Chapter 4: Denial

 

She had changed his mind so easily.

Russell was standing outside Regina’s trailer, waiting to speak to her about a few demands she’d made concerning the script. Lemmy wasn’t taking them to kindly so, of course, he had to serve as the intermediary.

But his concentration wasn’t particularly on point at the moment. Instead, he kept remembering putting Alice Tate to bed three days ago, and how one day with her had completely scrambled any resolve he thought he had.

He wasn’t going to sleep with her. At least, that’s what he told himself the morning before he picked her up from her hotel. Now, he couldn’t stop thinking about the lingerie she wore to bed.

Which was making it woefully hard for him to focus on anything else.

“Oh, Russell, thank God you’re here.” Though the film hadn’t started shooting yet, Regina had already taken up residence in her luxury trailer and was raising hell. She tended to be very demanding with directors she was working for the first time – and, of course, Lemmy was finding that out the hard way. “He wants me to do a shower scene. I can’t do a shower scene.”

Russell exhaled hotly. This was an argument that he knew he’d ultimately win, as the actresses contract had no clause against her doing a shower scene unless it involved full frontal nudity, which Lemmy insisted that it didn’t. But the problem wasn’t the director’s request. This wasn’t the first time that Regina would be bearing skin before the camera. She always liked to make a fuss in hopes that it might earn her a bonus for being so ‘charitable.’

And it usually worked.

“How much do you want for it, Regina?” Russell had stopped beating around the bush with her long ago. It was much easier just to try to get her what she wanted and make sure everyone came away satisfied.

“This is my bare ass we’re talking about. I’m going to need at least an extra fifty thousand.”

Lemmy wasn’t going to like that. This movie was already a mammoth Leviathan that devoured funds left and right.

But ultimately, he’d pay. He wasn’t Regina’s biggest fan, but he knew how much people paid to see movies with her in them; and despite how demure she might pretend, the young woman was immensely proud of her behind and the work she’d done on.

“I’ll go back and talk to him. See what kind of deal I can get.”

“Thank you, Russell. You’re the best. You know how much I love you.” Regina kissed his cheek warmly, her eyes bright before she seemed to remember something. “And I wanted to tell you congratulations too!”

Russell arched a brow in confusion. “Congratulations?”

“I saw the editorial article about you and Alice Tate. I remember seeing you with her at the party, but I never imagined that things would move so quickly. You devil!”

Russell went rigid. “What editorial article?”

Regina, ever oblivious, only grinned, all but dancing across her trailer to grab a paper from her vanity. “Here it is!”

When she held it up, for a moment, Russell couldn’t process what he was seeing. Though he was no stranger to being tabloid fodder, he didn’t think he’d ever made the front page in an actual newspaper.

But there he was.

There was a picture of him and Alice from the previous day. Someone must have snapped it as they were coming out of the Italian restaurant when he had his arm around her. He had to admit, the two of them looked very intimate, and whoever had taken the picture had gotten close.

Disturbingly close.

“May I borrow this?” He inquired quickly, and Regina beamed, more than happy to hand it over.

Once he had it in his possession, however, Russell didn’t relax. He couldn’t. He left Regina’s trailer and made his way back to his car, forgetting all about Lemmy. Once he was sitting in the driver’s seat, he allowed himself to stare at the image for a good, long while.

Russell tried to be exceedingly careful about who he was photographed with. He knew that the media were like hounds and, occasionally, they would catch him with one woman or the other.

But for some reason, this photo of him with Alice bothered him.

In fact, it downright angered him.

But Russell didn’t know whether he was angrier at the media or himself.

After a single day with Alice he had abandoned the plans that he had to be relatively chaste with her. All it took was one inquiry, one bat of those luscious lashes of hers and he wanted to be inside her as quickly as humanly possible.

When was the last time a woman had broken down his resistance so easily?  Probably not since…well, not since he’d been back in England.

And that put him in a dark mood.

For at least the next half hour, he sat in the driver’s seat of his car, warring with the guilt that threatened to consume him. He’d left England in a bid to escape his past, but somehow, it always seemed to catch up with him.

Russell never let himself forget it. Doing so, he insisted, would mean forgetting part of what made him who he was.

And why he never really allowed anyone to get overly close.

His mouth pressed into a tight line, he stared at the picture, hard. He expected a portion of him to be upset with Alice. Though she hadn’t specifically invited him into her bed, by simple virtue of existing, she all but tortured him.

But this wasn’t her fault.

It was his. And if Russell knew what was best for him, he would stay far, far away from her – as had been his original plan.

The only problem with that was the simple fact that he had already come so far. For the past few months, for every moment he’d spent trying to forget Alice, he only wanted to see her more. Though he’d promised himself to stay away from her, something had drawn him back in. To the point where he’d offered her a job. To the point where he’d invited her to stay in the property that he owned just so he would have easy access to her. That, and he knew she’d like the property.

And now, here he was, torn between regret and sheer strength of attraction. Alice was moving into the flat in three short days. What was he going to do, tell her she wasn’t allowed? Rescind his job offer? It wasn’t really his job to offer, and from what Lemmy and she had discussed, it was all but hers. If Russell turned her away now, Lemmy would be royally pissed.

And Russell didn’t really want her to leave.

For the first time in years, Russell’s common sense fought against his baser desires. The rationality that he prided himself on was being eroded bit by bit.

But despite all his best intentions, one thing was painfully clear: Russell wanted Alice Tate in his life, at whatever it might cost him.

