Complete Indelible Love Series

by Cee, DW

  “Stop.” That damn duke tone was back. I wasn’t his servant to command so I began walking.

  “Please…” Now begging…this I could deal with.

  I sighed. “What is it Michael? We haven’t spoken in the past six months. Another week, month, or year won’t hurt. I need to ask Grandpa Harry for permission to leave. I’ll see you again.”

  “Damn you, Chloe Darcy. You know how hard it is for me to apologize to anyone. Why are you making it worse? You’re supposed to be my friend.”

  Friend…

  The fact that I walked away without a word should have spoken volumes concerning our friendship.

  Chloe: Roomies

  “I didn’t think the duke would let you go.”

  “I can say for a fact, he wasn’t happy with me, Cat. Fortunately, he has an apartment here that desperately needs updating and I told him I’d start working on this immediately.”

  “So you’re working while we’re on a holiday?”

  “Yes, but there are perks to working for a very wealthy duke.”

  “And those perks are?”

  “Voila!” I led Cat and Daniel into a very Parisian-looking building. Built back in the 18th century, it had the “homey grandeur” of the Petit Trianon.

  “Don’t tell me this is where Harry Bennington lives. Is this all his?” Cat busily checked out the building. This residence resembled Marie Antoinette’s in Versailles. There was too much marble, one too many chandeliers, and paintings of unknown subjects everywhere—and that was just the foyer.

  “I’m glad I had you meet me here. Isn’t this quite a sight?”

  “Hell yeah.” Daniel was also speechless at the vision. “How many apartments are here, and do they all belong to the duke?”

  “There are four, and the duke owns two. He keeps them both empty for family.”

  “Are we ‘family?’” Cat smiled.

  “We sure are, Roomie. I promised the duke I’d start immediately. He told me to stay in either apartment.”

  “Should we decide now who stays in which apartment?” I didn’t like the way this conversation was turning. I knew Cat’s mind; it was devious.

  “I haven’t seen Brendan in like six months. You two are not bailing on me,” I warned. Daniel and Cat couldn’t look me in the eye, which was a sign of bad things to come. I’d have to talk to them again before Brendan arrived. “By the way, where’s Brendan? I thought he was in Paris already.”

  “He had to step into work to give the boss a report. As soon as he’s done, he’ll call.” No sooner had Daniel spoken these words than the phone rang with our last roommate on the line. “Hey. You done?” Daniel looked at me and answered, “Yeah, she’s here. We just arrived at our flat for the next few days and it’s sweet, Cuz. We were just discussing bedroom scenarios amongst roomies.”

  “OH MY GOSH!” I yelled aloud to everyone’s laughter. Daniel stopped talking and gasped for air once I punched him in the stomach for that inappropriate remark.

  The girlfriend took over. “Where are we meeting?” Cat looked to me and asked, “You know where the Marais district is located?” I nodded yes. “Send us the info. We’ll meet you there for dinner.”

  We caught a cab to the fourth arrondissement. I was nervous about seeing Brendan again. It’d been a long time and I wondered if I’d conjured up all the “good vibes” between us in my head. For all I knew, he had a girlfriend and was asking to meet me as his roomie.

  “Hey. Earth to Chloe. What’s wrong?” Cat whispered.

  “I’m nervous about seeing Brendan, and I keep thinking about my meeting with Michael.”

  “Why the hell am I hearing about Michael now?” Cat yelled so loudly, even the passing cab driver heard.

  “Will you shut up?” I slapped my friend’s arm and tried to keep this conversation from going too far.

  Her boyfriend chuckled at us. “Don’t worry, Chloe. I won’t tell my cousin you’re two-timing him with the future duke.”

  I groaned. “Forget I said anything.”

  “Speak now!” Miss Bossy Pants violently urged.

  “Michael was in Florence when I arrived. He and I spoke briefly, and then I left.”

  Cat waited a good twenty seconds before yelling, “That’s it? What kind of explanation is that? Give me details.”

  What else could I say? There wasn’t much that had happened. “He attempted to apologize for being MIA for six months, and he claimed I wasn’t being cooperative. That’s when I left him for Paris.”

  “He tried to come crawling and you kicked him to the curb?” Cat twisted a perfectly innocent story.

  “If you don’t want my cousin in on this secret rendezvous, I’d stop talking,” Daniel warned.

  Yikes! Brendan was two steps away from the cab and hotter than ever! I was just plain stupid for forgetting how good-looking this man was, is, and would be.

  “Cousin.” Daniel bopped fists with his relative.

  “Roomie.” Cat did the same and quickly walked ahead with her boyfriend.

  That left us to reconnect. What was the proper greeting for a man one hardly knew, was attracted to, but hadn’t seen in half a year?

  “Hey,” I whispered.

  “Hello, Beautiful Lady.” He lightly kissed my cheek, a little too close to the temple.

