by Reese Ryan
* * *
Audra was in the middle of her tenth lap when she noticed Darius approaching.
She gripped the edge of the pool and slid her goggles on top of her head. “Hi.”
He sat on the edge of the lounge chair beside the one that held her things. “Hey.”
She made her way to the stainless steel ladder, and Darius extended his open palm, pulling her up. Then he handed her one of her towels.
“Thanks.” Audra dried her face and dripping wet hair before wrapping the other towel around her body. His expression was largely unreadable, but there was clearly something he wanted to say. “Have you changed your mind about me using the pool?”
“No, of course not. It’s just that it’s late and—”
“Sorry, I don’t usually swim this late, but I’ve been reworking a client design and I got so absorbed in the project that time got away from me.”
“Audra.” Darius placed a hand on her arm. “You’re fine. Stay out here all night, if you’d like. I don’t care. I just... I had dinner delivered from the Royal Diner. I thought I’d try the Cobb salad you recommended, but I honestly couldn’t eat another bite. I thought you might like it.”
He nodded toward the bag he’d set on a small table between the lounge chairs. “Have you eaten?”
“No. I planned to throw something together after my laps.”
“Well, now you won’t have to. If you want it, that is.” Darius shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Sure.” She shrugged. “Thanks.”
Silence, as thick and heavy as the brick wall that separated their yards, hung between them in the chilly night air. The weight of their unspoken words sent a shiver down her spine and made her belly tense.
Darius’s cell phone rang, and she could swear he sighed in relief. He pulled it from his pocket and checked the caller ID. Darius groaned, then flashed an apologetic smile.
“I’d better take this.” He stared at her a moment longer. “Good night, Audra.”
He strode away, answering the call.
Audra released a long, slow breath as Darius walked away.
There were a million reasons she shouldn’t be eyeing his perfect ass and broad shoulders, remembering how it felt to lie in his arms.
Audra tightened the towel wrapped around her to ward off the chilly, night air. But the shiver running up her spine stemmed from the vivid, visceral memories of how amazing it had felt when Darius kissed her. Made love to her.
She’d never been with anyone like him. The sex had been incredible, yes. But it had been so much more than that. No one had ever made her feel the way Darius had. Like she was the center of his universe. Not her famous family or her bank account. Just her.
She hadn’t had that feeling before or since. Sometimes, she wondered if she’d ever feel that way again.
But clearly, it had all been an act. If she’d meant half as much to him as he had to her, he’d never have walked away. And he wouldn’t have lied to her about something as important as his family.
Audra nibbled on her lower lip. Her heart felt heavy and her gut twisted in a knot. She should be glad Darius hadn’t invited her inside.
So why do I wish he had?
She grabbed her things, slipped on her sandals and picked up the bag from the Royal Diner. Then she headed toward the iron gate that separated the properties.
Audra couldn’t help glancing at the office window where Darius was on the phone, pacing.
Two days ago, she was sure she was over Darius. Now she couldn’t help wondering if she would ever truly be over him.
Seven
It was just after nine on Saturday morning and Darius had already been up for a couple of hours. He stared at the magnetic whiteboard he’d purchased the previous day.
He’d printed out sketches of the garments in Thr3d’s fall collection and secured them to the whiteboard with colorful magnets. Darius moved the pieces around several times, pairing items that could be worn together. He rearranged the order of the runway lineup to best convey his vision of Thr3d to the fashion buyers and the audience.
Thr3d produced functional, high-performance, technology-friendly athletic wear. The hip, colorful vibe allowed wearers to express themselves. The range of sizes were inclusive. The basic collection was priced to be accessible, while the premier collection offered high-end sportswear.
He’d been so intent on the task that he’d only been minimally distracted by Audra’s morning swim.
A runway show at LA Fashion Week was huge for Thr3d. This show could get Thr3d into more retail spaces and raise brand awareness among consumers and social influencers around the world. The pressure to put on a perfect show weighed on his shoulders like a boulder.
He couldn’t get this wrong. Too much was riding on it. So he wouldn’t allow deceased, absentee fathers, newfound siblings or resurfacing exes to divert him from the vision he’d been working toward for the past five years. The success he’d craved his entire life.
He needed to keep his mind in motion and thoughts of Audra out of his head.
The doorbell rang. Part of him hoped it was Audra dropping by. But she’d obviously moved on, as he’d hoped she would. Still, after seeing her the past few days, he couldn’t help reminiscing about their past.
He cared for Audra. Wanted her to be happy. But the thought of her being happy with some other guy killed him inside.
The bell rang again, shaking him from his daze. He approached the door and saw a familiar figure on the other side.
Kace LeBlanc. The lawyer.
The man was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, rather than his expensive suit.
Darius opened the door. “Mr. LeBlanc. I assume you’re here with news for me.”
“Kace will do just fine.” The man looked beyond him. “Would it be all right if I stepped inside to update you on the latest development?”
Darius gestured for the man to come inside. “Are you here to toss me out as an imposter?”
