"She... I..." Johnny began to stutter.
"I asked him to take me home, because I'm freezing out here and he was kindly refusing." Anna said and Johnny looked at her gratefully, without the man being able to tell.
"It's true. Let's put this mistake right. Come along. We've already had dinner, and Adam wants to talk to you."
"I don't want to hear any more insults from you. I'd rather wait out here."
The man held out his hand to Anna.
"Come on. No one will insult you again. You can trust me."
Anna looked at him suspiciously.
"What's going on? Why do you want me to come in?"
He dropped his hand and glanced suggestively at Johnny, who retreated in silence.
"I'm sorry for the way I treated you. The women in Adam's life, they're not... Well, not women with an honest story. He usually prefers older women with a dirty past, and that's why I treated you like you were just like them."
"Dirty past..." Anna repeated those words, remembering Sarah. Did she have a dirty past?
"I'd be honored to join you for a drink after dinner. I would have liked to pick you up to join us for dinner, but we were talking about business and that would have sounded boring to you."
Anna stared at him as if she were facing a madman who had escaped from the asylum.
"Do you think that by flattering me, I'm going to believe your false talk? Please don't insult my intelligence, either. No. I'll wait right here."
The man looked at the gate and then turned his gaze back to Anna, and began to take off his jacket, slipping it around Anna's shoulders, who smelled his pleasant perfume as he approached.
"Wouldn't you rather wait in the car, then?"
"He won't allow it."
"He's not the only one who gives the orders here."
Anna widened her eyes in surprise.
"You're his brother!" She concluded and he smiled.
"No. I'm his cousin. My mother is Uncle Allister's sister."
"You're very similar."
"Everyone says that, but not just us. All the men in the family have almost the same features, but we have significant differences. My hair, for example, is lighter, and my brother's eyes are gray and not blue..."
"Are there many of you?"
"No. Our family is relatively small. My father died when I was little, I think I was about six years old, and my grandfather, my father's father, took care of my upbringing. Mom didn't remarry, she didn't have any siblings apart from Uncle Allister, my father's family... They were all murdered and... That's my story."
"Is your brother older than you?"
"Yes. He's engaged. He wants to start a family..."
"Adam also has an older brother..."
"We have a lot in common. Me and Adam."
"I'm not surprised."
Ryan smiled amusedly. She made him anxious to see that superb glint disappear from her eyes. But now was not the time. Her uncle was still alive and he wanted her to fall in love with him before she became part of the family.
Ryan began to find this girl interesting.
"Let me prove that not all the men in the family are cruel, insensitive ogres?"
"I'll decline." Anna said after the silence and concentrated on how cold she was feeling, even in his coat.
"I wanted to ask you to accept my friendship." He said. He couldn't talk to her about a relationship, a courtship, because she had to fear Allister's reaction.
"I don't think we should have any common interests that would lead us to be friends... And I don't see the point in being friends either."
"Tell me what you like, then. Don't you think it would be interesting to debate your ideas and hear a different view of what you consider important?"
Anna stared at him in amazement. Yes, having someone who disagreed with your ideas, listened to you and showed you how they saw things could be very exciting.
"I don't know if All would approve..."
"My uncle won't object."
"Well... If you ask, and he doesn't mind... I'd love to..." She said, still doubtful.
"You don't have many people to talk to, do you?"
"I was forced to break off my circle of friends very early on... But All never let me miss anything." She said quickly.
"But you felt lonely and had no one to talk to... I'll be your shoulder to lean on." He said and held out his hand.
Anna looked at him suspiciously, but shook his hand and marveled at its softness.
"Are you going to make me freeze out here, or are you going to come in with me?" He asked amusedly.
Anna took her coat off her shoulders and held it out to him.
"You should come in, and take your coat."
Ryan took the coat and reached out to touch her hand, but Anna quickly withdrew her hand, rejecting the contact, showing that she didn't like it and stared at him coldly.
"I'll walk you to the car, then. You can't stay out here in this cold wind."
"To what do I owe such an honor? I don't think your cousin will agree with you. I've heard that torturing people is a pleasurable habit for him, and perhaps a freezing death was his way of punishing me."
He smiled.
"You have an endearing temper, you know that? Don't worry about Adam. It's not just him who calls the shots in this family."
"I understand that he inherited the leadership. Doesn't your life depend on his will? Would he kill you if you got in the way of his plans to see me freeze to death?"
Ryan looked at her, leaving no doubt that he was enjoying himself.
"I can warm you up so that you don't freeze to death and wait for your husband's reaction. What would he do to punish me? He said and raised his hand, making a sign and soon Johnny approached.
"Sir?"
"Take Anna home and get her a coat." Ryan said looking disgustedly at the dress Adam had chosen so that they could enjoy the next "product" of the green house, and watched her admiring gaze as the man obeyed without further questions, and followed him still hugging.