ELEMENTAL LOVE: A Second Chance Single Dad Romance Read online

  He left to go and pick up his date, having finally settled on a shirt to wear, while I picked up the ones he’d discarded on the bed and hung them back up in the closet. There was no need to make more work for someone else because of Tom’s laziness.

  Later that evening, after leaving Dad to enjoy the rest of his cigar in the study, I went for a walk. Dad had agreed for me to go to Washington as I had suggested and, as I strolled, I gave some thought as to how I could begin to make my own mark on the latest project. I was invigorated at the thought of taking the lead on such a big contract and I was ready to be given the reins. I’d been following the workings of the business since I was fourteen and now, at twenty-four, I was geared up to take on some responsibility.

  Tom, however, had other ideas, and that much was plain from the giggle I heard filtering through the trees. I gave them a wide berth. Tom had always been a charmer with girls, and I was sure that I didn’t want to see him working his magic on Cecilia.

  As I turned the corner, I glimpsed a figure darting along the side of the wall and for a second I was sure that there was a prowler on the loose. I was about to call out when I saw that it was Rachel. The penny dropped. Of course, I thought. She’s come to do a little spying.

  It had always been something of a family joke about how much the estate manager’s daughter seemed to love my little brother. Since she was in junior high, she’d rushed to help him whenever she could, particularly when he was busy with the horses. Tom was a champion polo player, and when he had practice, she would have his horse ready for him in the yard, would hand him his reins and riding crop and would blush scarlet whenever his fingers glanced against hers.

  I’m sure he barely noticed it, but I always had. She was a sweet little thing, shy and studious, and I felt sorry for the way she’d been raised without a mother. She adored my grandmother, and I appreciated the way she always made sure the old lady was well looked after when she visited.

  I hadn’t seen Rachel since the day I’d noticed her in my grandmother’s bedroom, arranging the flowers. Now, I saw once again how she’d changed so much in the last few months. She was wearing small shorts and a t-shirt, which had slipped down, leaving one shoulder bare. Her skin glowed in the summer moonlight, and her hair was, once again, scooped up with a few stray curls falling loosely down over her lovely shoulders.

  Again, my eyes were drawn to the curve of her ass in the shorts she was wearing and I felt my fists clench at the sight of her curvaceous body.

  I felt compelled to follow her.

  She was near the pool house now, and I knew that she was looking for Tom. But they weren’t there. Instead, they were over in the orchard. She heard the laughing and she turned to follow the sound. I could have stopped her at that moment, but I found myself watching her instead. She tiptoed down the path, her hand against the wall, walking further and further away from the pool house, completely unaware that I was slowly walking behind her.

  Then, I saw her crouch down and peek through the bushes. She was watching my brother and his latest conquest. I was tall enough to see over the hedge and soon looked away when it was clear that Tom was getting to know the redhead rather well indeed.

  At that moment, I slowly walked towards Rachel. Then I leaned forward and whispered softly. “So, Mata Hari, who are you spying on?”

  She gave a short little cry and whirled around, nearly falling over, her eyes wide in shock as she stared up at me, her hand clamped over her mouth.

  Chapter 5

  ________

  RACHEL

  Oh, God.

  Of all the times to be snuck up on, it had to be then. And by none other than Alexander Maitland. I’d never been more mortified in my entire life. I could feel my face burn a beetroot red, and was thankful for the cover of darkness to hide my shame.

  I don’t even know what it was that had led me to want to watch Thomas and the leggy redhead he was with. After all, it was only a way of tormenting myself. But, as I parted the leaves and watched the two of them in the moonlight, sitting on the grass of the orchard, I found I couldn’t tear my eyes away.

  They were seated on a blanket underneath the large apple tree, sipping champagne from two long-stemmed glasses. Tom leaned forward and kissed her on the neck, but she giggled and playfully pushed him away, telling him that his lips were tickling her skin. He leaned close and then murmured something in her ear and this time, she stopped giggling. Instead, she smiled and just stared at him, waiting for him to draw her close and kiss her slowly, on the lips, and the two of them fell back onto the blanket.

