But Lee had been acting strangely when it came to this head chef thing. With Victor Fourie, Lee had actively encouraged Benjamin to go after the man even though he knew Victor worked for Alexa. It had started out harmlessly enough. They’d been out for drinks one night, discussing work, when the chef walked into the bar. It had seemed like a perfectly fair move to ask him to join them. After that night, Lee had told him to get Victor to take over some of Benjamin’s responsibilities. Since it would take an immense amount of pressure off Benjamin, he’d done it, though he hadn’t understood Lee’s insistence. Now Lee was here...
‘Ben!’ Lee said when he saw them. His eyes flickered to his sister. Something Benjamin didn’t like shimmered there. ‘Fancy seeing you here.’
‘Is it?’ Benjamin asked, taking Lee’s hand. ‘I told you I was coming.’
‘He has to pretend it’s a surprise in front of me,’ Alexa said, her voice emotionless.
He’d only ever heard her speak that way with her brother. He would have thought, after his and Alexa’s antagonistic history, she would have aimed that tone at him, too. But when she spoke to him, her voice was icy, or annoyed, or full of emotion, none of which he could read. He found he preferred it.
‘If he doesn’t,’ she continued, ‘it would be clear that he’s really here because of me.’
‘Not everything I do is because of you, Alexa.’ Lee said it smoothly, but Benjamin could feel the resentment.
‘I wish that were true.’
Lee didn’t acknowledge that Alexa had spoken. ‘What I am surprised about is finding you two together.’
‘Why?’ Benjamin asked.
‘Don’t you hate one another?’
He looked at Alexa; Alexa looked at him. For a beat, they said nothing. Her expression changed then, going from icy cool to warm. His heart thundered in response to her hazel eyes opening. They grew lighter when they did, so that he could see the green flecks in the light brown. In a way no grown man should experience, Benjamin’s knees went weak.
Her eyebrow quirked, as if she knew, though there was no possible way she could. But the show of sassiness pulled the side of her face higher, softening a defined cheekbone. It was an extraordinary juxtaposition to the other side of her face, which was untouched by the expression. It was still hard lines and sharp angles. That had never applied to her lips though, one side of which was now quirked up—much like her brow—in amusement. At him. He was amusing her.
Because he was admiring her full lips that looked as soft as dough. An interesting comparison, though not surprising since he regularly dealt with dough. What was surprising was that he wanted to mould that dough as he did in the kitchen. But with his lips instead of his hands, though he could imagine brushing a thumb over those soft creases...
He took a long drag from his drink, severely disappointed that it wasn’t alcohol. He could have done with the shock, the burn of downing a whiskey. But no, he’d decided he shouldn’t drink because he wanted a clear head when he spoke to Cherise.
How was this clear?
‘Well, Lee,’ Alexa said, her voice as smooth as the brandy he’d longed for. Or had he thought of whiskey? ‘You know what they say: hate and love are two sides of the same coin.’
Lee’s head dropped. ‘What are you saying?’
‘You don’t know?’ She turned to Benjamin. ‘You kept your word. How lovely of you.’
Benjamin didn’t know what was going on, but he understood he shouldn’t say anything.
‘There’s no way you and Ben are dating.’
‘You’re entitled to believe what you want to, Lee. We don’t owe you explanations.’
‘You’re dating her?’ Lee asked Benjamin now. ‘No. Of course not. You would have told me.’
‘I asked him not to. Apparently his loyalties are divided now.’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘I shouldn’t have said that. It was insensitive.’
She grabbed Benjamin’s hand. Good thing he was still numb from shock, or he might have felt that explosion of warmth from the contact.
‘I’m sorry, Ben.’
Their eyes met again. Nothing he could read on her face gave him any clues to her feelings. No plea that he play along; no acknowledgement that this was strange. Or maybe there were clues, but he couldn’t recognise them.