“Not at all.” Kace handed Darius two envelopes. The larger one contained the scrapbook Buck had compiled with all of his accomplishments. The one Miranda had promised him once the DNA test proved that he was Buckley Blackwood’s son. “You are indeed a legal heir of Buckley Blackwood, entitled to the same rights as his legitimate children.”
The man’s use of the word legitimate reignited the ugly feelings he’d struggled with for more than a decade. The feeling of not belonging anywhere. Not being wanted by his own father.
“And that entitles me to what, exactly?” Darius shrugged, setting both the envelopes on a nearby table without opening them. “A general ‘fuck-you, son’? Blackwood has given me that my entire life. But at least he’s been consistent. Seems the man treated all his children that way—legitimate or otherwise.”
“I can understand why you’d see things that way.” Kace folded his arms. “But your father cared for you—all of you—more than you know. Coming here wasn’t a waste of your time, Darius. You’ve discovered that you have siblings, whom you seem to have a lot in common with.”
“Such as?” Darius stared at the man.
“You’re all good people and successful entrepreneurs. And you’re all working through your grief over the loss of your father.” The man’s expression was kind.
“How could I possibly grieve for a man I never knew?” Darius’s voice was strangled. His neck and shoulders tensed as he clenched his fists at his sides.
“I suppose you’ve been grieving, in a way, from the moment you learned Will Pratt wasn’t your biological father.”
Heat flared in Darius’s face. He was still angry with his mother and Will, but he wouldn’t allow anyone else to disparage them.
“You don’t know anything about my relationship with Will Pratt,” he said, quietly seething beneath his calm facade. “He’s ten times the father B
uckley Blackwood ever was.”
The truth of that statement struck him like an aluminum bat to the back of his head.
William Pratt had been a father to him by choice—in name and deed. The man deserved credit for that. Credit Darius hadn’t given him.
“I’m sure, and I didn’t mean to offend you.” The two men stood in momentary silence before Kace spoke again. “Now that you know the truth, what’s next for you, Darius?”
“Getting to know my brothers and sister, I suppose.” Darius shrugged. “Then I’ll decide whether or not to contest the will.”
“Then I guess we’ll be seeing you around town,” Kace said. “In fact, several of us are volunteering at the Texas Cattleman’s Club today. The clubhouse means a lot to folks in Royal, and your siblings will be there. This project is Sophie’s baby.”
“Shit,” Darius muttered, checking his watch. “That’s today? Kellan asked if I’d help.”
“Royal Diner is providing breakfast. I’m headed to the TCC clubhouse now, if you need a lift into town.”
Darius turned the idea over in his head.
Now that he was officially a Blackwood, he felt a pressing need to get to know his siblings. His meeting with Kellan had gone well. But that didn’t guarantee things would go as smoothly with Sophie and Vaughn.
Hell, for all he knew, the meeting with Kellan was just a pretense to make him let down his guard. Maybe Kellan just wanted to gain his trust so he could convince him to pack his things and leave town.
“Darius.” Kace sounded apologetic as he broke into his thoughts. “Can I give you a ride to the clubhouse?” He patted his belly. “I don’t mind telling you I’m starving.”
“Give me five minutes?”
Kace nodded. “I’ll give you ten.”
Darius went to the master bedroom and changed into a Thr3d T-shirt, cargo pants and sneakers. Then he inhaled a deep breath, mentally preparing himself to spend the day getting to know his half siblings without revealing his parentage to anyone else in town.
* * *
“Darius.” Kellan approached him with a wide smile. “Glad you made it.”
Darius shook his brother’s hand. “Kace came over earlier with some news. He reminded me about volunteering today.”
“So your paternity has been confirmed?” Kellan lowered his voice.
“I’m definitely a Blackwood.”
“It was pretty clear to me the moment I met you. You’ve got a lot of the family features.”
Darius scanned the room. Will anyone else notice our physical similarities?
“I talked to Sophie and Vaughn. We respect your decision to keep the news quiet while you process all of this,” Kellan assured him.
“I appreciate that. I’d like to talk to my mother and stepfather before the news goes public. My relationship with them hasn’t been the best these past few years.” He felt the need to justify his decision. “But they deserve a conversation in person before word gets out.”
“Of course.” Kellan nodded. “Let me show you around and introduce you to some of the folks in—”
“Oh my God. Darius, you came.”
They both turned to the sweet voice that trembled with emotion. He recognized his half sister, Sophie, from the picture Kace had shown him and the two hours of her lifestyle show webisodes he’d watched after Googling her. She was a gorgeous, full-figured woman with a smile as bright as the sun. Her brown eyes shone with tears.
She wiped at them and forced a laugh. “I mean, it’s kind of you to volunteer this morning. For the club and for me. This is where I hope to have my wedding.” She paused, studying his face. She lowered her voice to just above a whisper. “Is it all right if I hug you?”
His mouth spread in an involuntary grin and his eyes burned with emotion. Darius nodded. “I’d like that.”
Sophie wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tight. She held on to him, and he let her. Her response was so sincere. He forced himself not to obsess over the conclusions other people might jump to about them.
Instead, he was grateful for her warm reception.
He was an older brother now. His sister seemed to need this moment of connection, and he already felt an instinctive protectiveness toward her.
