Trista Ann Michaels (12 page)

“It’s exactly that simple.”

“I lied to her.”

“You lie to everybody. No one knows you as Alexander anymore. Hell, half the time I call you Marcus now. She’ll understand.”

“She may understand, but I bet she never forgives me. She won’t answer my calls or respond to my texts.”

“Who the hell are you?” Jim asked.

Alex looked at his assistant and frowned.

“Since when do you mope?”

Alex twisted his lips as his gaze dropped back down to the desk. “I’m not moping.”

“Oh, the hell you’re not,” Jim replied in amusement. “It’s almost comical if it wasn’t so damn sad. Where’s the ‘I get what I want’ business man I’ve been working with for over ten years? Go see her. It’s been a few days, she’s had time to think, to calm down. She’ll remember the great sex, the romantic nights, the little things you did… And I’m assuming you did the little things,” he added in his usual no nonsense drawl.

Alex couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at his lips but he lifted his middle finger anyway just for giggles.

Jim snorted. “I take that as a yes.”

“You’re not supposed to be smarter than me, Jim.”

Jim grinned. “I’ve always been smarter than you, I just held myself back so you wouldn’t notice.”

This time Alex chuckled. Jim had become more than just his personal assistant. He’d become his friend. A friend that had been with him through so many things. A friend who’d helped him come up with this crazy idea of taking on another identity to protect himself from all the money-hungry women out there that couldn’t see past his checkbook. A friend that had made him see his feelings for Sinclair and talked him into the resort idea. Unfortunately, it was an idea that may have cost him the woman he loved.

Could she forgive him? Would she? Should she? He wasn’t sure at this point he would if the situation were reversed. Had he just made the worst mistake of his life?

A set of keys dropped onto the desk with a loud clang and Alex jumped in surprise. He glanced up at Jim in question.

“Keys to your car. You can’t walk to the airport.”

Alex’s eyebrow lifted. “What? You’re not driving me?”

“You can drive your own damn self. I’ve got work to do. I’m going to have to pick up the slack while you take your fiancée on a trip to make it up to her. And don’t forget to get a ring.”

“You’re that sure she’s going to say yes?” Alex called after him as Jim opened his office door.

“Oh, trust me,” Jim replied over his shoulder. “I’m that sure. Now get up off your ass and go make amends. I swear, I have to do everything around here,” Jim grumbled as he left the office.

Alex shook his head and grinned at Jim’s teasing complaint. He was right, though. It was time he took the bull by the horns. She would either forgive him or tell him to take a flying leap. It was time he found out which one it would be.

* * * *

Alex stepped off the elevator in Sinclair’s building and turned left down the hall toward her apartment. Her friend, Karen, stepped out into the hall and shut the door behind her. As soon as she lifted her head, she recognized him and froze.

“So,” she said. “Am I to call you Marcus or Alexander?”

Alex’s lips twitched slightly. “Alex, actually.”

“Okay, Alex,” she said with a nod.

“Is she here?”

She stared at him for a moment before answering. “She’s inside. Her first day home she did nothing but cry, although don’t tell her I told you that, she’ll have my head.” Her eyes narrowed. “You hurt her.”

“I know,” he replied sadly.

“You’ve been working with her for how long now?” Karen began. “Don’t you know her well enough to know your checkbook was the last thing on her mind? If that’s why you did this.”

“I didn’t play Marcus to try and win her. I was already—”

Karen held up her hand, stopping him. “It’s not me you need to tell this to. Trust me, whatever you tell her, I’ll hear eventually.”

Alex rolled his eyes, knowing she was probably right. He knew how close she and Sinclair were.

“Just be honest with her, Alex.”

She patted him on the shoulder as she walked past, but Alex didn’t move toward the door. He just stood there, staring at it as though he could get it to open without having to touch it. Now that he was here, his usual bravado was gone. He couldn’t ever remember being this nervous about talking to someone. But never in his life had that someone been so important to him.

“Don’t just stand there,” Karen called from behind him.

Alex sighed out a soft laugh. Karen was bossy; that was for sure. Such a complete opposite from Sinclair.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and knocked softly on the door. Sinclair pulled it open quickly.

“Did you forget something?” she asked as her eyes locked with his. Her smiled faded, but in her eyes he could see hope, desire. “Oh … I thought you were Karen coming back.”

“No. Karen uh…” He waved toward the elevator. “She left.”

Sinclair nodded, but said nothing more nor made a move to allow him in.

“May I come in?” he asked. “We need to talk.”

She stepped aside, her stance nervous. He noticed even her fingers trembled slightly as she shut the door.

“Would you like some coffee?” she asked, as though unsure what else to say.