And that made her even more dangerous than he thought.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down. It wouldn’t do for him to panic now. Not when he’d told himself he would never be assaulted so flagrantly by his feelings again. No, he would remain impassive, as he always did. There was no other option.

And he would indulge himself when it came to Alice Tate. After all, even if she was a lovely, unique, fascinating woman, she was still a woman. And women who found that he didn’t want to commit were usually gone in short order.

As would she be.

 

**

 

Though Alice’s move went off without a hitch, unfortunately, she didn’t have as much time to enjoy her new space as she might have liked. In fact, Russell was busy with work the day she came, so he sent the keys to her rather than meeting her at the apartment. The only company she had were four burly movers – and though Alice would usually enjoy using her feminine wiles, she merely found herself anxious.

There were so many changes to undergo. She had to get settled, had to send Lemmy the contract he’d issued her with her signature, and then she’d be in overtime work mode for the next week drawing mock-ups of all the costumes that he wanted.

But, of course, that was before she got Michael’s frantic call. It was four in the morning, and she’d only gotten to bed around two after an exhausting day.

She’d been contemplating not answering, but when she saw it was him, she reluctantly received the call.

And was met with sheer panic. “Alice! Rose has gone into labor! We’re on our way to the hospital!”

She immediately bolted upright, despite the ache that sprang to life at the back of her head. “Bloody hell,” she rubbed fatigue from her eyes, forcing herself into alertness. She’d meant to take a week once Lemmy’s project was staffed to go home and meet her new niece, but Rose had gone into labor early.

Which meant she was going to have to rearrange everything.

“Michael, I want to be there,” she ran a hand through her dark hair tiredly. “But the soonest I can be is a few days.”

“I know,” He returned snippily, obviously at his wit’s end. “But can you just…well…can you talk me through this? I’m losing my mind, Ali. I’m…I’m scared.”

Bullocks.

Of course, he was scared. It was his first child. Alice was exhausted, but she and her brother were always there for each other when they needed one another. She could hardly abandon him now.

Alice propped herself up on a number of pillows in her new bed, trying to get as comfortable as possible. She wasn’t going to get any sleep that night, she knew. But by morning, perhaps, she’d be welcoming a new family member into the world.

She supposed that was a fair trade-off.

 

Victoria Alexandra Tate was born at eight thirteen that morning and weighed four and a half kilograms. The moment she came into the world, Alice was pelted with photos Michael sent her from his cell phone and the tiny, wrinkled face of her niece took her breath away.

She was absolutely beautiful.

For at least an hour, Alice lay curled in bed looking through every image Michael had sent her and marveling at the miracle of new life. It seemed like in the past year everyone she knew had a baby – Cat, Rose, several of her friends…they all seemed to be settling down and starting families. According to Alice’s parents, it’d be a good idea for her to start thinking about something similar.

When Alice held a soft, squirming baby in her arms, she had to admit, she understood why women became mothers. Children were a marvel – sweet, innocent and ripe for growth. When she looked at Cat’s son, she saw the future. How couldn’t she? Liam was absolutely gorgeous.

And so was Victoria.

When Michael requested to video chat with her, Alice accepted without hesitation. He and Rose popped up on her phone screen, their precious bundle between them. Alice didn’t think the blonde woman had ever looked more exhausted, or more beautiful. In her arms, Victoria squirmed, yawning as she opened her eyes as gray as her mother’s.

“She’s gorgeous.” Alice cooed, smiling widely. “Just like her mother.”

“She looks like me”, Michael attested, indicating the small shock of auburn hair atop the baby’s head – just as vivid as her father’s. “She’s going to be a heartbreaker.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Michael.” Rose chastised him gently, holding the child gently to her breast. “We’ve got a while before we have to worry about any of that.” The look on her face…Alice couldn’t even describe it. It was obvious that Rose’s daughter was her entire world.

“Of course.” Michael quickly placated her, sitting on the edge of the bed as he stroked his daughter’s head gently.

“Did you finish the nursery?” Alice inquired, looking from mother to daughter adoringly. “I sent you some things I thought would match your design theme.”

“I already put them up, Alice. They’re wonderful.”

The dark-haired woman laughed softly. “I should have known.”

“How’s the job going?” Michael inquired, managing to tear his gaze from the newest member of their family for a moment.

Alice shifted in bed with a sigh. “I haven’t started yet. It’ll take a few more weeks – then I’ll be able to get away and come see little Vicky.”

“And spoil her senseless, no doubt.” Michael muttered under his breath, making Alice scowl at him.

“Of course! You should expect no less from a favorite aunt!” Rose merely laughed, propping Victoria up so Michael could get a good shot of her with the camera.

“I’m sure Cat would take offense to that.”

Though Alice was ever one to put her work before anything else, at that moment, she missed her family. She had no doubt that this job would open up a plethora of opportunities for her, but she would have given anything to be present for the birth of her niece.

Ultimately, she stayed on camera with Michael and Rose until she drifted off around ten, and when she woke, she found her brother had sent her a picture of Rose and baby Victoria in a similar position. The dark-haired woman lingered in bed until Tom brought her a late breakfast and the paper for the last few days, announcing that today was the deadline for her to send paperwork back to Lemmy.

Alice meant to get right on it, but when she saw the paper from a few days ago, she nearly spits out her tea.

She and Russell made the front page of a major LA newspaper.

HIGH PROFILE BRITISH SUPER COUPLE MAKES LA TEMPORARY HANGOUT

For a moment, she was so taken aback, she didn’t know how to react. In her adult life, Alice had been on the cover of more tabloids than she could count. She had never taken any of them seriously and had even laughed at some of the more outlandish stories that were printed.

