15. Clara

15

CLARA

W hat was happening? One minute I was having a moment with Alexander and the next we were climbing into a helicopter. I mean, I knew Alexander had his own private chopper…but this? I barely had time to feel the swoop and dive as it lifted into the sky and swept us away. Alexander settled a headset over my ears, and the three men talked and laughed over the noise. Not me. I was too busy watching Silverbrook disappear beneath us. Mountain peaks rose all around, the white glare of snowcaps intimidating and enthralling me. I squeaked when the helicopter dropped and clutched at Liam’s arm.

He patted my hand. “It’s okay. We’re almost there.” His voice sounded different through the headset, smokey and dark but with that same laughing lilt that made him the most approachable of all three men.

We landed in a flurry of snow atop a high roof in an unfamiliar landscape. I peered around Alexander’s shoulder when he dropped to the ground and held out a hand for me. Liam removed my headset. I’d forgotten it in my shock and awe. “Where are we?”

“My home away from home.” Alexander took my hand and pulled me along the roof, through a metal door, and into a spacious room with a domed roof filled with skylights.

Plants covered one wall in a massive tangle of ivy and blooms as big as my hands. It smelled exotic, a mix between tropical islands and rainforest. “How? Where?” Words failed me.

The door closed with a solid thud behind me. I turned and caught Ethan shaking snow from his hair and flicking the melting droplets at Liam.

“Welcome to Chalet Alexander.” Liam spread his arms wide. “We’re a few towns over from Silverbrook. In a quaint little place where Alexander likes to retreat to when he wants to be left the fuck alone. His words.” Liam punctuated the phrase with a pointed finger at Alexander.

“Why don’t you call your mom, then meet me in the next room.” Alexander’s smile was a soft, beautiful thing, the kind of smile that turned my bones to mush and made me willing to say yes to anything.

My phone sat heavy in my hand, and I turned away from them as I dialed. Mom kept the conversation brief, reassuring me that she was safe and they had everything they needed. Bridget had stayed through the storm, and they were having a great time. The laughter in her voice reassured me more than anything. That and the minute-long rundown Bridget gave me. By the time I ended the call, I felt at peace with the situation. I took a few seconds for myself and enjoyed the beauty of the room around me before opening the door and stepping into another magnificent room.

My jaw fell open at the sight spread out in front of me. I’d stepped onto a balcony of sorts, though it was big enough to be its own room. A foyer stretched out below me, so vast and bright that I blinked to clear my vision. “Am I hallucinating?”

“Depends.” Liam strolled over, Alexander and Ethan behind him. “What are you seeing?”

“This is incredible.” Hallways stretched out to the left and right of me, each ending in a staircase that wound around the edges and ended in the foyer. I expected doorways in the halls, but there were only four when a place this size could hold two dozen. “And I want to explore every inch.” I paused and curled my nose. “After I take a shower.”

Alexander’s laugh cracked the air. “I think we’re all ready for a shower. Pick a room.” He held out both arms. “There are four on this floor, each with their own private bathroom suite. Harvey and Marissa will be back soon with clothes for everyone.”

“Clothes?” I risked a glance at my rumpled business attire.

“Don’t try to fight him on it,” Ethan warned. “He’s in problem-solving mode. I suggest you let him spend his money. You won’t regret it. I know I don’t.” He winked.

Alexander flipped him off, which made Ethan and Liam burst out laughing. I’d never seen this playful side before. It rattled me in a curious sort of way. I needed time away from them to sort out my thoughts.

“I’ll take this one.” I picked a room at random and opened the door.

Alexander stopped me from closing it with a hand on mine. “Liam is going grocery shopping in an hour. I offered to let Marissa handle it, but Liam has his heart set on cooking tonight and wants to pick the ingredients himself.” The gentle smile returned, and in it, I saw his love for Liam. “Is there anything you want him to pick up?”

