Chapter 2

*Alejandro*

"Okay, be sure to keep me up to speed," I said to the manager of my company in New York before ending the call and looking out the window. I had arrived in Florida late in the evening yesterday so I'd had to check myself into a hotel. I decided to rest for a few hours this morning before calling my personal driver to come pick me up. I let out a deep breath, resting my head back against the seat from where I sat in the owner's corner.

Home, sweet home.

A part of me had hoped that Lucas would come pick me up from the hotel. It had quickly become rather obvious after I'd waited for more than three hours that he had no intention of coming. The house came into view in a blink and I took in the mansion I'd built years ago with my well-earned money. My attention shifted to the penthouse Lucas occupied but I got the feeling from how quiet it was that Lucas wasn't at home.

Figures.

He'd known I was going to arrive today but he hadn't bothered to at least be here when I arrived. He hadn't cared to pick from the airport and he also had not felt the need to pick me up from the hotel. I smoothed out the crease in my forehead with my fingers, telling myself it was way too early to be worrying about Lucas and all his antics. There would be plenty of time for that later.

Getting some rest was most important now.

Sam parked the car in the garage and immediately stepped down to open the door for me. I nodded my thanks before fixing the button on my shirt and stepping out. I managed a small smile when Rosa walked towards me and gave me a welcoming hug, relieving me of the briefcase I'd been holding. Rosa was my housekeeper. An elderly but strong woman getting to her late fifties, she was like the mother I'd never had while growing up.

"It's really good to see you, Alejandro," She said softly, touching my cheek lovingly. I gave her a small nod, stepping into the house as she held out the door for me. I paused in my steps, taking in the house for the first time after so many years. The interior decoration had been upgraded a bit, much like the outside of the house. Rosa had obviously made good use of the money I'd sent for slight renovations.

The house had a warmer feeling than I remembered.

"It's good to see you too," I replied finally. There was a light feeling in my chest and it occurred to me then how much I'd secretly wanted to come back home without admitting it to myself. I watched as the two girls who worked with Rosa walked my suitcases up the stairs to my room. Rosa had informed me she was getting extra hands but I had been away already. I had not met them.

They introduced themselves after they were done moving the bags and then left to continue their duties in various parts of the house. I told Rosa not to bother me for a while and then took the stairs to my room to get some rest. A firm knock on my room door woke me up from sleep a couple of hours later. Already having a feeling who it was going to be, I stood up to open the door.

And I was right.

My son stared back at me, his hair darker than mine, but looking almost exactly like me in everything else. He leaned away from the doorframe the second I opened the door, instantly driving his hands into his pockets and standing upright. It pained me that even now he seemed to have no idea who I really was. I didn't care that he had been leaning against the doorframe but if his actions were any indication, he obviously thought I did.

I shook my head slightly, pushing the thought away and pulling him close to give him a hug. He clasped his hand on my back, squeezing me tightly before releasing me almost immediately. "I heard you had finally arrived home," He stated, putting some distance between us and casually touching a hand to his hair. I barely stopped myself from saying something to him about not being responsible enough to pick me up from the hotel.

He'd at least put in the effort to come find me upstairs but he should have been the one driving me home. Although if I knew Lucas well enough, which I did since he was my son, he was just going to get defensive and come up with one excuse or the other and we were going to end up getting into a fight.

It was the last thing I wanted.

"Yeah," I responded, a slight frown overtaking my face. I thought about inviting him inside so we could talk but I noticed that he seemed a little off, and I knew that talking alone wasn't going to solve whatever was bothering him. Guilt curled in my stomach as I wondered if his restlessness had anything to do with my arrival. Lucas and I didn't get along much but I had always thought that it wasn't to the point where he wanted nothing to do with me.

What if I'd been wrong?

I studied him. "Want to go get a couple of drinks?" I asked, extending an olive branch. His eyebrows lowered as he considered the offer before muttering something inaudible beneath his breath and raising his shoulder in a shrug. He didn't say anything after that but it was only because he didn't need to. I knew my son enough to understand that he had given an answer to my question.

"I'll meet you downstairs" I informed him. I thought about how awkward it was going to be having drinks with him after so many years. I thought about how quickly things could go south. Lucas and I had a way of getting annoyed with each other so quickly. I thought about all these things and did the safest thing I could come up with.

I called my best friend and invited him.

***

It had taken just a second for me to realize I'd fucked up. Before I could get downstairs, Williams had already arrived, meaning that he had been the one to inform Lucas that he was coming along to what had supposedly been a father-and-son outing. I tried to meet Lucas' eyes to explain to him but he brushed it off with a shake of his head, choosing to act like it didn't matter instead.

Fine then.

We got into one of my cars and my driver drove us to The Citadel bar-restaurant. I kept my head down, not wanting to draw any attention to myself as we got checked into an empty booth. A waitress showed up by the table, flirting with all three of us as she took down our order. I asked for a bottle of vodka, scanning the place like I usually did whenever I stepped into any room.

The waitress left to get our drink and I made small talk with Lucas and Williams as we waited for her to get back. They wanted to know what I'd been up to since I left Florida and I gave them a rounded-up version of all the businesses I'd established over the years and where I'd established them. I asked how Lucas was doing and he murmured that he was fine. My eyes met Williams and we shared a frown at Lucas's tone.

