“Trust you to defend him!”
Alex exhaled a long, slow breath and tried to bring his impatience to order. “If he has slept around, believe me, Helena, I will be the first to condemn his behaviour. But you have no proof.”
“I don’t need proof.”
Alex shook his head ruefully. Beneath him, the moon bathed the cresting waves of the Ionian in a pale milky glow.
“You haven’t seen her.”
“The nanny?” Alex scoffed. For Eric Sandhurst was hardly the kind of man to sleep around with menials in his employ.
“Yes, the nanny.” It was a hiss from between her teeth. “Sophie bloody Henderson. All perfect, blonde, five foot nothing of her.”
Alex ran a hand over the back of his neck, dragging his fingers through the dark hair that curled a little at his nape. “Then your solution is simple. If you truly believe this to be true, fire her.”
“I tried! Eric won’t let me!” Her voice was becoming higher in pitch; her tone obviously desperate.
Alex’s dark eyes, almost as dark and shimmering as the night sky beyond him, were focussed on a trawler in the distance. The nets were lowering, and the boat was lurching in the movements of the current.
“It is a domestic decision. You do not need to listen to him. He is barely around to object, I should have thought.”
“That might have been the case before we hired her, but now? He’s like a love-sick puppy. He follows her to the park with the children. He makes sure he is home for story time. They curl in the bed together and read to the boys. Please, Alessandro, you know I would not trouble you with this if I were not truly afraid for my marriage.”
Alex’s fingers curled more tightly around his phone. His sister had always held a flare for the dramatic. It was entirely possible that she was imbuing perfectly innocent scenarios with a degree of fault that didn’t belong. “Why do you not partake in these events too?”
“You are blaming me for his infidelity.”
“Alleged infidelity,” Alex corrected automatically. “And of course I am not. I am simply reminding you that it is your house. They are your children. He is your husband. You are not forbidden from spending time with them.”
“I’m an outsider.” She sobbed quietly, but Alex heard it, and it tore his heart in two. His sister was grieving, regardless of what the facts might be. “The way he looks at her … I know he loves her. Because it is how he once looked at me.”
A small kernel of worry lodged in Alex’s gut. He knew that his sister’s marriage had been troubled. The difficulties they’d experienced conceiving, coupled with several miscarriages and finally, children who were boisterous and exhausting at times, had strained them.
“I think you must fire her.”
“Eric may leave me.”
“Of course he won’t leave you.” Apart from anything, Alex’s old friend was ambitious as hell. His desire to one day run for mayor of London would smother any divorce notions. Even if he no longer loved Helena? Is that what Alex wanted? For his only sister, a woman he had virtually raised, to be in a marriage with a man who didn’t love her?
“Perhaps you and he should get away for a time. Come here, to Greece, where I can talk with him.”
“No!” Her voice shook. “I already suggested a vacation. He told me he has too much work on.”
Alex’s kernel of doubt was gaining in size and weight. He didn’t want to think the worst of his friend. And yet, his sister was clearly not going to be placated.
“Paidi mou, do not make yourself uneasy. I will come to you.”
“And will you end it, Alex?”
His laugh was a harsh sound in the night. “Believe me, if there is something going on, I will bring an end to it.”
1
“Ian! John! Come here now!”
“We’re hiding!” The sweet little voice, unmistakably Ian with it’s huskier tone, emerged from beneath the sofa. Sophie made a show of lifting the cushions on an opposite dais before moving towards the piano. She sat on the stool with a melodramatic sigh and pretended not to see the chubby, tanned fingers splayed across the floor.
“I do hope I haven’t lost those twins. Their mummy and daddy would be so cross with me.”
A giggle erupted – she couldn’t have picked which twin it belonged to, for their laughs were identical. Matching little peals of amusement that always brought an answering grin to her own face.
“Then again, I suppose I could dress their teddies up in the boys’ clothes. Perhaps that would fool them. I would, of course, need to take the teddies to the park. And feed them their marmite toast.” Another giggle.
