine.”
“The wound is looking good. There is no infection, and the stitches are clean,” he said, opening his bag and pulling out a pamphlet of papers.
“This is the place I’m talking about,” he said, pointing to the top of one of the papers. A large cabin-style church was on the front. He’d seen those papers before at the local store. Everyone around here went to the Sunday services…everyone but him.
He’d lost his faith, and he’d never intended to find it again, but he could tell from the excitement on Leslie’s face that this was important to her.
“What time does their service start on Sunday?” she asked, flipping through the paper. Maks and Terrence sized each other up as she read through the pamphlet.
“They open at 9; I can come by and pick you up then?” Terrence asked with a genuine smile. Before Leslie could respond, Maks interrupted.
“I can take her. I’m right here and I know where the church is. I haven’t been to one in a while, it may be good to go back,” he said, walking around him to take the paper from her. His large hand felt warm against her skin.
“I don’t mind,” Terrence said, speaking directly to her and ignoring Maks. Leslie looked at Terrence and then back at Maks; something she saw in his expression must have influenced her decision.
“I’ll go with Maks this weekend, but we will look for you and you can show us around,” Leslie said.
Terrence looked as if he wanted to argue but stopped himself. He sent her another charming smile and packed his stuff up. “I look forward to it,” he said as he walked to the door.
