Secret Weapon Spouse - By B. J. Daniels Page 0,43

Was attracted to him. More than that, she had to admit. He was the first man in a long time with whom she’d actually let her guard down. She could have fallen in love with him. Had already started.

The thought shocked her and at the same time, admitting it made her feel a little more steady on her feet. It was one of the reasons he unnerved her.

“Anything wrong?” he asked.

She blinked at him. “Why would you ask that?”

“Because you’re frowning at me,” he said, his eyes intent on her face. He reached over before she could draw back and brushed his fingers over the bruise on her cheek. “How did you say you did that again?”

He seemed to be waiting for her to explain the bruise and anything else she had to hide. She gulped, not sure what he wanted from her. Worse, what she might confess. “Like I said, I can’t even remember. I bumped into something obviously.”

He seemed disappointed in her. “Obviously.”

A strained silence fell between them. He raked a hand through his hair, his gaze on her. “Can we get out of here?”

She hated to think what would happen if she went off some place alone with him the way she was feeling right now. Fortunately, she didn’t get a chance to answer.

Brian came up behind his brother. “So where is Preston?” he demanded, clearly enjoying that he’d interrupted their conversation. Samantha smelled booze on his breath. “You have found him, haven’t you?”

Alex didn’t look the least bit happy to see his brother. “What do you care?”

“She’s my sister, too. But for some reason you seem to need to play the hero. So where is he?” Brian’s eyebrows shot up. He smiled obnoxiously. “What? The great Alex Graham, brave fireman and all-around good-guy blue-collar worker, couldn’t find him, either?”

Alex visibly tensed. “Back off, Brian. Today is not the day to cross me.”

“Oh? Having a bad day?” Brian glanced at Samantha. “Things not going quite like you’d hoped?” He laughed. “Stick to what you know, Alex. Let me handle cleaning up the mess Caroline made.”

“So you and Dad did invest with him,” Alex said. “I hope you and the old man lose your shirts. I’d love to see this guy take you for everything.”

Brian’s face turned a mottled dark red. “Don’t you think I know you’re just waiting for me to fail? But don’t hold your breath, little brother. I will come out on top. No matter what.”

“I’m sure you will,” Alex said. “But I’m not worried about you. Or Dad. Caroline is in love with this guy. If he really did hook up with her just to get to you and the old man, it’s going to break her heart.”

Brian scoffed. “Caroline will get over him. With her money, she can always find another man. Dad, however, stands to lose considerably. If I were you, I’d worry about your inheritance.”

Samantha could see that Alex was doing everything in his power to restrain himself. “It’s always about the money with you, isn’t it? Have you ever been in love? Or lost someone who meant something to you?”

Brian’s eyes sparked with fury. “Oh, none of us could have loved and lost with such feeling as you, Alex.”

“I don’t want to argue with you.”

Brian hadn’t seemed to hear him. “You have no idea what it takes to run an empire, the responsibility, the pressure. I don’t have the luxury of whiling away my time falling in and out of love.”

“No, your idea of love is the twenty minutes you pay for a woman’s company.”

Brian looked as if he might take a swing at his brother. When he spoke, his words seemed to vibrate with his fury. “You know nothing about my life or how hard it is to be the one in the family who everyone depends on. You turned down the job. You couldn’t handle it even if you hadn’t. So stay the hell out of it.” With that, he stormed away.

“What an arrogant ass,” Alex said through gritted teeth.

Samantha touched his arm. He was trembling.

He looked over at her. “Please, let’s get out of here.” He didn’t wait for an answer, just took her hand and drew her out the door.

“Alex, I—”

“I need to talk to you.” There was a command in his tone. But also a plea.

She couldn’t have denied him anything right then. “All right. Just let me tell someone I’m leaving.”

He seemed to relax a little. “I know a place we can go. It’s