  I felt warning signs flaring all over. I was unsure what I was doing with Brendan. Sure he was sexy. Sure he resembled Magic Mike in just about all ways. But I wasn’t sure why I was attracted to someone I’d seen and spoken to a handful of times. There were no words to describe what was happening between us.

  “Hey. It’s good to see you again.” After this greeting, I walked toward Cat and Daniel, hoping Brendan would follow in a comfortable silence. Shockingly, he did as I’d hoped.

  The awkwardness, only apparent in me, grew to a frightening degree once drinks and food were on the table. I ate and drank to compensate. Fortunately, Cat kept the conversation moving, but unfortunately, Brendan stayed silent and surveyed me too closely.

  It was when I’d taken too big a gulp of wine and was in danger of choking that Brendan led me outside. After hacking like a long-time smoker and making a fool of myself, I couldn’t face the man in front of me.

  “Are you OK?” The glint in his eyes was unmistakable.

  “If you laugh at me, Brendan O’Shaughnessy, I’m going to kick your ass.” I had no idea where that came from; I was an idiot at times.

  He tried his damnedest not to laugh, but he couldn’t help himself. He was doubled-over on Rue de Rivoli, laughing his head off. I tried to stay mad, but I couldn’t. The only option left was to join him in the humor.

  After having a good laugh, Brendan surprised me with a kiss. His lips were soft, but there was nothing soft about his kiss. He devoured my mouth from the onset and his tongue let my tongue know how much it enjoyed meeting me.

  “I’ve been wanting to do that since you walked out of your bedroom looking like a paper-bag princess.” I thought, from the look in his eyes, he might kiss me again. It didn’t happen. “Half a year later, I’m still attracted to you. If you feel the same way, can we date?”

  “Shouldn’t we try and be friends and roomies, first?”

  “How about we do all three at the same time? Who knows when we might be separated again?”

  “I suppose.” Somehow, this seemed to be moving too fast for me. “So what do we call ourselves? I mean, what’s our status?” I sounded stupid asking these questions.

  “Roomies hoping to turn into lovers?” My Magic Mike had no qualms about putting his true intentions out there.

  “Presumptuous,” I said.

  “Predestined,” he promised.

  Chloe: Deal

  Since Brendan decided we were predestined to become whatever it was that he thought we would become, I did not see a day where he wasn’t a complete part of it. When Brendan O’Shaughnessy decided to pursue, he left no doubt of his intentions
.

  “Should we go see the Louvre today? All the times I’ve been to Paris, it’s always been on business. This is the first time I’m enjoying this trip, and with a beautiful woman, I might add. I’m a lucky guy.”

  I decided my ego needed a little bolstering. “You are blessed beyond your wildest dreams, Mr. O’Shaughnessy, to have a studess like me on your arm.”

  He laughed. “What, may I ask, is a ‘studess?’”

  “Seriously? A female stud?” As if he didn’t know.

  “OK, my stunning studess, why don’t you lead the way to the Louvre. You can be my tour guide since you’ve been there ‘several times’ according to you.”

  “You don’t miss much, do you?” I had mentioned in passing, of my previous visits.

  “When you talk, I listen.” I loved the way his lips curved up so sinfully. It would be no surprise to anyone if he introduced himself as an underwear model. He had that kind wicked aura about him. “When and with whom did you come to the Louvre?”

  Shoot. Michael was long forgotten, well…not long forgotten but kinda forgotten since Florence. “Michael loves the Louvre and Paris in general. The three of us would take weekend trips here, stay at the duke’s apartment and hang out at the museum as well as a few other places.”

  “Yeah?” He commented with no enthusiasm. “Where else did you go?”

  “Whenever we came to Paris, we always had this deal. We’d start with Ruby’s favorite and she’d take us to tea at the Laduree in Saint-Germain-des-Pres. Then it was Michael’s turn to treat us to lunch at Le Jules Verne, inside the Eiffel Tower. My part of the bargain was picking up our morning croissants from a little bakery just a few blocks from where we had dinner the other night in Marais.”

  “Those are some fond memories. How to compete and outdo such indelible memories?” He pondered. “I guess we’ll have to create memories of our own, won’t we?” What appeared to be a rhetorical question turned into methodical research.

  “Are we not getting off here?” I pointed to the Louvre metro stop. “There’s a whimsical store off this exit I’d like to visit.”

  “I think not, Ms. Darcy. We’re off to create our own memories. I will not have you thinking about another man when you’re with me. My id, ego, and super ego won’t allow it.”

  Every part of this man was a good time in the making. “So where to now that you’ve cut off my shopping at Pylones and viewing of Egyptian art?”

  He searched his phone a while longer and forced us off the metro when he couldn’t get reception. “Have you been to Versailles?”

  “Is this going to be a pissing contest?”

  “Not a pissing contest, but a you-show-me-yours-and-I’ll-show-you-a-bigger-mine.”

  I laughed and laughed. “Michael and I are like siblings. He saw me as an annoying sister, and I, him, as a freakishly over-protective brother.”

