Kitabı oku: «Secret Heir Seduction»
Can he tell her the truth…
this time?
Will he risk everything for a reunion?
Will she give him the chance?
Discovering he’s a long-lost heir isn’t the only surprise awaiting Darius Taylor-Pratt in Royal, Texas. He’s next door to his ex after five long years. Darius broke off his red-hot relationship with designer Audra Covington without explanation. He still has regrets…and truths he’s hiding. Rekindling their flame may cost him…especially when new secrets surface to threaten their second shot at seduction.
REESE RYAN writes sexy, emotional romance with captivating family drama, surprising secrets and a posse of complex characters.
A Midwesterner with deep Southern roots, Reese currently resides in semi-small-town North Carolina, where she’s an avid reader, a music junkie and a self-declared connoisseur of cheesy grits. Reese is the author of the Bourbon Brothers and Pleasure Cove series.
Connect with her via Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or at reeseryan.com.
Join her VIP Readers Lounge at bit.ly/VIPReadersLounge.
Also by Reese Ryan
The Bourbon Brothers miniseries
Savannah’s Secret
The Billionaire’s Legacy
Engaging the Enemy
Dynasties: Secrets of the A-List miniseries
Seduced by Second Chances
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.
Secret Heir Seduction
Reese Ryan
www.millsandboon.co.uk
ISBN: 978-0-008-90419-7
SECRET HEIR SEDUCTION
© 2020 Harlequin Books S.A.
Published in Great Britain 2020
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
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To the amazing readers who read and recommend my books, especially the members of the Reese Ryan VIP Reader Lounge, y’all rock. I’m grateful you’ve chosen to come along for the ride.
To Kristan Higgins, LaQuette, Megan Frampton, Robin Covington, Lauren Dane, Cheris Hodges, Michelle Styles, Piper Huguley, Patricia W. Fischer, Naima Simone, HelenKay Dimon and all of my fellow authors who’ve read and shared my books…thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kindness and generosity.
Contents
Cover
Back Cover Text
About the Author
Booklist
Title Page
Copyright
Note to Readers
Dedication
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Twenty-Four
About the Publisher
One
Darius Taylor-Pratt sat in front of a heavy mahogany desk and surveyed the space around him.
The room’s dark decor seemed better suited to an older man than to upbeat lifestyle guru and reality TV star Miranda Dupree.
Miranda, founder of the Goddess health and lifestyle brand, had invited him to Royal, Texas, for a meeting. She’d proposed a collaboration with Thr3d, his quickly growing performance wear company, to create a Goddess-branded line of athletic wear.
The timing was terrible.
His team was preparing for their first LA Fashion Week runway show. Still, this deal could catapult Thr3d to the next level. So he hadn’t been able to board the plane she’d sent for him quickly enough.
Heavy footsteps approached. Too heavy to be the five-foot-three, redheaded sprite. Miranda probably weighed less than a buck twenty-five.
A man with a messy shock of brown hair, brown eyes and a five o’clock shadow entered the room.
“Hello, Darius. I’m Kace LeBlanc.” The man extended his hand. “Attorney.”
Darius regarded him warily as he stood to shake his hand. “Don’t lawyers typically get involved after an agreement has been reached?”
Kace thumbed through papers in a folder already on the desk. “In a business deal, yes. But I’m not Miranda’s lawyer.”
“Then whose attorney are you, Mr. LeBlanc?” Darius’s shoulders tensed.
“I represent the estate of Mr. Buckley Blackwood, recently deceased. The estate which he left to his ex-wife, Miranda Dupree Blackwood.”
“How nice for her.”
That explains the furniture, but not why he’s here.
Darius returned to his seat and glanced at his black-and-gold Tissot chronograph watch before meeting the man’s gaze again. “Will it be much longer before Miranda joins us?”
“I apologize for the subterfuge in bringing you here. But you’ve been summoned to meet with me about a completely different matter.”
“Miranda has no interest in partnering with my company?” When the man didn’t respond, Darius shot to his feet. “Look, I don’t know what this is about, but I’m a busy man. I don’t have time for your little shell game.”
“I assure you, you’ll want to hear what I have to say,” the man said calmly. “I only need ten minutes of your time. When I’m done, if you’d still like to head straight back to LA, the driver will take you to a fueled and ready plane.”
Darius set his stopwatch. “You’ve got exactly ten minutes.” He sank onto the chair. “Why am I here?”
“Does the name Buckley Blackwood mean anything to you?”
Darius shrugged. “I know he’s Miranda’s ex-husband, and that he owned a bank.”
“Plus this six-hundred-acre ranch, homes around the globe and investments in a variety of other business interests, like Thr3d.”
“You’re saying he invested in my company?” Impossible. He knew the names of every investor. Buckley Blackwood wasn’t one of them.
“He invested in Thr3d using a shell company.”
