Alveus (ABC's Inc. Romance #1) (3 page)

Lexi
refilled her wine glass and moved to the settee. Slipping off her shoes, she brought
her feet up and tucked them to the side. Her mind was on Dane, of course. The
more time she spent with him, the more she saw the boy she had known. Yet,
there was a secretive side to him, as if he only allowed people to see the
surface. She tried to remember if he’d always been that way. He was treating
her with kindness and the twelve-year-old Lexi inside of her wanted to get
closer. It was her desire to live the dream, the fantasy of love as it had been
placed in her lap, but the grown Lexi wanted to move with caution. She’d had a
glimpse of his hardened soul.

During
the drive to Oberstein, Dane had lost patience with her lack of responsiveness.
What did he expect; how would he like to be bought as a slave? He’d made it
clear to her that she was a means to an end – to make his grandmother happy,
and nothing else. If she thought to expect more from him, he assured her that
it would not be possible. Women had but one function in his life.

She
had been threatened not only by his henchman Ingram, but also by Cass. Both
insisted that she would not escape punishment if she tried to run to the
authorities. But it wasn’t really fear that kept Lexi from running, it was the
knowledge that she had nothing and no one to run to.

In
truth, Lexi liked being where she was. She liked the idea of being part of a
family and having a grandmother, especially since the woman had already been
Oma to the child Lexi. Submitting to the needs of an arrogant, self-important man
was another matter! Was Oma worth surrendering to Dane? Perhaps, although Lexi
had noticed what Dane apparently hadn’t – Oma was faking her illness! A smile
crept onto her face and she laughed out loud. What was Oma up to? A tiny spark
of hope lay unobtrusively at the bottom of the hollow pit inside her. She dared
not dissect or disturb it, least it disappear.

Lexi
stood and began piling up the dishes of her and Dane’s meal. Once neatly
arranged on the large tray, she carried it out to the corridor. She had no idea
where the kitchen was, but was certain that she could find it. As she passed
the open door to Oma’s suite, Bruna came running out to detain her.

“No,
no, Miss, I will take care of that!” She grabbed the tray from Lexi’s hands and
scurried down the stairs before Lexi had time to open her mouth.

“Aly,
is that you?” came a soft voice from Oma’s room. “Come sit with me awhile.”

“Of
course,” Lexi said. Dane’s grandmother was comfortably ensconced in her sitting
room, facing the open door. Lexi approached the elderly lady, took hold of her
hand and placed a kiss on her forehead. On instinct, she checked Oma’s
temperature and pulse, a practice she had performed regularly on her mother.
“Is there anything I can get to make you more comfortable?” she asked.

“No,
just sit and talk with me,” Oma said, pointing to the chair across from hers.

“Okay,
but don’t allow me tire you.”

“Ach,”
Oma waved her hand, “when I get tired, I rest. It is the way when you get old;
you rest and then you are good for several hours, you get tired and you rest
again.” She smiled. “You are a nurse, no?” Lexi furled her eyebrows,
quizzically.

“No…
Oh, you noticed that I checked your pulse. No, I took care of someone close to
me. Forgive the intrusion; I wasn’t aware of doing it.”

Oma
laughed. “You did not offend me,
ein bisschen! So then,
what is it you do in New York?”

Although
Lexi was sensitive about her height, or lack thereof, she was not insulted by
the elderly woman’s tendency to call her
little one
. She knew it was
meant as an endearment.

“I
am an executive assistant at a company which sells micro circuitry.”

She
believed in keeping things as truthful as possible. Alberton Technologies does
sell microchips as well as innovative software and electronics, and she had
worked as her father’s assistant.

“Very
interesting,” Oma said politely, although clearly not engrossed enough to continue
with the subject. “So, are you planning to marry my grandson?”
Whoa!
She
certainly doesn’t beat around the bush!

“Uh,
I don’t know.” Lexi pulled herself back from left field. “Are you proposing to
me, Oma?” she teased. The old woman laughed heartily.

“Oh,
I like you,” she said, pulling a kerchief from her sleeve to catch the tears
rolling down her cheek. “It was my understanding that my grandson had beaten me
to it!” Lexi shared in Oma’s mirth, enjoying the relaxed banter. Seriously, she
could not remember the last time she’d laughed.

“Well,
yes, he has mentioned it,” she hedged.

“Bah,
that boy hasn’t a romantic bone in his body.” Oma complained. “
Mentioned it
–
I’ll bet he never even came right out and asked you!” She glared over Lexi’s
shoulder, then turned sharp eyes on her. “Do you love him?”

Once
again taken aback, Lexi hesitated, searching the old woman’s eyes for an
answer.

“Which
Dane, Oma? The one you know, or the one he shows the rest of the world?” Lexi
shook her head. “I haven’t dated much, but I just don’t feel comfortable with
the way he runs through woman. I will not be one of them and unfortunately I
don’t think he can change.”

“Perhaps
that is what attracts him to you, ein
bisschen.” She
softened her gaze before steering it back over Lexi’s shoulder. Lexi turned and
saw Dane standing in the doorway, his face hard. How much had he heard?

»ɞ»ɞ«ɞ«

Dane
heard the laughter before he reached Oma’s sitting room. He was drawn like a
magnet to Aly’s deep throaty laugh – sexy and yet modest. Stepping inside the
room, he was halted by not only his grandmother’s glare, but by the words she
spoke next.
Do you love him?
Telling himself that he only wanted to hear
how Aly would reply, he quashed the thought that her answer was important to
him. After a gut wrench at her response, Dane turned defensive. She has the
nerve to judge him? Well, if Oma’s right and that’s her little game, then she
will lose and become just like the rest! He smirked, thinking of the enjoyment
he’d receive from the challenge. Their eyes met as she turned to find him
standing in the doorway, and he took satisfaction in the worried look on her
face.

