Page 4 of Claimed By My Ex's Brother

“How was your day, Mr. Alson?” Said Charlie, my pilot.

“Just fine thanks, Charlie,” I said. “Just hired a new PA.”

“Well, how about that, it’s about time,” said Charlie, before changing the channel to clear us for takeoff.

As we lifted off from the helipad and began to soar over the city of Honolulu, I thought about the incredible creature that had stepped into my office today. Lena Chambers was a gorgeous female. How was she getting home today? Was there anyone waiting for her? Something about her seemed almost familiar, but I couldn’t place her at all at the moment.

I must have seen her somewhere before, I was sure of it.

Below me, green forest and jungle were retreating to reveal the northern side of the island, where my mansion lay. I owned property all over the world—Honolulu Hotels was a billion-dollar business—there was nowhere else quite as beautiful as here, and so this is where I’d wanted to make my home, ever since I was stationed at Pearl Harbor many years ago.

My mansion was at the top of a tall sandbank stretching down to a private beach. At the top of the bank we touched down on my helipad, and I got out, waving to Charlie to cut the power. I’d be taking the chopper back to my office tomorrow morning, but for now, there was no need for us to travel. I was working long hours and preferred to do so from the comfort of my own home.

I jogged up the elegant, polished sandstone and granite steps of the house and entered, pressing my thumb to the pad by the door and activating the biometric lock. I’d had a nagging thought about Lena since I first got onto the helicopter—one that couldn’t be answered by the undeniable attraction I felt for her.

When I got to my office on the second floor, which overlooked the coastal inlet and the beach below, I turned on my computer and began to search the internet for information about her and her life here on the islands.

“Lena Chambers” yielded nothing. I was puzzled. Didn’t my brother, Jared, have an old girlfriend named Lira or Lena? Maybe that was where the confusion lay. Lena had been with Jared in LA. It couldn’t be the same person. What were the chances?

Then, I thought about Lena Chambers and what I did know about her. Her elegant, slim hips, her strong shoulders. Her hourglass frame and the way she presented herself—were impeccable. I kept thinking how her clothes had been a little too extravagant for an interview as a PA. I’d recognized the style—they were expensive brands. And yet, Lena wasn’t rich—or she wouldn’t be working as a PA for someone like me.

When you put two and two together, it all made sense. Her looks. The clothes she was wearing. They had to be samples she’d kept from a modeling job.

Most women didn’t use their last names for modeling work—it was important to keep a professional distance, and besides, it helped preserve privacy. Lena was a pretty simple and recognizable enough name, so when I searched it with “model”, it didn’t take long to find out what I was looking for.

There she was—a personal website dedicated to her modeling work. It contained photographs and snapshots of her work. I saw that most of the photos were of Lena in swimwear. So that’s why she’d moved to Hawaii. There would be plenty of work opportunities here for someone like her.

I growled as I saw the pictures. “So,” I said to myself. “I guess being a PA isn’t your dream job, huh?”

Thefollowingmorning,Lenaarrived. I wanted to give her a chance to come clean about herself, to explain to me what she really was doing on the island. But at the same time, I didn’t want to fire her or make her feel uncomfortable. I just wanted her to tell me why she had moved to the islands.

“Good morning, Miss Chambers,” I said when I heard the door to my office open the next morning. I was reading over some planning documentation for the apartment complex I was selling. Our first open house was on Friday.

“You can call me Lena if you like,” she said, and I looked up.

I was taken aback. Lena was wearing the most attractive blouse and pencil skirt. She looked professional and knew how to dress for success at whatever she put her mind to doing. And yet, the sight of her filled me with a deep, dark longing, and pleasant thoughts for the hour I’d spent looking at her modeling shots the day before.

“Good morning,” I said. “I’ve given you a couple of tasks to do. You’ll find a computer login and your key card for the doors to all the properties on the desk. Have fun.”

“Thank you,” she said and closed the door.

The morning passed with a flurry of phone and video calls with members of my executive board. We were organizing a big meeting here in Honolulu next week to discuss the refurbishment of the Continental. Normally my executives managed the various sections of the company in its regional offices—New York, San Francisco, London, and Paris—I wanted everyone here for our latest project. By the time it was lunch, I stepped out of my office and found Lena, diligently typing up some notes for me.

“How’s it going?” I asked.

She looked up at me, and for a moment I had to resist the temptation to reach down and plant my lips on the mouth of the beautiful woman in front of me. I’d begun to fixate on Lena’s beauty. But I knew we’d have to talk about it sooner or later.

“Can I get you something for lunch?” I asked. “I normally eat some poké or something in my office, and you’re welcome to use either the employee cafeteria or the restaurant next door if you like.”

“Oh, that’s fine, sir,” she said.

“It’s Alex.”

“Sorry. It’s okay, Alex. I can find it by myself.”

“Why don’t we eat in the restaurant today? Since it’s your first day.”

“Sure,” said Lena, standing up and looking at her purse. I could see her cheeks had turned a little red. As though she was embarrassed. Or concealing a secret.

---