But this one…this one came a little too close to home.

Perhaps it was because this was the first time she’d ever seen anything that referenced she and Russell as a couple- even if she knew that was about as far from the truth as it was possible to be. If anything at all, she and Russell were casually dating. It was almost as if they had some sort of unspoken agreement that they weren’t serious. To date, the most intimate thing they’d shared was a kiss. And even if that kiss was exceptionally steamy, it still didn’t make them a couple.

Frowning, Alice gazed over the picture one more time before turning it over and placing her tea plaintively on top of it. It didn’t matter. It never mattered. All that mattered was that she got her work finished as soon as possible so she could go back to Britain and see her niece.

Hopefully, Lemmy could give her at least that much.

Alice finished her paperwork as soon as she could before deciding to take it to the film lot and talk to the director in person. It hadn’t taken much for her to be able to rent a car in LA – even if driving there was slightly terrifying. What was it with Americans and driving on the wrong side of the road?

The lot was about a twenty-minute drive outside of the downtown LA area, so, of course, it took her over an hour to reach it. By the time she was parked, Alice had to take a deep breath and a sip of her large coffee to calm herself down.

She resolved that, perhaps, she would hire a driver so she didn’t have to deal with the obscene traffic, and with that in mind, made for Lemmy’s office at the rear of the studio.

Only to come up short when she ran into a veritable wall of paparazzi.

Of course, they’d been waiting outside the film studio. Alice was pretty certain that if she hadn’t been on the front page of the LA Times a mere two days earlier, they might not have recognized her. She tended to keep a pretty low profile outside of the UK.

But they certainly recognized her that day.

“Miss Tate! Are you here to see Russell Darwell?”

“Are the two of you an item?”

“Will we be hearing wedding bells soon?”

“I…” Usually, Alice wouldn’t give them the time of day. She was used to brushing off the media. In this particular situation, however, she found herself so flustered that she couldn’t form proper words.  “I’m not…we’re not…”

“No comment.” As if he’d sensed she was somehow in trouble, Russell suddenly appeared at her elbow. Alice hadn’t even known he would be at the studio that day, so to suddenly have his arm around her shoulder as he pressed them both through the invasive crowd that blocked their way…his scent and warmth swept over her and she was suddenly light-headed.  Before she knew it, Russell swept her out of the sunlight and into one of the nearest offices, shutting out the horde of people and chaos beyond.

Alice’s head was spinning for a good minute before she managed to come back to herself – and when she did, it was to Russell’s concerned expression.

How did he manage to take her breath away every time they met? Today, he was dressed in a crisp navy suit and tie that hugged his long, taut form, his dark hair slicked back from his brow.

“Are you alright, Alice?”

“Fine,” she managed breathlessly, reaching errantly into her purse for her coffee. She needed the caffeine. “I’m just fine.”

“I apologize.” He frowned deeply, glancing out the window at the crowd of cameras and reporters outside. “I’ll call security to get them out of the way. Do you need anything? A bottle of water? An escort?”

Alice just blinked, staring at him incredulously. The man was really, truly worried about her. It was probably the most genuine thing she’d seen since she’d known the man.

“I should be fine once you call security, Russell, really.” She didn’t know if she was more upset that he was upset, or flattered because the man was so obviously worried about her. Perhaps she should get into trouble like this more often. “But thank you for saving me.”

“Of course.” Seeing that she wasn’t, in fact, pulling her hair out in distress seemed to calm him down. Russell took a deep breath, straightening the lapels of his suit before smoothing his hair back perfunctorily. “I…I apologize for not helping you move in. I had some business to take care of with Regina’s contract…and then something came up with Amelia back in the UK-”

While the young woman had been perfectly content to have Russell apologize to her, at the mention of Amelia’s name, she was immediately on alert. “Amelia? What’s happened to her? She’s alright, isn’t she?”

Russell’s eyes widened when he realized what he’d said. Over the course of the short time she’d spent in LA, Alice let him in on how she and Amelia knew one another from grade school – and just how close they were.

“Ah, she’s perfectly fine.” He rushed to reassure her, his mouth curving upward into a serene smile. “Just some business matters that require me to go to Britain in a few weeks.”

“Really?” Alice couldn’t believe how fast her brain made the connection. Usually, she was all about avoiding the men she dated, but in this scenario, an opportunity to spend more time with Russell couldn’t be missed. “I was actually planning on asking if Lemmy could give me a week or so off in the next month – after everyone gets settled and I ensure things run smoothly while I’m gone, of course.”

“So soon?” Russell arched a brow, his tone carefully neutral. “May I ask why?”

“My brother just had a baby.” Alice wasn’t ashamed to tell anyone who might ask. “I have a new niece!” She beamed, smiling so hard her jaw ached. “I just wanted to see her for a little while, as I know I’ll be working a lot this coming year.”

“Ah.” Russell’s smile widened – but Alice couldn’t help but notice that it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Congratulations. I can only imagine how excited you must be.”

“I’m ecstatic.” Alice agreed without hesitation. “Do you have any nieces or nephews?”

“Not yet.” Russell provided, before turning quickly from her. Alice peered at his back, wondering why the man seemed so suddenly uncomfortable after he’d whisked her so boldly from the eye of the storm. “Let me call security and get you a clear path.” Once he’d finished his call, Alice stood from the chair she sank into upon entering, approaching him slowly.

“Are you alright, Russell?” She took a chance, reaching up to cup his face gently. Surprisingly, the man didn’t rebuff her, instead he took her hand in his briefly to squeeze before releasing it quickly.