Then she smiled at him. Her mouth widened, revealing strikingly straight white teeth. Those lips curved up, softening all the lines and angles of her face. Even her gaze warmed, though he had no idea why or how. It was a genuine smile that both stunned and enthralled him. He couldn’t look away.
‘Oh, you are together.’ Lee’s voice penetrated the fog in his brain. ‘Wow. I can already see the headline in Cape Town Culinary: “Rival restaurant owners fall in love”.’ He paused. ‘Maybe we should get the photographer to take a picture of you two now for the article? I’ll call her over.’
Both of them wrenched their gazes away from one another to stare at Lee.
Chapter 2
‘I’d rather not,’ Alexa said when she recovered from the shock. She set the water she’d been drinking on the bar, slid off the stool. ‘If you’ll excuse me, I think some fresh air would do me good.’
She looked at neither of them. Not the man who’d broken her heart too many times for her to count; not the man who’d helped her brother do it. Though now, of course, she was pretending that he was her boyfriend. She alone, because Benjamin had not once said a word about the elaborate tale she’d woven. He would now, of course. As soon as she was out of the way, he’d tell Lee that she was lying and they’d laugh at her.
Nausea welled up inside her. She hoped it didn’t mean she’d throw up. She could already imagine Lee’s questions: Rough night last night, sis? Or are you pregnant? He would laugh, she wouldn’t, and he’d know something was up. The last thing she needed was her brother discovering her secret.
She soothed the panic the idea evoked by reminding herself that Lee’s presence in the last four years had generally made her queasy. That could be the answer now, too. The thought calmed her. Remembering she’d been feeling surprisingly good these last months helped, too. She took a breath, exhaled slowly. She was one week away from entering her second trimester. Once she got there, she’d tell her parents, and there would be no chance Lee could tell them for her.
It might have been a little paranoid—but then, it might not. She had a brother who was intent on ruining her life after all. Telling their parents she was pregnant before she could was exactly the kind of thing he’d do. She wouldn’t get the chance to tell them the story she’d practised since she’d decided to do something about her need for a family. Not the broken one she currently had, but a whole one. A safe one. A family she could actually trust.
As usual, the thought sent vibrations through her. Pain, disappointment prickled her skin. She stopped walking, bracing herself against a tree as she caught the breath her emotions stole. She didn’t get the chance to.
‘You haven’t seen me in months and this is how you treat me?’
She closed her eyes, put all her defences in place, and turned. ‘I thought you’d get the message.’
‘What message?’
‘I don’t want to see you, Lee,’ she told him. ‘I don’t want you in my life.’
Something almost imperceptible passed over his face. ‘We’re family. You have no choice.’
‘I’m aware that we’re family.’ She took a deep breath. ‘That’s the only reason we’ve seen one another at all in the last four years. Mom and Dad have birthdays, and there are special days, like Christmas and...’ She broke off. She didn’t have to explain anything to him. ‘Anyway, we have to see one another at those occasions. But not outside of them.’
‘All this because I bought a building you wanted?’
‘You know it wasn’t only a building,’ she snapped. Pulled it back. But it was hard to contain
. It sat in her chest like a swarm of angry bees, waiting to be let out. She could not let it out. ‘You’ve insisted on making this about you and me, but really it’s about you. It’s always been. I want to live my life without you. You can’t seem to live yours without me.’
He smirked. ‘You’re putting an awful lot of importance on yourself.’
‘No, you are.’
She meant to stride past him, but his hand caught her wrist.
‘I assume you’re here for a new head chef. What happens if you don’t get one, Lex?’ he asked softly. ‘You can’t keep running Infinity and its kitchen. You must be spreading yourself thin since your last chef left.’
‘He didn’t leave. You stole him. You and Benjamin stole him.’
‘Which makes me wonder how your romance bloomed?’ Lee’s lips curved into a smile that broke her heart. Because it was mean, and so unlike that of the brother she’d once thought she had. ‘Were you looking for revenge? Maybe you thought you could make him fall in love with you, then break his heart? Or maybe use your body to—’
‘Lee.’