“That still doesn’t explain why I’m here.” Darius’s patience was wearing thin.
“You’re here for a private reading of Buck’s will.” The man tapped the document in front of him.
“Why would an investor include me in his will?”
“Buck was more than just an investor, Darius. He was…your father.”
The room became eerily quiet. The only sound was the ticking of the grandfather clock on the wall behind him.
Darius stared at the man a few moments longer, sure someone would pop through the door and declare that this was a prank.
“Look, Mr. LeBlanc—”
“Kace.”
“Kace…there must be some mix-up. You’ve got the wrong guy.”
“You’re Darius Taylor-Pratt, son of former actress Liberty Taylor. Adopted by your stepfather, William Pratt, at the age of two. You’re thirty years old, and you received your undergrad at—”
“All right.” Darius held up a hand. He wanted Kace to stop talking long enough for him to wrap his head around what was happening. He sucked in a deep breath and tried to slow his rocketing heart rate. “You’re saying that this guy, this…”
“Buckley Blackwood.”
“…and my mother…they were together at some point.”
“Yes.”
“He knew I was his son. Yet, he never so much as called or dropped a birthday card in the mail in thirty years.” Anger slowly crept up his spine. “Why? Was he ashamed that he’d fathered a son by a black woman?”
“No,” Kace responded emphatically. “That wasn’t it at all.”
“Then what was it exactly?” Darius seethed, unconvinced.
“You were the product of an affair during his first marriage. That’s why he thought it best to care for you from a distance. When you were two, and your mother married Mr. Pratt, Buck agreed to allow him to adopt you and raise you as his son. You were to be informed of the adoption once you turned eighteen, which I assume you were.”
Darius gripped the armrest without response, his head pounding and his muscles tense.
He’d been told that Will wasn’t his biological father. But his mother wouldn’t reveal his father’s identity beyond saying he was a wealthy man who didn’t want to “complicate” his life.
“Darius,” the man said, “I realize this must come as a shock to you, but—”
“That’s the understatement of the year, Mr. LeBlanc.” He gritted the words through clenched teeth.
“Just Kace is fine,” the man insisted.
Darius was beginning to hate Kace’s sympathetic expression. It felt a lot like condescension and pity.
“The old man is dead, so I’m obviously not here for a father-son reunion.” The declaration made him sound like a heartless ass, but Buckley Blackwood had shown him the same callous disregard. “And you could’ve conducted the reading of the will via video conference. So why the hell am I really here?”
“I’ll allow Buck to explain for himself.” Kace read the final will and testament of Buckley Blackwood. The more he read, the more agitated Darius became.
Buckley Blackwood was a coward and an asshole.
Too cowardly to claim him as his son while he was alive. And the kind of jerk who left everything to his pretty, young ex-wife while leaving nothing to his children. And just for shits and giggles, Darius was being asked to take a DNA test to prove he was Buck’s son.
“Any questions?” Kace put down the will and clasped his hands on the desk. The man seemed braced for a verbal assault.
“What’s the point of a DNA test? The man’s dead, and it’s not as if I’m in line to inherit anything.”
“You have three siblings.” Kace laid out the photos individually. “Kellan, Vaughn and Sophie.”
Darius’s mouth went dry, and he couldn’t speak. He wanted to shove the photos onto the floor and call bullshit on this entire charade.
But he couldn’t.
Darius picked up each photo and studied it.
His brown skin was darker than theirs, but they shared many facial features.
His nose, chin and cheekbones were similar to theirs, and he and Sophie had the same rich brown eyes.
An unexpected sense of belonging washed over him, like a wave at high tide, with the power to knock him off his feet. He swallowed hard, returning each photo to the mahogany desk.
“Do they know about me?”
“They learned of you after their father’s death.”
“Does anyone else know?”
“So far, just the family,” Kace said.
“Good. Let’s keep it that way.” A knot tightened in his gut. The same one he’d developed when he’d gone to school with wealthy kids who’d treated him like an undeserving outsider.
He’d learned to relish that status. Had incorporated it into the Thr3d brand. But he wasn’t keen on experiencing that kind of painful rejection again. Especially not from people with whom he shared DNA.
Darius wanted to walk out. Refuse to play along with the old man’s sick game. But a part of him needed answers. And this was the only way he’d finally get them.
“I’ll take the test.”
“They’re expecting you at Royal Memorial Hospital.” Kace slid a sheet of paper across the desk, then closed the folder. “As for the estate…from what I’ve learned about you, you’ve always been a fighter. Two of your siblings are contesting the will. I’m certainly not encouraging you to do so, but—”
“It is an option.” Darius rubbed his jaw.
Kace gave him a subtle nod. “I’ll be in touch when I get the DNA results. In the meantime, someone else would like to speak with you. Should I send her in?”