“I’d like to go with him.” This place was getting to me. I couldn’t wait to explore, but at the same time, I wanted to escape the fairytale long enough to do something completely mundane and normal. Grocery shopping sounded perfect. “Will you tell him to wait for me?” Both Liam and Ethan had disappeared into rooms on the other hall while Alexander blocked my doorway.

He nodded, his head canted to one side. “Sure. Enjoy your shower.” A flash of a smile followed the statement. “I would offer to join you, but then you’d miss your shopping trip.”

A flutter of desire banked low and hot. I tempered it with a promise of fulfillment later and closed the door.

An hour later, freshly scrubbed and wearing the clothes I’d found on the massive bed when I came out of the equally ginormous bathroom, I made my way down the stairs while trying to keep my giddiness tightly under wraps.

Liam lounged in a chair off to the left, his legs stretched out in front of him and a relaxed smile in place. “You look amazing.”

“I feel amazing.” It was easy to admit to Liam. “Does he do this often?”

“Bring beautiful women home for a shower and give them clothes?” Liam stood and stretched. “Never. He bought a golf course once because the owner was having a rough time keeping the place open and it was his favorite golfing green. But he’s never brought a woman here.”

That should not make me feel warm and fuzzy toward Alexander, but it did one hell of a number on me to know that I was the first woman here. It was a pipe dream to think I’d be the only one, but damn it, the fairytale had its claws in me and it was trying damned hard to keep me.

“Ready?” Liam snapped me from the edges of a daydream. “Alexander is setting up a conference call with Harrington for this afternoon. We need to update him on our progress and decide on next steps.” He held out a crimson coat for me.

I slid my arms through and nuzzled my cheek against wool so soft it felt like cashmere. Where did he find these things? “Where are we going shopping?”

“There’s a little village fifteen minutes away.” He jingled a set of keys. “And Alexander gave me the keys to the Land Rover.”

The beast of a vehicle sitting outside the chalet looked like it belonged in a movie. Silver paint flashed in the sun, and Liam had to help me up into the passenger seat since it sat so far off the ground.

Liam turned on the radio, seeming to understand that I needed a little time alone with my thoughts. The chalet took up most of the view in my side mirror, so I focused on the road ahead. Wherever we were, it was not as affected by the storm as Silverbrook. Snow littered the ground, but Liam handled our ride, the tires gripping the asphalt without any trouble. A row of simple shops popped up almost as soon as we passed a weathered sign with Mountain Pass stamped in faded green letters.

“Here we go.” Liam pulled up to the curb and turned toward me. “I’m headed to the shop there.” He pointed straight ahead, where a row of fresh produce sat organized in crates. “You want to look around?”

“That’s okay.” I tugged my coat tighter around my neck. “I just needed to get out for a minute.”

“Yeah. Same.” He chuckled when I jerked toward him. “Alexander doesn’t flaunt his wealth. None of us do. But it’s easy to get lost in the dream when we’re here. That’s why I always cook.”

We climbed out into the crisp air as I absorbed Liam’s words. “Can I watch you cook?”

“Absolutely.” His smile widened until it creased the edges of his eyes.

“Mr. Liam. You’re back.” The shopkeeper held out a hand to Liam, which he shook enthusiastically. “A shipment of tomatoes just arrived. Would you like to see?”

“Please. Thank you, Mr. Monte.”

The man rushed away, calling out to someone else when he entered the shop.

Surprise rooted me to the ground. Liam not only knew the man, but the man knew him by name, addressed him with respect, and was eager to show off his products to Liam. I’d always thought of Liam, Alexander, and Ethan as standoffish, maybe even arrogant. I should’ve known better, especially after how they treated me, but this casualness still shocked me into silence. Mom always said people would show you who they really were, you just had to give them time. Was I finally seeing the real men behind the business suits?

Liam completed his purchases and held out a hand to me. “Are you sure you’re ready to go?”

“Yes.” I nodded. “But maybe we could come back later? I’d love to do some sightseeing.”