She walked across the room and picked up one of the teddies. It was threadbare in places, from having been hugged so tight.
“What do you think, Mr Teddy? Would you be Ian? Or John?” She tapped his little nose and then crouched down onto her knees. “What’s that Mr Teddy? You see them? Where?” She pushed the bear under the sofa and moved his head up and down. The giggles were loud now, loud enough to reach the three people assembled in the corridor. Helena, her face pale, looked nervously towards the lounge area.
Alex followed her gaze. His sister was hardly herself. Where once she had smiled easily, her face was now pinched. “Where are my nephews? I am anxious to see them.”
Eric apparently didn’t perceive a hint of tension. Nor did he question the unexpected arrival of his brother-in-law. That a man as powerful as Alessandros Petrides should decide on a whim to visit was not unusual. Alex had always marched to the beat of his own drum, and done very much as he wished, when he wished it. Eric was simply pleased to see the man he cared so much for. He put an arm forward, indicating that Alex should move into the lounge area.
When they arrived at the door, Sophie was lying on her stomach, half under the sofa. What Alex could see earned a flicker of interest. Her waist was narrow, and her shirt had lifted to expose several inches of honey-coloured skin. She wore pale jeans that showed off her slender, curved legs and rounded rear. Her feet were bare.
“Oh, Mr Teddy. How right you were. You are a genius, and so beautifully furry too. What did we do before we found you?” Giggles emerged from beneath the furniture; two boys and one woman’s. Her accent was Australian, her tone pleasingly soft.
“Now, we have a serious mission this evening, boys.”
“What? What-iddit?” The voice of John emerged, slightly blurred by laughter.
“Ah. You’ll have to come out with me if you want to know that. Are you ready? Shall we fly out together?”
“Fly? We can’t fly.”
“Of course you can. So long as we hold hands, we can do anything.”
“No, that’s not true.” Ian was always more serious than his brother; he was a thinker, intent on knowing how things worked. “Little boys can’t fly.”
“Well, ordinarily not, no.” She leaned closer, and in the darkness beneath the sofa, she saw both boys clamour closer, their eyes shining. “But have I ever told you about Peter Pan and the lost boys?”
They shook their heads in unison. “Goodness me. What an omission. Perhaps that is the book we shall read next.” She held hands with both boys. “Now, I don’t personally have any fairy dust with me right now, but we will learn, from the book, where I can get some.”
“Fairy dust?” Ian was sceptical, and it brought a small smile to Sophie’s lips.
“Or so they say.” She shifted her head so that she could see John; it was no mean feat in the small space she occupied.
“I want to read the book!” It was John. Always enthusiastic and ready for adventure. In many ways, he was a kindred spirit of the lovable Peter Pan.
“Well, let me see if I can remember what we need to say. Second star to the right, and straight on ‘til morning.”
The boys did their best to repeat it, and then Sophie began to slide backwards, with the boys inching along behind her. Their hiding was forgotten now; one adventure completely swamped by the promise of another.
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Sophie stood, and for the first time, became aware that there were other people in the room.
Alex was, momentarily, transfixed.
Helena had not exaggerated this woman’s charms. In fact, Helena, as a woman, perhaps didn’t even completely comprehend the sensual promise that was offered in every inch of this petite, curvaceous woman. From her shimmering blonde hair that was scraped carelessly into a pony tail, to the wide-set, clear blue eyes and dainty nose with a little ski jump tip, to the lips that were full and pink, to a body that men would go to war for and skin that was soft and golden, the nanny was undeniably gorgeous.
“We’ve been hiding,” she said unnecessarily, her manner instantly guarded compared to how she’d been with the boys.
