“Asha, you’ve mentioned work at least three times tonight,” he sighed. “Do you have any idea what kind of disruption a wedding will cause?”
“Do you?” I asked curiously. I had no idea if had been married before. He snorted.
“No,” he chortled. “But I can guess. I have married friends. Married friends with money, who had long engagements. I think that making this public before we tie the knot will be an unnecessary distraction for both of us. So what do you say? Let’s elope.”
His reasoning made sense and a rush of affection flowed out of me toward him in such a rush, I was shocked he wasn’t knocked back by it.
“Yes,” I heard myself say, grinning with the word. “Yes, I like that idea!”
“Really?” he looked relieved and slid closer to me on the sofa.
“Yes,” I conceded. “When should we do it? Who should we tell?”
“We tell no one,” he said firmly. “Not even our families. We’ll take someone as witness and tell everyone when we get back, all right?”
I nodded, excitement for our devious little plan taking hold. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was Adare. It would be a little slap in the face to my parents and maybe that’s what Adare was thinking too but at the same time, I was eager to start this chapter of my life with him.
I think we can be happy together.
“Let’s do this!” I giggled, throwing my arms around him. “Why not?”
“Good. Wait here, I’ll be right back,” he said, jumping from the couch.
“Where are you going?” I asked, my smile fading. He eyed me in confusion.
“To get my wallet.”
“What?”
“I’m going to need ID to get married, even at one of those shitty chapels on Hollywood Boulevard.”
“We’re doing this now? Tonight?” I gasped.
“Why not? We’re getting married anyway,” Adare asked and I swallowed my logical answers.
“You’re right,” I said instead. “Why not indeed?”
5
Rustin
I sprinted into the house, my heart pounding with the atrocity I was about to commit. What was I doing?
I swear, it hadn’t occurred to me that the mysterious beauty had been Asha Preston, not for a second. In hindsight, I should have clued into the fact that she was so willing to go with me but she hadn’t called me by my brother’s name until after we’d already done the deed.
Still, explaining that to my brother and father was going to be more difficult than a simple apology.
No, I’d been presented with an opportunity here, even if it had happened by accident. It only further proved my belief that I was the right man for the job. Asha had confirmed that.
I willed myself not to think about my next moves but to act only, focusing strictly on the sounds of Asha’s moans in my ears. An uneasy heat rushed through my body so fast and furiously, I had to stop on the main floor before sprinting to my room to find Adare.
Why not do this? I asked myself. She likes me, probably better than she ever could Adare. She wanted me, not Adare. I am better suited to marry her and run the company.
Every rational part of my mind told me that I was doing something so wrong that I would spend the rest of my life regretting it but it didn’t stop me from my quest. I wanted her, and I would make her mine.
I cornered my brother in the game room where he stood looking like a lost puppy.
“Hey bro,” I said casually. “How’s it going?”
I draped my arm over his shoulder and he looked at me.
“Have you seen Asha?” Adare asked and I gave him a perplexed look.
“Who?”
“Asha. My…the girl…” Adare paused to collect his words into a coherent sentence. “James Preston’s daughter.”
That’s what he calls the woman he’s going to marry? “James Preston’s daughter”?
I shrugged but didn’t answer. I didn’t want to lie to his face, after all. He was going to be mad enough after all was said and done. At least I’d be able to say I never lied to him.
Or Asha.
“I hope she didn’t leave,” Adare muttered, looking around and I dropped my arm off his shoulder. “Shit, I don’t think she’s going to go through with this, Rust. Dad is going to flip his lid if I blow it.”
What was Morris thinking setting this up? It was a good thing I was there to set everyone right.
I wondered if I kept telling myself the same thing over and over, it would become true. The knot in my gut told me otherwise.
“Don’t worry, Dare. I’m sure everything will work out for the best.”
I was still standing at his side and he was too lost in thought to notice the uncomfortable closeness.
“Not if I don’t find Asha. She was already itching to go. I shouldn’t have made her stay.”
His face was almost transparent and I again, was consumed by guilt.
You have nothing to feel guilty about, I insisted silently. He wouldn’t know what to do with a woman like Asha if she came with a handbook.
But my brother’s words resonated in my ears. I needed to get back to Asha before she was left alone with her own thoughts too long. I didn’t want to give her time to reconsider my impulsive proposal and judging by the way I had found her earlier, I had no doubt that she might flee if she was suddenly conflicted about what we were going to do.
Maybe that would be for the best.
I shoved my reservations out of my mind and looked at my brother.
“I was hoping that she’d be comfortable here,” Adare sighed and I did what I’d come to do—swiped Adare’s wallet from his back pocket. I held my breath for a minute, waiting for him to notice but he was far too lost in his own thoughts.
“She’ll come around,” I said confidently, patting him on the arm as I stealthily slid the wallet into my own pocket. “Gotta go.”
I spun to leave before he could respond and made my way back to the pool house where Asha still waited for me. But she was on edge now, as I’d feared, pacing around the living room, practically mumbling to herself.
“Hey,” I said, hurrying toward her after I locked the door behind me. “You okay?”
She looked at me with worried eyes.