  That’s when I heard the low whisper behind me and nearly fell over in utter shock. Looking back, perhaps I should have been grateful to Tom’s older brother for snapping me out of my reverie. I was surely not doing myself any favors by watching the man I was in love with, making out with another girl.

  I could have kicked myself for being caught red-handed, and by Alex, the one Maitland that I made a point of avoiding whenever I knew he was around.

  I quickly stood up, brushing the dirt from my knees. My mind raced in the most unhelpful way as I tried to think of what to say next, but nothing came to mind. So instead, I threw my head back and squared my shoulders, meeting his gaze as I waited for him to speak first.

  “Spying, are we?” he said, his voice even and calm. My eyes scanned his face. It was strong and defined as if sculpted from granite. He looked infuriatingly pleased with himself and folded his arms in front of his chest, pulling his white shirt tight across his broad shoulders. The top buttons were undone and opened enough to reveal the skin of his throat, and for some reason, I couldn’t stop staring. It didn’t make any sense, though, as I didn’t like him at all. My eyes lifted to rest on his mouth, lingering there for just a second before I saw it slowly twist into a smile. If it was anyone else, I might have found him quite sexy, but it was Alex.

  “What? Swallowed your tongue?” he asked.

  His smug expression ignited something within me that I’d never known before. A defiance of sorts and all I wanted was to wipe that damn grin off his face. Usually, I would choose to retreat, back away with a most sincere apology, yet strangely, I decided not to give him the satisfaction. Instead, I put my hands on my hips, lifted my chin even higher and glared at him.

  “Not at all. I’m just waiting for you.”

  He frowned. “Really?”

  “Yes. Really.”

  “To do what?” he asked, seemingly amused.

  “To apologize, of course. Don’t you know its rude sneaking up on someone like you just did? Surely your Ivy League education must have included a lesson in good manners.”

  “Well, I’ll be damned. If there is anyone that needs to apologize, young lady, then it’s you, as it sure as hell isn’t going to be me. I wasn’t the one doing the sneaking around. So, what exactly were you doing, if I may ask?”

  “Last time I checked, it’s still a free country. You may ask if you like,” I said.

  It was stupid. Looking back now, I could very easily have cost my father his job by being so rude to his employer’s son, but at that time, I just didn’t think straight.

  Alexander gave a short burst of laughter. “All right then,” he said, stepping forward. “I will. Tell me. What were you doing?”

  I was desperate, my mind frantic to find a quick explanation for my being there. So, I crossed my arms in front of my chest and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

  “Well, if you insist. I’m out here looking for bugs,” I said in the most matter-of-fact voice I could muster, as though it was the most natural answer in the world.

  “Bugs?” he asked, and he took another step toward me.

  “Yes,” I said. “Bugs. You know. Those six-legged crawly things most birds feed on.”

  His gaze intensified and I could see his jaw clench. It gave me a small sense of satisfaction knowing that I was clearly hitting a nerve.

  “Of course,” he said. “Birds eat bugs.”

>   “Yes, they do,” I said. “I would have thought you’d know all about that. Yet another thing I see Yale didn’t teach you.”

  What on earth was I saying? Why was I speaking to him like this? I’d never even had a conversation with him before, and yet here I was, talking to him as if we were equals.

  I could feel his eyes boring into me, a strange smile playing about his lips. I hated to admit that Alice was right but he really did have beautiful eyes. They were large and dark, and in the low light, there seemed to be a fire blazing in the center of each one.

  “I’m afraid that my time at Yale didn’t involve a lesson on birds and their feeding habits, but I’m damned sure that the birds we do keep on the estate are mostly fed mealworms, bought from the pet shop in town,” he said. “And for your information, I studied Economics, not Ornithology.”

  “Oh, right. Saving the world one dollar at a time, right, Mister Maitland.”

  At that, he threw back his head and laughed. “Mister Maitland? I’m sorry, Miss Evans, but you must have me confused with my father. I’m Alexander.”

