A Deal with Alejandro (Rival Brothers 1)

‘Uh, she’s been gone three days, señor.’

Alejandro glared at him and rose from the dining table. ‘Don’t you have something to be getting on with?’

He ignored his butler’s sly smirk as he headed out to his car.

Three hours later he was reading the same document in his office, without success. He’d instituted a ‘No calls bar Elise’s’ policy with Margo, but with each minute his phone remained silent, his irritation grew.

He abandoned reading when Margo knocked and offered to get his lunch. His no was a touch less than polite.

‘Apologies, Margo. Thanks, but I’m not hungry,’ he tried again. She nodded and turned to leave.

‘Are you sure my phone is working?’ he demanded.

She frowned. ‘Um...yes, I think so.’

‘You think so? Get the IT guys down here to take a look, would you?’

She cleared her throat. ‘There’s nothing wrong with your phone, sir. I’m sure of it.’

Alejandro picked up his cell phone and checked it. Full signal. He tossed it back.

‘She’s been gone for a week. Would it kill her to call at least once today?’ he muttered.

‘Sir...she’s been gone three days.’

A tic throbbed at his temple. ‘Why does everyone feel the need to keep correcting me?’ he snapped.

Margo hid a grin and hurried out.

Alejandro’s mood had in no way improved when he left his office to attend a meeting mid-afternoon. His half a dozen calls to Elise had gone straight to voicemail. And he’d realised that at no point had he thought it prudent to take her grandmother’s number.

What use were all the introspection and realisations he’d come to if he couldn’t share them with her immediately? And why wasn’t she missing him enough to call him umpteen times the way his exes used to? A sludge of shame welled at the unkind thought.

He loved Elise because she was like no other.

Alejandro stilled on his way out of the business tower where his meeting had taken place and let the words sink in.

He loved her...

With every pump of his heart, the truth blazed brighter. Sheer, unadulterated emotion charged through him. For the first time in his life, he let it in and felt a rush so strong, so deep, he feared his heart would expire from the fullness.

He couldn’t lie—it scared him. But on the flip side, it had the potential to fulfil him as nothing ever had in his life.

He just needed Elise back. Now. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone. He dialled, held the phone to his ear.

Someone bumped into him. ‘Sorry, excuse me.’

Alejandro smiled, his newfound outlook on life allowing him to be accommodating. ‘Elise, Madre de Dios, pick up—’

The words died in his throat as he stared across the vast, busy foyer to the tren

dy restaurant housed within the building.

It was Elise. Even on the extremely unlikely chance that his eyesight deceived him, her smile and accompanying laugh a second later reached inside him and touched the heart he’d discovered moments ago belonged to her.

Alejandro dragged his gaze from her face to stare down at his phone. It was ringing. It hadn’t gone to voicemail like before. He looked back up in time to see her make the one second signal at her lunch companion. She reached into her bag, took out her phone. Saw his number, and dropped it back.

Ice drenched him from head to toe. In all his life, Alejandro had never felt the fear or desolation that struck his heart in that moment. He’d dared to take the risk, even before he knew he loved her. The knowledge of exactly what he felt for her made the heartache a million times worse. He stood there. He stared.