The voice was deep with unbridled emotion. Both she and Lee looked in the direction it came from. Benjamin stood there, watching them with a glower she’d never seen on him before. He was usually effortlessly charming, which had been one of the reasons she didn’t like him. No one could be that charming, certainly not effortlessly. Her conclusion had been that he was a demon, or some kind of magical being sent there to test her patience. The test was going smoothly. Her results were not as positive.
His disapproval should have been aimed at her then, considering their history of battling against one another. But it wasn’t. It was aimed at Lee. A thrill went through her before she stomped it down viciously. She did a few more jumps on it for good measure.
‘Ben,’ Lee said with a smile. He tended to reserve the vicious side of his temperament for her. ‘Didn’t see you there.’
‘I thought as much. I doubt you’d be talking to Alexa that way if you did.’
Benjamin’s eyes met hers. She wasn’t sure how she knew it, but he was asking her if she was okay. She angled her head. He looked back at Lee.
‘You should probably get someone to help you if that’s your perception of relationships.’ He held a hand out to her. It took her a moment to realise he meant for her to take it. As if someone else were in her body, she did. ‘Even so, I have to say I’m not thrilled with your implication. Alexa and I are in a healthy relationship. Neither of us is using the other. Unless there’s something you want to tell me, Lex?’
Oh. He was keeping the pretence going.
Oh.
She shook her head.
‘If I say something corny like “I’m using you for your addictive kisses”, would you be mad?’ he asked.
There it was, that effortless charm. It was kind of nice when it was being used for good. To help her instead of annoy her.
‘You probably shouldn’t say it, to be safe.’
He laughed. For a moment, it was just the two of them, amused at one another. A part of her wiggled with glee; another part told her to take a step back. This was confusing, and happening too fast. She wasn’t even sure what ‘this’ was.
‘Seriously?’ Genuine confusion lit Lee’s face. ‘I thought this, you two, were a joke.’
‘You were accusing Alexa of those things earlier and you thought this was a joke?’ Benjamin’s voice had switched from charm to ice.
Alexa cleared her throat. She didn’t want this turning into a full-on brawl. Even if the prospect of seeing Lee punched brought her more joy than it should have. She was strangely certain that would be the outcome if she didn’t intervene.
‘Ben and I agreed to keep business and our personal lives separate,’ she told Lee. ‘That’s why no one knew about our relationship until today.’
‘And you told me?’ Lee asked. ‘Now I know you two are lying.’
‘You don’t have to believe us, Lee.’
But she really wanted him to. Maybe that was why she went along with what Benjamin said next.
‘He doesn’t have to believe us, but why don’t we show him why he should?’
When he looked at her, asked her permission with his eyes, she nodded. Told herself wanting to make Lee believe her was why she’d went along with what Benjamin did next. But all of that dissipated when he kissed her.
* * *
He’d never wanted to punch someone as much as he’d wanted to punch his business partner in the last few minutes. He wasn’t sure if it was because Lee was acting almost unrecognisably, or if his instincts were tingling because he did recognise the way Lee was acting. It was the same way people in his past had acted. They’d need something from him, then act surprised, attacked, victimised when he asked them if they were taking advantage of his desire to help.
His instincts could also have been tingling because despite his past, he still wanted to help someone who needed him. It was clear Alexa did. It was his weakness, helping people. Not when the help was appreciated; only when the help was taken advantage of. He didn’t know where Alexa fitted into that. It didn’t keep him from kissing her though.
Not his best decision, though his lips disagreed. They heartily approved of the softness of Alexa’s lips pressed against them. She smelled of something sweet and light; reminded him of walking through a garden at the beginning of spring. It felt as though he’d been drawn into that scene when her mouth began to move against his. His body felt lighter, as it often did after a long, dull winter and the sun made its comeback. He could easily imagine the two of them in that garden, surrounded by flowers, overcome with the joy and happiness a new season tended to bring.