“Deal.” He handed me back into the Rover. “Alexander is an excellent tour guide. We’ll all come back after work and he can show you around.”

The flutter from earlier returned with a vengeance. I nodded to keep from squeaking an answer and tucked my hands deep into my coat pockets.

Time blurred together as Liam drove us back to Alexander’s chalet. Seeing it from this angle brought the situation into perspective. I was living in a dream world. This was not mine to grow accustomed to.

I took one of the shopping bags from Liam and followed him through the foyer and into a spacious kitchen bigger than Mom’s entire house. It echoed with a hollow thud that caught in my chest. How did one man have all this while so many others struggled? It wasn’t his fault, or ours, that we were so far apart on the economic scale. Life was life. Still, it poked at me the whole time Liam cooked. He had a flair in the kitchen, a casual grace and experience that made him comfortable here as he darted between the stove and the cutting board on the counter. He cooked without a recipe and kept up a conversation the entire time. We batted questions back and forth, leading to me learning he’d known Alexander far longer than I thought and that he’d grown up in upstate New York.

Alexander and Ethan entered the kitchen as Liam sprinkled the last of the fresh mozzarella over a series of plates.

He smirked at them. “Right on time. As always.”

“You texted that it was almost ready.” Alexander waved his phone and joined me at the counter. His elbow brushed mine, our bare skin turning the moment electric. He turned to me. “Harrington is anxious to see where we’re at with the designs. Is there anything you need to go over before the meeting?”

“No.” Liam set a plate in front of me and poured wine into four glasses. “Wow.” I twirled my fork through the pasta and took a hearty bite. “Wow.” Flavors exploded on my tongue. Tangy tomato with fresh basil. Perfectly cooked pasta that he’d made by hand blended with the three cheeses. “I can’t believe you cook like this.”

“I’m a man of many talents.” He said it with a side-eye and a wink that flushed my cheeks. “Maybe we’ll have time for me to show you later.”

Yes. Later.

The food was too good to bother wasting time on conversation. We all ate with the kind of gusto that came with excellent food and the press of the upcoming meeting. I wasn’t nervous, exactly, but I wanted the meeting over so I knew where Harrington stood. We’d done a lot in the last few days, designs and plans he’d yet to approve.

“I’ll clean up.” A short, stout woman stalked into the kitchen. She shot Liam a look, her eyebrows raised. “Where is mine?” Her words had a sharpness though she looked at Liam with careful concern. Her gray hair was tied back in a perfect bun, and she set her hands on her hips with a determination I found interesting.

“In the oven, Marissa. Yours and Harvey’s.” Liam pointed. “Clara, meet Marissa. She’s Alexander’s housekeeper. You met Harvey in the helicopter.”

“Housekeeper.” Marissa made a scoffing noise. “Good word. Yes. I keep this house.” She waved both hands toward Alexander in a shooing motion. “Most times it feels like it is my house because he is never here.”

“Not my fault.” Alexander stood and motioned for us to follow him. “I know that look. We’d better get out of here. She lets Liam use the kitchen, but her patience is wearing out.”

“Ha.” Her voice followed us into the foyer. “Who are you to speak of patience?”

Liam snorted. “She has you pegged.”

“Yes, well.” He stopped there and led the way to a room that must be an office but looked like a mix between a library and an executive suite. Two couches sat bookended by towering walnut bookshelves. A single window looked out over a white landscape with mountains in the distance.

A ringing filled the air, and Alexander crossed to the heavy oak desk, where he pressed a button and a screen on the opposite wall flickered to life. “Harrington, right on time.”

We spent an hour on the computer with Harrington, filling him in on our progress and showing him everything we’d accomplished. He seemed impressed and asked all the right questions to prove he was not only invested in the project but had a keen sense of what he wanted and what the project should accomplish.

