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.”