He wanted to grab her to him, kiss her until she agreed they were meant to be together. She licked her lips and stuck her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. She looked so vulnerable, so scared.

“No,” he whispered. “I see you got the flowers.”

She looked around the room. “Yes. I did. Thank you.”

Alex sighed and turned to walk farther into the living room. “Sinclair, this is ridiculous.” He tossed his coat onto the sofa and turned to face her. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I planned to, I just… I was afraid of this very thing.”

“Why did you do it?” she asked as she took a step backward and leaned against the door.

“I became Marcus right out of college. I had planned to marry this girl. No one in my family liked her. They all believed she was only after my money. Finally, I decided to put her to the test, put my family at ease with her. I told her I wouldn’t get a trust fund, that once college was over, I was on my own financially. My father believed it would build better character if I made it on my own.”

“What happened?” she asked.

“What everyone said would happen. She dumped me.”

Sinclair’s eyes narrowed slightly as tears began to gather in the corners. “I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t want to experience that again, so I became Marcus. I was just a pilot for Alexander. Just an average guy, nothing more.” He grinned slightly. “It was amazing what I found out as Marcus, about executives for the company. It startled me just how arrogant and harsh they were toward the regular people that worked for me. Those I fired. I hired better executives and I tested them as Marcus. Found out how they treated the people beneath them and what was said behind my back, so to speak.”

Sinclair smiled. “I bet that was eye opening.”

Alex chuckled. “Yeah, it was. Then you came along.”

Sinclair’s smile faded just a little.

“You were adorable, sweet. I started fixing my schedule so I was the one flying you. I began coming up with reasons to get you to fly so I could spend time with you.” He slowly walked toward her as she leaned against the doorway, her hands clasped behind her back and holding on to the doorknob with a death grip. “There were so many times I wanted to tell you I was falling in love with you, but I kept replaying in my mind that girl and her…”

“You should’ve known I wouldn’t care about your money.”

“I know,” he replied. “I just wanted to hear you say you loved me as Marcus.”

Sinclair shook her head sadly. “Alexander—”

“Alex,” he whispered as he stepped even closer. “Everyone calls me Alex.”

She stared up at him with wide eyes so full of love and sympathy, he wanted to fall to his knees, beg her to forgive him.

“How can someone so confident be so…”

“Insecure about love?” he asked, grinning.

“Yeah,” she sighed.

“I think for the first time in my life, I was in love. Not young, puppy love, but real, deep-in-your-gut love.” He snorted softly. “Sounds corny, doesn’t it?”

“No.”

He touched her cheek with the back of his fingers. “I realized after falling for you what I felt for the other girl wasn’t really love. Not like what I feel for you, and I think it’s because we started as friends. I was terrified if I told you who I really was, you would hate me.”

“Surely it’s not because I dislike rich guys and their arrogance and their—”

He put his thumb over her mouth to stop her. “I am arrogant,” he whispered. “But I’m not a jerk. And I love you. I love you as Marcus, but I love you most as Alex. I’m dominant and I’m sure we’ll butt heads more often than not, but I don’t care. Forgive me, Sinclair, and say you’ll marry me.”

Her mouth dropped open and he let his thumb fall from her lips. “Marry you?”

“We joked about this on the island, remember?” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small square box. Sinclair gasped as he lifted the lid, exposing a single pear-shaped diamond in a platinum setting. He’d spotted it instantly and known the simple design would suit her perfectly. Not too big, not too little; the two carats would look perfect on her slender finger.

She let go of the doorknob and lifted her hand. Her finger shook slightly as she touched the ring almost hesitantly. “It’s beautiful, but when did we joke about this?”

“That last night. I was going to buy you a beach house.”

Her gaze lifted to his. “I don’t want a beach house,” she whispered.

“No?” he asked. “What
do
you want? Name it. It’s yours.”

“I don’t want anything. I just want you.”

He sighed and dropped his forehead to hers. Grasping her hand, he slid the ring on her finger. “You have me, Sinclair.”

“Then that’s all I need.” She grinned wickedly as she cupped his face in her hands. “You and maybe a trip back to that island.”

Alex laughed and covered her mouth with his.

The End

About the Author:

Trista Ann Michaels can be found deep in the mountains of Tennessee writing her stories by a swift, flowing stream. The sound of running water has always relaxed, as well as inspired, her.

Before becoming a writer, she worked as a paralegal for a prominent prosecuting attorney; that is until she met the man of her dreams, her very own airline captain by the name of David.

When she isn’t writing, she can be found piddling about in her garden or watching movies. Her favorite pastime is traveling, and you can always find her at a RWA meeting, sharing her writing experiences and encouraging fellow writers to follow their dreams.