Darius nodded absently, not really listening. He pulled his phone from his pocket once the door clicked shut behind Kace. He needed to tell his mother and stepfather he finally knew the truth about his paternity. But they were on vacation. And this wasn’t the kind of conversation they should have over the phone while they were an ocean away. He’d wait until they returned from Europe and talk to them in person.
His relationship with them had been strained since he’d learned that Will wasn’t his biological father. He could’ve forgiven that lie. Maybe even understood it. But when his mother refused to reveal the identity of his father, Darius had been furious.
Now he knew the truth.
He was the son of some rich asshole who hadn’t wanted him when he was alive but felt the need to alleviate his conscience on his deathbed.
The door opened suddenly, startling him.
“Hello, Darius. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” Miranda Dupree extended a hand.
He scrambled to his feet and shook her hand. She was nearly a foot shorter than him. “Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Dupree.”
“Call me Miranda, and please, have a seat.” She settled onto the chair beside him. “I apologize for not being direct about why I invited you here.” She sifted her fingers through her wavy red hair. Her sparkling, deep blue eyes seemed sincere. “But I didn’t think you’d come if I’d told you the truth.”
True.
But that didn’t earn her a pass for lying to him.
“So the collaboration was just a ruse?”
“I prefer to think of it as bait.” Miranda smiled sweetly. “What I said about wanting to create a signature clothing line…that’s absolutely true. I’d like to revisit the topic once all of this is sorted out.”
He acknowledged her statement with a slight nod. But his head still swirled with the news of his paternity.
So much for those fantasies of a reunion with my long-lost father.
“Darius…” Miranda placed a gentle hand on his forearm. “I can only imagine what you must be feeling.”
“Then I’ll tell you.” He glared at her. “I feel like I’m being manipulated. By you. By that lawyer. And by a gutless old man who never gave a damn about me when he was alive but wants to play God with my life now that he’s dead.”
Miranda seemed willing to absorb his anger, her gaze still warm and sincere. “If I was in your shoes, I’d probably feel the same. But there’s something you need to see.”
Miranda retrieved a thick envelope from the desk and sat beside him again.
“Buck and I hadn’t spoken much since our divorce. So I was as shocked as anyone that he charged me with handling some very sensitive matters after his death. I’ve received more instructions via letters over the past few months. Yes, the man could be an asshole.” She laughed bitterly. “But one of his deepest regrets was never getting to know you. He implored me to bring you here, so you’d have the opportunity to get to know your brothers and sister. And he wanted you to know that, regardless of what you might believe, you were never far from his thoughts.”
“He had a damn funny way of showing it.”
“Buck struggled to show affection with everyone. It destroyed both of his marriages. And it’s the reason his relationships with his children were strained. The reason he died alone.” She frowned. “But it doesn’t mean he didn’t care about you.”
Miranda handed him the envelope. “Buck wanted you to have this…to know that even though you were apart, he always held you in his heart.”
She stood. “I’ll leave you alone with it. You can review it here for now. Once the DNA results have been confirmed, it’s yours to keep. When you’re ready, my driver will take you anywhere you’d like to go. I’ve reserved a furnished rental home in town for you. It’s yours for as long as you need it.”
Miranda handed him two business cards. “If you need me or Kace, just give us a call. I’ll be in touch.”
Once Miranda was gone, he opened the envelope. It held a scrapbook overflowing with photos and newspaper articles. On the first page, there was a photo of a newborn he recognized as himself. A duplicate was in his mother’s prized photo album.
Darius made his way through the scrapbook one aged photo, yellowed newspaper clipping and dog-eared magazine article at a time.
The man had been following his childhood, his academic career and his business triumphs. Yet, he hadn’t reached out to him once in thirty years.
What am I supposed to feel for a man like that?
Darius dropped the scrapbook onto the desk, slipped his Prada shades back on and met Miranda’s driver, Leslie, at the car.
“Where shall I take you, sir?” She opened the door. “Back to the airport or to your rental home?”
Darius slid into the back seat. “Neither. Take me someplace I can get a decent hamburger, fries and shake, please.”
He wasn’t sure what he’d do next. He only knew that he thought better on a full stomach, and he longed for the comfort of carbs while he plotted his next move.
Two
Darius stepped inside the quaint little Royal Diner. The place looked like a throwback from the fifties, with its red faux-leather booths and black-and-white checkerboard linoleum tile floor.
He ordered a mile-high bacon cheeseburger, wedge fries and a thick, handmade strawberry shake. The same meal he’d ordered when his mother and Will would take him out to eat after a big win or a devastating loss.
It was still his go-to meal for either.
And today he found himself thinking of his mother and stepfather more than he had in months.
He was furious that his mother hadn’t told him Buckley Blackwood was his biological father. But part of him missed the great hugs his mom gave whenever he’d had a bad day. And the corny jokes Will would tell to lift his spirits.
