Your One True Love

by Layla Hagen

“You were right.”

  Blake pumps his fist in the air, opens his mouth. I hold up a hand to placate him. “No more gloating. I need a beer.”

  Several beers in, the conversation focuses on Bennett Enterprises. Since everyone except Eric, Blake, and me works in the company, this happens often. My brothers are smart as a whip, and I like to listen to them mastermind. More than once during casual nights out, I picked up valuable management or operational ideas that I implemented in my own business.

  “Enough with the Bennett Enterprises babble,” Blake says eventually. “It’s all good and interesting, but this is not the boardroom. If I’d known you’re using this night out to draw out strategies, I would’ve taken Clara out instead.”

  Logan grins. “Feel free to dump us for your wife anytime. She might not be too keen on you tonight. As far as I heard, the girls are having a blast. First time Clara’s out with them since the baby came, right?”

  “Yeah,” Blake confirms. “She was nervous about it, but she needs some time for herself.”

  “Pretty crazy that Mom and Dad take the kids in overnight,” Logan says. “Suppose raising the bunch of us was practice enough.”

  “No idea how they did it,” Sebastian says.

  Logan claps his shoulder. “You’re on your way to find out, with two more coming in a few months.”

  He and Ava shared the news yesterday. Is it my imagination, or does Sebastian look tense?

  He takes a long swig of his beer, nods. “My worst fear—not being able to provide for or protect my wife and kids. Either because I die, or worse, become incapacitated and they have me as a burden.”

  Everyone at the table falls into a stunned silence. I can’t even count the instances in which Sebastian voiced fears on one hand. This must be weighing very hard on him.

  “Your wife is a strong woman,” I say eventually. Everyone else seems still too stunned to react. “She’d manage no matter what life throws her. And you have us. No matter what happens, we’d take care of Ava and the kids. You can count on me, on all of us.”

  Sebastian nods, but still looks out of his depths. Logan seems to snap out of his stupor, backing me up immediately. The others chime in too, reassuring my oldest brother.

  “Never seen him like this,” I comment to Christopher ten minutes later when we line up at the bar to bring more beers.

  “I did,” he says quietly. “When he found out Ava was pregnant the first time. Alice and I were with him. He was wondering if he’d be a good dad, things like that. Gave us a bit of a shock, to be honest. But I understand where he’s coming from. When Victoria got pregnant, I had some of those thoughts myself. She read up about it, said they happen. Never thought they’d happen to Sebastian because he’s always in control, always sure of himself. And why the hell is it taking so long to get some beers?”

  It takes us five more minutes to finally return to the table. I turn to my twin.

  “Blake, honest feedback: your bartenders are slow as fuck. Took them forever to take our order.”

  “Oh, shit,” Blake says. “That’s not on the bartenders. It’s on me. Told them to go slower after our third round. We still have to get the girls. Better be able to walk in a straight line while we’re at it.”

  Logan gapes at him. “Never thought I’d live to see the day when Blake’s the most responsible of the bunch. Fatherhood’s done wonders for you, baby bro. Now, make sure this one follows in your footsteps. Settles down and everything.” He hooks one thumb in my direction.

  “Oy, I’m right here. I can hear you,” I say in mock offense. It’s been too long since Logan rode my ass. Used to do it far more often in my early twenties. In all honesty, I did need that then. Nothing like a big brother breathing down your neck to motivate you to get your shit together.

  “You were meant to hear it,” Logan informs me. “You pull a stunt on Caroline like you did last time, it’s not going to be pretty.”

  One thing I can always count on: my brothers won’t hold back punches. Literally or figuratively.

  Blake jerks his head back. “Logan, if you want my help cornering Daniel, I’m gonna need more heads-up than this.”

  Perfect. Blake will have my back. Twin bond and all that.

  Pointing a finger at me, he says, “I’m with Logan. Any funny business and I’m decking you.”

  Twin bond’s worth shit tonight, apparently.

  “Whose side are you on?”