“I’m fine. Just want to make sure you get to Lemmy to get that time off you’re asking for before anyone else.”

Before he could usher her out the door, Alice was determined to have her say. “Russell…I was thinking about chartering a private jet back to England. How would you like to ride along?”

For a split second, she thought she saw a spark of interest light in his eye –something akin to the hunger she’d seen when she all but asked him to bed. But as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone. “I’m flattered that you’d offer, Alice, but I wouldn’t want to intrude. I have a lady friend coming with me.”

In that instant, Alice felt as if she’d been punched in the gut.

A…lady friend?

It was an amazingly blunt way to put her off – at least the first time Russell made an excuse he had at least tried to be polite. Alice opened her mouth and then shut it, wondering how on earth she might question him, before realizing that she didn’t really have any right to. Wasn’t it she who had accepted just that morning that they were just casually dating?

Casual dating meant that they could see other people – and it certainly didn’t mean that the man was her property or anything of the sort.

Just her landlord. A friend, perhaps. Who had kissed her, twice.

So why was she so bloody hurt?

“A lady friend? Oh…that sounds lovely.” The words tasted like ash in her mouth. “I’ll leave you to it, then.” She didn’t even look to see what his reaction was. Instead, Alice merely breezed past the man and out the door he held open for her. She wasn’t even sure where Lemmy’s office was, but she was determined to find it on her own. The last thing she wanted at that particular moment was Russell Darwell’s help.

Dimly, she realized that Russell was calling after her. Alice was tempted to stop and listen to what he had to say – more than tempted. But her pride wouldn’t allow it. So, instead, she straightened her spine and hurried away from the site of her rescue – towards what she hoped was the general direction of Lemmy’s office. Otherwise, she’d be making a complete fool of herself.

But part of her wondered if she hadn’t somehow accomplished that already.

Thankfully, the young woman managed to find the office she was looking for relatively quickly. Lemmy was more than understanding about the leave she asked for and seemed genuinely excited for her where Russell had not – which only further aggravated her. By the time she returned to the apartment she was renting, Alice contemplated calling the whole thing off. It wasn’t as if she couldn’t find another apartment. The process would no doubt be exhausting but it was completely possible.

Even if it was the coward’s way out.

Alice had never been a coward but she didn’t enjoy being toyed with – and she was almost certain that was exactly what Russell was doing.

She sank down onto the bed she’d just bought the day prior, remembering the way people spoke of the man. How it was impossible to get close to him and that he shut himself off from the world. She had to wonder: what precisely made him the way he was? The last time they went out together, she thought he had enjoyed himself. That he was genuinely interested in her and that, perhaps, they had both come to terms with the attraction between them.

Evidently, that wasn’t the case.

So, she now had a choice: she could ask Russell to give her back the six months’ rent she had already paid on the apartment and find another place, or she could grow up and simply accept that the man was who he was.

It was a more difficult decision than one might imagine.

Ultimately, Alice ended up booking her flight to England without a single word to him. And then she bought a new sketchbook and headed to a fabric store to start working on Lemmy’s costumes. There were, after all, an outrageous amount of them.

And work always came first.

It was work, in fact, that got her through the next few weeks.

As difficult as Alice had thought it might be to adjust to life in LA, she didn’t have to tackle the city head-on as long as she was working – so she made sure that was almost all the time. Between designing costumes for Lemmy and doing correspondence with her own line, Alice found that she barely had time to eat and sleep. She also found that, despite his amicable exterior, Lemmy could be one tough customer.

And don’t even get her started on what the actors had to say about their costumes. They wanted shorted hemlines, longer hemlines, more garish colors – they fought with Lemmy and they fought with her until Alice wanted to tear her hair out. During the first month of planning, the only time she allowed herself to seek Russell out was when she was having difficulties with one of his clients.

Which, somehow, seemed to be once every two or three days. Alice told herself that every time she spoke to the man, she’d be nothing less than professional. After all, Russell made it apparent that was what he expected.

It was no small feat – especially considering that she could still remember how gallantly he’d whisked her away from the paparazzi…and how he tasted the last time he kissed her. On more than one occasion, Russell hinted that he might like to take her out again. He asked her out to dinner and a movie, offered to show her around a neighborhood she’d expressed interest in, and asked how she was going about decorating the apartment.

But Alice always found some excuse to give him. Of course, work was a suitable enough excuse, but by the time she was three weeks in and most of the preliminaries had been completed, she found she had more than enough room to breathe. But, she still didn’t have enough departure from Russell’s startling revelation to drive her back into his arms.

Rather, Alice found herself in a constant state of confusion – questioning how she felt about men and relationships in general; and why on earth she allowed Russell Darwell to vex her so. She never acted this way around men. In fact, they lost their minds over her. At least, that had been the order of things before she let him get under her skin.

And now, somehow, she couldn’t get him out.

Thankfully, Cat, who had been to LA several times, sent her the addresses of several lovely furniture stores where she bought things for the apartment. While Alice had hoped she might be able to have Russell show her around the city, she ended up leaning on Cat more than she might like. Wife to one of the world’s richest men and foremost architects, Cat remained amazingly humble and true to her small town American roots. She adjusted as well as she could to the upper-crust life her husband provided for her, though Alice suspected that she’d never truly be comfortable living in four different houses a year and shopping on the high street for her son.

But that was part of her undeniable charm. She adored Catherine – so much so that she routinely dealt with Elias, who she was convinced had been born to torture her.

Michael often joked that his best friend was a male image of Alice and the young woman wished her brother wouldn’t insult her so. Elias, despite his sex, was far higher maintenance than she would ever be, and she teased him for it endlessly.

