by T. K. Leigh
“You as well, Tyler. Please call me Libby.” She noticed the two brothers exchange a look.
“Alex, darling!” a voice shouted through the large banquet room.
Alexander rolled his eyes. “What is she doing here?” he said under his breath.
“Come now, dear,” Colleen said. “She’s an old family friend. Her parents have always been very involved with this charity. We had to extend them an invitation so play nice.”
“Money grabber,” Tyler said under his breath.
Alexander laughed, straightening up when he saw Adele approach.
“There you are, Alex. I’ve been looking all over for you!” Adele wrapped her arms around him, his face remaining flat.
“Adele, you remember Miss Olivia Adler, don’t you?” He smirked as he motioned toward Olivia.
“How could I forget? The woman you left poor Chelsea on the altar for,” she sneered, looking at Olivia with disgust. “Anyway, can I steal you for a minute, love?”
Olivia shuddered at the term of endearment that Adele used for him. That was hers, and hers alone.
He glanced at Olivia, her stony eyes trained on Adele. “Olivia, love,” he said, emphasizing the term of endearment. “Will you be okay for a minute?”
She smiled. “Of course, Alexander, love.”
He laughed as he led Adele away from his family, spinning around to face her when they were alone, his eyes wide with fury. “What is it, Adele? What could possibly be so important that you had to drag me away from my girlfriend and my family?”
“Whoa! Easy there, bad boy,” Adele said, crossing her arms. “I just wanted to see who you would choose. Obviously, you value my companionship more than that trash you brought with you tonight.”
Alexander exhaled. If she knew how wealthy Olivia really was, she would definitely be singing a different tune. She would probably try to be best friends with Olivia, just to be around someone with a large bank account.
“Adele, Olivia is not trash. She’s very special to me.” He glared at her, watching her lips turn up into a mischievous grin.
“So sorry to hear about you and Chelsea,” she said, placing her hand on his bicep. “It’s such a pity, isn’t it? She would have been good for you. I half expected that you’d finally smarten up after her, though, and realize that you need to date someone with social standing and not just that girl you keep attaching yourself to.”
“Enough, Adele!” Alexander said forcefully, stepping away from her. “Now, if that’s all, I’ll be rejoining my family, and that family includes Olivia.” He turned to leave.
“Wait, Alex. Come sit with me,” she pleaded with him, all bitchiness gone from her tone. “My father would love to see you. He always had a soft spot for you. I know I disappointed him with the way I turned out.”
“Adele, stop,” he said softly. “Don’t say things like that. He loves you. Maybe a little too much.”
“I don’t care about that, Alex,” she replied, her voice sweet. “I just wish you would love me. All those years we spent hooking up with each other. Can you really say it all meant nothing?” She looked up at him, her eyes pleading.
“Adele, I never said that. It’s just…” He trailed off.
“What? It’s just that I wasn’t Olivia? Well, I’ll tell you what, Mr. Burnham…” she hissed, her voice full of venom.
Alexander’s eyes flung wide open.
“Oh, that’s right. I remember what you like.” She winked. “That bitch sitting with your family is not her, either.” She stormed off.
Alexander exhaled loudly. “If only you knew, Adele,” he said to no one as he turned to head back to his family and his Olivia.
Throughout their five-course meal, the family engaged in relative small talk, asking Olivia about herself. Alexander had warned them ahead of time to steer away from questions about her family. They followed his demands.
“So, Olivia, Alexander says you’re a musician.” Colleen turned to face her, dabbing her mouth with a napkin after finishing the delicious grand marnier soufflé that they served for dessert.
“Yes, I guess you could say that. I’ve been playing piano as long as I can remember.”
Alexander and his sister shared a meaningful look.
“And I used to sing in a band in college. I just recently started performing again. We usually play at MacFadden’s in the Financial District on Friday nights.”
“I’ve been there,” Tyler said to everyone at the table. “They’re really good. You guys should check them out.”