Her eyes skimmed past Eric and landed on Helena. Her smile seemed forced. Then, she looked at Alex, and her blue eyes flew wide as she stared at him. His lips curled in sardonic amusement. Her appraisal was brazen. She made no efforts to disguise her interest, running her clear gaze from his thick black hair to his broad shoulders, and lower still, down the length of his muscular frame. He saw the way her delicate neck bunched as she swallowed, and he liked it. He enjoyed her confusion, for it was an obvious sign that she was affected by him.
“Thios!” John launched himself forward and wrapped his arms around his uncle’s legs. Ian followed suit, more tentative but obviously loaded with affection. And the spell was broken. She took a step back to visibly separate herself from him, and the feelings that were coursing through her.
“Soph, this is my brother-in-law Alessandros Petrides.” Alex noticed the shortened version of her name with a jolt of disapproval. He smothered his scowl.
Sophie had heard of him, of course. Who hadn’t? The self-made billionaire who was as renowned for his successes in the boardroom as the bedroom.
Only Sophie hadn’t made the connection between Helena and this man. Now that she looked at them, she could see a similarity in their features, and certainly in their bearing. But how could she have guessed that Helena was related to a man such as this? Her mouth was dry, her throat suddenly thick and constricted.
“Hello.” A tiny noise, husky and sultry, Alex felt yet another pull of curiosity.
He extended a hand, and told himself he was practicing a convention rather than seeking an excuse to touch her. Sophie acted on autopilot, sliding her own small hand into his. The gesture of greeting sparked an unwelcome flash of desire in his blood stream. She was warm and soft. Her eyes flashed with confusion and she quickly pulled her hand back, eyeing her employers with a guilty flush.
“Pleased to meet you,” she husked hurriedly. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, the boys and I have an adventure …”
He cut her off easily, and enjoyed the way pink colour spread into her cheeks. “I should like to spend time with my nephews.”
“Oh, of course.” Sophie blinked. It was obvious that this thought had never occurred to her. For some reason, she hadn’t pictured Alessandros as the kind of man who would enjoy spending time with children.
“Eric, why do you not take my sister out for the evening. Sophie and I will manage the children.”
Eric hesitated for a fraction of a second, and then nodded. “Yes, a good idea. Helena? Can you get ready quickly?”
Helena was visibly pleased. Her face lifted in relief as she nodded. “Of course!”
And she did. No longer than ten minutes later, Helena and Eric pulled the door shut behind them, leaving Alex, Sophie and two excitable young children in the hallway.
“What have you brought for us, thios?”
Alex’s laugh sent darts of emotion down Sophie’s back. “John,” she employed a serious tone despite her amusement. “We don’t ask for gifts. It is bad mannered.”
“Oh.” A petulant lower lip jutted out. “But Thios Alex always brings us things.”
She crouched down and took both of his hands in hers, ignoring the way Alex’s gaze made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. “Isn’t it enough of a gift that he’s come to see you?” She smiled at Ian, softening her admonishment with a kind expression. “Come. We don’t want your uncle to think you care only for what gifts he might carry.”
Alex was, grudgingly, impressed by the lesson she was bestowing. Though he and Helena had grown up with nothing, those years were far behind them. It had been a long time since Helena had enjoyed great personal wealth, and he had silently feared that his nephews were being raised with a great appreciation for possessions.
“Now, why don’t you take your uncle upstairs while I fix your tea.”
“Tea is what they call dinner in ‘Strarlia.” Ian explained, his expression serious.
Sophie stood and the self-consciousness returned when she looked at Alex. “Their rooms are the second and third to the right,” she said, nodding at the stairs.
Alex’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. No, his eyes were softly calculating. “Boys,” he spoke without removing his gaze from her face. “Go to your rooms. I will be along in a moment.”
Ian moved quickly but John was preparing to mount a complaint. “Now, John.” Alex murmured, his eyes dropping to her full lips, and then lower still, to the skin at her décolletage.
Sophie swallowed nervously. “You don’t need to help me.”
“No,” he agreed with a firmness to his voice. “But I would like to.”