But then, they hadn’t distanced themselves from him. He’d pulled away from them because they’d been lying to him his entire life.
Buckley Blackwood was just another lying parent who only revealed the truth when it was convenient. Darius already had a bookend set of those.
He should feel badly that he’d never meet his biological father. But the only thing he felt toward Blackwood was resentment. The man could’ve picked up the telephone or flown his private plane to reach him at any point in the past thirty years.
He’d chosen not to. Not even when he was dying and knew he had only weeks to live. Instead, he’d apparently spent the end of his life concocting this manipulative scheme.
But to what end?
Amanda Battle, the woman who’d introduced herself as the owner of the little diner, brought him his meal and shake. He nibbled on one of the fries, dipping it into the ketchup he’d poured on his plate.
Darius had spent the past twelve years musing about his mysterious biological father. Right now, he wanted to hate the man. But the scrapbook Miranda had given him didn’t correspond with the heartless man he’d imagined.
It wasn’t just that the old man had been collecting photos, news clippings and such about Darius his entire life. The photos showed signs of frequent handling. The dog-eared magazine articles appeared to have been read repeatedly. It was the kind of scrapbook he’d expect from a parent who actually gave a damn about his kid.
He sighed, nibbling on more fries. The two sides of the man who was likely his father were incongruent, at best. But clipping out a few magazine articles didn’t excuse Blackwood for being a shitty, absent father.
For that, he would never forgive him.
Darius took another of the wedge fries, swiped it in the milkshake and popped it in his mouth.
It was something people over the age of twelve usually found repulsive. But today, he deserved to indulge himself.
“A bacon cheeseburger, fries and a strawberry shake. I was going to ask if it was a really good day or a really bad one, but then you dipped your fry into your shake, so I guess that answers that.”
Darius froze, then turned toward the familiar voice. His eyes widened.
“Audra Lee Covington?”
No, it isn’t possible.
What would his grad school girlfriend be doing in Royal, Texas?
“So you do remember me.” She folded her arms. “I wasn’t sure you would. After all, you never returned my calls.”
Remember? He couldn’t forget her if he tried. She’d been his biggest regret. The woman who still haunted his dreams.
He stared at her, blinking. Still not sure he could believe his eyes.
She was stunning, as always. Her dark wavy hair was tucked behind her ears and fell to her shoulders. Gold-and-diamond starburst ear climbers decorated the outer curve of each ear. She wore a cream-colored, chunky-knit sweater and distressed skinny jeans that hugged every curve. And there was a small, star-shaped diamond stud in one nostril.
“Audra.” He stood, wiping his hands on a napkin. He inhaled her sweet scent as they shared an awkward hug. “What on earth are you doing here?”
“Good to see you, too,” she said sarcastically as she stepped away, folding her arms again. Her lips pressed into a harsh line as she narrowed her gaze at him.
If looks could kill, he’d be laid out on the black-and-white tile floor with a chalk line around him.
“It’s good to see you, Audra, of course. I should’ve said I’m stunned to see you here in Royal, Texas.” He gestured toward the opposite side of the booth. “You look…amazing.” It was an egregious understatement. She was drop-dead gorgeous. “Join me?”
Audra’s sensual lips, shiny with lip gloss, quirked in a semi-frown as she studied him. Finally, she nodded and slid across from him in the booth.
“The new look—” she indicated his bald head, a look he’d transitioned to nearly three years ago “—I like it. It suits you.”
“Thanks.” He cleared his throat. “What did you order?”
“They make an incredible Cobb salad. It probably has as many calories as your burger and fries, but at least I feel like I’m making an effort.”
He’d always loved her refreshing honesty. Too bad he hadn’t afforded her the same. Their story still would’ve ended. But if he’d been honest with her then, at least he’d have no regrets where Audra was concerned.
“LA Fashion Week is just a few weeks away. I’d expect the great Audra Lee Covington to be in the design studio right now.”
Audra was a diamond heiress. She’d broken rank with her very traditional family and formed her own company that catered to a younger, trendier clientele. Her name got frequent mentions in fashion magazines when A-list actors, musicians and social influencers bragged that they were iced in Audra Lee Covington diamond earrings, necklaces, bracelets and tiaras.
“Royal isn’t my usual hangout. That’s for sure.” A deep smile lit Audra’s rich espresso-brown eyes, the same color as her shoulder-length hair. “I got an early start on the season this year. So when I received a lucrative request from a wealthy bride-to-be here in Royal, I couldn’t resist. I’m creating custom wedding jewelry for the couple and gifts for their bridal party. So I’m staying in town for a bit. Getting to know the area and the bride, who will be returning from New York tomorrow with her fiancé. I’d hardly expect to run into you here, either.” She clasped her hands on the table. “I hear Thr3d will be doing a runway show this year.”
