Absently nodding to a guest who’d approached and started talking to him, he tried to reel in his flailing senses.
It was unconscionable that he still felt this unrelenting pull towards Perla Lowell. What had happened between them—twice—should’ve been enough to curb whatever appetites he hadn’t even realised were growing until he’d met her.
At first he’d thought his fascination with her was because she was the first woman he’d slept with after Sofia. That had been his excuse in the weeks following his discovery of her real identity.
And the second time?
He gritted his teeth. The second time, their emotions had been running high. So high, he hadn’t had the common sense to use a condom. Hell, even that little nugget hadn’t hit him until he was halfway across the Atlantic on his way to the US. A shudder raced under his skin at the sheer stupidity of his actions.
How many times, growing up, had he cautioned his brothers on the responsibility of taking care of their sexual health and those of the women they slept with, especially after finding out the bitter and humiliating legacy their father had left behind?
Granted, both Sakis and Theo were old enough now and no longer his responsibility. But for him to have fallen in the same trap, under the same spell that—
Enough. Beating himself up about it would achieve nothing. He smothered his thoughts and concentrated on the guest next to him, expertly hiding his distaste when he saw who it was trying to get his attention.
‘She’s something, your new organiser.’ Roger Hamilton’s gaze was fixed on Perla as she spoke to his guests, her smile open and friendly. The clear interest in his eyes sent a bolt of anger through Ari.
‘She’s also off-limits.’ The snarl in his tone was unmistakable.
Hamilton’s eyes widened, then his thin lips curved in a sly, knowing grin. ‘Right, she’s marked territory. Got it, buddy.’
Ari gritted his teeth and opened his mouth to deny the assertion. ‘Very marked. And I’m very territorial. Are we clear?’ Theos, where had that come from? He was losing his mind. There was no doubt about that.
Roger slapped him on the arm. ‘As crystal, buddy. But tell me something; between you and I, is that hair colour real?’
Ari’s fists clenched so hard his knuckles screamed in protest. From the first, he’d found an almost unholy fascination with Perla’s hair. To hear that same fascination in another man’s voice made the blackest fury roll through him.
‘That, buddy,’ he breathed, ‘is something you’ll never find out.’
From then on, he made sure he kept a room’s width between himself and Perla at all times. Not that he actively needed to. She seemed just as determined to stay away from him.
A thought that should’ve pleased him, but only succeeded in darkening his mood further. On impulse, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialled.
Theo answered on the first ring. ‘A call from the big man himself. I haven’t been naughty, have I?’
‘You tell me. And while you’re at it, tell me what the hell is so captivating about Rio that you can’t seem to tear yourself from the place?’
His youngest brother laughed. ‘Sun, sea and wall-to-wall gorgeous women. Need I say more?’ Despite his tone, there was something cagey that set Ari’s radar buzzing.
‘Is everything okay, man?’ The worry that never abated when it came to his brothers rose higher. Of all his family members, Theo had been the youngest and most vulnerable when their world had unravelled, thanks to his father. That worry had never gone away.
‘Of course. How about you? Normally, you send me terse one-line emails asking me to report in.’
‘Half of which you never answer. Thought I’d try another means to get your attention.’
Theo remained silent for a minute. ‘You sure you’re okay, bro?’
A flash of red caught his eye and he tensed further. ‘I’m fine. But it would be good to row again, all three of us, some time soon.’
‘Ah, you’re nostalgic to get your ass whopped. I can oblige. But would this need to burn energy have anything to do with the headache you’ve created for yourself by hiring the Lowell woman?’
He gave an inward sigh. ‘You’ve heard?’
Theo snorted. ‘The whole company’s wondering if you’ve lost your mind. Hell, I’m wondering if you’ve lost your mind. Theos, she’s not blackmailing you in any way, is she?’ he asked sharply.
The tense note in Theo’s voice made Ari’s hand clench over his phone as a wave of pain swept over him. Theo had been kidnapped as a teenager and their family held to ransom for a tense two weeks before he’d been released, which made the subject of blackmail a very volatile one.