He’d been an only child, so this was a new experience for him. But he enjoyed this unfamiliar sense of belonging.
He was lucky. Things could’ve gone much differently. He was keenly aware of that.
“I’m sorry.” Sophie released him, dabbing at her eyes. “I know we’re keeping this on the low for now.”
“It’s okay.” Darius smiled. “Congratulations on your engagement.”
“Thank you.” She beamed, then lowered her voice. “Please tell me you’ll come to the wedding. No one has to know you’re my brother, if that’s what you’d prefer. But it would mean a lot to me if you came.”
“If there are no conflicts with my schedule, I promise I’ll be there.”
“Good.” Sophie seemed satisfied with his response. “Have you eaten? If not, you have to grab a breakfast sandwich and some coffee or juice. Then I’ll introduce you to some of the folks in town. Let me go find Nigel. He’s probably on the phone somewhere.” Sophie wandered off to locate her fiancé.
“Welcome to the family.” Kellan chuckled, his voice low.
“Is Vaughn here?” Darius asked.
Kellan frowned and sipped his coffee. “He sent a couple of his ranch hands instead.” Kellan nodded toward two men standing in the corner nibbling on breakfast sandwiches.
“Maybe he wasn’t up for meeting me,” Darius said without resentment. It made sense that at least one of the three wouldn’t be eager to welcome him to the family.
“Vaughn lives in Fort Worth, and he doesn’t darken the town’s doorstep, if he can avoid it. He wants nothing to do with our father, dead or alive.”
Perhaps that was why Vaughn wasn’t contesting the estate. He didn’t want any part of the painful memories that went along with it.
Seems he was the lucky one to never have known Buckley Blackwood.
“I get it.” Darius shrugged as they walked toward the breakfast buffet setup. “I didn’t take the revelation that Will wasn’t my biological father very well. I didn’t feel I could trust them anymore. Our relationship hasn’t been the same since.”
“I can appreciate how difficult that must’ve been for you. But I wouldn’t be surprised if your parents were obligated to keep your paternity to themselves. That’s the way my father operated. So I wouldn’t be too hard on them. Maybe they didn’t have much choice.” Kellan patted his shoulder. “I see someone I need to speak with, but I’ll be back in a minute.”
Darius stood there as Kellan walked away. He hadn’t considered the possibility that there was a viable reason his mother hadn’t disclosed his bio father’s name.
Had Buck forced his parents to keep his secret in exchange for the financial support that had made it possible for him to attend schools like Harvard?
It was a secret the old man probably would’ve done just about anything to keep.
Maybe Kellan was right. Maybe he’d been too hard on them.
“Darius. What are you doing here?” Audra stared at him, her eyes wide.
She looked adorable in a pair of gray, cropped cargo pants and a long-sleeve white T-shirt. A heart-shaped gold locket, which matched the color and shape of her nose ring, dragged his attention to the deep vee of her shirt.
“A few of the locals invited me to volunteer. I decided I could use the mental break.” His gaze shifted from hers.
A deep ache in his gut nagged at him for hiding his connection to the Blackwoods from Audra. But the runway show was just a few weeks away. He wouldn’t risk the story about the CEO of Thr3d being the “bastard child” of the late Buckley Blackwood getting out and overshadowing the show. He did
n’t believe Audra would intentionally sabotage him. But what if someone overheard them or she told the wrong person?
Everything has to be perfect for this show.
It wasn’t a chance he could afford to take. “I figured I’d help out for a few hours. How about you?”
“Sophie...my client—” Audra nodded in Sophie’s direction “—asked me to help. Besides, several members of the bridal party are here. This gives me the chance to get to know them as I try to finalize the designs for their custom jewelry gifts.”
“Makes perfect sense.” He nodded.
They stood together in awkward silence. Close enough that he could feel the heat radiating from her smooth, toasted-brown skin and smell the sweet citrus scent wafting from her hair. Finally, Darius couldn’t take the vivid images of them together—him touching her, kissing her, making love to her—that his brain conjured in the absence of words.
“Have you eaten breakfast yet?” he asked, abruptly. “I haven’t, and I’m starving. I was about to grab a sandwich, if you’d care to join me.”
“Sure.” Audra followed him toward the bar where the food was set up. “And thank you for the salad the other night. It was thoughtful of you.”
“For you, Audra? Anything.”
Eight
Resentment bubbled up in Audra’s chest and her hands clenched at her side.
Liar.
How dare he utter those words to her? If he’d truly do anything for her, he wouldn’t have lied about his parents who were still very much alive. And he would’ve been honest about whatever it was that had prompted him to end their relationship.
“Darius, I want you to meet my fiancé, Nigel Townshend,” Sophie was saying as she approached him. When Sophie caught sight of her behind Darius, her eyes widened. “Audra, I didn’t realize you were here.”
“I arrived five minutes ago.” Audra folded her arms. “I thought you didn’t know Darius.”
“We met this morning,” Sophie said quickly. “I wanted him to meet Nigel.”
“Hello, Darius.” Nigel extended his hand. “I’m Nigel Townshend, Sophie’s fiancé. I run the Secret Lives of NYC Ex-Wives.”