Whenever there was something she needed, she called Cat, trying to forget that she even had Russell’s number on her phone.

Somehow, she made it through a hectic four weeks, conveniently missing every call the man paid her and skiving off all his text messages. She slowly accumulated an amalgamation of lovely furniture and artwork, decorating the space she lived in, in an effort to forget that it was, in fact, Russell’s. Part of her was convinced that if she filled it with enough of herself, she’d be able to avoid thinking of the man altogether.

Of course, no such thing happened.

Right up until the day she left for the airport, she thought about Russell by pure virtue of trying not to think about him. It was more than a little ridiculous, and she couldn’t count how many times she chastised herself for it. Alice tried to make herself feel better by asking Michael to stock all of her favorite things on his jet, which he was sending to LA to pick her up. She would be in the UK for ten days, and for that ten days, she wanted zero distractions from her lovely niece.

Unfortunately, she was destined to face one last obstacle before she could leave the country.  Alice and Tom arrived at the airport a good three hours before the plane was scheduled to arrive – she was keen on getting in some duty-free shopping before they took off. Somehow, she managed to forget that Russell was flying to England on a similar timeline.

So, she was completely unprepared when she ran into him at the terminal.

She had just sent Tom to make sure the flight was on time, planning on buying up the entire perfume section of the duty-free shop before her when she turned to see him standing at a restaurant across the corridor.

With his lady friend in tow.

For a moment, Alice was so shocked she could do nothing but stare. She’d spent the last month flagrantly avoiding him and now, here he was.

With another woman.

Alice had dated her fair share of men – and she had ended things countless times. After her volatile teenage years, she hadn’t spent a lot of time crying over men who treated her like chattel. She could leave a man and see him in the tabloids with another woman the next day – completely unmoved.

Things with Russell weren’t nearly so serious. They had gone on a few dates and shared a few kisses…but Alice felt her entire world come crashing down at the sight of him with a svelte, lovely blonde.

She immediately hated her.

Everything from her bleached hair to her Botoxed lips screamed artificial – something she hardly needed envy.

But she did. Bloody hell, she did.

Alice quickly spun around, all but fleeing into the shop, even though her interest in perfume had waned significantly. Her chest felt tight, her throat constricted and she couldn’t even see the names on the bottles she perused.

Damn him. Damn him. It was as if the man was trying to flaunt his options before her – to remind her how little he needed her.

Well, two could certainly play that game.

“Tate? Alice Tate?” She jumped at the sudden, enthused voice that sounded right behind her. When she turned, it was all she could do to keep a smile plastered on her face. The bleached blonde was standing right behind her, beaming a thousand-kilowatt smile. “I thought that was you. I never imagined I might run into you in a place like this?” Somehow, her tone managed to be condescending and admiring all at once.

“I’m sorry,” the designer managed through gritted teeth. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure.”

“Alice?” And there he was, his expression only mildly surprised. When Russell’s deep blue gaze fell on her, Alice wished she could sink into the floor and disappear. “Does your flight leave today as well?”

Why else would she be in the bloody airport? For sport? “It does.” Somehow, she managed to keep her smile in place. “My brother’s jet is coming to get me.”

“It must be fabulous having a plane at your beck and call at all hours.” Alice didn’t think this woman’s tone could be any more derogatory if she tried.

“It is rather nice.” Alice didn’t usually subscribe to paying the moneyed debutante, but some people were worth insulting. “Are you guys ready for your flight?”

“Oh, I’m looking forward to it.” The blonde clung to Russell’s arm so tightly Alice wondered if it might not come off. “So much to do, so little time.”

Alice wanted to strangle her. What an insufferable little twat. “Well, I wouldn’t want to distract you.” Her jaw hurt from the effort of being pleasant. “I hope the two of you enjoy your-”

“You’re not distracting us at all!” The blonde insisted, making Alice wince at the tinny timbre of her voice. “I’ve actually been trying to get in contact with you for the past year about commissioning a gown! I have to admit that until I saw you in the paper I wasn’t one hundred percent certain what you looked like, but now-”

Russell must have sensed the thorough verbal dressing down on the tip of Alice’s tongue as he interrupted abruptly. “Alice, this is Melanie Byers, she’s one of my newest clients. Melanie, you’ve obviously recognized Alice Tate.”

“Of course, I did. Her face has been everywhere since the two of you became an item.”

“We’re not an item.” Alice set out to quickly steal those words from Melanie’s mouth. She also didn’t like the way the little hussy implied that Alice was only famous because she’d been seen with Russell. “Just friends.”

“Oh, come now,” Melanie’s tone sounded almost as if she was considering Alice a child. “There are so many pictures of you two looking so very cozy-”

“Excuse me.” Alice couldn’t take much more of this. She was certain she was on the cusp of murder, “I’m sure that Russell must have you under the wrong impression. We just work together. We’ve gone out once or twice to talk work semantics, but that’s all.”

“Ah, I see.” Instead of being dissuaded, the woman’s expression turned decidedly catlike. “So, he’s available. I suppose I should consider myself lucky to be traveling with him then.”

Alice didn’t know if she was more disgusted or disappointed in Russell. She might have hoped that a man of his caliber wouldn’t so easily fall victim to women this low. She might be a client, but Alice had never heard of her. As far as she knew, all of Russell’s clients were high profile stars that demanded a large following and substantial respect. This girl was just a snot-nosed brat who didn’t think twice about what came out of her mouth.