Two pink spots appeared in Sophie’s cheeks. It was on the tip of her tongue to object but she thought better of it at the last minute. This was her employer’s brother, and also a very powerful man. He was a guest in the house, and she was staff. It was certainly not her place to tell him to leave her alone.
“Fine,” she muttered, her smile tight. “The kitchen’s…”
“It is not necessary for you to tell me where things are in the house. I have been here before.”
Her flush deepened. “Not since I’ve worked here.”
“And how long is that?”
Sophie lifted her eyes to his face and then looked away again instantly. “Nine months.”
A long time. Almost a year. “You are very young.”
“I’m twenty four,” she bristled defensively.
“I am surprised my sister hired a nanny with such little experience.”
His tone rankled. “I beg your pardon, you have no idea what my experience is.”
“At twenty four, it can not be vast,” he pointed out with a sardonic lift of his brow.
“If you say so.” It was a curtly dismissive rejoinder that surprised them both. To cover her embarrassment, Sophie lifted a frying pan onto the stove and lit the ignition, then added some oil to it. She’d diced the chicken earlier and she pulled it from the fridge now, adding it to the oil with a sizzle.
Alex didn’t take up one of the seats across the kitchen, but instead propped his hip against the island bench. He was too close. Too big, too intimidating and far too unnerving. “What is your experience?”
Sophie lifted a spoon from the frying pan and shifted the chicken around. “Why do I feel like I’m being interviewed?”
“My nephews are of great value to me. It is natural that I would take an interest in their caregiver.”
“Their parents are their caregivers,” she clarified. “And they also take a great interest in me.”
Yes, he thought with a cynical lift of his lips. How much interest though?
“You’ve worked privately as a nanny?”
“Yes.” Her cheeks flushed. “I worked for two years for a family in Sydney before deciding to come to London.” It was a slight fudging of the facts, but this man hardly needed to know the ins and outs of that emotionally stressful time in her life.
“And this was your first post in England?”
“No.” She shook her head. “For two months I travelled with the Prime Minister’s family. He had various commitments abroad and I was hired in addition to their usual staff. When they returned, he made certain to help me find a good placement.”
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“Hence you came to work for Helena.”
“And Eric, yes.” Her smile was indulgent. “It was actually Eric who hired me. He knows the prime minister, and when he emailed Eric, the response was instant. Helena was …” She lowered her eyes, biting back the words she’d been about to say. Whether that was from loyalty to his sister or out of guilt at backstabbing her to him, Alex couldn’t have said for sure.
“Helena was?” He prompted with the appearance of curiosity.
“Helena had her hands full. The boys are very high-octane, as you know. It’s not unusual for four year olds, especially boys, but the fact they’re twins – they egg one another on.”
“And my sister is not maternal?” He queried, voicing his own private feelings in the form of a question.
“Of course she is!” Sophie contradicted, genuine surprise in her eyes. “She’s a lovely mother, and the boys adore her. One doesn’t need to enjoy going to the park and playing chase and reading stories to be maternal.”
“Or hiding under the sofa?” He prompted, reaching forward and pulling a piece of dust from her hair. She watched as he eyed it and then dropped it to the floor.
“Exactly. I enjoy that stuff. I love playing with the boys.”
“It is your job to enjoy it.”
“It is my job because I enjoy it,” she corrected. “I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t.”
“How long will you stay?”
She shrugged. “I haven’t made up my mind yet.” And besides the fact she hardly knew this man, she found herself speaking with honest uncertainty. “One of the hardest things about my job is leaving the children. In order to do this properly, you have to fall in love with them.”
“With only the children?” He prompted, thinking of his brother in law and the suddenly very strong likelihood that he’d formed a crush on this stunning young Australian.
“Well, with the family.” She shrugged; her shoulders were slender and vulnerable somehow. “I love them, but I’ll leave them at some point. And miss them all like crazy.” She flicked a smile at him.
His expression was difficult to interpret. He was someone who kept his feelings perfectly concealed.