Was that what was troubling her? Cade smiled, imagining the reactions of the others if he had showed up with Daphne. “I think they’d question my sanity if I’d brought her. No one thinks Daphne and I belong together. And they can’t wait to meet you. Really.”
“Even Daphne’s sisters?” she asked, ever skeptical.
“Especially them,” Cade declared. Once she met brash Gretchen and efficient Audrey, she’d realize she was worrying over nothing. Neither one was a bit like Daphne.
Kylie’s hand tightened in his again, and he looked over at her. She was staring down the hall, where Hunter’s enormous bodyguard stood, guarding the door to the basement.
“I’ll get this,” he told her, and approached the door. He knew the man recognized him, but they still used the Brotherhood’s signal, since he had a guest with him. Two fingers, swept over his shoulder, then resting over his tattoo of the Brotherhood’s symbol on his bicep.
The guard nodded and stepped aside.
“Come on, love,” Cade told the hesitating Kylie. Wide-eyed, she followed him in.
Down below, he could already hear strains of conversation. Maylee’s thick southern drawl was mixed in with Gretchen’s louder, more boisterous tones to the right of the stairs. To the left, he could hear Reese smugly announcing his hand of cards. They’d already started without him. That was fine—he knew he and Kylie were late. And as they came down the stairs, he grinned at the changes below.
The men’s enormous basement room had been neatly halved. A wall had been erected on one side of the room, and the women’s voices could be heard from that newly created room. The walls of the men’s room had been painted a dark Kelly green, and inside the new “women’s room” he saw the walls were a fresh baby pink. An identical card table with six chairs had been placed in the new room, and he could see the alcohol and refreshments cart in their room, just like in the men’s.
They’d given the ladies their own club, so they could quit crashing the men’s. Everyone was delighted at the thought.
But before he turned Kylie over to the women, he wanted her to meet the guys. His brothers. So, squeezing her hand to reassure her, he led her down toward the table where the men were seated.
At the sight of them, five chairs scraped back and the men stood. Cade felt proud at the sight of his friends—here were five of the most influential men in the world, and they were standing up to greet Kylie and smiling. Smiling at her, though he noticed Reese had eyed her figure appreciatively. He’d have to knock Reese in the head for that, he thought with good-natured jealousy.
“Boys, this is Kylie. Kylie, these are my brothers.”
She gave them a shy, charming smile. “Hello.”
“It’s very nice to meet you,” Logan began, only to be interrupted by a feminine cry.
“They’re here,” Cade heard Gretchen bellow. “Everyone out! We need to meet the fresh meat.”
The women piled into the now-smaller men’s card room, and from there, things were a little chaotic for the next half hour. He introduced Kylie to his friends one pair at a time. There was Hunter and Gretchen, who insisted on going first (Gretchen more so than Hunter). He could tell that Kylie felt awkward meeting Gretchen, who looked extremely similar to Daphne, but when Gretchen gave her a bear hug and squealed with delight at meeting “Cade’s new boo,” he saw Kylie visibly relax. Then, he introduced Kylie to Maylee and Griffin, because Maylee’s sweet southern charm made her easy to talk to, and Griffin had unstarched quite a bit since meeting her. Brontë, Logan’s new wife, then gave some pithy quote about friendship, and Violet and Jonathan were polite and friendly. Jonathan gave Cade a knowing, approving look at the sight of Kylie. Jonathan knew all about Cade’s long-term despair over the Daphne situation, and it was clear he approved that Cade had moved on.
Then, Reese and heavily pregnant Audrey came forward. Kylie did a double take at the sight of Audrey, who held up a hand. “I know. I get that from some people,” she said wryly. “We’re twins.”
“I just . . . Oh.” Kylie bit her lip and looked at him helplessly. “It’s very nice to meet you.”
“You sure?” Audrey said. “It’s probably awkward as hell, considering that my sister beaned you with a flowerpot. Cade told us all about it.”
“She wasn’t in the right frame of mind,” Kylie said, her voice gentle. “I don’t hold it against her.”