“I suppose you should,” Alice spat the words, frustrated that she had so easily lost her cool. “Look, Miss Byes, if you’re interested in commissioning a gown from me, please get in contact with my London boutique. I’d be glad to assist you then. You two enjoy your trip.” With that, she abandoned her perfumes and swept from the shop, where Tom was waiting for her.

She was halfway back to her gate, and she thought she’d escaped when a hand closed firmly over her shoulder. Alice whirled to see Russell standing over her, his expression apologetic. He looked so bloody magnificent that Alice almost wanted to forgive him.

Almost.

“Alice…please. Let me apologize for Melanie.”

For Melanie. He wanted to apologize for that slip of a girl who obviously didn’t know her arse from her elbow? Alice could care less about her. What she wanted was for the man to apologize for his own behavior. To tell her what an absolute cad he’d been and assure her that she was the only woman that he wanted to see. But of course, Russell Darwell would never make such an outstanding commitment.

“Think nothing of it.” She didn’t bother to smile as she waved his apology off. “Just keep an eye on that one. She’s bound to get into trouble in London.” When she made to step away again, Russell’s hand closed around her wrist, preventing her from moving more than two steps. Immediately, Alice stiffened, fighting the tide of warmth that washed over her at his nearness. “Please, let me go, Russell.” She murmured softly, hoping that she could keep her temper.

“Alice…I…I hope you understand that there is nothing between Melanie and me. She’s young and impulsive…but she has a bright future as a vocal artist.”

Of course, she did.  “There’s nothing to understand, Russell. She’s your client. I’m sure she’s paying you well.” It was as low as she was willing to go, insults-wise. “I’m sure I’ll see you after we both return. I can’t imagine Regina will be finished complaining about her costumes.”

All at once, Russell’s expression went stern, his mouth pulling into a tight line. “Alice.” It was perhaps the second or third time she had provoked an honest reaction from him, and as much as it surprised her, Alice also relished it. “I never meant for Melanie to insult you and I never meant…I never meant to run into you like this.”

“I’m sure you never meant to run into me at all,” she returned flatly. “You made that very clear when you rebuffed my offer to travel together.”

At that, he seemed taken aback. Russell opened his mouth, seemed to think better of what he was going to say, and then shut it. His face took on the same mild expression he always seemed to wear – the one made to please everyone who took it at face value. “Alice, I only wanted to…to keep from hurting you.” With that, Russell sighed, running a hand through his hair before he turned away. “My apologies. Enjoy your time with your niece.”

And just like that, he was gone.

Alice stared after him, a turmoil of confusion churning within her.

What on earth was wrong with this man? First, he wanted her, then he didn’t, and now he made it seem like he genuinely cared for her well-being after letting one of his clients insult her. He must be out of her mind.

Alice needed this time away. If she didn’t take it, she might very well snap.

 

For her first few days in London, Alice was so consumed with the tiny new arrival to their family that she actually managed to achieve her goal of forgetting Russell. It was the first time in a long time that her family and friends had all been together at the Tate manor. For once, the immense house actually felt full. Alice was there, and by some miracle, she had gotten her parents to allow her to bring Tom for once. Michael and Rose were staying in his wing of the house with Victoria, and Elias and Cat were also present with the almost one-year-old Liam. Atop that, Rose’s parents had come to stay and take place in the festivities as well, and the babies were passed around relentlessly.

Ever since their family had almost torn itself apart with Rose and Michael’s betrothal, things became a lot more intimate, and stood less on ceremony, which Alice could almost certainly appreciate. The first day she got back, she went to brunch with Cat, Rose, the matriarchs of both the noble families and both the babies.

There were no men allowed, and she couldn’t remember ever having more fun. She saw her own mother toy with baby Victoria as if she herself was a young woman again, and Rose, already well on her way to her post-baby body, indulged herself with two whole glasses of wine. She and Cat regaled one another with their best stories of motherhood, while Alice listened almost jealously.

Of course, she hoarded Victoria as much as Rose would let her. In person, the child was just as breathtaking as she’d been in all the images Michael sent. Even more so. Alice could already think of at least ten outfits she wanted to make for baby Vicky, and a visit to her boutique and workshop ensure that her spring line contained a number of pieces for infants and toddlers.

At home, every meal was a family affair, with two children making the house almost rowdy. The Tate manor was, once more, full of life, and for once, Alice could see her brother at the head of a family generation not even half as stuffy as the last.

Of course, eventually, Victoria had to sleep, and Rose with her. Breastfeeding, the blonde confided in her, was exhausting in and of itself, and so she gratefully lied down to take a nap with her infant daughter.

Somehow, among all the siestas everyone was taking, Alice found herself alone with Elias and Michael in the study. Catherine’s husband, Alice had to admit grudgingly, was quite a good father. But she had to admit that was probably because he wasn’t nearly so callous with his son as he was with everyone else he interacted with. It was perfectly normal for Elias to go from crooning a song to Liam to a sarcastic, biting insult to Michael in the same sentence.

Alice could only marvel at the transition.

She watched Elias toy with Liam’s tiny fingers on the piano of the study before blithely telling Michael he needed to change the whiskey he drank because it was atrocious.

“Your manners are atrocious, Elias.” Alice snapped, sipping at the tea Annie, the housekeeper, had brought them. “In front of your son, no less.”

“I’m trying to teach him to have good taste in whiskey.” Elias replied, glancing over at the dark-haired woman witheringly. “Not that you’d know anything about that.”

“You wouldn’t know good whiskey if it bit you in the arse.” Michael chuckled, sipping from the half-full glass he poured himself after tea. “So, don’t criticize my tastes.”