“Thank you,” Olivia said, blushing.
“Well, our Alex here is quite the musician, as well,” Colleen interjected. “He was so insistent on learning to play when he was a little boy.”
Alexander glared at his mother, regretting all the wine he had poured for her throughout the evening.
“He was in love with this girl. Her parents were close family friends so they practically grew up together. Anyway, her mother was an accomplished musician and taught her to sing and play all these musical instruments at such a young age. And poor Alexander over here had such a crush on the girl, but he thought that the only way she would love him was if he learned to play and sing. So he secretly had her mother teach him. It was so cute.”
“Mom, stop,” Alexander interrupted.
“Oh, Alex. Hush. It’s not a big deal.”
“So you learned to play to romance a girl?” Olivia smirked. “Whatever happened to the girl?”
Alexander stared into Olivia’s eyes, a solemn look on his face. “She was taken from me.”
Olivia looked around the table, tears starting to form in his mother’s and sister’s eyes.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Alexander. I didn’t realize you were talking about you-know-who.” The table grew silent. “Excuse me. I’m going to go freshen up.” Olivia stood up, as did Tyler, David, and Alexander, who motioned to Marshall to accompany her.
When she was out of earshot, Colleen immediately spoke. “Darling, you need to tell her.”
Alexander stared at his mother, dumbfounded. “How do you know? Did Carol say something?”
“Oh, Alex. I had a feeling something was going on. Women are much more perceptive than men are. After the DeLucas were involved in that horrific car accident, your father became so distant. He let slip that someone was after them. He said that Olivia died in that crash, that they all did, but I didn’t believe him. We had gone to their funerals and, at the viewing the night before, all the caskets were closed. You couldn’t even open them if you wanted to.
“Then all the summers he left to go to Charleston, I had a feeling that he knew more than he let on. I just had a feeling he was protecting that little angel from whatever killed her parents.” His mother looked into his eyes with a look of remorse.
“So you knew all this time that she was alive and you watched me struggle with it?” he said in disbelief. “I’ve made myself go mad at times, debating whether I lost my mind. I would see her everywhere I went. And when I finally gave up hope and had moved on, I met this girl. Why didn’t you say something sooner?”
“I don’t know. I guess I was hoping that I was wrong because if I was right, I knew that someone else could figure it all out. If that’s the case, she could be in a world of danger. I’m scared for her. Your father wouldn’t fake medical records if it wasn’t necessary. You know that.”
Alexander looked around the table at the faces of his family and knew that his mother was right.
“Open the letter, dear. Stop trying to blame your father for everything. I know you like to retain control over everything and you think ignoring that letter is your last big act of defiance, but is it worth it? If I know your father, that letter won’t just contain apologies because that wasn’t his style. I can assure you that it contains information. You need to know. She needs to know. You need to come clean.” Colleen reached over the table, placing her hand on top of his. “For her.”
“Yes, Ma. For her.”
&n
bsp; CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
AN AGREEMENT
OLIVIA WAS REALLY STARTING to hate the constant security escort. Marshall wasn’t too bad, but at least with a male agent, she had some semblance of privacy when she went to the restroom.
“I’ll be fine in there, Agent Marshall,” Olivia said, pushing open the door to the ladies’ room.
Marshall held the door for Olivia and followed closely behind. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I have my orders. I could lose my job if I don’t follow them.”
Olivia exhaled loudly. “Controlling bastard.”
Agent Marshall laughed. “Yes, ma’am. He certainly can be.”
Olivia smiled at her, surprised at her response.
“I’ll just wait right here, Miss Adler,” Marshall said, pointing to a vanity sitting area in the posh bathroom.
“Okay. Thank you.”
Olivia went about her business. When she exited the stall, she was met with a tall blonde woman, Marshall close behind her.
“I’m sorry, Miss Adler. I tried to stop her. I’m under strict orders that she is not to come near you.”