“I’m not sure,” she confessed. “Maybe…maybe we should sit on this for a day or two, think about it.”
I didn’t have a day or two. The minute she spoke with Adare, the gig would be up and I’d be in a deep sea of shit from everyone involved.
“Why?” I asked, trying to keep the urgency from my voice. “Why wait? It’s only prolonging the inevitable.”
I wished I wasn’t speaking so fast but I couldn’t seem to slow down my words. Asha’s nearness was doing more for me than I cared to admit. Suddenly, me wanting her to elope had less to do with sticking it to my father and brother. I wanted to claim her as my own.
Asha looked at me warily but I could plainly read the expression of confused eagerness in her eyes. She just needed a little nudge.
I was about to give her a push because we needed to get moving before we were discovered.
“How about this,” I said when she didn’t speak. “Why don’t we go for a drive and see how you feel when we get there? If you still don’t want to do it when we find a chapel, we’ll call it quits, okay?”
Her eyes widened.
“What do you mean, ‘call it quits’?” she asked worriedly. “I’m not saying that we shouldn’t do this…I’m just…”
She trailed off and I had to swallow a smile of relief.
I had her wanting me as much as I wanted her.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” I told her, casting her a cocky grin. “I’m just saying, no pressure. But seriously, let’s get out of here.”
I had a feeling that Adare was close, my twin instinct kicking in.
She cast me a sidelong look.
“You’re a little unpredictable, aren’t you?” she teased. “One minute it’s ‘stay’ the next, ‘let’s get
out of here.’”
“Oh, I’m definitely full of surprises,” I assured her. I wondered how she was going to handle the one I was going to dole out in a few hours if all went well.
Why don’t you just tell her the truth? A little voice in my head demanded. She likes you enough.
But I didn’t say a word. There were dozens of reasons that it wouldn’t work, of course. Mainly, Asha seemed like the kind of woman who would certainly run this change of plans through my brother, who would in turn tell my father, who would stop it from happening.
No, this was the only way to ensure I got what I wanted.
And God, at that moment, I wanted Asha more than anything I’d ever wanted in my life.
Asha would understand and even thank me for it later, I was sure. Marrying Adare would lead to nothing but a life of boredom. I could attest to that.
“Come on,” I urged her, reaching for her hand. I relished the feeling of warmth of her palm in mine. This just felt right somehow, no matter how wrong I was going about it in such a way.
Asha followed without protest, her fingers curling into my knuckles and I checked around to make sure we weren’t being observed.
Luck was on our side and we made our way toward the front of the house where the driver’s apartment was over the garage.
“Oh…” she mumbled, remembering that we’d need a witness—and someone to drive us. “Do we have to wake them?”
I laughed and glanced at her, thinking she was joking. After all, she was no stranger to the way things worked in households like ours. If anything, Asha should have been used to more opulence.
“The drivers never sleep,” I reminded her, realizing she genuinely felt bad for them and a slight scowl puckered her brow.
“Of course they sleep,” she replied slowly, giving me a suspicious look. “Everyone sleeps.”
She paused and looked at me with an expression and that made me nervous.
“We can’t drive,” I told her, checking my exasperation. “We’ve both had too much to drink.”
Again, unsureness colored her face and I feared I was losing her.
“Trevor doesn’t mind,” I insisted, tugging on her hand and pulling her toward the garage. “Trust me.”
Reluctantly, she came but I could feel the resistance in her.
“You really are different tonight,” I heard her mumbled. I knew she hadn’t said it for my benefit, almost like she was speaking to herself aloud and when I looked at her, I didn’t see the admiration in her eyes that she’d shown before.
“What is it?” I demanded, a bite to my question. She was wasting time, giving me that look but I couldn’t force matters along. It would only turn her off.
Weird how I knew that about her already.
“Yesterday, you wouldn’t even let the valet go get my car in the rain,” she told me and I cringed. Adare and his misspent chivalry. He always did have a soft spot for the hired help.
“Yesterday we weren’t eloping,” I said, thinking quickly. “And trust me, Trevor will be happy to do this.”
Asha’s face softened and she sighed.
“Sorry,” she muttered. “You’re right. This is just so…sudden. I’m trying to process.”
“I understand,” I offered, pulling her into my arms and staring into her eyes. “But trust me, this is the best thing for everyone.”
Whatever she saw in my eyes must have convinced her and she nodded, her shoulders relaxing.
“Okay,” she agreed, a wan smile forming on her lips. “Let’s do this.”
I kissed her on the mouth, my tongue jutting out to tease her as she gasped at the unexpectedness of the gesture but just as quickly as I’d embraced her, I let her go and turned back to the garage.
Together, we walked to the apartment entrance and I rang the bell. After a minute, Trevor appeared at the door, slightly bleary eyed but fully dressed. I suspected he slept in his clothes, just in case.
“Mr. Sphinx!” he mumbled, clearing the frog from his sleepy throat. “I-did you call me?”
“No, Trevor,” I replied. “But I need to go somewhere. How fast can you be ready?”
“I’m ready now,” he answered as I knew he would. “Let me grab my jacket and the keys. Any preference in cars?”