“Watch your language in front of your Godson, Mike.” Elias chided teasingly, making his friend roll his eyes.

“I can only imagine what you’re teaching him behind closed doors.”

“How to be a world-class architect,” Elias rebutted, “just like his mother and father.”

Alice couldn’t argue there. Though Elias might annoy her unto the ends of the earth, there was no denying the man’s talent when it came to architecture. Once he met Cat, who had also been an innate talent, he groomed her and nurtured her skills until she was on par with himself. Together, they were a powerhouse.

Even if Alice couldn’t understand the attraction. 

“He looks like his mother.” Alice grinned playfully. “Good on him.”

Elias merely sighed, cutting his eyes at her as he lead Liam to play a particularly loud note. “I think I’ll teach him to ignore insipient women who insult his father needlessly.”

“Calm down, you two.” Michael laughed, setting his glass on the table. “This is supposed to be a family time. Don’t perfume the manor with your animosity.”

Alice merely rolled her eyes. “Not my best friend.”

“You know, Alice, I look forward to the day you marry and settle down. Then, perhaps, you’ll be done with all your jealous machinations.”

His words hit her a little too close to home and Alice scowled deeply. She wasn’t jealous. Why on earth would she be jealous of Elias? The man had his head up his arse. And as much as she loved Cat, she didn’t envy her being married to such a big-headed man.  What on earth was there to be jealous of? Sure, they had one another, and they seemed to be desperately in love both with one another and their son? So, what if both they and Michael seemed to have the fairy-tale love that Alice had been certain didn’t exist before she saw it with her own eyes. She didn’t need that. She was successful in her own right. She could have any man she wanted!

Any man, that was, except for Russell Darwell.

“I don’t have any jealous machinations, Elias. Not everyone can have a fairy tale romance. As I recall, you nearly drove Cat away with your priggishness.”

As always, Elias let averse comments slide from him like water. “And yet here I am, happily married with a son. I would think of a notorious playboy like myself can settle down, Alice, you might not be a lost cause after all.”

Somehow, Alice managed not to throw her priceless heirloom family teacup at him. Michael must have sensed her growing ire, as he leapt to his feet and stepped between them before she could launch herself at the architect.  “Elias doesn’t mean anything by it, Alice. He’s just being…Elias.”

That was the man’s greatest bloody crime.

Alice merely sighed, leaning back against the couch and glaring daggers at the man before pouring herself another cup of tea. Without missing a beat, she reached for her brother’s whiskey to spike it, making him snort in laughter.

Michael sank down next to her on the couch before expelling a long breath that warned her what was coming. Alice downed her entire cup of tea before turning to him a beat before he started to speak.

“I have to admit, Alice. I have been worried about you.”

She sighed. She accepted this, she reminded herself, because it was evidence that her brother cared for her. “What are you worrying about now, Michael?”

The older man merely scowled at her. “You always make this like squeezing blood from a turnip. All I want is to ensure your happiness.”

Alice merely set her teacup down, bracing herself for the inevitable argument as Michael went on. "I saw you’ve been in a couple of papers with Russell Darwell.”

Well, that was the last thing she expected. She wasn’t aware that her brother looked at the international papers, and Alice had been fairly certain that nothing from the LA Times bled over to Britain. At least, she thought she’d been.

When she rebutted, she kept her tone light. “So? What of it?”

“Well…didn’t you say you had no idea where you stood with the guy? That you weren’t sure if he was interested in you?”

That had been two months ago, and Alice didn’t know if she was any more certain how the man felt about her. “Something like that.”

Michael only continued to stare at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue. “Well…obviously you’ve spent some time with him. Did you change your mind?”

This was the last thing Alice wanted to talk about currently. After all, she’d come back to the UK to forget the man and celebrate Vicky’s birth. Not to be interrogated about him.

“We went out a few times,” She answered bluntly, “And he’s not for me. Too uncertain of himself. And I’ve heard from more than a few people that he’s not the type to commit.”

At that, Michael’s eyes widened in surprise. “So, you’re looking for commitment?”

She was really going to have to curb all the violent tendencies she’d developed as of late. If she didn’t Alice was fairly sure she was going to end up offing a fair few people. Exhaling a noisy breath, she poured herself yet another cup of tea, despite the fact that she knew her bladder would regret it later.

“That’s not what I said.”

“But you implied that you didn’t like that he wouldn’t commit. Which means that you like him.”

She couldn’t take it anymore. Though Alice knew that it was terribly unseemly, she snapped on her brother, irritated by her own lack of wherewithal and her feelings for a man she was beginning to suspect had no feelings.

“Why must you always be so interested in my romantic affairs, Michael? Is it because you expect me to fail? You’re waiting for me to mess up again so you can swoop in like my knight in shining armor? I know I’m not the best judge of character when it comes to myself, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t be happy! It doesn’t mean that I can’t find the right man for me. I will, do you understand me?”

For a long moment, both men just stared at her, obviously surprised by her outburst. Alice reddened, embarrassed that she’d let her emotions get the best of her. Then again, perhaps she should applaud herself. After all, she’d managed to keep her cool in front of Russell this long. And she would need to continue keeping her cool if she were ever to move past him.

Which meant opening up to her brother.

“I…I’m sorry Michael…. I didn’t mean to blow up like that.” Elias merely arched a brow when his friend looked to him, bouncing his babbling son on his knee.

“Sounds like someone has something they’d like to get off their chest.” For once, there were no snide remarks on his part. No mockery or ridicule. In fact, it almost sounded as if he felt sorry for her.