  “It doesn’t matter. He’s a man. I’m a bigger man, in every sense of the word, and I don’t like that he’s been everywhere with my woman.”

  “OK, Caveman! Let’s head to Versailles. You will be my first, at Louis XIV’s home.”

  “YES!” he exclaimed and pumped his fist a few times.

  During our ride, my Magic Mike asked copious questions. I supposed this was the get-to-know-you part of the relationship. “So now that you’re done with the Kent’s homes, what’s next?”

  “Right before you left for China, I promised Harry Bennington I’d redo all his properties. In addition to redecorating, I’ve been his personal assistant.”

  “What?” I couldn’t quite decipher Brendan’s look of surprise. Oddly, it wasn’t a welcoming one. “Why?”

  “Why would I redecorate his properties?”

  “What’s the deal? Why would you be his PA? Do you have time to add that to your already busy schedule?”

  “My family and I owe a lot to the Benningtons. They’ve all been generous to us—Grandpa Harry, especially. When I look back at my childhood, even up until a few years ago, the duke has dealt with and supported my every endeavor. With him growing old, this is something I’d like to do for him. It’s my chance to finally thank him for treating me no differently than Michael or Ruby.”

  “You’re that close to the Benningtons?”

  “I am. They are family to me.”

  “So you’ve been with Harry the past six months?”

  “Not quite. He’s been rusticating in his summer home longer than usual. He’s had no use for me. I think that’s about to change.”

  “When you say you’re redoing his properties, does that mean you’ll have to travel?”

  “Um…I’m unsure. There are properties everywhere. I believe Michael is starting with the ones in London.”

  “What does Michael have to do with you redecorating?”

  “He’s become the duke’s steward, so to speak. He’s assessing each property and from what I’ve heard, has started updating. Eventually, I’ll work hand-in-hand with him once a property is ready for me.”

  “Hmmm.” Brendan was full of rhetorical commentaries today.

  “I think we’re here.” Before I completely changed subjects, I wanted to clear the air. “Until a few days ago, Michael and I had not seen or spoken with one another for six months. That was an unusual circumstance. We’ve been in each other’s pockets since we could walk and talk. If you plan on being a part of my life, you need to understand that life includes the Benningtons. My commitment to Harry Bennington has to come before my commitment to us becoming more than friends. That is a non-negotiable.”

  I expected Brendan to tell me to get lost. Instead, he said, “As long as Michael Bennington isn’t ahead of me in the pecking order, I’m all right, Chloe Darcy. That’s a non-negotiable for me. Deal?”

  I spoke too soon. “Deal!”

  Friendships: New & Old

  Michael: Can’t-remember Friend

  Men envy my title and status. Women desire my wealth and family name. What neither realizes is that my life sucks!

  I fell in love with a woman who fell back in love with her man back home. There was no changing her mind once that damn American came on his white horse to woo her back to Reid Place. Before my tears could dry and my heart start mending, he had knocked her up with twins, married her, and bought her the house of every girl’s dream.

  Then, I was stupid enough to embark on an already-failed journey to woo her in-law. If Laney was the dreamer, Bee was the realist. Her (very slight) interest might have been real, but another had already claimed her heart—another with the same last name Reid. For my benefit, I needed to stay away from that last name.

  Damned. That’s what I was where women were concerned. DAMNED!

  And speaking of women, there was the costly error with Chloe Darcy. It cost me our friendship of twenty-some years. What the hell was I doing when I left her at Heathrow? How could I have completely forgotten her? That action proved I was the ultimate arse. No doubt about it—arse, ass, arsehole, asshole. In any vernacular, I was as accused.

  I’d had one meeting with her where I tried to apologize!

  I tried to repair our friendship!

  I hoped to have her back in my life!

  She didn’t give a damn!

  I hadn’t tried since, but now I had no choice. With my tail between my legs, I had to go groveling to my best friend who should have understood my plight. Maybe if I explained all I’d been through, she might give me the time of day. She might feel sorry for this future duke who had been beaten down to the lowest depth of pride.

  Pride. What pride? I’d bared my soul to a woman only to have it wrapped in a brown paper bag with a “Return to Sender” stamped dead center, in the largest font size ever created. I shake my head wondering how I could have miscalculated her feelings, my feelings—our feelings combined.

  If what I’ve mentioned so far doesn’t have everyone shaking their heads, I’ll share with you the biggest kicker of them all.
After more than half a year of licking my wounds, why the Shakespearean soliloquies? These tragic Romeo monologues had to stop! Laney moved on and never looked back. Why was I continually looking in the past with her still an apparition in my future?

  As a future Bennington Duke, it was imperative I go out and meet other women. Surely, the good Lord above hadn’t chosen a life of celibacy for me?! There had to be a woman out there especially designed for one Michael Bennington.

  On that positive note, I needed to get back to work. Work meant calling my dear friend Chloe Darcy and traveling to Paris. We were both on Grandfather’s payroll, which meant we needed to get our arses in gear. There were homes to be updated.