“We are. My team is back in LA working tirelessly to prepare for it.”
She produced a gum-filled lollipop from her pocket, opened the wrapper and popped it in her mouth.
Was that a fucking tongue ring?
Darius was pretty sure his jaw hit the ground and another part of his body reached for the sky.
Good thing he’d returned to his seat.
Audra propped her elbows on the table and tilted her head as she studied him. “What brings you to Royal?”
“A business opportunity.” It wasn’t a lie. The opportunity to collaborate with Miranda had brought him to town.
She sucked on that damn lollipop, which had already stained her tongue red, and awaited further explanation.
“It’s too early to share details.” He picked up his burger. “But I’m hoping to create a clothing line for a major fitness brand.”
“Ah.” When she said it, he couldn’t help staring at her candy-red, pierced tongue. “Miranda Dupree. Scoring the clothing line for her Goddess brand would be a major coup.”
“How’d you—”
“It’s a small world, I guess.” She shrugged. “Miranda is my client’s ex-stepmother. My client is Sophie Blackwood. Do you know her?”
His half sister. Damn. It was a small world.
“Never met her.” He shrugged. “But I’ve heard the name.”
Less than an hour ago, in fact.
Audra’s mouth made a popping sound when she yanked the lollipop from between her lips. She stared at him, her brown eyes narrowed. Judging him. As if she didn’t believe him.
Darius bit a mouthful of the bacon cheeseburger.
He hadn’t seen Audra in five years. They weren’t together, and she had no right to know his personal business.
So why did he feel as guilty now for telling her a half-truth as he had when they were together?
Audra returned the sucker to her mouth and rose from the table. She didn’t believe him, but she obviously didn’t deem pursuing the truth worth her time.
Knowing she found him unworthy made his chest ache. Her wordless condemnation was exactly what he deserved.
“Looks like they’re done with my order.” Audra nodded toward where Amanda was packing a to-go bag. “Nice seeing you again, Darius. Good luck with Fashion Week.”
Darius groaned quietly as he swiped another French fry into his milkshake and took a bite.
Audra made a hasty escape, and he couldn’t blame her.
He was a liar. Apparently, it was hereditary.
Three
Audra slid into the driver’s seat of the Bentley Continental GT convertible her parents had gifted her four years ago, after her business cleared a million dollars in profits in its first year.
She glanced back at the diner. Darius sat motionless in the booth where she’d left him.
Of all the people in the world that she could run into, she had to run into Darius Freaking Taylor-Pratt. The man who’d broken her heart five years ago.
She’d been madly in love with him, and she’d believed he loved her, too. Right up to the moment he’d said things had gotten too serious between them, and he needed space.
There had been no discussion. No evidence he’d fallen for someone else. And no real explanation.
She’d been devastated.
They’d met at a party during grad school at Harvard. The attraction between them had almost been instant. She’d told her friend that she was pretty sure she’d met the man she was going to marry.
Sure, she’d been a little buzzed when she said it. But every day they were together made her believe those words to be true.
Darius suddenly ending things had come of out nowhere. It had left her reeling, wondering what she’d done wrong.
But that was the past. It’d taken some time, but she’d gotten over it and moved on.
Or at least she’d always believed she had. But seeing Darius today made her feel as if things between them weren’t finished at all.
He was more handsome than ever in his navy Tom Ford suit, a white shirt and a navy print tie. His story about being in Royal on business was undoubtedly true. Never a fan of suits, Darius would require a damn good reason to wear one.
And the bald head he was rocking…on him it was sexy as sin. Her fingers had itched with the desire to run her palm over the smooth, brown skin on his clean-shaven head. She’d balled her hands into fists, her fingernails leaving marks on her palms.
Darius’s dark brown eyes registered a mix of emotions she couldn’t quite read.
Sadness. Anger? Maybe even regret.
The only thing she knew for sure was that she’d desperately wanted to lean in and kiss him. If only to remind him of what he’d walked away from five years ago.
Her cell phone rang.
Sophie Blackwood.
Audra smiled, thankful for the distraction. She hit the call button and pulled out of her parking space, heading back toward the house she was renting while she stayed in Royal.
“Hello, Sophie. Back in town yet?”
“We arrived a couple of hours ago. Nigel, my fiancé, needed to stay a couple more days to take care of a staffing issue with the show.”
Audra couldn’t help smiling. Sophie was doing that thing that many newly engaged women did where they referred to their intended as their fiancé, as frequently as possible. It was adorable. And everything about Sophie’s bubbly excitement and the warmth with which she talked about him spoke to just how in love they were.
For Sophie’s sake, Audra truly hoped that their love would last.
“No worries. I’ve been keeping myself occupied. I sketched out a few designs. I’ll show them to you when we get together.”
“Are you busy now? We’re going to grab a bite with friends over at the Glass House in an hour or so. You should join us.”