“Which is why you’re a better person than me,” Audrey said, and patted her belly. “Can we all sit down now? My back is killing me.”
“Of course,” Cade said, and rushed into the ladies’ side of the basement to get Audrey’s chair for her.
The women headed back into their room, all chattering. Maylee had already linked arms with Kylie’s and was exclaiming over her hair and makeup, and Gretchen was talking up a storm. Kylie was still smiling, but it wasn’t the helpless, unsure smile. She looked at ease.
“Thanks for bringing her, Cade.” Audrey said as she settled into her chair. “I’m so glad to see you settled and happy. I almost thought Daphne was going to keep you miserable and strung along for the rest of your life.”
“I almost thought that, too,” Cade admitted. “Then I met Kylie, and everything changed overnight.”
Audrey’s expression softened, and she smiled. “Just like me and Reese.”
“Just like,” he agreed, grinning. He moved to the far side of the table and gave Kylie—who was now wedged in between Maylee and Gretchen—a kiss. “Will you be all right? Can I get you anything?”
“She’s fine,” Gretchen said, waving a hand at him. “Quit being a helicopter boyfriend.”
Kylie stifled a grin. “I am fine. Thank you, love.” She beamed up at him. “Go and have fun.”
“All right,” Audrey said as he exited the room. “First order of the Ladies Club—changing the color of this room.”
“Hear hear,” Gretchen said. “Who the hell decided pink?”
Chuckling, Cade shut the door behind them.
“A ladies club is genius,” Griffin said as Cade sat in his customary chair between Reese and Jonathan. “I always felt bad leaving Maylee at home, knowing I’d be out late with the boys.”
“And now we can finally play cards in peace,” Jonathan agreed.
Just then, a raucous shout arose from the women’s room. “Bras off if you lose,” Gretchen shouted. “Ante up, bitches!”
Silence.
Reese raised an eyebrow to Jonathan. “You were saying?”
Cade just grinned. He had a sneaky feeling that Kylie was going to get along just fine with the other women. “We should play, too.”
“Speaking of bras,” Reese began. “May I just say on behalf of all of us, that you made the obvious choice, Cade?” Reese gestured in front of his chest, clearly referring to Kylie’s assets. “I mean, damn. I thought Audrey had some impressive tatas, but you got a good one there, buddy.”
“I’m glad you remembered that she’s mine,” Cade said, pulling his chips toward his spot with one arm. “Because now I don’t have to kill you.”
Logan tossed his ante into the pile and then lifted his glass. “Someone pour Cade a drink so we can start this meeting, already.”
A shot of whiskey was set before him a moment later, and all the men raised their glasses, some drinking water, some alcohol. They clinked them together and said the motto that had gotten them through college, through years of hard work and financial success . . . and now, love. The motto had made them who they were today. “Fratres in prosperitum,” they chanted.
Looking around the table, Cade had never felt closer to his Brotherhood.
Life was good. Life was very, very good.
EPILOGUE
Six months later
“Oh my God, would you quit squirming?” Kylie exclaimed as she leaned in to add more glitter to eyelids. “It’s impossible for you to sit still, isn’t it?”
The man sitting in the chair pouted. It looked rather funny, given that he was wearing a pink f
eather boa and mile-high heels. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Kylie said with a grin. “Just stop freaking wiggling and hold still so I can draw your eyes.”
Obediently, the drag queen closed his eyes and leaned forward. “Just glitter me up and let’s get this show going.”
Several minutes later, she’d transformed the dark-haired lithe young man with the five o’clock shadow into his stage persona. They were trying a new type of eye makeup tonight, and Kylie saw with approval that it looked great on Carl, aka Carla the French. “I like it. What do you think?”
He opened his eyes with a dramatic flutter of his sweeping lashes, then looked critically in the mirror. “Needs more glitter.”
She studied him, then nodded, dipping her brush into the paint. “More glitter it is.”