  “Hmm. I think I’ve heard of you, but can’t really say. So, I guess that means there wasn’t that much worth remembering, really.”

  At that, I turned to leave, but he stopped me, reaching out his hand and holding onto my arm. He didn’t hurt me, but there was something about him that made me stop. I couldn’t imagine that many people would be able to walk away from that commanding stare too easily.

  “I’ve been called many things, but I can assure you, when a woman walks away from me, the last thing she would ever say is that I’m not memorable.”

  “Yes, you would think that, wouldn’t you,” I said, but as soon as I uttered the words, I regretted it. His expression darkened and I knew I had taken it too far.

  He stepped forward, and before I could react, he pulled me against his body, leaned down and pressed his lips to mine in a furious kiss. For a second, I didn’t move, I was so shocked, and then my brain decided to catch up and I quickly stepped away.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” I breathed. I could feel my body shaking. Nervously, I ran the tip of my tongue over my bottom lip, wetting it as I did. I felt as though I could still taste him there, and it was delicious. It was crazy, but I wanted more, although I would never have dared to move forward.

  “I’m making sure your sassy little ass knows exactly who I am,” he said as he stepped forward, leaned in again and kissed me once more.

  This time, I didn’t pull away, and neither did he. In utter bewilderment, I felt his lips move on mine, and I caught the beautiful scent of his cologne. He smelled of spices, sandalwood, and clove, with something darker underneath. Whatever it was, it was hypnotic, stripping away all good reason. I found myself leaning against him, opening my mouth wider to receive more of his searching tongue, kissing him back.

  He was tall and strong, his hands wrapping around my waist. He wasn’t rough, but he wasn’t gentle, either. He kissed me like he wanted me, and for someone like me, who’d never had much more than an awkward first kiss in the limousine on the way home from prom, it was like a fire had been ignited within my belly, burning away all resistance.

  I was panting, and I felt a groan escape my throat. He was still holding me, and even though I’d recovered from the initial shock, I still couldn’t make much sense of it. One thing for sure, though, was that no matter what my brain thought, my body certainly had a mind of its own. I felt myself moving in a way that I hadn’t moved before. I was almost dancing, my body turning sensually, my back arching and my breasts pressing against Alex’s chest.

  I was sure that I couldn’t have been his usual type. I was still wearing my bikini, for Pete’s sake, and a t-shirt and shorts, but he didn’t seem to mind at all. And if he didn’t mind, then I wasn’t about to complain, either.

  We backed away down the path, and he pulled me through a thicket, pushing me up against a wooden door that was framed by gray bricks. Behind the door, I knew, was a bowling green, where many years ago Alexander’s grandfather had bowled with his friends and colleagues.

  Now wasn’t the time to think about Crown Green bowling, though, or anything else apart from the way Alex’s lips felt against mine. There was a slight taste of alcohol as his tongue brushed against mine. I liked it. He broke away and began to kiss my neck, his mouth warm against my skin. I moved my head back, another groan bubbling up from my throat. This was what it was like to be kissed by a man.

  I was suddenly very aware of the throbbing of arousal between my legs, and it made me wonder if Alex was aroused, too. I felt an urge to reach out, to try and touch him, but I was too shy. Besides, I liked what he was doing to me, and I didn’t want to do anything that might make him stop. His fingers slipped under my t-shirt, moving higher, the flat of his palms against my stomach as the tips of his fingers traced the bottom rim of my bikini top.

  Oh, Lord. When he pushed the material away and brushed my nipples with his fingertips, I cried out with pleasure and felt my body quiver with delight. I knew I was kissing the wrong brother, but at that second, I didn’t care. Because it certainly felt like the right brother.

  “Oh, God, Alex… yes,” I breathed, wanting more of what he was making me feel.

  As soon as the words passed my lips, he paused and pulled away slightly. My eyes fluttered open and I saw him looking down at me, one arm against the wall, and the other reaching underneath my chin to tilt my face upward, forcing me to look into his eyes, now openly mocking me.