“Thanks, but I just picked up a salad.” Hopefully, Sophie didn’t think her rude for turning down her offer.
“Is everything all right?” Sophie’s voice was laced with concern.
“Yes. I’m just a bit stunned. I ran into my grad school ex just now.”
“A local?” Sophie asked.
“No, in fact, I got the impression this is his first time here, too. So it was weird to run into him.” Audra bit into the sucker she’d teased Darius with.
She was pretty sure he’d nearly fainted when he caught a glimpse of her pierced tongue.
Good.
She might be over Darius, but she wasn’t above reminding him that he should be sorry he’d walked out on her.
“Oh? Who is he?” Sophie’s voice sounded less jovial.
“Darius Taylor-Pratt. He runs the athletic performance clothing company Thr3d.”
“That must’ve been quite a surprise.” Sophie laughed nervously, then quickly changed the subject. “So the venue where I’d like to have my wedding got damaged during the recent wildfires. The damaged portions have been rebuilt, but there’s still a lot of work to do. If you could spare the time this Saturday, we could definitely use the help. Besides, it would be a chance for you to get to know some of the folks you’re creating custom jewelry pieces for.”
“Sure.” Audra shrugged. “And maybe we can meet tomorrow afternoon to discuss your custom designs?”
“Come to my place tomorrow afternoon at one. We’ll have a late lunch and go over everything.” Full-blown giddiness had returned to Sophie’s voice. “See you then!”
God, I remember what it felt like to be that in love.
Seeing Darius and talking to Sophie made her even more certain she’d done the right thing when she’d broken it off with her most recent ex a few months ago.
Cassius “Cash” Johannsson was exactly the man her mother and United States senator father wanted her to marry. A perfectly nice gentleman from the right family with ambitions to one day sit in the Oval Office. But she wanted more than just “perfectly nice.”
She wanted a man who made her laugh. Who was her friend as well as her lover. A man who understood the manic craziness that often accompanied a creative mind. A man who made her body burn for his.
Cash had never engendered that kind of spark in her. Nor had she ever gushed over Cash the way Sophie did over Nigel. The way she once had over Darius.
In the end, she’d broken it off with Cash because she was just settling. He deserved someone who would feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be on his arm.
Audra entered the beautiful gated community where her rental house was located. She was traveling with sample jewelry pieces and loose diamonds, the value of which easily topped two million dollars. So she required the additional security afforded by this gated community and the safety measures of the home she was renting from the Blackwoods’ family friend—Dixie Musgraves.
She grabbed her meal, courtesy of the Royal Diner, and headed inside, determined to banish all thoughts of Darius.
Four
It already felt like the longest day of Darius’s life, and he still had a few hours of work ahead of him. He settled behind the glass-and-steel desk in the office of his rental home and prepared for yet another conference call. This one with his production manager and a few key members of the production staff.
The preparations for LA Fashion Week had to go off without a hitch. This would be Thr3d’s first runway show at the event. And he was determined it wouldn’t be the last.
It was an honor to get a runway show for his athletic gear. One he wouldn’t squander. And if everything went as expected, buyers in untapped markets would order the Thr3d fall line for their stores. So despite the issues with his paternity and his biological father’s estate, he wouldn’t allow himself to be distracted.
Fifteen minutes into the conversation with his team, he heard water splash.
Darius walked over to the bank of windows along the back wall of the office and stared down. There was a woman swimming in his pool.
“Boss? Boss?” His production manager Leeson Brown was saying.
“Oh… I…uh…” He cleared his throat. “Sorry. Didn’t catch that last part.”
“I said unless you have something else for us, that pretty much covers everything,” Lee repeated. “Don’t worry. The entire team understands the importance of this show. We won’t let you down.”
“I know you won’t.” Darius watched the woman’s movements. There was something oddly familiar about her strong, elegant strokes.
Who is she and what the hell is she doing here?
“The team is doing a great job,” Darius assured Lee. “I’ll touch base soon. But if you run into any problems…”
“We won’t hesitate to call,” Lee assured him.
“Day or night,” Darius told the man as his gaze followed the woman swimming laps in his pool.
“I promise. In the meantime, I know it’s a tall order for you, but try to relax.”
Darius promised he would try. Then he slipped the phone into his pocket and headed down to the pool to find out who was trespassing on the Blackwoods’ property and distracting him from his work.
As he made his way across the patio, the woman climbed out of the pool in a tiny bikini that showed off her delicious curves. She tugged the cap off her head and tossed it on a lounge chair and bent over to grab her beach towel.
Good. God. Almighty.
This woman’s behind was a museum-worthy work of art.
“Excuse me,” he said, finally.
Startled, the woman dropped her towel and whipped around, her eyes widening.
“Darius?”
“Audra?”
They spoke simultaneously. Then Darius added, “Did you follow me back here?”
