Read Online Anyone but Alex (The English Brothers Book 3) by Katy Regnery - Free Book Online
Authors: Katy Regnery
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sportsman life as a profession, both had opted for business, and English & Sons regularly engaged in ventures and partnerships with C & C Winslow Ltd.
Alex didn’t need to go on a corridor-tour to know that the Winslow’s were fit and fierce. He’d stared at the photo for at least twenty minutes this morning. All of the brothers had the same coal black hair as Jessie, and all had different shades of green eyes, though none shared the crystal-clear emerald green of their little sister.
“T he Winslow’s are professional athletes, Alex. They are made of muscle. Muscle, muscle, and more muscle. That’s it. And they will pummel you to a pulp if they find out you’re going near their sister.”
“I know.”
“And we do business with Chris and Cam. Regularly. They’re getting into bed with us for this Harrison-Lowry shipbuilding deal in England. The Winslow’s have dual-citizenship which will expedite all of our red tape. I was even thinking about asking Chris to head up the merger over there.”
“ Again, not news to me, Barrett.”
“Jesus, no wonder you’re acting so weird.” Barrett shook his head, his eyes serious, almost grave. “ Alex, listen to me: you know hundreds girls. Thousands. Find someone else.”
Alex stared back at Barrett, his mind replaying the loveliness that was Jessica last night in the moonlight. Someone who chooses me. Only me.
“You must let this go,” said Barrett gently, but firmly. He folded his hands in his lap, looking at Alex with uncharacteristic compassion. “You’ve been popular with the ladies for as long as I can remember. And I know that Philly’s tagged you as the ‘playboy’ of the English clan, and I know that quite a lot of what’s said about you isn’t true. I know this because I’ve co-signed most of the checks that bought you out of situations that were loud and distracting, but also fabricated. As far as I know, you haven’t gotten anyone pregnant or promised to marry anyone. And those pictures we bought? You were asleep in them.”
Alex didn’t say anything, but Barrett was right on all counts. He was careful about using protection, he’d never proposed to anyone , and while pictures and video had been taken of him, he’d never actually taken any of his own.
“But, Alex, you’ve never done anything to mend or rebuild your reputation. If anything, you’ve encouraged it. Leaving high-profile parties with a different woman than the one you walked in with. Taking two girls for brunch on a Sunday morning wearing the same dresses they were wearing the night before. Smirking like it all might be true when asked by reporters, instead of defending your name. You’re not a bad person, but you’ve allowed the rest of the world to believe you are a complete cad. And while that might make you the edgy darling of the society pages, it makes a nice girl like Jessica Winslow off-limits.”
Alex swallowed then clenched his jaw, staring at his desk and feeling frustrated and a little bit miserable.
“Which is why I can only be friends with her.”
“Which is why you should stay away from her.”
“I can’t ,” Alex insisted in a low, tortured whisper.
“Why?” asked Barrett, shaking his head. “Why her?”
Because she looks at me the way everyone looks at you.
Because she sees something good in me when everyone else sees a one-night stand.
Because my chest stopped aching the moment my eyes locked on hers.
“B ecause she asked,” he finally answered.
“She asked to be your friend?”
Alex nodded.
“And you…what? You can’t just say no? She’s been in England for a decade. It’s not like you have an attachment to her.”
Alex’s mind flash ed-back to her wild black hair tumbling around the popped collar of a pink polo shirt, bright green eyes wide and trusting as they locked on his. “ Can I be on your team, Alex?”
“Maybe we have history.”
“History.”
Feeling frustrated, Alex cocked his head to the side and narrowed
Alex didn’t need to go on a corridor-tour to know that the Winslow’s were fit and fierce. He’d stared at the photo for at least twenty minutes this morning. All of the brothers had the same coal black hair as Jessie, and all had different shades of green eyes, though none shared the crystal-clear emerald green of their little sister.
“T he Winslow’s are professional athletes, Alex. They are made of muscle. Muscle, muscle, and more muscle. That’s it. And they will pummel you to a pulp if they find out you’re going near their sister.”
“I know.”
“And we do business with Chris and Cam. Regularly. They’re getting into bed with us for this Harrison-Lowry shipbuilding deal in England. The Winslow’s have dual-citizenship which will expedite all of our red tape. I was even thinking about asking Chris to head up the merger over there.”
“ Again, not news to me, Barrett.”
“Jesus, no wonder you’re acting so weird.” Barrett shook his head, his eyes serious, almost grave. “ Alex, listen to me: you know hundreds girls. Thousands. Find someone else.”
Alex stared back at Barrett, his mind replaying the loveliness that was Jessica last night in the moonlight. Someone who chooses me. Only me.
“You must let this go,” said Barrett gently, but firmly. He folded his hands in his lap, looking at Alex with uncharacteristic compassion. “You’ve been popular with the ladies for as long as I can remember. And I know that Philly’s tagged you as the ‘playboy’ of the English clan, and I know that quite a lot of what’s said about you isn’t true. I know this because I’ve co-signed most of the checks that bought you out of situations that were loud and distracting, but also fabricated. As far as I know, you haven’t gotten anyone pregnant or promised to marry anyone. And those pictures we bought? You were asleep in them.”
Alex didn’t say anything, but Barrett was right on all counts. He was careful about using protection, he’d never proposed to anyone , and while pictures and video had been taken of him, he’d never actually taken any of his own.
“But, Alex, you’ve never done anything to mend or rebuild your reputation. If anything, you’ve encouraged it. Leaving high-profile parties with a different woman than the one you walked in with. Taking two girls for brunch on a Sunday morning wearing the same dresses they were wearing the night before. Smirking like it all might be true when asked by reporters, instead of defending your name. You’re not a bad person, but you’ve allowed the rest of the world to believe you are a complete cad. And while that might make you the edgy darling of the society pages, it makes a nice girl like Jessica Winslow off-limits.”
Alex swallowed then clenched his jaw, staring at his desk and feeling frustrated and a little bit miserable.
“Which is why I can only be friends with her.”
“Which is why you should stay away from her.”
“I can’t ,” Alex insisted in a low, tortured whisper.
“Why?” asked Barrett, shaking his head. “Why her?”
Because she looks at me the way everyone looks at you.
Because she sees something good in me when everyone else sees a one-night stand.
Because my chest stopped aching the moment my eyes locked on hers.
“B ecause she asked,” he finally answered.
“She asked to be your friend?”
Alex nodded.
“And you…what? You can’t just say no? She’s been in England for a decade. It’s not like you have an attachment to her.”
Alex’s mind flash ed-back to her wild black hair tumbling around the popped collar of a pink polo shirt, bright green eyes wide and trusting as they locked on his. “ Can I be on your team, Alex?”
“Maybe we have history.”
“History.”
Feeling frustrated, Alex cocked his head to the side and narrowed
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