Eventually, she found Rainer slumped in a chair in the large living room scrolling through his emails.

"It's killing you, isn't it?" She kicked of her shoes and curled her feet under her, resting her head in Rainer's shoulder.

"Do you think Brian would give me an interview?" he asked distractedly.

"Why on earth would you want to interview Brian?" And why could she not get away from the infernal man.

"You're kidding right?" He put down his phone and looked at her just as Bryce and Grace joined them.

"About what?" Lizzy asked yawning.

"Brian owns one of the most lucrative construction companies in the country. He is one of the wealthiest men too, and he managed to do it all in ten years. You're in interior design, you should know that."

"Why should I know that? It's not as if Brian and I are exactly friends. I haven't even seen the man in years."

"Lizzy you must have known that Brian owns BAES Construction?" Bryce looked at her, shocked.

BAES was one of the largest construction firms in New York and they only worked on high-end projects. With BAES everything was done in house from the designing to the construction. They also had branches in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Atlanta, and Dallas. She had often thought that if she could win a contract for their interior design work she wouldn't have to worry about the bottomline ever again. There went that dream right out the window. "I have certainly heard of BAES, but I had no idea that it was Brian's company."

So much for Brian leading a lonely existence, dreaming of the day the two of them could be together again. Lizzy gave a silent self-deprecating laugh. What a fool she had been, wishing that he had missed her as much as she had missed him. He had obviously moved on years ago, but then he had left her hadn't he.

"That's probably because he doesn't do interviews. What do you think Bryce, would Brian be willing to give me an interview?" Rainer looked at Bryce.

"I don't know, ask him yourself."

Lizzy didn't bother to look up from where her gaze was fixed on the fireplace across the room. She secretly hoped that he had heard their conversation because then he would think that she hadn't given him a second thought. If she had she would have known that he owned BAES.

Dana plopped down beside her with a sigh. "These parties are hard on the feet."

Lizzy gave a laugh and nodded, thankful for the distraction.

"So how about it Brian, would you be willing to give me an interview?" Rainer turned to look at him over his shoulder.

"No, but if I change my mind I promise to let you know." He walked over to the fireplace putting himself directly in Lizzy's sight line.

Eventually, the guests all left and it was just the family remaining. Lizzy was waiting for her chance to make her getaway. The room was large and everyone was spread around talking in little groups. Lizzy was sitting between Rainer and Dana still, with Cassie sitting next to them in a chair.

"So what's going on with you Lizzy?" Dana asked, "I hardly ever get to see you anymore."

"It has been a while, hasn't it?"

"Are you still going out with that friend of Mason's?" Cassie asked, kicking her shoes off her feet.

"Which one?" Lizzy asked, not thinking about the way the statement made her sound.

Cassie shook her head. "You have more boyfriends than you know what to do with."

Lizzy shrugged. It was no secret that she dated a lot.

"Did I ever tell you she stole one of my boyfriends?" Dana asked Cassie.

"No! She didn't!"

Caleb had picked up on their conversation from across the room. "Yes, he was a singer."

"No, he was the drummer. He had Lizzy playing the guitar and singing 'All My Ex's Live in Texas' within minutes of meeting her." Dana corrected him.

"No way. You sing Lizzy?" Cassie asked, sounding surprised.

"You can't call it singing exactly, more like...." Caleb searched for the right word, "a tuneless yodel."

Lizzy threw a pillow at him. "It's not like you were in love with him Dana, you only ever had eyes for Quinn. Besides I have always had a weakness for musicians, especially drummers, all those muscles you know." It was out before she could stop it. She was so used to playing the part of the young liberated woman without a care or love in the world that she hadn't thought to stop herself.

"True." Dana looked over at Quinn and smiled, not at all concerned by her comment because that was who they all thought she was.

Quinn was talking to Bryce and Brian, and she was suddenly very uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was taking. She peeked over at Brian to see if he was listening. She wanted him to know that she hadn't been sitting at home pining for him, but she didn't want him to think that she was fast and loose.

