The CEO Takes a Wife(24)

“I’d have charged him with theft,” she said with more bravado than she felt.#p#分页标题#e#

He flashed her a look of disdain. “So you know his name then? You know where he lives? And you have proof he stole your designs?”

She grimaced. Put like that…

“It’s as well you came along then,” she conceded, glad to see they were coming up to the house. Anger radiated from him in waves, and this would be a good time to escape to the bedroom.

Without warning he halted, a pulse beating in his cheekbone. “You just don’t get it, do you? You don’t know what could have happened. You don’t know—” He stopped, let go of her elbow before he expelled a breath, then stormed off with a snarled, “Forget it.”

She stared after him in surprise, his back ramrod straight as he strode past the front steps and down the side of the house to the rear. What on earth was his problem? This was definitely over the top.

Then she realized Harriet was standing on the veranda watering some potted plants, her face full of concern.

Olivia let out a slow breath and continued walking to the house, then up the steps. She wasn’t sure how much she should say, if anything, but Harriet was no fool.

“He found you then?” the older woman said, putting the small watering can down on the table.

Olivia nodded. “Yes.”

Harriet sighed. “He was concerned when he couldn’t find you. He seemed to know you’d gone down to the beach.”

Olivia gave a defensive shrug, still stinging from Alex’s reaction. “I decided to do some drawings, that’s all. I’m not sure why that’s a problem.”

The other woman’s eyes softened. “Olivia, don’t be too hard on him. He has his reasons for getting upset. All the Valente men do.”

Olivia’s forehead creased. “Why? What do you mean?”

“His mother, Isabel, was attacked on that beach twenty years ago,” Harriet said, making Olivia gasp. “It was late afternoon and they’d all gone down there for a swim. Afterward they were coming back here when Isabel realized she’d left a beach towel behind and she went back to get it.” She winced. “No one thought anything of it.”

“And?”

“For some reason, Alex decided to go back and check on her while the others continued walking home. When he got there, the beach was deserted except for some drunk who was trying to force her to the ground. Alex was only fifteen but he got the man away from her. Then Nick appeared and the police were called and the man was charged with assault, but everyone was horrified at what could have happened.”

“Oh my God,” Olivia murmured, picturing it all. No wonder Alex had been adamant she not go down there alone. To find his stepmother being attacked must have been terrible.

“No one ever talks about it,” Harriet continued, “but it’s always at the back of our minds. Alex would have been worried something might happen to you.”

Olivia shivered in the heat of the day. “Thank you for telling me, Harriet. At least I understand now.”

“And that’s half the battle,” Harriet said, smiling in sympathy.

Olivia gave a small smile in return. “Yes.”

But she had to wonder what the other half of the battle would be.



Olivia stayed out of Alex’s way for the rest of the day, while he stayed in the study working. She felt bad now for giving him such a fright. If only he’d told her what had happened with Isabel at the beach, she’d have understood and tried not to worry him.

Poor Isabel. It must have been a terrible experience for her.

And poor Alex. He’d be the first to save anyone from being hurt, not just a loved one.#p#分页标题#e#

Not that she was a loved one. Not in that sense. No, being Alex’s wife didn’t mean anything more than that he would protect her if she needed it.

So why did she feel strangely disappointed it wasn’t more than that?

Pushing that thought aside, and as a peace offering, she decided to have a candlelit dinner for the two of them. She put her head together with Harriet and they came up with a rack of lamb with roast pumpkin salad, followed by a berry ice cream log.

Then Olivia lazed by the pool for the rest of the afternoon, working on her designs until just before six. She was glad that Alex didn’t seek her out, and suspected he was still in the study.

He was.

He put down his pen and leaned back in the leather chair, when she entered the room. She told him Harriet was preparing a special dinner for them.

“What time?” he said, distractedly.

“Seven-thirty.”

He looked at his watch, then back at her. “I’ll be there.”