By: SailorPerfect
Chapter 2: A Shattering Truth Revealed
Innocence and seduction...fire and ice...
They were the words that continued to echo through his mind as he took in the vision currently standing before him.
He'd been told about her, several times in fact. By both his PI's who had kept tabs on his little brother and also friends who knew her and Peraru. The PI's had given him detailed reports on Peraru's spending and actions, on the numerous women that had come and gone out of his life. It wasn't until Rene Carrington had come that things had changed. Peraru's insistent spending of money on women had halted, only to center on her, and his entire life had quickly revolved around her as well. The PI's had lavished him with reports on her beauty, on how utterly perfect she was, on how they had never come across another living female as breathtakingly exotic as her. He'd merely silenced them with one raised brow, scanning the report on his brothers dealings instead.
His friends had been another matter. He'd attended regular social functions, both here in the states as well as Europe and he'd always received the same merciless hassling. Standing in groups of men her name had always come up, followed by multiple groans from each man and exaggerated elbowing, all of them commenting she was a goddess among women, innocence and seduction, fire and ice, all rolled into one. The teasing had followed, something he'd grown accustomed too, that she would soon be his sister-in-law, that he would have to see her and he would most definitely desire her, but be unable to touch her.
He admitted when he'd been informed Peraru had proposed he'd been mildly surprised, but the real shock had come when he'd been informed of their fast approaching wedding. The date had been set and preparations were being made. To be engaged was one thing, but to be actually marrying her had been another. It had piqued his curiosity and just when he had been about to go in search of this woman to meet her and warn her somewhat of his brother, they had been gone, to the states to visit her uncle in California.
He remembered Andrew well, having been doing small business with him for several years now. It wasn't until the past year had come that Andrew had come across several badly made decisions which had cost him and Elios had offered his help by buying off most of the company that had been swiftly crumbling. Elios had felt pity for his friend and had loaned him some thousands of dollars to help him with the company, but it had been wasted, washed away much to Andrew's growing anxiety and Elios' confusion. Andrew had been adamant on paying Elios back and had somehow done so, in small and slow portions.
He'd been horrified to hear of the accident, for the sake of both the men. Andrew had been a good friend over the years, and Peraru...although he and his brother had been estranged for some time now, he had always felt affection for him and to hear of his death had been quite a shock.
Peraru had indeed left behind a woman of erotic beauty and carnal innocence. A woman such as this was dangerous. She could command both a man's desire's, as well as the protective instinct bred inside and warm the heart. He'd heard stories of her, of the trail of broken hearts she had left behind in Europe, the many men who had offered her the worlds rich's just to have her. She had slipped away from them, all of them, and had kept her heart to herself. He'd been told she was no woman to trifle with, that she had a will as strong as iron and strength beneath the compelling fragility.
He could see it now, clear as day, standing before him.
She wore a simple tank top and shorts, her hair pulled back into a pony tail with long tendrils of fiery curls streaming down her back, her face fresh of any make up. Her eyes were a peculiar color, as deep and rich as her hair, topped by slashing brows. He recalled her mother had been quite the beauty some years before, his father having been one of the men to pursue her in his bachelor years. He had been told Rene had inherited her mothers gifted looks and carefree laughter, with the shrewdness and strength coming from her father.
He was going to enjoy sparring with such an amazing woman.
Even as he felt his libido stirring at the mere sight of her, he controlled his bodies desire's. He was no randy teenage boy, after all. "I see I've shocked you." He came forward, slowly, arrogantly, his deep blue eyes focused on hers as she stared helplessly at him. Taking her hand in his, he brought it to his lips and teased the smoothness of her skin with his. "It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Carrington." He allowed his eyes to sweep her form, making sure she was aware he was drinking in the glorious sight of her. "A pleasure indeed."
She was struggling to make sense of this, of the sight of the man who had been her beloved's older brother. Her mind reeled with the knowledge that she was finally meeting him for the first time, that he now owned everything that had once belonged to her.
And that her heart had tripped madly inside her chest at the first clear sight of him.
She had never reacted to any other man in this way. When she had first met Peraru she had expressed mild interest, flirting and teasing as was her custom, but it had been his smooth, cultured manner that had eventually intrigued her. She had never felt her pulse leap at the sight of him, nor her palms dampen with sweat as her mouth ran dry.
He stood well over six feet, a few inches taller then Peraru had been, and built like the boat racers in Europe, with broad, strong shoulders. It amazed her, how utterly, dangerously gorgeous this man was. He exuded such strength, such raw dominance, with his silvery hair slicked back from a face that could only belong to a wicked angel.