Kylie had been working a popular drag show Off Broadway for the last two months, and she had to admit that she absolutely loved it. There was not an audience more appreciative of makeup than drag queens, she mused as she added more glitter to Carla the French’s eyelids. It was a bit like coming home. They loved her makeup, loved her, and loved to experiment with new and dramatic looks, which Kylie also adored. The men were pretty fricking fantastic, too: funny and sweet and no one had thrown a flowerpot at her head. Nothing like her last job, Kylie thought with amusement.
She finished and leaned back for Carl/Carla to inspect. He peered in the mirror and then nodded. “Good job, babe.”
“Thanks.” She felt a bit like preening. “Go out there and wow them.”
“I always do,” Carla the French said, getting up with a flourish of pink boa.
Kylie grinned and began to tidy her station. She could put away her things and leave for the evening now that the makeup was done, though she always left extra cosmetic sponges and makeup remover for the men once they finished the show. The stuff they’d been using in the past was crap, and Kylie was particular about her canvases, and the men definitely qualified as canvases.
She was just putting away the last of her bottles when someone knocked at the makeup room door. “Knock knock,” said Tessa, the stage manager. “You have visitors.”
When Kylie looked up, she sucked in a breath.
There, in the doorway with a stranger at her side, was Daphne Petty, global superstar.
The last six months had been rough for Daphne. Kylie hadn’t seen her, but she knew from Cade’s reports that rehab was an uphill climb, and the tabloids had been crawling all over her, determined to be the ones to catch her when she slipped. Then, she’d left rehab three months ago and put on weight, and the tabloids had gleefully reported that, too. There wasn’t a day that Daphne wasn’t in the tabloids in some negative fashion or another.
But . . . she looked really damn good.
Daphne had put on at least twenty pounds from when Kylie had last seen her. Maybe thirty. The hollows were gone from her face, and she looked more like her twin, Audrey, now. She wore a brown wig with a thick fringe of bangs, and her skin was clear of makeup. Her figure was no longer twig-thin, but had curves to it. She wore a plain black sweater and a pair of jeans, and gave Kylie an awkward smile. “Hey there. Long time no see.”
“Oh wow,” Kylie said, moving forward to hug Daphne. “It’s so good to see you! How are you?” She wrapped her arms around Daphne and held her tight for a moment, pleased to see that Daphne no longer felt brittle underneath her grip, and that she actually hugged Kylie back.
“I’m doing great,” Daphne said as they pulled away. “And I should probably introduce you to Wesley. He’s my life coach slash bodyguard slash slap-my-hand-away-from-bad-things guy.” She gestured at the Goliath behind her.
Kylie eyed the man. He was well over six feet tall, had a body like a pro wrestler, and looked rather . . . strict. She offered him her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.” He scanned the room and moved protectively closer to Daphne, which Kylie thought was rather sweet. It was nice to see someone looking out for her for a change, instead of leading her down a bad path.
“So,” Kylie said, “I’m surprised you’re here in NYC.” She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, hating that it’d been a few weeks since she’d colored her hair and her ends weren’t as vivid as they could have been. She’d just been . . . busy. When she wasn’t working, she was running around the city with the ladies of their Ladies Night Table. She and Maylee had grown exceptionally close and traded recipes back and forth.
And when she wasn’t with the ladies? She was with Cade. Glorious, wonderful Cade. Cade, who had a crazy schedule between charities and foundations and his business—Archer Industries—and going overseas for ambassador programs—but who always managed to find time to make her feel pampered and loved and utterly, completely adored. Sometimes she went with him on his trips, but after three dry, obscenely boring medical conferences in a row, her eyes started to cross and she stayed home. When he was gone, though, her phone exploded with pictures and texts . . . and she reciprocated. They lived through texts and phone calls until he got home—and then they spent the entire night in bed, loving and reconnecting.
It was wonderful. Perfection, even. And seeing Daphne looking and feeling better? Instead of making her wary and jealous, she was just really happy for her that she’d found some measure of peace.
“Well, I’m working on a new album,” Daphne said. “The label suggested Christmas songs. Something low-key that doesn’t require a ton of touring.”
Kylie blinked. “You don’t want to tour?”
“She’s not ready to tour,” Wesley said protectively.