I cleared my throat.

"You don't exactly sound like you're fine, Lucas," I pointed out, knowing better than to call him son. I wasn't in the mood for a lecture on how and why I had lost the right to call him that. Yes, I knew that I hadn't exactly been the most available while he'd been growing up and I'd definitely missed out on a lot of things because I'd been so far away from him. It was something I was going to continue regretting for as long as I lived.

Even if I wasn't sure I would do things differently if given a second chance.

His face drew tight over his cheekbones as he clenched his jaws before releasing a deep breath through his nose. "My girlfriend broke up with me a few days ago," He admitted softly, tapping his knuckles against the table. Ahh, I thought silently. He was having girl problems. I sent a silent look of help to Williams, not sure how I was supposed to handle the topic of women with him.

My life was already complicated as it was.

"Well, shit," Williams said, watching as Lucas ran a hand through his hair. "What happened?" He asked. Lucas shot his gaze to mine and then instantly looked away. My heart dropped as I got the message that he couldn't talk about it in front of me. Was he that uncomfortable with me? Did he think I was going to blame him for his failed relationship? Pressing my lips together before I got pissed, I stood up and excused myself, making an excuse about needing to use the bathroom.

I dusted invisible dirt off my shirt before heading in the direction of the bathroom. Cursing beneath my breath, I'd just taken a turn down the bathroom hallway when I bumped into someone, pouring the drink they'd been holding all over them. The soft body pressed against mine for a split second let me know that it was a woman. "Shit," She cursed, taking a few steps back and looking down at her dress.

Fuck.

"I'm sorry," I said, instinctively reaching out and then pulling my hand back awkwardly when I realized there was nothing I could really do. The woman finally looked up at me and then we both paused. But for different reasons, I'm sure. I wasn't sure why she suddenly stood still but I paused because I wasn't looking at an older woman like I'd first assumed. I was staring at a younger girl looking to be not more than twenty years of age.

And she was fucking hot.

She had on a short gold dress which showed off her long trim legs, hugging each of her curves perfectly. Her brown hair had been styled perfectly with two strands falling freely. I studied her face, my eyes moving over her big sexy green eyes and pouty mouth. She had a little bend in her nose that seemed to compliment her features perfectly. Against my will, my gaze dipped beneath her mouth.

Holy hell.

Her dress had a low neckline. Her cleavage was on display, her breast bouncing slightly when she took a step away from me. I felt all the blood in my body rush south. Images of what it would be like to have my mouth all over her body began flooding my mind. I inwardly groaned, pushing all thoughts of taking her away from my head. If not for anything else then for one obvious reason.

She was very young for me.

She recovered in that moment, shaking her head slightly from side to side. I handed her one of my company's napkins which I always carried around, complete with my initials on it so she could dab at her chest. "It's fine," She said shakily, letting out a nervous laugh. I noticed that she couldn't meet my eyes and it took a while for me to realize why.

She knew who I was.

I heard her inhale a steadying breath and suddenly she looked more composed than she had been a few minutes ago. She tried to hand me back the napkin but I raised my hand to stop her. "You can keep it, it's fine." I said softly. The corners of her lips lifted in a small smile as she dabbed more between her boobs. I forced myself to tear my gaze away from her cleavage.

I didn't want her to think I was a pervert.

Her eyelids lifted and she looked at me from beneath her lashes, somehow managing to look hotter than all the girls out there in the bar. "Thank you," She said softly, keeping her gaze locked with mine for a second longer than necessary before sidestepping and heading towards the bar.

"What's your name?" I couldn't help but ask, turning to get a look at her because I just couldn't help it. Her gaze flitted away from mine and she looked like she was deciding against giving me an answer. I held back the feeling of surprise that surged through me. She knew who I was but she was still hesitant? I parted my lips to let her know she didn't have to tell me if she wasn't comfortable.

"Anna," She blurted before I could get a word out, taking the curve down the hallway and disappearing from my line of sight. "Anna," I said out loud, testing her name on my tongue. I hope I don't see you again Anna, I thought silently.

Because you might very well be my ruin.

I continued my walk to the bathroom, fixing my hair and immediately stepping out since I had been away from Lucas and Williams for long enough. They stared at me as I lowered myself down to my seat but neither asked where I'd been for so long. I poured some vodka into my glass and downed half the content in one go. I made small talk with the guys for a few more minutes before Lucas pushed his seat back with his legs, saying he had somewhere to be.

Williams and I said our goodbyes to him and watched him exit the bar. We carried on conversation for about thirty more minutes, simply catching up, laughing around and making silly jokes. I was taking down my drink when a familiar gold dress caught my eyes from beside the bartender. Williams followed my line of sight, shaking his head in disapproval. I could already hear the thoughts in his head without him voicing them.

Stay away from her. She's too young for you.

I snorted a light laugh at the expression on his face as I stood up from my seat as if drawn by an invisible string, assuring him that I was going to be fine and may not come back. It didn't take long and I was standing beside Anna. She turned to look at me, a look of surprise on her face. I moved to stand behind her, her back lightly brushing my chest as I leaned in to whisper in her ears. "Let me buy you a drink for the incident in the bathroom hallway."

She twisted by the waist to shoot me a mischievous smile, surprising me when she leaned her head against my chest to whisper back.

"I'll only accept if you accompany me."