Free Ulterior Motives by Laura Leone Page A

to soothe the university’s anger about Ross’ pranks, rebelliousness, sloppy work, and infrequent attendance. Naturally, there were escapades with women, too. It was sheer speculation, of course, since the facts had been suppressed by his family, but Ross had apparently got himself involved with a female faculty member who was supposed to be above such shenanigans.
    Shelley sipped her coffee and considered this. Yes, even at nineteen, Ross must have possessed enormous sexual magnetism. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, Shelley supposed the older woman in question had been at least equally responsible for their entanglement. Shelley doubted he’d been innocent even at that age, but everything about his life until then implied he wouldn’t have yet possessed the unflappable savoir faire that characterized him now. He must have been quite endearing in those days—in a thoroughly exasperating way.
    She returned her attention to the report. Ross had finally done something even his family couldn’t smooth over, and he was expelled. The official reason was destruction of university property and disruption of classes; he had used the chemistry lab to concoct a mysterious aphrodisiac he’d read about in his studies. Inhalation of the substance caused immediate euphoria, followed by about twelve hours of unconsciousness. A number of wildly euphoric students and professors had done considerable damage to the hallowed halls of the building before sleeping it off for a day. The fumes didn’t fade for three days, so classes had had to be rescheduled or cancelled. The incident had been widely written about. It had even made the national evening news, since it was amusing and involved both an exclusive university and a boy from a prominent family.
    My, my , Shelley thought wryly, never a dull moment. His parents must have been livid. If they had attempted to enroll him in any other colleges, there was no evidence of it. Ross’ educational career was over.
    The information, both official and unofficial, became vague at that point. Large gaps of time were unaccounted for, and even Wayne’s source could only offer vague rumors about this period of Ross’ life.
    Whether the family had cut him off or he’d simply deserted them wasn’t quite clear, but it was apparent that he had no contact with them for quite some time. He dropped out of sight for several years.
    It was believed that he had spent considerable time in North Africa, and rumor had him involved in everything from smuggling to espionage. There was no doubt, however, that he had managed a casino in Marrakech for a while.
    Shelley’s eyes widened as she tried to picture Ross in this exotic lifestyle. It would have been very hard on a spoiled, high-spirited, sheltered society boy, no matter how adventurous and rebellious he’d been. She guessed that it was during this period that he’d acquired the strength of character and self-confidence that lived under the surface of his charm and elegance.
    He’d eventually resurfaced in Nice where he had managed a nightclub for a while. Shelley recalled that his mother’s family came from that area, and she wondered whether he had chosen to live closer to loved ones.
    He quit the job in Nice and wound up in Paris. That was where he had met Henri Montpazier—and so began his career with Elite.
    From this point forward, the information on Ross’ career was specific and alarming. The man had the Midas touch. He had been twenty-six years old, a college dropout with a shady past, when Henri Montpazier had sent him to the Elite school in Toulouse. Montpazier had given him a free hand, a big expense account, and one year to change the school from a money pit into the goose that laid the golden egg.
    Ross must have known next to nothing about running a language school, Shelley thought, yet by the end of the year the school was turning a substantial profit and their only competition had been forced to close down.
    That experience laid