  He doesn’t hesitate. “Caroline’s.”

  “So am I.” I raise my glass to them. “And guys? Leave the cornering to our sisters. They’re so much better at it.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Caroline

  For a variety of reasons, Monday isn’t my favorite day of the week, but today I’m borderline panicking. Ever since I arrived this morning, I’ve had the impression that Karla and Helen are talking about me. Am I being paranoid? Have I done something wrong? Surely the principal would have told me.

  During the afternoon break, I head straight to the staff room.

  I find Karla and Helen with their heads together, stopping dead when they see me, straightening up.

  “What’s going on?” I inquire. “You two have been acting odd all day.”

  They exchange uneasy glances. Right, not my imagination, then.

  “Did I do something? The principal didn’t tell me—”

  Karla shakes her head. “Nah. It’s something else. You didn’t see. I thought it might be that. You were too calm the entire day.”

  Panic flares inside me now. “See what?” Did something happen to Dad? Daniel?

  With an apologetic look, she stands up, takes her phone out of the front pocket of her jeans, taps it a few times, then hands it to me. Ice-cold dread sweeps over me. Now I understand the whispers, the furtive looks. On the tiny screen is a photo of Daniel and someone who is definitely not me. By the rich blonde mane and the article’s title, I know it’s Beatrix.

  And though the picture is badly lit and unclear, things are not looking good. I can’t be sure, because the angle’s bad, but there seems to be lip-locking involved. I don’t want to think too closely about that the tangle of arms. I scroll down, reading the article. A glance up at the browser tells me it’s a trashy gossip magazine. Wasn’t expecting anything less.

  Back to the article. I fight the knot in my throat, blink a few times to clear the haze in my eyes.

  Why on earth is this such news? Probably because Beatrix is engaged to an A-list actor. Swallowing hard and squaring my shoulders, I hand the phone back to Karla.

  “Isn’t this the guy you’re seeing? Daniel Bennett? We thought it was him,” Helen says uncertainly.

  “Yes. So?” I ask harshly.

  “Oh,” Karla says, clearly misinterpreting my stoicism for indifference. “We didn’t realize you two were casual, no strings.”

  Thankfully, they don’t get to pry much longer because the principal walks in, asking us about the trip we’re planning with the kids to the zoo next week. I answer almost robotically, my mind spinning, focusing on a few words. Casual, no strings.

  Once the principal’s out of the staff room, I excuse myself too, telling everyone I’m heading outside to prepare the yard for the afternoon after-school activities—which is true, but I also need to be alone with my thoughts.

  I sway a little, unsteady on my feet as I make my way around the yard, my mind spinning and spinning until the vortex of thoughts is mirrored in my stomach, and I feel like I’m going to throw up.

  Time to sit down a bit, draw in a few deep breaths, revisit the facts. One: the picture was unclear. Two: he came straight to me after the party, slipped in my bed.

  But Daniel did break up with me once because he wanted to experiment and wasn’t ready to commit. This was ten years ago, though. And this time, it’s all been so different. So much sweetness underneath the passion, so many honest moments where we both let our guards down. It wasn’t all in my head, was it? It wasn’t just me building it up in my
mind? Assuming there was more?

  But the picture, that damn picture. Fuzzy and badly lit as it is, it’s still enough to raise my doubts. He didn’t tell me anything about the weekend except that he won’t organize other bachelorette parties. I didn’t read anything into it. Should I have? But he wouldn’t have slipped right back in my bed if anything had happened.

  By the time I head back inside, I feel like a zombie, tired from fighting with myself, from measuring pros and cons in my mind. I’m going through the motions, willing this day to finally be over so I can get out of here. Helen and Karla keep glancing furtively at me, and I want to tell them to mind their own business. Except when your personal life is online, it’s everyone’s business. From time to time, I check my phone, but there’s no message from Daniel. No surprise there. He said he’d keep his phone shut off today so he can concentrate on the group instead of dealing with calls related to the employee he fired.