Then your earlier performance was dumb a little voice in the back of her head said.

"Come on Lizzy, when I stayed with you in New York you had several of Mason's friends in love with you," Dana insisted

Lizzy gave a forced laugh. "Hardly, most of Mason's friends are already in love with themselves."

"I heard that," Mason said from behind them.

"Still...you make it look so easy," Dana sighed.

Lizzy cringed inwardly at her words. It had been anything but easy since she had always compared every man to Brian. "I'm more used to men's company than women's, after all I have six brothers." She stood up stretching, trying to make light of the whole conversation.

"I am going to bed now, if you all are done giving me a hard time about my love life."

"You just haven't found the right one yet," Dana insisted.

Oh yes she had, she had found him fifteen years ago when Bryce had brought Brian home for the first time. Her eyes quickly met Brian's, but she was unable to tell what he was thinking and quickly looked away.

"One day maybe," Lizzy said, picking up her shoes with a forced smile. "I'll see you all in the morning." She quickly made her getaway which was much easier to do barefoot.

Once she reached her room she slowly closed the door behind her then locked it. That would keep the world out until tomorrow.

Quickly stripping, she let her hair down and climbed into the shower. The hot water was like a blanket easing some of the tension, but it didn't shield her from her memories.

*******

8 Years Ago...

Lizzy had been working for Brian for a week already and he was almost never in the office, and when he was, he was always on the phone or buried in his computer. She had hoped that this job would put her on his radar.

She had spent the last six years pinning for him, hoping and praying that Bryce would bring him home, but after a while he had stopped bringing him around no matter how much she hoped and prayed that he would. When her mother had come up with the idea of Brian giving her a job she had jumped at the chance.

She had shown up for work the first day in her sexiest dress and had received absolutely no response. In fact, in the last week he had barely acknowledged her presence, leaving her written instructions every morning before he left and before she got into the office.

Hoping that Brian would be in that morning, she had dressed carefully, but as the day had progressed she had given up hope and let her guard down. Her cute little pink baby doll dress, which was obscenely short with cute little cap sleeves, was wrinkled and her highest heels were now laying discarded under her desk. Her hair, which had been full of beautiful wavy volume that morning, was now piled sloppily on top of her head with a pencil stuck in it.

With a heavy sigh she reached into her desk and pulled out her Cosmo magazine. There was a quiz in it, 'Is he interested in you,' and she had answered a few questions, but there were a few more to go, and she was on number eight when Brian entered the office.

He looked magnificent. He was wearing tight blue jeans and a black-t-shirt that emphasized all of his muscles, and he had a lot of muscles. He looked distracted, and when he noticed her, it was as if he had forgotten she was going to be there. It didn't do a whole lot of good for her young ego.

He looked from her to the magazine. "Didn't I give you some work to do?" He threw some rolled up plans down on his desk before walking over to her.

"I finished it all," she said, doing her best to hide the magazine. He must have noticed because he reached down and grabbed it out from under her protective arms.

"What's this?" It was obvious he was in a rotten mood and he was going to take it out on her just like her brothers did.

"That's mine." She jumped out of her chair and reached for it, but he whipped it out of here grasp.

"I think I need to find out exactly what you're doing on company time."

Lizzy darted out from behind her desk and lunged for him, but he quickly side stepped her and spun around, putting his back to her.

"Cosmo uh, what's so interesting in here?" He began to thumb through the magazine, and out of desperation Lizzy jumped on his back wrapping her legs around his waist and throwing her arms over his shoulder, trying to get to the magazine.

She hadn't thought about her reaction, it's what she would have done to one of her brothers, but perhaps she should have thought better about it. She felt every muscle in his back brace to take her weight. Her naked thighs were clasped tight on either side of his waist and his thin t-shirt was no barrier to the heat she felt. He smelt divine, and she could just nibble his ear if she wanted too.

