‘No thanks,’ she replied.
He sipped the scalding black coffee he’d got for himself, inhaling the hit and stopping himself from reacting badly to her rejection of his offer. This wasn’t about him, remember?
The last hour had been tolerable. Talking her through the family business had been easy. More personal things? Not so much. Telling her about their grandparents—Ken and Joan—had been bearable. But explaining their parents’ relationship, that it had been strained with the desire for more children? He’d skipped those bits. She didn’t need to know that, only that she’d been so wanted, so loved, by all the family. That was absolutely true. Telling her about his boarding school was straightforward enough, though honestly it surprised him that she wanted to know anything about Eldridge.
Then she asked about his personal life. His non-answer had been both guarded and guilty, because personal relationships were not a strength. But now she returned to it.
‘So you said you and Alex got friendly at the prep school,’ Ellie ventured. ‘What was he like back then?’
Alex? Again? Roman frowned. ‘Why are you so interested in Alex Costa?’
He stopped, facing her, because the colour had leeched from her cheeks.
‘He didn’t tell you?’ she whispered. ‘About us?’
‘What do you meanus?’ Roman stared at her. His mind computed and came up with a verywronganswer. ‘Did Alex seduce you?’
Now colour stormed her face. ‘No,’ she said. ‘We seduced each other. Not that it’s any of your—’
‘That son of a...’ He raked his fingers through his hair, emotion flashing to fury. The woman was dealing with enough already. AndAlex? ‘What the hell was he thinking? I’m going to murder him. How dare he take advantage of my kid sister?’
He was shocked to the core. Because it wasn’t like Alex to go for someone vulnerable.
‘Wait a minute.’ Ellie grasped his arm and tugged. ‘Alex didn’a know I was your sister when we first slept together.’
Roman stopped dead but his brain exploded. ‘What do you meanfirstslept together? How many times did it happen?’
He clamped his teeth together but it was too late—the question was already out. It was so inappropriate. Only that raging protectiveness was now unleashed. He’d always back Alex, but right now he had the strongest urge to smack the guy. What thehell?
‘Again, not your business,’ Ellie snapped. ‘But we’ve been living together since he took me to his mansion in the Adirondacks for Thanksgiving weekend.’
‘Living together?’ Roman simply gaped and echoed her stupidly. ‘Youand Alex?’
Living together? Alex? The guy who’d sworn he’d never see a woman in his house longer than three nightsmax? Now he’d moved a woman in with him for...what...?Weeks!Roman stood locked in place, feeling as though a tornado of puzzle pieces were swirling around him.
Alex. Eloise. Emotion.
At the heart of all the confusion he wished for Violet’s calm eyes, her breathless chatter.
He recalled the strain in Alex’s voice when he’d called yesterday. Roman had figured it was because he’d run the DNA test without dialling Roman in first but maybe it wasn’t so much about that...asthis.
‘Yes, me and Alex. Why are you so surprised?’
She looked shocked and hurt, and Roman realised he had to be careful now more than ever. But he also had to be honest. He owed her that. ‘It’s just... Alex is a player. He doesn’t do relationships. Not for as long as I’ve known him.’
So this didn’t make sense. He was furious with the guy. As if Eloise didn’t have enough to deal with! The urge to protect her stormed. ‘And even if he did,’ Roman added huskily, ‘You’re not his usual type. At all.’
Ellie’s eyes flashed. Hell, he’d been too honest.
‘So what is his usual type?’
Yeah, he shouldn’t have told her that. ‘I’m really not sure I want to be having this conversation with my sister.’
‘Well, tough. You started it.’
‘Okay, fair point,’ Roman huffed. ‘You said yourself you came straight from Moira to New York. I’m guessing there weren’t a lot of eligible men back there.’
She nodded.