Allen, watching the exchange and troubled by Rene's silence, cleared his throat. "I didn't expect you so soon, Mr. Atheros."
Elios kept a hold on Rene's hand and merely slid his eyes to Allen, raising one brow in a move that had the other man immediately backing down. "I don't believe I have to explain myself to you, Mr. Cummings. The business I must attend to involves Miss Carrington and I."
"Yes, of course Mr. Atheros. I didn't mean-"
Elios lifted one hand, cutting off Allen's apology. When he spoke his tone was smooth, seductive. "I had been told stories of your beauty, but I don't believe any of them came close to the truth." He leaned in close to her, close enough to have her nerves jumping. "Why would you have been wasting your time with Peraru?"
That single comment snapped Rene from her stupor. Snatching her hand from his grasp, she sneered at him. "Because unlike you, Peraru had a good, kind heart and I loved him for that. He would never have abandoned his only brother and shoved him into an unwilling compromise."
She watched the affect her words had, the way those blue eyes hardened, turned glacial, as he straightened slowly and a cool mask descended upon his superb features. "I see you and I have different opinions when it comes to Peraru. Perhaps we should allow the subject of my little brother to remain dormant for now." His tone was frigid, his eyes leaving hers to sweep the entrance of the estate. "Shall we get down to business then?"
She was brimming with anger. To have everything that had once belonged to her family now belong to this horrid man! Her fathers shops, her Uncle's home, everything. All of it was his, this man whom she had always detested because of the injustice he had caused against her beloved.
Allen touched her arm then, gaining her attention as Elios continued his silent inspection of the estate. When she saw the understanding, yet also the plea in Allen's eyes she realized she had to maintain some sort of calm. Although she did feel anger toward Elios he was now the owner of this house and everything else that had once belonged to her. She was, she realized with a sudden jolt, at the mercy of this loathsome man.
Swallowing immense anger and pride, she spoke in a strained tone. "All right then. Get on with it."
He turned back to her, amusement sliding into his eyes as he assessed her once again. "Well it's simple, really. This house, your father's shops, all belong to me now. Andrew had a debt with me, an enormous one. Due to the failings of his dealings in the past years, I had slowly purchased everything he owned from him, as well as loaning him considerable amounts of money." Slipping his hands into the pockets of his trousers, he slowly approached her. "Debts must be paid, Miss Carrington. I'm afraid you, to put it quite bluntly, have nothing."
Her eyes fired with rage, her lip curling in disgust as her fists tightened at her sides. "Peraru was right about you." She breathed the words, unable to contain her own fury. "You are a cold, selfish son of a bitch."
He raised one brow, the amusement gone from his features as they turned dangerous. "We mustn't always listen to rumors, should we?" He turned his back to her, walking from the entrance hall to the windows nearby, where the ocean was in full view to them, the lapping water glinting against the brutal sun. "I'm not a complete monster, Miss Carrington. I am prepared to make some sort of deal with you." In truth he was unable to bring anymore heartache against this woman, who had lost so much in her young life. He would do justice to Andrew's memory and find a solution to this situation.
"You see Rene." Allen spoke with infinite relief. "There's no need to lose hope just yet."
Elios' gaze cut across to Allen. "I have yet to think of what type of deal this will be. Meeting you has made me wonder what I should do with you now."
Rene's back stiffened at the comment. "Do with me? Listen, you jerk, you don't own me! Just because your used to having everything belong to you and every person bow at your feet, doesn't mean I will!"
"That has yet to be seen." When she sputtered with fury, he smirked, enjoying the way her anger made color rise to her cheeks and heighten her immense beauty. "I will need more time to think on my decision." He considered for a moment, this woman who had gained his intrigue so quickly. He had never felt so drawn to a woman before in his life.
Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew an envelope and handed it to her. She slowly took it with suspicion. "Tomorrow night my cousin will be throwing a party at her estate for me. She insists on celebrating whenever I'm in the states visiting. You are aware I spend most of time in Europe, correct?" He watched her frown down at the invitation, smiling at the endearing way her brow furrowed in concentration. "Attend the party and I will inform you of my decision then. Salveo aureus muliercula." He turned and exited the front doors before she had time to comprehend he was leaving.
"Wait! What cousin is this? Peraru never told me he had a cousin." She had raced after him out the front doors, stopping him just as he was preparing to fold his long frame into the sporty little, black corvette he had driven to her home.