"It wouldn't be this quiz would it? Let see 'Is He Interested in You,' that looks like a possibility."

He started to thumb the corners looking for the page.

"Brian Alexander, you give me that right now!" She was suddenly over her distraction, sliding off his back she moved in front of him reaching for the magazine, but he held it up over his head.

Lizzy slammed into the front of him, going up on her tip toes and pressing against him in an attempt to reach the magazine. As their bodies made full contact something changed. He was looking at her with such naked hunger that her heart stopped. Oh my, she licked her lips. Suddenly, for the first time in her life, she felt like a woman.

"Give me my magazine, now!" she whispered hoarsely.

"Or what?" He looked at her eyes and her lips, devouring her with his gaze.

"I'll be forced to do something drastic?"

"Like throw yourself at me?"

Her eyes narrowed. So he wanted to play it like that did he? "Or I will tell my big brothers that you made a pass and hit on me."

This time his eyes narrowed. "Well then I might as well be guilty of what you are going to accuse me of." He threw the magazine across the room and back on his desk without even looking. His eyes never left her face.

Before she knew what had happened one of his hands had buried itself in her hair causing it to fall from its precarious up do, and his other hand found her back and pulled her tighter to him.

Lizzy was trembling as his lips claimed hers.

At first it was a sweet almost reverent kiss, but after a few moments it changed to a heated all-consuming feast. Lizzy was keeping up with him with no trouble as her arms wound around his neck and her hands dug into his hair.

As he had backed her up against his desk her legs wrapped around him while she tried to get as close to him as she could. There were too many clothes between them, so she reached up under his shirt letting her hands spread across his naked chest.

He was glorious.

His hand had wandered from her back to her thigh and was slowly moving along the naked flesh pushing her skirt higher as he went.

Just as suddenly as he had started it he broke away, turning his back to her.

Completely startled, at not just the kiss but its abrupt end, Lizzy sat their silently. She had always known he would be a great kisser, but she hadn't a clue just how good. Every one of her nerve endings was tingling.

"It's about time," she said, clearing her throat.

He pushed both of his hands through his hair as he turned to look at her. He looked pained. "I should never have done that."

"You should have done that a long time ago."

"Lizzy you're twenty-one."

"Twenty." She corrected.

He groaned. "I am thirty three."

"So?"

"Look Lizzy, I know that none of this is new to you. I am sure you have had one or two lovers, but I cannot..."

"Try none."

"None what?" he asked distracted.

"Lovers, I have never had a lover. Boyfriends sure, a few heated kisses and some heavy make-out sessions, but I have never had sex before."

Brian stilled as he looked at her dumbfounded. "That makes this worse."

"How? I want you and you want me, who needs to know about it besides us?"

He fell into a chair behind him and laid his head back, closing his eyes.

"Bryce is actually going to kill me," he muttered.

"I'll never tell him, Brian. I have wanted to kiss you since...forever, and now.... I want all of you."

Inspiration struck her. "What was it you said...you might as well be guilty of what I'm going to accuse you of? I'll accuse you of breaking my heart."

Brian shook his head. "Bryce might believe that I hit on you, but he won't believe that I broke your heart."

Lizzy considered what he said and realized that he was right. Besides she was bluffing, she would never be able to lie like that. "Fine, then a date. That's all I ask, let's get to know each other."

"That's like lighting a match in a fireworks store house."

"Mmmmm, yes, and its fine by me if it all goes up in flames, the bigger the better," she said with a grin.

"Fine, a date, but I plan to spend the whole evening explaining to you why nothing else will happen between us."

"That's your choice. I'm going to imagine you naked the entire time. It seems only fair that you do the same thing." She walked over to her desk, gathering up all of her stuff, magazine included, and moved towards the door. "Do you mind if I leave early? I have a hot date, and I need time to get ready." She looked over at his stunned expression. "See you at seven." She smiled as she left him.

She, Lizzy Stevens, had made the big bad Brian Alexander speechless. She felt as if she could conquer the world.