“Oh.”
“I’m not,” Daphne said with a grimace. “The day-to-day temptations are still hard for me to shake, but it’s getting easier.” She patted her stomach. “And I’m eating like a pig since Wes here won’t let me smoke.”
He gave Daphne another one of those stern looks, but Kylie thought it looked a little . . . adoring, really. “Smoking’s the gateway drug to smoking other things,” he chastised. “You can have carrot sticks if you need something for your mouth.”
“Hear that?” Daphne teased. “He thinks I’m a rabbit.”
Kylie couldn’t stop smiling. Daphne just looked so happy, so at ease with Wesley at her side. Healthy, too. “Cade’s in town right now. He’d love to see you if you’re free tonight.”
“Oh.” Daphne looked surprised for a moment, and she glanced at Wes. “We do have tickets to the show, but I’d rather see Cade, honestly. Do you mind, Wes?”
The beefy guard crossed his arms. “Do I look as if I’d mind missing a drag show?”
Daphne patted his arm cheerfully. “I won’t answer that.”
—
The thing with Daphne? She was just as charming and funny as Cade had always sworn she was. Now that she was clean, she was fun to be around. Kylie had brought her home to surprise Cade, and had been genuinely touched by the tears in his eyes as he hugged his longtime friend. They’d had dinner at home, and instead of drinking wine and sitting by the fire, they’d had hot tea (Wes’s orders) and Cade and Daphne caught up, sharing stories of their childhoods and some wild auntie stories with Audrey and Reese’s new baby.
Eventually, they hugged again and Daphne left for the evening, promising to have dinner again next week since she was in New York City for the foreseeable future. And Kylie was left with the dishes and a lot of swirling thoughts in her head.
“You’re quiet,” Cade said as he wrapped his arms around her from behind as she stood at the sink.
“Just thinking about Daphne and you,” she admitted. “Think about it. You could have waited six months and had the Daphne you always wanted. Do you regret not waiting for her?”
“Are you kidding me?” Cade pulled the dishes out of her hands and turned her to face him. “Kylie, I love you. I love you more and more each day.”
Her smile was soft, rueful. “I know. Just old insecurities popping up.” She’d been gaining a lot of confi
dence by being with Cade, but seeing Daphne tonight had made certain things rise to the surface. “She was so happy tonight.”
“She is happy, and I’m happy for her,” Cade agreed, holding Kylie against him. “But I can’t imagine dating Daphne now. Old Daphne or New Daphne, she doesn’t hold a candle to Kylie. And Kylie’s the one I love with all my heart.”
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and tugged him down for a kiss. “I love you, too, babe.”
They kissed for a long moment, and then he broke it with a chuckle, pulling away. “You know, I was going to give you this tomorrow when we met for lunch, but it seems appropriate now.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny pale blue box.
Tiffany’s.
Kylie’s eyes went wide. “W-what?”
“Now I suppose I have to call off the marching band that’s due to appear tomorrow,” he said. Since she wasn’t moving, he popped open the box and showed Kylie the new ring. Big. Sparkly. Ornate. Huge diamond, oval cut. “Marry me again? For real this time? Not Vegas, but a real, honest-to-goodness ceremony?”
Kylie’s squeal of happiness was all the response he got.
“I take it that’s a yes?”
“Yes, yes, yes,” Kylie said, covering his face with kisses. “A hundred thousand times yes.”
Cade’s smile was brilliant. “You know I’d marry you over and over again, Kylie Daniels?”
She knew. Oh, she knew. It was in every touch, every glance, every caress. And as she flung her arms around his neck again and dragged him to the floor for a spontaneous round of lovemaking, she felt silly for ever pushing him away.
A burden was never a burden as long as there was love. And she loved Cade so much that she’d have followed him anywhere, done anything for him. Because that, she’d realized at some point, was love. It wasn’t fear. Wasn’t regret.
It was pure happiness.
It was Cade Archer, her husband.
FIND YOUR HEART’S DESIRE …
VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.headlineeternal.com
One Night With a Billionaire Page 26
