Her Unexpected Admirer Page 0,40
word for it,” he told her with a warning tone. “You’ll have to send me a picture of the A and then you’ll get your chocolates.”
“Deal!” she enthusiastically agreed.
“Mom!” Davis heard in the background. “Ella’s on the phone with her boyfriend!”
Davis sat up suddenly. “Ella, do you have a boyfriend? You only told me that you liked a few boys. You didn’t say…”
“Relax, Uncle D,” she interrupted. “That’s just my always-annoying baby brother poking his nose into my business,” she said those last six words louder so that her brother, Zane, could hear. Davis could picture her glaring at her ten year old brother over her shoulder before coming back to the phone. “I guess I’d better go. Mom will be up here soon. Love you, Uncle D!”
“Love you too, honey. Show me the test and get some sleep.”
Davis smiled to himself as the line went dead. He was just about to pour himself more bourbon when the phone rang again. Looking at the caller ID, he cringed inwardly as Ella’s mom, Davis’ older sister Adriana, called him. Pressing the answer button, he immediately said, “I’m not corrupting her.”
Adriana laughed. “Of course you are. You always do. All four of you spoil both of them horribly. But I’m not calling about that.”
Davis leaned back again, glancing at the door when another loud thump came through. He was intensely curious, but he’d have to get Adriana off of the phone before he could investigate. “What’s up?” he asked, standing up and walking closer, trying to hear what was going on.
“You’re not paying attention to me,” Adriana accused with a teasing voice.
Davis glared at the phone but turned away from the door. “Of course I am. But you’re not saying anything I need to hear.”
Adriana laughed, delighted to get a rise out of him. “Your phone call to Ella reminded me that you promised to attend this year’s opera fundraiser.”
“The hell I did!” he came right back.
“Yep. Remember last year after you missed mom’s Humane Society event? You promised that you would be there for the next big social function.”
Davis stood still, his mind sifting through various conversations. When it hit him, he groaned. “Not the opera, Adriana. Please, anything but the opera.”
She laughed again. “Oh no, big brother. You’re coming.”
“I’ll send a check,” he promised as a way to get out of going to anything having to do with the opera.
“You did that to all of the other events. And although your vast sums of money are very much appreciated, your presence is required at this one.”
He stood still, trying to figure a way out. “Why?” he demanded.
“Because you’re one of those gorgeous, studly men that bring in the press. You can donate all the money you want, but we want people to read about the event the next day. Therefore, you must be there.” She paused for a moment, waiting for his next argument. When there was just silence, she said, “I’ll have Jenny make sure your tuxedo is ready and will give her all the details so you will be sure to arrive on time.”
Davis closed his eyes as the thought of sitting through the opera hit him full force. “Adriana, please, you know how I feel about…”
His sister was in perfect form, interrupting him before he could formulate a valid excuse. “It doesn’t matter. You promised, besides, everyone is going to be there. I’m even making Ella go this year so you can be her date.”
Davis’ eyes shot to the closed door and a plan started to form. “Actually, I have a date already. So Ella will just have to go with Zane.”
Adriana groaned. “No way. Ella and her brother were fighting all day today. I have no idea what has gotten into them, but they are fighting like wild horses.”
Only in his family would that reference make any sense. Their mother, Jemma Alfieri, was one of the finest horsewomen in the world. She raised the prettiest and strongest horses, selling them for ridiculous amounts of money. She could get that kind of sale only because she had a special sense about horses. She knew which horses to breed together to get the best speed and power. Several of her horses had gone on to win some of the biggest competitions in horse racing.
His father, an intimidating man that was completely devoted to their mother, was Damien Alfieri, a retired business man who had rocked the financial markets when he’d announced his retirement a few years ago. Most