Alexander ended the call with another click. We all fell silent, the weight of it all gripping me with a suddenness that left me breathless. This project was a make or break moment for me. If I failed, it would potentially be the end of my career at Summit. I took a deep breath and held it. Mom would tell me to get over myself and do my job. She would encourage me to look at each piece of the project and make each one the best possible, then look at it as a whole.

“All right. Let’s go shopping.” Liam stood and clapped. He spun around and held out his hands to me. When I hesitated, he grabbed my wrists and pulled me to my feet. “Come on. Forget about work for a little while. All of you. It won’t help us to obsess right now. There’s nothing else we can do until Harrington finishes approving our designs.” Liam’s effervescent personality swept the cobwebs of doubt from my mind and brought back the excitement of the upcoming adventure. “I’m driving.” He tugged me along beside him on his way to the front door, where he helped me into the same red coat.

This time, I tried to pay more attention to our surroundings, but with Liam, Alexander, and Ethan bickering over where to start the sightseeing adventure—with each one reminding the others of things I “absolutely could not miss”—it became a riot of confusion mixed with laughter.

What was going on with them? Was this how they always acted outside of the office?

Hour after hour of sightseeing with Alexander as the host, Ethan as the wry commentator, and Liam as the comic relief passed in a steady beat that had me feeling the fairytale even harder. This was not real. I reminded myself over and over again. I never wanted it to end, but that was the whole point with fairytales, right? The princess always got her prince, but it was never real. Every year of my experience told me this would end. I needed to enjoy every second until then, but the harshness of it impeded my joy. All of my relationships led me to this reality of knowing forever was the fairytale. And in a relationship—if that’s what it was—as unconventional as this, my head warned my heart that it would be over sooner rather than later.

By the time Alexander drove us back to the chalet, my feet ached from walking and my ribs from laughing. Alexander stopped in the foyer and faced me. “I’ve asked Harvey to take us back to Silverbrook.”

My heart fell to my toes, the sudden drop leaving me breathless. “Is something wrong?”

“No.” Quiet reassurance brought my heart back to its proper place. “I thought you’d rather stay close to your mom.”

“I do.” My nod bobbled my head. He’d thought of everything. It amazed me how the three of them saw me so completely. “I can’t get to her house, but I’d rather stay close.” There was nothing I could do if she needed me, but being this far away left me uncomfortable in inexpressible ways. “Where are we going?”

“My mansion,” Alexander said with a deadpan expression.

Liam whistled. “Damn, man. Pulling out all the stops today.”

I took that to mean he didn’t bring women to his mansion either. I raised one eyebrow and made a point to look around the expansive foyer. “If you call this a chalet, what’s the mansion like?”

His smile was a thing of gleeful beauty. He held out his arm. “Come find out.”

Back up the stairs, through the garden room, and onto the roof, we all walked together. Harvey greeted us with a smile and a nod. Before I’d even properly settled my headset on my ears, we were airborne. Mountains at night were almost frightening compared to our early morning adventure. They loomed in shadow, and I held my breath more than once in the time it took to cross back into Silverbrook and land on yet another roof.

I didn’t have it in me to catalog Alexander’s mansion. I had the sense that it overshadowed the chalet, but Alexander led the way to a massive living room with a thick carpet and a roaring fire. The sight of cheery, crackling flames drew me forward. I almost stumbled over the stack of bed covers piled up in front of the fire. Alexander caught my elbow and righted me. “I thought we’d sleep down here where it’s warm since there’s still no electricity.”

He probably had generators, but a yawn stopped me from asking. The day caught up to me as the warmth from the fire seeped into my bones. I sank onto the bed and kicked off my shoes. Alexander crawled in on one side, Ethan on the other, with Liam behind him. Body heat combined with covers and the flickers of light dancing over the walls lulled me into slumber. Soft snores came from both sides, and I grinned into the covers, checking my phone one last time for any messages from Mom. The screen lit up, and I almost dropped it in shock as the message flashed across my screen.

You’re a slut.