Chapter 4 – Theo
4
THEO
I watch as Allegra’s face goes white, and I’m really worried she’s going to pass out. The look of panic on her face should be amusing, but I don’t like it. It’s why I stepped in to save her from whoever her brother wants her to meet. I was trying to help her, and it had nothing to do with the panic that hit me when I thought she might be going out on a date.
Okay, and I also plan on using this to negotiate with her. She has me doing all these little appearances and cooking classes, and they are fun, but she’s picking the menus for them. I hate that. I hate not having control.
And yes, I know that there is a good chance there’s more to it, but right now, I don’t have the time to deal with it.
“Theo? Don’t you hate him?” her brother asks as he looks down at Allegra.
He’s still standing there with his arm around her shoulders. It shouldn’t bother me because he isn’t a romantic rival. What? Okay, why am I worried about romantic rivals? That is an insane thought. Maybe I’m just getting into the role. All I know is she does not want to go out with Devon. I can tell that by looking at her.
Then his words hit me.
“There’s a thin line between love and hate. We both drove each other crazy when she first started working here.”
He’s eyeing me like I’ve lost my mind, and maybe I have. But the truth is, I will do anything to gain a little control over my work. It has nothing to do with the panic I saw on her face and how that made me feel.
“Listen, Raine,” Allegra says. “Why don’t you get settled in your room? I’ve got something I need to check on, then I’ll join you.”
Raine doesn’t look like he wants to let her go, but he does, giving me the stink eye. He gives her a kiss on the cheek, then heads off to his room.
“My office,” she says, brushing past me, ignoring all the stares. Usually, I would argue with an order like that, but we do need to discuss this.
This woman…she packs a punch. As I follow her through the labyrinth of hallways that lead to her office, I take in her outfit for the day. She wears these slim tailored skirts that don’t show a lot of skin, but they are tight. So tight, I am still trying to figure out if she’s wearing a thong or going without panties.
I roll my eyes and try to move my gaze from her magnificent ass. It only leads me to those heels. How does she walk around in those things all day long? I know that my brother’s wife Hazel has a thing for shoes. She’s been complaining that she can’t wear them during her pregnancy because her feet swell up.
We make it to her office without running into anyone, which is odd, but then they might have been warned to avoid Allegra.
“Shut the door,” she orders. Usually, I would argue with her, but I’m cool with doing what she wants right now.
I watch as she dumps her phone on her desk, which is buzzing around a ton of texts.
“Do you need to get those?”
She looks at me, her eyes narrowing. “No. Those are my brothers, who will probably be here before the end of the weekend.”
“Why would they do that?”
She raises her arms up, then drops them down. “I have no idea. Maybe because they think I can’t handle my life, which you helped with because now they think I’m dating you.”
I shrug. “I just wanted to save you from dating that Devon.”
“First of all, I will not be dating Devon. He lives in Denver.”
I frown. “Then why?—”
“Because those assholes think if they get me involved with someone they work with, I will just give up my life here and move out there.”
“That’s stupid.” Again, I have to beat back the dread that rises. What the hell?
“I know.”
She pulls out the clip holding her hair up, and it falls down, a wealth of tangled, dark curls. Damn, I want to wrap many hands around them as I’m riding her from behind.
“But what you did is even more stupid. You know what my brothers do for a living?”
“Uh, something in security.”
She laughs at that, but there is no happiness in it. “They are about to crawl into your life, Theo. They are going to know all your dirty little secrets.”
“I’m not worried about that. I’m an open book.”
She crosses her arms beneath her tits. God, I wish she wouldn’t do that. I don’t look like I did a week ago. I fight the need to dip my gaze.
“You don’t know what they will find out. They will know every woman you slept with. And they will know dates.”
“That sounds illegal.”
She sighs and drops down in her chair. It’s then I see that she’s paler than normal.
“Did you get lunch?”
Allegra shakes her head and opens her desk drawer, pulls out a candy bar. “I’ll eat this and then have dinner.”
I snatch the snack out of her hand and toss it in the trash.
“Hey!”
“Listen, I’ll not have you getting sick. You work in a resort with several different options. Hell, I would have sent you something if I knew you were going without eating.”
She frowns at me. “I eat, especially when Nancy wants me to taste test something. My ass is a testament to that.”
“Well, then I guess all the male population should thank Nancy for that.”
Allegra’s eyes widen in surprise, but she doesn’t respond.
“So, your brothers? They’ll crawl into my life and then what?”
“They’ll find whoever you’ve been screwing lately.”
“That’s not a problem.”
“It will be when they come to me with evidence about you cheating on me.”
I shrug. “So, this is new. No biggie. Say, it’s been a couple of months.”
“Theo,” she says, rising out of the chair, “we can’t lie to them. They’re all human lie detectors. They make Robert DeNiro look like a rookie in Meet the Parents . They’ll know you aren’t attracted to me.”
I notice that she doesn’t say anything about her attraction to me.
I lean closer, and that’s a mistake. She always smells like the most delicious treat, like vanilla with a dash of exotic spice.
“I never said I wasn’t attracted.”
“Theo.”
The tone in her voice tells me that she thinks I’m lying.
“Seriously. You might drive me crazy, but I find you very attractive.”
Her eyes widen, and I notice the thin gold rim about the dark brown irises.
“And I haven’t been out with anyone over the last two months.”
It’s then I realize it’s been more like six months. I straighten. “Tell your brother we’ve been dating for six months.”
Her phone starts going off again. She turns it over.
“Why are you doing this?” The suspicion in her voice should probably piss me off, but she has a right to it. Even so, when I open my mouth to negotiate out of the cooking classes or to tell her I at least want to control the menu choices, nothing comes out. Because, deep down, I know I have other reasons. The idea of her leaving…it makes me almost break out in hives. Add in that stupid Devon guy—yeah, I have other reasons. I don’t understand them right now, but all that matters is that she stays put.
“I hate the idea of you leaving. I know, insane, right?”
She slumps back against the chair and sighs. “I don’t know, Theo. They’ll get in your business.”
I smile. “I’m used to it. I am Theo Darling.”
She snorts. Right there. That should annoy me, but I like it. I like that she doesn’t look at me with rose-colored glasses. Yes, she drives me over the edge most of the time, but she’s real and that appeals to me.
“So, go to your brother’s room, and I’m going to make you something to eat and send it up. Oh, and I need the names of your other brothers.”
“Theo, you’re too busy for that. I can grab?—”
I shut my eyes. “Absolutely not. You will not eat that candy bar.”
“Maybe I don’t like your cooking.”
It’s my turn to snort when I open my eyes. “Text me your brothers’ names so I can learn about them. And birth order.”
“Fine. Still think you don’t have time to cook for me.”
“Just go, and I’ll send the food up. Is your brother allergic to anything?” She shakes her head. “Give me twenty minutes, and I’ll feed you.”
I turn and walk out, coming to realize that all of a sudden, there’s more to the way I feel about Miss Allegra Sullivan, and I don’t know what to make of it.