Olivia looked at Marshall. “It’s okay.” She turned back to the blonde. “What do you want, Adele?”
“Just to have a little talk about my Alexander.”
She exhaled loudly. “Are you really this delusional, Adele? And, seriously, what is it about bathrooms that scream confrontation?” She was feeling rather snarky.
“Just take this as a warning from someone who has been in the same position as you. He will leave you. It may not be for me, although that would be great. I could really put his bank account to good use. But, regardless, he’ll toss you aside, just like everyone else. I’m sure he told you when you first met him that he doesn’t date. He only fucks. I mean, look at what happened to poor Chelsea. He left her at the fucking altar.”
“It’s different with us, Adele. We actually care about each other, not just the size of the other person’s bank account. We have something real.”
“I’m sure you do,” Adele said, raising her eyebrows. “It feels that way when he’s fucking you, telling you that your pussy and ass are his, right?”
Olivia looked at her, wide-eyed.
“And then all you can do is whimper out, ‘Yes, Mr. Burnham, all yours’, as he’s pounding into you.” Adele batted her eyes. “It certainly does feel real, doesn’t it?” She turned, leaving Olivia completely speechless.
She looked at Marshall through her water-filled eyes, unsure of what to say. “Excuse me, Miss Adler. I’ll deal with her.”
“Thank you,” she said, finally finding her voice, her chin quivering slightly. “I’ll just be another minute.”
Marshall followed Adele out of the ladies’ room, walking through the hotel lobby and catching up to her in the corridor leading to the banquet hall.
“Miss Peters,” she called out.
Adele spun around. “I know, I know. Alex doesn’t want me talking to his precious little Olivia,” she spat out vindictively.
Marshall took a few steps toward her. “You have no idea, do you? Do you know how precious she really is?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.
Adele exhaled loudly. “I don’t care about that.”
“What if I said I know someone who could make it worth your while to care?”
Adele lowered her voice. “I’m listening.”
“My boss will offer you ten million to do something for him.”
Adele looked at Marshall, questioning her. “Alex wants me to do something for him?”
“No, not Alex. Someone else entirely.”
“Agent Marshall…”
“So, can you help us or not? Ten million could certainly go a long way, Miss Peters.”
Adele stood there and thought about that. She could stop chasing rich guys and finally provide for herself. “What do I have to do?”
“When the time comes, you’ll receive a piece of very important information.” She handed Adele a burner phone. “And your only job is to use that information to drive a wedge between Alexander and his little Olivia. Follow?”
“Well, how do I do that?”
“Oh, Miss Peters. You’re smart enough to figure it out, I’m sure,” she said before narrowing her gaze at her, her voice stern. “You mention a word of this to anyone, and I don’t think I need to spell out what the consequences will be.”
“Agent Marshall…”
“Please. Call me Cheryl. Do we have an agreement?”
Adele paused briefly before sighing. “Yes, Cheryl.”
“Good.” Marshall turned and walked back toward the ladies’ room. “And feel free to get a jump start. I’ll try to give you a wide berth.”
Adele stood there, holding onto the cell phone, thinking about what she just agreed to do. She knew that Alexander was happy with Olivia, and she did care about him. Could she live with herself if she caused their break-up? Well, if it led him back to her, maybe she could.
~~~~~~~~~~
Olivia needed some air after her confrontation with Adele. Quietly opening the door to the ladies’ room and scanning the lobby, she breathed a sigh of relief when she found it to be relatively clear, at least of her security team. She discreetly left the restroom, walking through the large lobby, her heels clicking loudly on the marble floor as she slid out the front door of the hotel.
She leaned against the brick building, thinking about what Adele had said. She knew so much about what Alexander liked intimately. Olivia knew that she wasn’t the only one, either. But then she thought about all the times that Alexander was so gentle with her, almost as if he was telling her something with the way he moved inside her body. Almost as if he…
No, Olivia thought. She pushed that thought far away, scared to even think about it.
