She felt a shiver go down her spine. All at once her defiance seemed stupid, like baiting a tiger. That unblinking stare. Was he going to let her go? Only moments earlier she had been somewhat depressed that he would. Now she wanted nothing more than to run for her life, far away from him.
He shook his head slowly. “Dio, Alexandria. You persist in thinking me a monster. Take great care, piccola, that you do not create one.” He left the room as silently as he had entered.
She trembled at the threat. She touched her mouth. He had been staring at it. Her lips tingled so, she swore she could feel the brush of his mouth against hers. She closed her eyes, savoring the feel of him, then cursed that he could so easily control her. She was human. Human! And she was determined to stay that way.
Alexandria lifted her chin. She would not be swayed by his sex appeal, and she would not be intimidated by his threats. She slipped on her shoes and glided regally down the stairs.
Thomas had arrived precisely on time and was waiting for her in the living room, grateful that Aidan Savage had chosen not to inflict his presence on him. His breath caught in his throat as Alexandria entered. She seemed to be more beautiful each time he saw her. She amazed him, haunted him, wrapped him up until he could think of nothing but her. His work was suffering, as a result. He was daydreaming about her when he was supposed to be completing the story line for his latest video game. He even dreamed of her at night, hot, erotic dreams he had every intention of making come true.
“Thomas, this was such a good idea.” She greeted him in a voice that seemed to penetrate right to his heart and stir a response somewhat lower in his body as well.
Then he felt the weight of those damned golden eyes on him. Relentless. Merciless. They saw his reaction and damned him for it. Aidan Savage lounged with deceptive laziness in the doorway, one hip resting against the wall, his arms across his chest. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. His mere presence struck terror into Thomas’s soul. Thomas took Alexandria’s cape and enveloped her in it, breathing in her perfume. “You look extraordinary, Alexandria. No one would ever know you’d been ill.”
Aidan did stir then, a mere rippling of muscles suggestive of a lethal predator. “Nevertheless, she has been extremely ill, Ivan. I trust you will see to it that she is well cared for and returned home early.”
Thomas smiled suavely, oozing charm. Damn the man, he wasn’t a teenager escorting his first date to the prom. He deliberately took Alexandria’s hand in his, knowing it would annoy her blond guard dog. “Not to worry, Savage. I intend to take very good care of her.” He urged her to the door, anxious to be away from Savage and his living, breathing, monstrous house.
Alexandria went with him willingly, seemingly as eager as he was. Out in the night air she stopped and took a deep breath. “He can be a bit overwhelming, can’t he?” she said, smiling. Smiling to rival the stars. Freedom. Blessed freedom. It didn’t matter at that moment that Ivan’s smile still reminded her of a shark’s toothy grin, or that she could hear his heart beating every bit as loudly as Joshua’s, or, even worse, that she could smell his arousal. She was away from Aidan Savage and his influence, and that was all she cared about.
“Overwhelming? Is that what you call it? He’s completely overbearing. The man acts as if he owns you,” Thomas burst out.
She laughed softly. “You get used to him. He can’t help it. He’s accustomed to giving orders. You probably know what that feels like,” she added mischievously.
He found himself laughing with her, relaxing as they made their way to the car he had waiting. He had deliberately hired a limo and driver to leave himself free for whatever might happen in the back seat later.
“I made a good start on the sketches, Thomas,” she volunteered, “but you didn’t specify what character traits were particularly important to you. I think you should decide ahead of time how you want individuals portrayed instead of leaving it all to me.”