  He’s on a day trip with a group, on a boat tour around the bay with a three-hour stop at Alcatraz. But he did tell me he’ll go to his office after the tour, at around six o’clock.

  So, the second the last kid is picked up, I head straight for his office, my mind made up.

  ***

  Daniel

  Lena is still at reception when I step inside my office building.

  “Daniel, you’re here. Finally. I need to—”

  “Give me five minutes, Lena. Five minutes.”

  She nods, lips pressed together.

  Inside my office, I finally turn on my phone. Jesus. Notifications keep popping up on my screen like mad. I have missed calls from my entire family. Shit, did something happen to any of them? Or Caroline?

  Then I see the dozen missed calls from my employees too. I’ve got about two dozen messages too. From Beatrix as well. What does she want from me? Speak of the devil, she’s calling right now.

  “Finally, you pick up,” she exclaims.

  “What’s going on? Been on a tour all day, my phone was turned off.”

  “Great. I take it you haven’t seen the photo? The article?”

  “What photo? What article?”

  She talks so fast, it’s hard to keep up, but I do my best, swearing in between.

  “I don’t get it. They’ve got a photo of what? Nothing happened.”

  “Oh, for God’s sake, Daniel. You’re a veteran at this. The press spins everything around. They’ve got a picture of me hanging around your neck when you were bringing me back to the hotel, half passed out. Light’s crappy, so is the angle. Looks like we’re kissing.”

  I groan, dragging a hand down my face. How the hell did this happen? My stomach sinks. Has Caroline seen this? Did she believe it? Fuck.

  “Beatrix, I got to go. Need to make an important call.”

  “Grant and I will be making a statement about this. You might get a bit of hate email from his fans, but—”

  “I’ll deal with it. But I need to go right now. I have something important to do.”

  As soon as the call disconnects, I look up the article online. My entire body tenses, then relaxes again. The photo doesn’t look too damning to me, but that might be because I was there and know what happened. Will Caroline believe me? I don’t have much in my defense except my word.

  Rumors about myself never bothered me, unless they could hurt my family. I’ve always focused on killing fake stories about my brothers. Since Logan and Sebastian are something close to golden boys, the made-up rumors about them are especially vicious. Just last month, a local trashy magazine was about to publish a “story” about Logan having another family. Blake and I called in about one hundred favors so it would never come out. Sebastian says fighting these things is futile. Maybe he’s right. The family would know the truth anyway. But here’s the thing: their kids aren’t old enough to understand. They’d just get confused, maybe hero-worship their fathers less.

  And when enough shit gets written about you, people eventually start believing that at least some of it has to be true. Since my eldest siblings have always been a more interesting target, I never cared much what was written about me. Now, though, I have a big reason to care, and her name is Caroline.

  Sitting at the edge of my desk, I hover with my thumb over the screen of my phone. Nah, this conversation needs to be face-to-face. If my word is all she’ll have, I best deliver it in person.

  Lena pokes her head through my door. “There’s someone here to see you, Daniel.”

  When the door opens wide, Caroline comes into view. She gives Lena a small smile, comes inside, and closes the door.

  “You saw.” Lamest opening if there ever was one.

  Caroline nods, chewing on her lower lip, avoiding eye contact. “Just after lunch. The girls at work showed me.” She takes a deep breath, snaps her gaze up. “And I decided I don’t believe a word of it. That picture? Might look like a kiss, but I’m sure it was not.”

  I cross the room to her, wrap my arms around her waist, and kiss her hard. Fuck, I didn’t even know how much I needed this. Her full trust. Her blind trust. She pushes her sweet body against mine, sighs against my mouth. As long as she trusts me, I don’t care about anything else.

  “You decided, hmm?” I murmur when we pause for a breath, keeping my arms where they are. I’m not letting her go. Not yet.

  She nods, sighing quietly. “I panicked at first, but you’ve been so... I mean, everything between us has felt so real, I thought there’s no way you’d do that.” Uncertainty flickers in her eyes, her body tensing. “Would you?”

