Free His to Claim by Sierra Jaid Page B

brother. Today he had seen a transition in Trevor that signified his becoming a man unto himself. No longer he needed an older brother watching his back.
    Damian’s respect for his brother as a man grew, even if he didn’t comprehend his obsession with one woman.
    To Damian, women were good only long enough it took him to get in and out of them. Whatever the package, between those spread thighs, one was same as the other.
    Striding back to his desk, Damian pressed down a button and heard an obsequious male voice buzz through the speaker, “Y..Yes, Mr. McBain?”
    “Cancel all my appointments for the next week, Theodore.”
    “A..All of them, Sir?”
    “Yes, we’re flying to Scotland.”
    *****

CHAPTER 9
    F ive Y ears E arlier
     
    T he entire house was immersed in melancholy at the sudden loss of its Mistress.
    And among the flocks of grimly dressed people congregated there, Elaine’s eyes searched for the one person she somehow knew was hurting more than anyone else.
    A loss cannot get more personal than losing someone from your own family.
    “Accident is such a horrible way to go.” She heard a woman standing nearby tell her husband with a drink held in her polished fingers.
    A group of ladies also exchanged remarks a few paces down that couple. “Valerie McBain was such a strong woman. Altruistic to the bone.”
    “She had given her sons good morals.” All but one nodded in respectful deference to the deceased.
    “No..” The lady in disagreement, interjected. “Noh, no that second son, Trevor, I hear he’s well on his way to becoming the black sheep of the family.”
    What was titillating gossip to these women, was a nasty barb piercing deeper into Elaine. It was all she could do to plaster a smile and see that the buffet tables didn’t run out of light repast offered to all who had come extending condolences.
    Damian was on the round performing flawlessly the duty of a host to this informal luncheon after the funeral. When he had wanted Elaine to assume the role of a hostess by his side, she had humbly accepted the honour he accorded her of being acknowledged as an indisputable member of his clan.
    But the strain of it all was draining her now.
    Everyone around seemed occupied with one or the other topic, surely none would notice if she slipped away for a quick breath of fresh air.
    Elaine, leaving behind the oppressive environ, strode through long passages, past puzzled servants to find herself at the back of their house. It was a long, wide open space with verdant vines draping the strong high walls marking the house’s boundaries.
    A mingle of male voices had her head snapping to the right where a red Porsche was parked.
    Three young men stood there watching her with amusement on their faces, and Trevor in their midst was deadpan in expression.
    “Hey baby, lookin’ for me?” One of the three boys trawled for her attention, showing off for his buddies.
    Elaine but had eyes only for Trevor. He might not like her, but he couldn’t hide from her the pain looming in his eyes. She hadn’t been fooled by the brusqueness with which he had dropped by to attend his mother’s burial just moments before it would have been too late for him to say goodbye, then acting as though the entire service was a big waste of his time.
    The shadow of emptiness, uncertainties, and yearning hounding him couldn’t evade her guileless, probing look.
    “Hey!” A peeved face insinuated itself in the line of her vision, scaring her out of her thoughts.
    She shrank, backing up a step. It was the same guy who had tried to speak to her a minute ago.
    “I’m talking to you, frozen princess. Are you deaf, or something?” He shook Elaine, seizing her upper arm.
    The place his hand gripped her bare skin, crawled with disgust of that touch. Desperately, she twisted her arm to loosen it free.
    But even if she had a fighting chance against him, Elaine was emotionally yet too bemused with the unexpected passing of the woman who