She propped a fist on one generous hip, drawing his attention to her belly button piercing and the connected gold chain looped around her waist. “Do you honestly believe I need to resort to following random dudes home?”
Ouch.
She’d just called him a random dude. As if he didn’t matter to her and never really had.
Audra didn’t wait for his response. She snatched the towel off the lounge chair and dried herself. Doubtless, the pool was heated, but the temperature outside had cooled considerably. She was shivering.
He couldn’t help thinking of the last time he’d seen her shivering. She’d been lying beneath him, gloriously naked. He swallowed hard. Heat crawled up his neck and face.
“Does that mean you’re renting this house now?” She pulled a short, black cover-up over her head and slipped her arms inside before plopping down on the end of the lounger to dry her hair. “Because it was empty when I went for a swim this morning.”
“My business will keep me here a few more days.” He shoved a hand in his pocket. “Miranda offered me this place for as long as I need it.”
Darius surveyed the well-manicured patio with its lovely landscaping and the pool complete with a hot tub and water feature. He’d paid little attention to the backyard during the cursory tour Leslie had given him when she’d deposited him here a couple of hours ago.
He’d been in the office, sifting through emails or on one call after another, ever since. Starting with the call he’d placed to his attorney, apprising him of the situation and charging the man with exploring his options.
Darius didn’t need Buckley Blackwood’s money. His athletic clothing line was one of the fastest-growing companies of its kind in the US, and it was already making millions each year. If Thr3d maintained its current trajectory, it was positioned to climb its way to being one of the top ten athletic wear companies in the country within ten years.
Still, Darius felt compelled to fight for some portion of the estate—to demand acknowledgment as a Blackwood heir. Even if he simply donated the money to a worthy cause. But he wasn’t prepared to tell Audra any of that. There was no reason for him to tell his pedigreed ex that he was a bastard child. The product of an illicit affair between an asshole banker and a failed actress. An inconvenience neither of them had planned for or wanted.
“How long will you be in Royal?” Audra stood, her towel folded over her arm. She didn’t sound happy about him staying in town.
“It’s hard to say right now.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the edge of the hot tub. “You?”
“Same.” Audra slipped her feet into her bejeweled flip-flops. “But my client Sophie and her fiancé are back in town. I should be able to make some serious progress in the next week or two.”
He sucked in a deep breath at the mention of his half sister’s name. After lying to Audra about his family in the past, he hated the idea of keeping this secret from her, even if they weren’t together. But he wasn’t prepared to air his family’s dirty laundry. Especially when his paternity had yet to be definitively proven.
“Great,” he said. “But that doesn’t explain why you’re in my pool. You aren’t staying here, too, are you?”
“Heaven forbid.” Audra pressed an open hand to her chest in feigned outrage. She nodded toward the house on the other side of the brick wall. “I’m renting the darling house next door. It has a proper workshop, great office space and plenty of security. But it doesn’t have a pool, and back home in Dallas I swim nearly every day.”
“You’re in Dallas now?”
“I moved there after grad school.” She shrugged. “I needed a fresh start and Dallas felt right.”
Guilt churned in his gut. Did she need a fresh start because of our breakup?
“Anyway, Sophie gave me permission to use this pool since her family owns the house and it’s empty. At least it was empty. In light of everything that’s been going on with her father’s death and the estate going to her stepmother… I’m sure Sophie had no idea you were staying here.”
“Makes sense.” He stared at her, unable to tear his gaze from her expressive eyes. He wanted to take her in his arms and get reacquainted with every one of her sensual curves.
“Sorry I disturbed you.” She broke their gaze. “I’m sure there’s another pool in town I could use.”
“No. You don’t need to do that.” He objected far too quickly, and he couldn’t help but notice she was restraining a smile. “You aren’t bothering me. I only came out because I thought you were a trespasser.” He folded his arms. “Come over whenever you want. I doubt I’ll be using the pool while I’m here.”
“That’s a shame.” She shrugged. “My time in the pool relaxes me and sparks my creativity. You should try it.”
“You’re shivering. Can I make you some coffee or tea? Hot cocoa, maybe?” He gestured toward the house.
What the hell was he thinking?
The last thing he needed was to spend more time with Audra. Yet, he wanted her to stay a little while longer. Even if it meant he’d lie awake all night, revisiting his regrets.
But he could never go back. There were no do-overs in romantic or family relationships. He’d burned that bridge when he’d walked away from her.
“That’s kind of you.” She managed a polite smile. “But I’ll be plenty warm between the hot bubble bath with my name on it and the Sex on the Beach I plan to have…the drink, not the actual—”
“Of course.” He ran a hand over his clean-shaven head.
But all he could think about was that time they’d gone to Martha’s Vineyard and ended up having sex on the beach.