“You
wished to see me, Oma?” Dane addressed his grandmother, as he stepped forward
to kiss her on the cheek.

“There
was no hurry,
jungen. I just wanted
you to drop by before you turned in for the evening. It’s such a comfort to
have you home. I do hope you’re planning to stay for a while.” Dane got a
devilish smile on his face and leaned in closer to his grandmother.

“As long as it
takes us to convince Aly to marry me,” he told her, enlisting her as his
cohort. She gave a pleased clap of her hands.

“Oh, I do love a
challenge!” she exclaimed. Dane lifted one eyebrow and turned to Aly.

“Me too,” he said.

The woman in
question sat still as a deer caught in headlights – very apropos.

“Oma, have you any
idea where we can get a formal gown for Aly on short notice?” Dane asked, as
the three of them took breakfast the next morning. “I was just informed last
night about a formal reception being held in Idar-Oberstein this evening. I
really should attend. Don’t you think it would be a perfect time to introduce
mein
liebes
to my business associates?”

“Yes,
I’ll call one of the shops in town and have them bring over a selection,” she
replied. “I’ve used them before, and they carry an adequate assortment of
imported items. I take it she’ll need accessories to go with?” She looked over
at Aly, who shyly nodded. “I’ll arrange for a girl to come in to do her hair
and make-up as well.”

Attempting
to get some work accomplished in his late grandfather’s home office, Dane tried
to tune out the activity upstairs. He never realized how loud and boisterous a
group of women could be. Of course, he could just close the office door… reason
suggested, but he found himself enjoying the lively chatter and laughter coming
from Aly’s rooms. Smiling, he told himself that he was happy to hear Oma
enjoying herself, although his ears were zeroed in to Aly’s throaty laughter. At
first it was hard to distinguish – hesitant, almost shy, but a moment ago it
blasted out into a full-fledged belly laugh. It was so contagious, he actually surprised
himself by chuckling.

Dane
found himself wishing that he was the one sparking the sound from her. All he
could draw out of Aly was emotionless monosyllables. He had just met the woman
and she reacted to him as she would a venomous snake – what the hell? Maybe
that was her response to all men. But… no, that didn’t add up, seeing the
profession she’d chosen. Well, the only logical conclusion he could come up with
is that she’s scheming to make things more permanent, drain more money from
him. She was good; he had to admit that. No other woman has occupied his
thoughts so consistently. Still, his gut felt unsettled. Aly just didn’t fit into
any of the definitions he’d been given for her.

Silence
broke Dane from his thoughts and pulled him out of his chair. Curiosity took control
over his feet. The female laughter had started him itching to find out what was
happening upstairs, but he’d clung to his male pride – even if it was only
hanging by a thread. The complete absence of sound was too much for him to
withstand! He strode up the stairs and down the carpeted hall toward the
sitting room. As he neared the door he could hear hushed sounds of gasps, coos,
and sighs.

“Oh,
ein
bisschen,” Oma said softly, “it’s exquisite.”

Dane peered inside the door and followed Oma’s brimming
eyes to the object of everyone’s attention.

A goddess
.

She stood staring at her reflection in the
full-length mirror. A cream colored gown hugged her figure. Halter styled, it
cut demurely low in the front showing a tantalizing glimpse of her cleavage and
attached at the neck with a pearl-studded collar, leaving her shoulders bare.
The back of the gown… well there was no back! The dress cut low, wow –
extremely low, falling short of exposing the dimples of her buttocks. A long
strand of pearls hung freely from the collar, leading one’s eyes down her silky
porcelain back. Aly’s pale blue eyes widened in surprise, as if looking at a
stranger, and then they strayed to the side meeting his. Dane’s heart stopped.

»ɞ»ɞ«ɞ«

Lexi
sunk into the golden pools of Danes eyes. It was as if his soul called to hers.
They remained connected for an eternity, before the other occupants of the room
reminded them of their presence.

True
to her word, Oma had called in her reliable reinforcements. The owner of the
couture came herself, bringing along two of her trusted assistants – one of
which specialized in hair and make-up. They enlisted the aid of Frieda, a young
frollein
who helped
Bruna with the household chores. Frieda’s main duty was to serve tea and to fetch
any needs the women may have. Lexi felt a little unnerved with the attentions
of five women focused on her.

Dressing
for “business social” was nothing new for Lexi; she had attended dozens of the
formal functions as her father’s escort. Buying a gown involved going to an
upscale dress shop in Bethesda. True, the owner gave her special attention by
ordering gowns she knew would complement Lexi’s coloring and tastes, but she was
never set upon by a gaggle of women. It goes without saying that no one had ever
come to the house to dress her. Memories surfaced of one such occasion when her
mother attacked her in a jealous rage as she was leaving the house with her
father. It was rare that Lexi’s mother recognized her daughter. She had clawed
Lexi’s face and shredded her gown, before her father could calm her down. Lexi
shook her head. No, those were not the memories she wanted to keep of her
beloved mother.

After
her initial shyness, Lexi was drawn in by the women’s enthusiasm. Watching Dane’s
grandmother grow younger by the minute made the awkwardness of being the center
of attention worth it. Oma was in her element as she directed the festivities
and endured the pleasant teasing the women flung her way. She effectively drew
a share of the attention away from Lexi, putting her at ease. More and more the
elderly woman was settling into a place in Lexi’s hollow heart.

“Are
you familiar with a chocolatier in Baltimore named
Abare’s
?” Oma asked
Lexi, when the conversation turned to America.

“Yes,
my mother was fond of their caramels,” Lexi replied.

“The
caramels are good, but I adore their peanut butter fudge, dipped in a thick
coating of dark chocolate,” Oma nearly swooned. The ladies laughed.