*******

Present Day...

Brian had wandered out on the large terrace that led off the back of the house. He was on his third whisky and he was thinking he might need a fourth.

He knew that it was inevitable that this day would come. He had carefully avoided it for eight years, but he could not miss his best friend's wedding, even if it meant seeing Elizabeth. He had made his choices, and he had been living with the consequences ever since.

She was even more beautiful now that she was older. She was a woman not a girl. His heart had actually stopped when he had looked up and saw her looking down on the party. He had felt jealously stab through him when he had seen her leaning on Rainer.

He had never been so glad to meet a brother of Bryce's before. He was inclined to give him his interview just because he wasn't a boyfriend of Elizabeth's

She had looked bored, but he knew she was tense. He could sense it. He was aware of every move she made, and every man she talked to no matter how old, married or not, was an enemy.

All he wanted to do was pick her up throw her over his shoulder and carry her to the nearest bedroom and not let her out for the next twenty years. That hair, those eyes, and her legs. They went on forever. He swallowed a groan along with another mouth full of whiskey.

He had waited eight years for his heart to stop hurting, and he was still waiting.

He felt a hand on his arm and looked down at Grace.

He smiled down at her as he put his arm around her shoulders. "Are you happy?"

His question reminded him of Elizabeth's and Bryce's earlier conversation. What had she meant by things work out for the best? And had Bryce really apologized? What did that mean, was he O.K. with the idea of them? Had his and Elizabeth's shared history even been what they were talking about. If it was, it could only mean that Elizabeth had chosen to share with Bryce. That had been something that Brian had never been willing to do. Their past was theirs and no one else's, and the thought of sharing it had always seemed like it would be a betrayal.

"Yes, I am. but I get the feeling that you aren't."

Brian had met Grace before he knew about her and Bryce's relationship. She had been working on one of his constructions sites in Atlanta. His crew had found some artifacts and had decided to score some points with the community, delay the project, and pay for a full archaeological dig. Grace, who had been filling in for a friend, had been the archaeologist that over saw the dig site. The fact that she had known Bryce had never even entered into the conversation and had come as a complete shock to both of them.

Brian had often thought it was fate. Bryce and Grace were meant to be together.

He and Grace had a lot in common, both coming from challenging childhoods. She was a beautiful woman with dark curly hair and toffee colored eyes, and what he loved most about Grace was her talent for putting people at ease and making them feel welcome.

For a brief second, at the beginning, he had thought about a relationship with her, but they saw through each other and knew that there was only one person for each of them and it was not each other. As far as Brian knew, Grace had no clue that the person he loved was Elizabeth, and he wasn't going to reveal it to her now.

He shrugged at her question, taking another sip of his whiskey.

"I'm sorry."

It was beginning to sound familiar.

"Why are you sorry?"

"I wish you could be with your love right now. Do you know where she is?"

Yes, upstairs, he thought but aloud he said, "It doesn't matter, Grace."

"Are you ready to turn in Grace?" Bryce asked from behind them.

Brian didn't turn around. He couldn't face his friend right now, he was equal parts shame and anger. Shame for wanting his sister and anger for not being able to have her.

Grace looked from one to the other, a concerned look on her face, but eventually she just nodded and left with Bryce.

Sighing, he sat his glass down and started towards his room. He would have to get through tomorrow. His flight was scheduled for the evening. He would put this all behind him and continue as he always had, denying himself what he really wanted.

He remembered her caress earlier, the feel of her body pressed against his, her thumb on his lips, the hurt in her voice just before she walked away.

Yeah, he deserved everything he got and more for hurting her.

Bryce had gotten it right when he had said that Grace was everything. He knew Elizabeth was his everything, she always had been, since she was fifteen and he had fallen in love with her.

A twenty-seven year old man in love with a fifteen year old girl. He should have been taken out back and beaten, and it wasn't any better when she was twenty-one year old girl and he was a thirty-three year old man. It would never be all right, never.