  “Good. So let’s see how you forget that, little girl,” he said.

  Then he turned around and walked away, making his way toward the house. I could only lean back against the door, staring after him, my mouth open, now even more confused than ever.

  What the hell had just happened? Standing there, my lips swollen and my skin seemingly covered with the scent of his cologne, I gazed after him as he strode down the path, his footsteps a little quicker than normal.

  I could have kicked myself for reacting the way I did. Annoyed, I reached to pull my bikini top back down over my breasts, my nipples still taut and hard from his burning touch. I was suddenly hopping mad.

  “What a damn asshole!” I whispered after him. He’d practically seduced me, had cast a spell on my body and for what. Just to prove a damn point.

  I wanted to scream in frustration. I wouldn’t admit it to myself at the time, but plenty of that was because I felt like running after him and begging him to finish what he started.

  “God damn that arrogant sliver of a man,” I muttered as I finally stepped back onto the path and made my own way back to the apartment. Yes, that was exactly it. People like Alexander Maitland did whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, with zero regard for anyone’s feelings.

  One thing for sure, though, was that I’d walked away without a second thought of Thomas or what he was up to with that girl. Once I got home, relieved to see that my father was still not back and thankful that dinner hadn’t burned from being left in the oven, I realized that I’d completely forgotten why I’d left the apartment in the first place. It was only as I sat on my bed, my mind still whirling, that I remembered.

  I’d seen the way Thomas had kissed that girl, and it looked to be nothing like the way his older brother had just kissed me. I couldn’t believe that, in the space only a few minutes, Thomas had suddenly looked very much like a boy to me, but his older brother had kissed me like a man.

  God, I was confused. I wanted to call Alice, but I was sure she’d think I was making the whole thing up, particularly as just a few hours earlier, I’d told her how much I disliked the man.

  Instead, I forced myself to pretend all was fine when Dad came home a few minutes later and we ate dinner together. When he asked if I was all right, I laughed it off.

  “A little too much sun, that’s all,” I said. “I’m just not used to it.”

  I took myself off to bed for an early night, my mind still reeling. As I eventu
ally drifted off to sleep a good couple of hours later, I’d fully convinced myself that I would show him. I would show Alex Maitland just how forgettable he was. I would forget all about him and what had happened.

  But, even my dreams mocked me that night, and several nights thereafter, as I dreamt of him, his hard body pressed against mine as I clung to him, desperate for the taste of his tongue in my mouth, his hands burning a torturous trail over my quivering body.

  Chapter 6

  ________

  ALEX

  Fuck!

  That spirited little filly. I couldn’t believe that the usually quiet, unassuming girl I’ve believed Rachel Evans to be, was such a spitfire. Underneath that shy exterior a flame of passion burnt, enough to set fire to something primal within me.

  It had to have been the scotch. That was the only reasonable explanation for me acting so out of character. I’d only had the one glass, but my father always did have a rather heavy hand when it came to pouring drinks. Yes. The thrill of the deal and the good-quality liquor had gone straight to my head.

  And yet, there was no accounting for the way she had felt so good in my arms. The voluptuous breasts against my chest, the curve of that full rounded ass in my hands, making me almost hard the instant I touched her. That was undeniable.

  Shit!

  It had taken a hell of a lot of strength to tear myself from her and walk away when all I could think of was pulling her back to the pool house with me, where I knew we’d be undisturbed for as long as Thomas continued his seduction of Miss Long Island.

  It had been a while since I’d dated; my last girlfriend and I had parted ways a little before Christmas the previous year, and since then, my head had been absorbed by the pressures of finishing school. Perhaps I simply wanted a little of what Thomas was having. A little fun with a sexy woman.

  Rachel had never struck me as sexy, that was for sure, but thinking back, I’d been intrigued by her the day I’d watched her arranging the flowers, and I was stone cold sober at the time. Tonight, she’d felt every bit as good as I’d imagined she would. She smelled of the outdoors, of fresh, salty waves and something else. Something exciting. Sensual.