Page 29 of Hearts Colliding
“It didn’t say anything about how you got started.”
“No. The website’s about the company, not me.”
“So how did you? Get started, I mean?”
“What is this, twenty questions?” Alex shuffled around at his end of the sofa.
“I’m interested, that’s all. And what is it they say about keeping your enemies close? Well, something like that.” Ryan took another sip of his drink, keeping his gaze fixed on Alex. He had no reason to know, it didn’t matter nor did it affect what he and the rest of the war council were doing. But he wanted to know. He wanted to know what had set Alex on the course that had brought them together, in this house, in this room, on this sofa.
“It’s nothing you couldn’t find out, I suppose, if you could be bothered to dig deep enough. And it’s not a secret. I was left a sum of money by my mum, which I came into on my eighteenth birthday. I took myself off to the solicitor, signed all the papers put in front of me, and hey presto, I set up my company. Does that answer your question?”
“Not in the slightest.”
Alex laughed. “Didn’t think it would.”
Ryan watched as Alex swirled his drink around in his glass. Alex’s brow crinkled, as though debating what and how much more to say. Ryan didn’t have to wait long.
“I’ve been interested in buildings for as long as I can remember. At one time I harboured ambitions to be an architect, but the time it would have taken to study wasn’t feasible and I needed to earn a living. I used the inheritance to jump in feet first. I bought a couple of run down Victorian terraced houses, in an area that was on the verge of being ‘discovered’.” Alex air quoted the word. “I hired a local builder, but I did a lot of the work myself to keep costs down. There was a bit of luck involved, but I found I had a good eye for up and coming neighbourhoods, and for what people wanted. I went from strength to strength and the rest, as they say, is history.”
Alex threw back his brandy and stared down into his empty glass. Ryan’s eyes narrowed. If there was more to the story of how he went from a teenage small time developer to CEO of a multi-million pound company, he wasn’t telling.
The silence was back, and stretching out like gum. Ryan put his glass down. How Alex had got started wasn’t the only question on his mind, and of the two he knew which was the more important.
“Out on the hill—”
“You pulling me out of a bog, you mean, and carrying me along the path like some damsel in distress? Or sack of potatoes. Honestly, I could have walked.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“I know what you mean. I was scared by what happened, and badly shaken up. It was a reaction, to being safe. That’s all.”
Ryan turned his glass around in his hands.That’s all…So they weren’t to talk about how good it had felt to be wrapped in each other’s arms… Ryan smothered a sigh, and forced a smile onto his face.
“You’re right about the sack of spuds. And as for walking, we’d still be out there if I hadn’t—”
“Discovered your inner cave man?” Alex raised a brow.
Ryan opened his mouth, and closed it again, huffing hard when he caught Alex trying hard not to smile.
“You’re an irritating smart arse, do you know that?”
“Worse has been said.”
“Yeah, I bet it has.”
“By the villagers? I wouldn’t blame them.”
“I told you what some are saying. But it’s just the older people gossiping. And I really am sorry, about what I said earlier.”
Alex shrugged. “People always gossip, they always have and always will. I had a difficult relationship with my father, which only deteriorated after my mum died. The village was right about that.”
“Why did you—? Ah, sorry.” Ryan raised one hand, palm outwards. “It’s not my business—”
“As we’ve established. It’s not the village’s either but it’s obviously not stopped them from talking. Or you from asking.”
Alex stared into the fireplace, the dancing flames throwing shadows over his face.
Ryan watched him, not bothering to disguise his scrutiny. He was picking at the scab of Alex’s past when he had no reason to. Alex was right, it wasn’t his or anybody else’s business, yet something urged him on, kept pushing him to know.