Alice must have sunk pitifully low to reach this point.

Michael merely ran a hand through his hair. “Well, you know I’m always here to talk.”

And he was. Of that there was no doubt. He had confided in her whenever he needed her. Why couldn’t she do the same with him?

Taking a deep breath, Alice prepared herself for a split second before her story spilled from her lips. Everything from when she’d left Britain two months ago, the dates she’d been on and renting an apartment from him to the way he’d brushed off her travel together and come to the airport with another woman.

With each leg of her tale, Michael’s expression grew more and more grim. He didn’t need to speak a single word for Alice to know that he didn’t approve of Russell’s behavior. And why should he? His behavior had gone from questionably gentlemanly to obviously avoidant. Even if he didn’t want to hurt her, why didn’t he just break things off properly? That’s what a gentleman would have done.

For a long while after she finished, both Elias and Michael looked contemplative. Even little Liam had screwed up his minute face – but that could be because he had to take a poo.

“He sounds like a bloody idiot.” Elias finally declared, shifting his son to his opposite knee. “An impressive idiot, but an idiot nonetheless. He’s being a rake…in his own special way.”

Alice winced at that particular assessment. “But the woman he’s traveling with isn’t someone he’s romantically involved with. She was just a client.”

“As far as you know.” Michael rebutted gently, his gaze not unkind. When Alice sighed, he reached out to clasp her shoulder in solidarity. “I’m just trying to lay everything on the table, Alice. It’s obvious that you like the man, but he has no right to insult you. You deserve a man who can care for you properly. Who will worship you. Nothing less.”

At that, Alice allowed herself a small smile. Michael seemed to have pretty grandiose ideas of love himself. Nothing like the man he was just two short years ago.

“Well, let me just go and start a religion then.” Elias snorted, prompting a laugh from the child on his lap.  “I’m sure a horde of fashionistas would follow it.” It was the closest thing to a compliment the architect had ever paid her and Alice found she was oddly thankful for it. When had she become so bloody soft?

“Alice, a man who gives into any woman who asks for his attention can’t be faithful.” Michael went on, firmly. “I can’t imagine Darwell will do a sudden three sixty if it’s not in his personality – especially if he let that blonde bimbo talk to you the way she did. Perhaps it’s time to move on.”

At that, Alice arched an incredulous brow. “The king of commitment is telling me to move on? I don’t believe it.”

Michael merely rolled his eyes. “I’m not telling you to go back to your old ways. You just need to find a man on your level and give it a chance. Really give it a chance, Alice.”

At the chiding note in his voice, she frowned churlishly, almost like a child who had been reprimanded. She was reluctant to enter the dating pool in earnest again, especially considering how busy she was going to be over the next year. Then, there was, of course, the fact that she was still going to be living in a building that Russell owned. She’d still be seeing him at the studio every day and she’d have to be civil to him if she didn’t want to lose one of the most high-profile jobs of her career.

Which meant that perhaps a new man was in order. But how on earth was she to find someone who impressed her as much as Russell, without the emotional hang-ups? She couldn’t even begin to imagine.

“I’m perfectly open to giving someone a chance, Michael.” Alice said it just as much for her brother as she did for herself. She had no problem coming to terms with the fact that she hadn’t always been the most open person when it came to dating, but actually buckling down and making an effort to dispel Russell from her psyche?

It sounded easier said than done.

“Are you really?” Elias rose from the bench in front of the piano, shifting his son to his hip with surprising dexterity.

Alice looked up at him skeptically. If she confirmed that she was, part of her was worried about what exactly Elias would say next. Despite the fact that he seemed to be trying to help, she didn’t know how much faith she had in a plan Elias had concocted – and it looked like the cogs in his head were working.

“What…did you have in mind?” She ventured carefully.

Elias looked to Michael as if asking his friend for approval and Michael merely arched a brow in inquiry.  Elias scowled, stalking over to the couch where Alice sat and extending Liam to her. Alice couldn’t help the smile that turned the corners of her lips upward as she took the child into her arms, cradling him tenderly. Liam was a wonderful baby, and immediately reached for a loose strand of her hair to finger with a wet grin.

“I’m going to set you up with a friend of mine.”

It took everything Alice had not to protest strongly and immediately. She hadn’t come back to the UK to date. Quite the contrary, in fact. She had precious few days here as it was, and couldn’t picture any man wanting to go out with her knowing she’d be gone for months afterward.

Did Elias know something she didn’t?

“And who is this friend?” She demanded lowly. She couldn’t imagine being truly interested in anyone who Elias considered a friend. She still didn’t understand why he and her brother were thick as thieves. Something about the man having a heart of gold or some such bullocks…though she supposed he had, somehow, managed to win the love of Cat, one of the sweetest women alive.

So, he couldn’t be all bad.

“Someone I think could handle you.”

Alice merely scowled at his implication.

“I’d prefer being pampered over handled.” Michael chuckled at that particular protest.

“How about I meet him first. If he’s not Elias twin, I suppose there can’t really be any harm done.”

Somehow, Alice seriously doubted that. Elias could use any leverage he thought he currently had to torture her –in fact, she wouldn’t put it past him. To his merit, however, the man looked relatively serious.

“That’s fine with me. As long as your sister promises not to hang him out to dry just because I suggested him.”

He didn’t know how tempting the idea was. Instead of answering him, Alice merely bounced a laughing Liam on her knee. She told herself she was doing this for him, not for his father and certainly not for her brother’s over-inflated sense of duty.

For Liam, and, most notably, for herself.

Somehow, she needed to get Russell out of her system, come hell or high water.