The taste of her brought him sharply back into his body.
He hadn’t intended on really kissing her. A quick meeting of lips was enough to convince her brother they were together—people who didn’t like one another didn’t kiss at all. He assumed. Before he started to kiss this woman he supposedly didn’t like.
There was no time to think of it since his tongue had somehow disobeyed his desire to keep things simple. Instead, it had slipped between Alexa’s lips, plunging them both into complicated.
But damn, if complicated didn’t feel good. She was sweet, spicy, exactly as her personality dictated. The tangling of their tongues sent pulses through his body, settling in places that made him both uncomfortable and desperate. He used it as an excuse to rest a hand on the small of her back, pressing her against him. She gave a little gasp into his mouth as her body moulded against his, but she didn’t pull away. She did the opposite in fact, reaching her arms around his neck and pulling herself higher so their bodies were aligned at a more pleasurable height.
It was that thought that had him pulling away. He wouldn’t embarrass himself in public. More importantly, he couldn’t embarrass Alexa. Both would happen if they didn’t pull themselves together.
She didn’t protest, lowering herself to her feet again, her gaze avoiding his. But then she shook her head and looked at him. Curiosity and desire were fierce in her expression, but it was the confusion that did him in.
Was it brought on by this little charade they were performing? Or was she surprised at the intensity of their kisses?
‘Happy?’ she asked.
He almost answered before he realised she wasn’t talking to him. Good thing his brain had started working in time. He would have said something he couldn’t take back if he answered. Something in the vicinity of a yes and no and maybe a few other statements.
Lee was watching them with a frown.
‘You two really are together.’
‘So you keep saying.’
‘I mean it this time,’ Lee said. His next words were directed at Benjamin. ‘You’ve complicated things.’
No kidding. ‘You didn’t know about us for months.’ Because there w
as nothing to know. ‘We’ll be fine.’
‘I’m sure Cherise de Bruyn agrees.’
Benjamin thought that was a strange thing to say until he saw the jerk of Lee’s head to the side. Cherise stood with her fellow graduates, watching the three of them with a bemused smile on her face. Considering he’d spoken to her first thing when he arrived, he was sure Alexa had, too. Now Cherise was watching the two people competing for her to work for them kiss, and was probably wondering what the hell would happen next.
To be fair, so was he.
Chapter 3
Alexa paused at her front door, wondering why she was doing what she was doing. No answer she came up with made her feel better about doing it, so she simply unlocked the door. She stepped aside to let Benjamin pass her, then closed it and resisted—barely—leaning her forehead against it. Alexa couldn’t give in to her impulses any more. They were what had got her into trouble in the first place. If she hadn’t pretended Benjamin was her boyfriend, she wouldn’t be letting him into her home now to discuss the way forward.
It seemed particularly cruel that she had to do that here. Her home was her space. It was where she recovered from long, rough days. It was where she cried when the pressure of running a business got to her. It was where she remembered her complicated feelings when her sous chef had brought in her new baby.
Kenya had come in to show the baby around and had brought her mother, too. There had been so much love between the three of them. Alexa had watched it, her heart breaking and filling at the same time. When Kenya had handed her the child, that breaking stopped. She’d remembered all those times she’d thought family couldn’t only mean competition and neglect. She hadn’t seen examples otherwise, but she’d hoped. Then, between her studies, work, and her brother ruining her dreams, she’d forgotten that hope. Until she’d seen Kenya and her family. Until she’d held that baby.
She’d remembered that, once upon a time, her dreams had included having a family. A warm, happy family with people who loved and respected one another. She thought about how she had no one to go home to at night. How the idea of dating and trusting someone so she could have someone to go home to made her feel ill. A new idea had popped into her head then. One year later, whoops, she was pregnant and there was no going back.
Surprise Double Delivery Page 2