It wasn’t nearly as glamorous as people made it out to be. They’d both gotten sand in places sand should never, ever be. But they’d had fun that night. A night he’d never forget.
Audra began ordering Sex on the Beach cocktails after that. Initially, as a private joke between them which ignited that passionate memory. But then she’d actually started to like them, and it became her signature drink.
As they stood awkwardly staring at one another, he wondered if she still regarded the memory fondly. Or was every memory of what they once shared now tainted?
“Thank you for letting me use the pool. I’ll try not to disturb you. Good night.”
“Good night,” he called to her retreating back.
Audra disappeared through the iron gate that connected the two backyards.
Darius rubbed a hand over his head and groaned. The universe had it in for him. He was sure of it.
The collaboration project with Goddess had turned out to be a ruse to get him to Royal. He’d finally—probably—discovered who his father was, but the selfish bastard had gone and died before Darius had a chance to tell him to go to hell. The man was richer than God but hadn’t left any of his children a dime. Darius had siblings, but with them already fighting Miranda on the will, he doubted they would appreciate a surprise heir popping up out of the woodwork.
And then there’s Audra.
Not only was she right here in Royal, but she was staying next door and using his pool wearing a scrap of fabric masquerading as a bikini.
Yep. Either he was being punked or the universe was having a nice laugh at his expense.
His eyes were drawn to the light that suddenly went on upstairs in the house next door.
Audra.
Probably drawing a bubble bath with her Sex on the Beach in hand.
He shut his eyes against the erotic images that flooded his brain, his body stiffening in response.
There would be a lot of cold showers and sleepless nights in his future.
Audra dropped her damp towel in the laundry bin and went to the kitchen to retrieve the pitcher of cocktails she’d made earlier and put in the fridge.
She’d mixed her favorite drink the moment she’d returned home after seeing Darius. It was bad enough he was in the same Texas town where she was. Did he have to be staying next door, too?
Audra pulled out a glass and filled it, the liquid sloshing onto the counter.
Her hands were shaking.
She sucked in a deep breath, her eyes drifting closed.
“Of all the goddamn places in the world he could possibly be,” she muttered under her breath as she wiped up the mess.
Not that it mattered.
She was over Darius. So it didn’t matter how good he looked in those black basketball pants and a heather-gray performance shirt emblazoned with the Thr3d logo. A shirt that clung to the muscles of his chest and biceps.
He was her past. A mistake she’d never repeat.
But God, parts of her wanted to. And right now, those parts were drowning out her common sense, which reminded her that she should know better.
She went upstairs and turned on the warm water, adding some of the decadent bath foam with a heavenly crème brûlée scent. It was pricey, but it left her skin incredibly soft and smelling sweet. And the luxurious bubbles it created were perfect for a day like this.
Audra stripped out of her wet bikini and removed the belly chain before slipping beneath the scented bubbles.
Her phone rang. Because…of course it would. She sat up and peeked at the caller ID.
Cash.
She groaned as she slipped beneath the water again.
Some much-needed distance from her ex, who still didn’t seem to understand it was over, was the real reason she’d found Sophie Blackwood’s project so intriguing. Audra looked forward to immersing herself completely in the project without the possibility of running into her ex or seeing the local politician’s face splashed across television commercials and on the side of buses.
The chorus of the old George Strait song, “All My Ex’s Live in Texas,” a favorite of her grandfather’s, suddenly came to her and she couldn’t help laughing.
Cash was a good guy. She honestly felt badly about ignoring his call. But she simply didn’t have the energy to deal with another ex tonight.
Besides, how many more ways can I explain that it’s over?
Audra wouldn’t change her mind. She didn’t care that their mothers had been hoping for a match between them since she and Cash were teens, and their fathers had served together as senators.
Their relationship seemed picture-perfect from the outside—like the chocolate shell on the outside of a cherry cordial. But on the inside, there were no cherries and there was no cream filling. There was nothing at all beyond the surface, leaving her with a hollow, empty feeling.
She needed something more.
Something like what she and Darius had shared. But this time, with someone who wanted to be with her. Always.
The way she’d once felt about Darius.
Her phone signaled that she had a new voice mail and she sighed quietly. For the first time, she understood why Darius hadn’t returned her calls five years ago.
When it’s really over, what else is there to discuss?
The realization made her heart ache. No matter how much she tried to deny it, a part of her heart still harbored the small hope that she and Darius could one day get it right.
That was why she’d turned down his invitation to join him for coffee. She needed to protect the fragile part of her heart that held on to that hope.
She gave her phone the voice command to play the eighties and nineties soft rock music playlist that always relaxed her.
Steve Perry sang the opening lines of “Foolish Heart.”
It was just the reminder she needed.
You’re here for one reason and one reason only. Stay focused.
Anything else was a foolish distraction that would only lead to a broken heart.
She’d had enough of those to last a lifetime.
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