Alveus (ABC's Inc. Romance #1) Read Free Page B

American.”
    “But
you speak the language so well,” she persisted. “Your family is German?”
    “Not
that I’m aware of,” Aly said, still speaking the tongue. “Languages come easy
for me. I spent some time in this country, as a child.”
    “I
see.” Dane recognized the calculating look on his grandmother’s face.
Apparently his fake fiancée had peaked her interest. “You may speak English in
this household, Daney prefers it.”
    Aly
shot him a teasing smile at his grandmother’s use of the childhood nickname.
The look caught him off guard – so in character, yet so real, so honest, so
intimate. It very nearly knocked his feet out from under him. He gave her an
embarrassed grin and kissed the top of her head. Noticing Oma’s scrutinizing
gaze on him, Dane suddenly felt like a child again. He’d met that look many
times whenever he tried to hide a misdeed.
    It
seemed the tables had turned. With that one act, Aly had won Oma’s favor, and
now his grandmother would be putting his sincerity into question.
    “You
must be tired from all of the traveling, ein bisschen,”
Oma addressed Aly. “Bruna will show you to your room. I must speak with my
grandson for a moment, before I take my rest.” Aly took the elderly woman’s
hand in hers.
    “Thank
you, Frau Brighton…” she began, but Dane’s grandmother interrupted her.
    “You
must call me Oma,” she said. “After all, you are soon to be part of the
family.” She gave Dane a challenging look. Aly leaned down to kiss his
grandmother on the cheek, and then turned to follow Bruna.
    “What
about me, liebling?” he asked, with an exaggerated pout. To his delight, she
changed direction and planted a tender kiss on his cheek.
    “I’ll
see you later, Daney ,” she cooed in his ear. Her husky voice sent wake
up signals to his groin.
    Pulling
away, she met his eyes with a mischievous glint in her pale blues. After
throwing an embarrassed glance in Oma’s direction, Aly followed the housekeeper
into the corridor. Dane stood staring at the empty doorway. The room felt
vacant after her departure and he ached to run after her. What the hell was
happening to him?
    Shaking
himself out of his stupor, Dane turned to face his grandmother.
    “What?”
he asked, defensively. Her look was chastising, coated with a glimmer of
wickedness. “Does Aly not meet with your approval, Oma?”
    “She’s
lovely, but not really your usual type, now is she?”
    “And
what would you know of my usual type?” he quipped.
    “There
is no need to take that tone with me, jungen!”
Oma leaned her head back, as if weary. “Sitz,” she commanded, pointing to the
chair. Dane automatically obeyed, putting an end to his agitated pacing. “Danke,”
she sighed.
    “To answer your
question – I am not now, nor have I ever been blind, Daney. Yes, she is
beautiful, as have been all of the females you’ve escorted, but unlike the
others this one has an unassuming beauty. Hers comes from within.”
    “Okay, so then
what’s the problem?” Dane didn’t know why he was feeling so defensive under
Oma’s watchful eye.
    “The problem is
you, jungen,” she answered sadly.
    “ME?”
    “When you entered
manhood, I watched as you hardened your heart. You allow no one to get close.
It has saddened me greatly and cut into my soul that you have made it
impossible to find what your Opa and I had. Liebling, your soul must soar, your
heart must be free to cherish and be cherished. That is why I desire for you to
marry. There is no living without love.” Oma coughed and pointed to her water
glass. Dane passed it to her and waited until she drank.
    “Daney, this girl
you have brought home to meet me, I can see that she has already made progress
in cracking through the iron-clad veneer you have placed around your heart. Do
I approve of her? Oh, yes. She is special. So special, that she is oblivious to
it. A part of me already loves her, but my liebling, are you ready to allow her
in?
    “This