“The Rolls,” I said and Asha tittered.
“A little ostentatious, no?”
“Only the best for my wife,” I replied. Trevor’s face balked slightly and he met my eyes warily.
“Hurry up,” I snapped at him, realizing that I may have made a huge mistake by recruiting him for that job. Asha might not be able to tell the difference between me and Adare but Trevor had been on staff for years. Surely he could tell I wasn’t my brother.
Without responding, the driver retreated into the unit for his belongings and I escorted Asha toward the luxury car inside the garage.
In minutes, Trevor had joined us, opening the vehicle for us and I piled in the backseat with Asha.
Once more, Trevor caught my eye in the rear-view mirror.
“Where to, Mr. Sphinx?” he asked quietly and I knew he could tell something was up.
“Drive up Hollywood Boulevard,” I recommended. “We’re looking for an all-night wedding chapel.”
He nodded curtly and I turned my attention back to Asha. All her reservations seemed to have faded away and a newfound excitement filled her eyes.
“This is going to be a shock to our families,” Asha said but the words didn’t sound regretful. She sounded almost pleased with the idea.
“They’ll be fine,” I told her. She whipped her head around and tipped her head to the side.
“What about your brother?”
My blood ran cold at the mention and I stared at her for a long moment.
“What about him?” I asked nonchalantly.
“Don’t you want your brother to come with us?”
I heard Trevor snort from the front seat and I shot him a scathing look.
“My brother is having a party,” I reminded her. “He’d rather be with his whores.”
Easy there. You’re talking about yourself, I thought, trying not to laugh. But it really wasn’t funny. The closer we got to downtown, the more I was considering aborting the plan.
You can claim drunkenness or innocence, I reasoned. Beg Dare for forgiveness.
But a righteous indignation in me wouldn’t allow it.
“Still,” Asha sighed. “I feel like you might regret this if you don’t tell him.”
“We’ll tell him—after we’re married,” I insisted.
“What’s it like to have a twin?”
Her questions were like little bullets pelting at me.
“W-what do you mean?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I don’t have any siblings but I always thought it would be fun to have a twin. Are you close? You don’t talk about him much.”
“We haven’t had much time alone to talk about anything.”
“True.”
She waited for me to answer and I inhaled sharply.
“I think it’s impossible not to be close to your twin—or any sibling for that matter. Yes, A—uh, he and I are close but we’re not much alike.”
You’re going to blow your own cover.
“You think he’s arrogant,” Asha chuckled. “I can tell.”
I took offense to the observation. Is that what Adare had said about me? The guy couldn’t even seal the deal with the sexiest woman alive. He’s got a lot of balls calling me arrogant.
“He’s got his good points.”
“Your father doesn’t think so.”
I didn’t like the way this conversation was going but I couldn’t resist taking the bait she didn’t know she was laying out.
“Why do you say that?”
Asha shrugged.
“Just something my father said. You’re the good twin. Rustin is the evil one.”
My back was so tense, I feared it might snap in two. Instinctively, I looked at Trevor. His jaw
had locked and I realized he was onto my plan.
The question was, would he ruin it for me?
“Evil?” I echoed forcing a laugh. “I wouldn’t call Rust that.”
Asha gave me a small grin.
“I’m sorry,” she said quickly, reaching for my hand. “I shouldn’t talk about your brother that way. I just find it curious that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to meet both of you. Isn’t Rustin older?”
Why did she keep saying my name aloud? Trevor’s cheek was so taut, I was sure his teeth were cracking behind it.
“Can we not talk about my brother?” I asked quickly, seizing her other hand and drawing them to my mouth. “Let’s not think about anything but us tonight.”
“I can get on board with that plan,” she agreed, snuggling against me. I exhaled with a small sigh of relief but my body was still stressed.
“There!” I yelled at Trevor as he sped past a white, wood-lace chapel on the left. I saw then that he’d passed a couple.
“Oh sorry, Mr. Sphinx. I didn’t see it,” Trevor lied to my face. “The next one?”
“No,” I snapped back. “Turn around.”
Begrudgingly, he did as he was told and Asha sat up, looking out the window to see where we’d have our nuptials.
“It’s so…Vegas,” she giggled.
“We could go to Vegas instead,” I offered jokingly and she shook her glossy head of hair vehemently.
“No thanks. Vegas is not for me. If we’re going anywhere to gamble, it’s Monte Carlo.”
“A woman after my own heart,” I teased as the vehicle slowed to turn into the lot.
“You’ll need to come with us,” I told Trevor and he paled.
“I-I can wait in the car, sir,” he muttered.
“We need a witness, Trevor.”
More color diminished for the driver’s cheeks and he began to shake his head.
“I-I can’t,” he muttered. “I…Mr. Sphinx…”
“What’s wrong?” Asha demanded when she looked back from the doorway where she was waiting.
“Nothing,” I growled. “Trevor gets emotional at weddings.”
I glowered at him.
“Trevor,” I hissed. “Don’t screw this up.”
He swallowed visibly and lowered his eyes.
Marrying the Wrong Twin: A Billionaire Marriage Mistake Romance Page 5