CHAPTER FORTY
TOO SOON
IT WAS A CHILLY March night, but Nathan Roberts didn’t care as he sat on a bench on the outskirts of Boston Common Park, his eyes set on the Four Seasons. He was desperate to keep his eyes on Olivia. He knew Alexander was protecting her, but he couldn’t help himself. Nathan needed to keep her alive.
About three hours after he saw her enter the hotel with Alexander, he was shocked to see her walk through the front doors alone. His mind started to race. He kept his eyes trained on her, looking for anything suspicious as she leaned against the large building.
He watched her stand in the cold for several long minutes, shivering. He contemplated going up to her to give her his jacket, but he couldn’t approach her. He would risk her remembering, and he didn’t know what she knew already.
Nearly ten minutes after she exited the hotel, Nathan saw a frenzied motion from within the lobby. Turning his head in that direction, he saw Alexander and one other agent running.
~~~~~~~~~~
Fear covered Alexander’s face as he searched the lobby, frantically shouting something. He headed toward the front doors, yelling orders at his other agent.
“Olivia!” he bellowed, running outside, searching up and down Boylston Street, desperately looking for her. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her standing against the building, her teeth chattering.
“Jesus Christ, Olivia,” he said, running to her and wrapping his arms around her trembling body.
“What is it, Alex? What’s going on?” she asked, staring at him with a confused look on her face.
“I didn’t know where you were, love,” he said softly. “We were all so worried.” He embraced her tighter, pulling her to his body, planting kisses on her head. “You’re shivering.”
She looked up at him, her lips turning blue. “It’s freezing out here.”
Alexander peeled off his tuxedo jacket and draped it around her shoulders, covering her arms and back. As she gazed into his brilliant green eyes, she was immediately reminded of the night that they first met, amazed at how far they had come since then.
He tilted her chin back. “I was so worried that I lost you. Agent Marshall told me that Adel
e accosted you in the ladies’ room. I want you to understand that you mean so much more to me than she knows, Olivia. I hope you know that.”
She exhaled. “I know, Alexander. I know Adele’s just trying to get me angry with you. We both have a past, but all I care about is the present. You’re my present, Alexander, and I know I’m yours. It’s going to take a lot more than some vindictive words to make me run. I told you. I’m done running.”
He pressed his lips to hers, kissing her with such passion, telling her with his mouth how important she was to him. She reached up and clutched his face in her hands, pressing her body against his as he ran his hands over her.
Pulling out of the kiss, he stared down at her. “I need to stop kissing you or I’m going to take you up to a suite and fuck you until you can’t walk anymore,” he explained, his breathing labored as his eyes burned into her. “Okay?”
She stood on her toes and kissed his neck. “I think I’d enjoy that, Mr. Burnham.”
He moaned, pulling her head to his chest, warming her in the frigid March air. As he stood on the city streets holding her, Alexander scanned the area, an occupational hazard. His eyes landed on someone across the street on the edge of Boston Common Park. He squinted, wondering if his eyes were deceiving him.
“Let’s get you inside,” Alexander said, returning his gaze to Olivia when he felt her shivering in his arms.
She nodded, dropping her arms and walking back toward the entrance of the hotel. Alexander took one more quick glance across the street before entering the front doors. The park bench was empty.
When Olivia and Alexander made their way back to the banquet hall, the servers had come around and cleared the tables. A twenty-piece big band had replaced the four-piece string quartet that had been playing during dinner and many guests had started to dance.
“May I have this dance?” Alexander looked at Olivia, reaching his hand out to her. She grabbed it and he led her onto the dance floor. The opening notes of Let’s Fall In Love sounded through the elegant room. As he took her in his arms, he placed one hand on the small of her exposed back, exhaling as his did so. The feel of her skin still made it difficult for Alexander to maintain his composure.