Squinting against the glaring sun, his eyes met hers, and in them she saw secrets she had no hope of understanding. "It seems, Miss Carrington, that my brother didn't tell you a great many things." He opened the door to the corvette, giving her one brief, heated look that had her insides curling and her mouth running dry. "I wonder if it was due to his unwillingness to have you find out who he truly was." With that shocking remark he climbed into the corvette, roared the engine to life, and disappeared from her sight.
She read the name from the invitation in her hand: Hotaru Montgomery Atheros. Peraru's cousin.
This was a part of Peraru's life she had never known existed. He'd had a cousin, living here in Newport and had never once mentioned her. Rene felt some betrayal, but more confusion. Why was it Peraru would have chosen to never mention her? He had only ever spoken of Elios and even then he had only given her details on what a cold blooded man his elder brother was. She had known only that Elios had spent most of his time in Europe, a man the women there had fought for. He had always been accompanied by a different woman and had luxuriated in the enjoyable life of a bachelor.
She would have refused to join this party, certainly, but for the mere fact that her life was now in Elios' hands. She had no desire to enjoy other people's company, most especially his, but she was left with little choice.
Walking back into the cool interior of her home, she found Allen standing waiting for her. "Is he gone?" The intimidation Allen felt for Elios was very obvious.
She nodded. "Yes, he's gone." She held the invitation up for Allen to see. "I do not want to attend this party, but he's given me no choice." Swearing beneath her breath, she slapped the invitation against her hand. "Dreadful, dreadful man! He's the most arrogant, conceited bastard I've ever met!"
And yet, she was unwillingly reminded of the dramatic pace her heart had leapt to at the sight of him, and how those dark, hypnotic eyes had caused her palms to dampen with sweat.
Peraru had been handsome, with an air of sophistication to him and an almost pretty elegance to his smooth features.. His tall, lean build had been more suited to cocktail parties and moonlit nights. He had been a true gentlemen, as most people had referred to him as, sitting among colleagues as he sipped from his glass of brandy and discussed the politics of racing.
Elios she could easily imagine riding a stallion across open plains at break neck speed, or swinging across the ropes of a ship as the tide fought against his long, muscular frame, as he fought against nature itself to-
"Rene? Are you feeling all right?" Allen's concerned voice cut off her wandering thoughts, snapping her back to the present time. "You look a little flushed."
She turned partially away from him, horrified by the direction her thoughts had taken. How could she possibly have even been thinking of that man in such a way? Peraru's older brother, no less, the man who had taken everything from her beloved and had now taken it from her as well.
Because she knew Allen was patiently waiting for an answer, she replied to his concern with hot disdain. "I'm angry with Elios, for acting as if he owns me along with everything else he's been able to take from me." She could feel her cheeks flaming, but it was not from anger.
Allen was silent a moment. "Andrew spoke very highly of him to me in the past." He spoke carefully, aware of Rene's anger.
She whirled on him, causing him to take a single step back. "Clearly my Uncle didn't truly know the man to be able to speak of him in that way."
Allen bit back his reply. Andrew had always been cautious in who he had trusted, a characteristic he and his brother Darien had shared. Allen knew for a fact that Andrew would only have ever trusted Elios and spoken of him as he did for a very good reason. He had yet to discover what that reason could be.
He cleared his throat instead, changing the subject. "Will you attend the party?"
Her grip tightened on the invitation. "Like I have a choice." She replied bitterly.
"Rene I know your angry with Elios, but at a time like this you must take whatever advantages you have and use them." At her blank look he continued, "It was obvious he was extremely attracted to you. It's not a surprise that he was, most men who meet you are, but it may be something you could use. He could hardly keep his eyes off you."
She was silent, contemplating what he had said. She knew Elios had been surveying her, admiring her as most men did. She had grown being aware of her looks and had learned how to use them during her time in Europe. Normally these looks from men didn't bother her, but with Elios the sight of those eyes flaring with passion had made her knees tremble, a feeling foreign to her. She wasn't sure she would be able to use her looks with this man because of her own reaction to him.
She walked to the window overlooking the view of the beach and the ocean nearby. She thought of Peraru and how much she had loved him, then of Elios and the undeniable attraction that had erupted between them. "It seems," she spoke quietly, fighting against the guilt gnawing at her insides, "that is the only advantage I do have."
Salveo aureus muliercula - meaning farewell beautiful little one in Latin
I hope your all enjoying!
Stay tuned for Chapter 3
: SailorPerfect :