  “No, love, I wouldn’t.” She relaxes in my arms. “Before you came, I was just thinking about how to build my defense when all I have is my word.”

  “Your word is enough for me,” she says almost breathlessly, smiling up at me—best damn thing I’ve seen all day. I pull her even closer to me. Caroline is one of a kind. I knew that nine years ago too, but was too stupid to fully appreciate it. Now I’m going to show her how much I appreciate her, every day. I kiss the tip of her nose, her forehead, dust my lips to her temple.

  “Here is the entire story: Beatrix was drunk, I carried her back to the hotel. Her friends helped her to her room. There’s nothing more to it.”

  “I believe you.”

  Just like that. She believes me.

  “Thank you for trusting me.”

  “This feels different than before.” Her eyes widen, and she immediately casts her glance away, shaking her head as if chastising herself for saying out loud something she wasn’t supposed to. She’s adorable when she has entire conversations in her head, but I want to be part of this particular one.

  “Different how?” I nudge.

  “Never mind.” She tries to wiggle out of my arms, but I just keep her more firmly in place.

  “I want to know.”

  “No, you do not. These are things better kept for girls’ night out. Women dissect these topics for hours at a time. Men are more straightforward, and feelings talk sends them running for the hills, and—”

  “Give me more credit.” I kiss the tip of her nose again. “Come on, try me. How is it different?”

  “It feels deeper. More real.”

  “Thank God I’m not the only one feeling this way.”

  ***

  Caroline

  Did he just say that?

  “Dan,” I whisper, but don’t say more because he seems to want to continue talking, and I want to soak up every word.

  “Back in college, I cared about you, but not like this. I liked how much fun we had together. Liked undressing you every chance I got. I like those things now too, but also our quiet nights together, asking you about your day, telling you about mine. These last couple of weeks haven’t been the easiest, but knowing you’re mine, all sweet and wild. I like building a life together with you, Caroline.”

  “So, what you mean is, before you used to enjoy the sun with me, and now you also like holding an umbrella over me when it rains.”

  He furrows his br
ow, looking confused. “What?”

  I smile sheepishly. “Sorry, my mom used to say that: love isn’t just about enjoying the sunny days together, but holding an umbrella for each other when it rains.”

  “Ah, I get it.”

  He seals his mouth over mine, kissing me hard. His hands move around my back, slide down my ass, groping me shamelessly. Then he kisses down my neck, my shoulder. Feeling his lips and frantic breath on my bare skin sends sparks all over my nerve endings. His mouth becomes greedier still, descending on my collarbone.

  “What are you doing?” I whisper.

  “I need you.”

  “Ri—right now?”

  “Right now. I’m not going to allow you to leave this office until you come.”

  I let out a sound of exasperation mixed with excitement, but don’t make a single attempt to wiggle out of his arms, or to stop him. I want this, his unrestrained passion.

  He kisses me again, harder, as if he hasn’t kissed me in weeks. When he unhitches his lips, he directs his attention to my chest. I’m wearing a knee-length wool dress, and thick stockings that reach my upper thighs. I’m also wearing a push-up bra, so my girls are squished together nicely. Daniel clearly appreciates this, dragging his lips on the tops of my breasts.

  “You drive me crazy,” he murmurs. “We’re going to have to be quiet.”

  A thrill runs through me, jolting my cells alive. This is going to be fun.

  I lean into him, kissing his lips, his jaw. He has a light scruff I adore. It grazes my lips, but just barely. It’s a little rough, a lot masculine. Like Daniel.

  I want to kiss every inch of him, but one look at Daniel makes it clear he has other plans. Those sinful dark eyes are trained on me, so full of lust and determination it makes my stomach flutter. He towers over me, skimming his hands over my shoulders, down my arms. His mouth is everywhere, nipping at my neck, grazing my shoulder. I’m shuddering in anticipation, not knowing where he’ll put his lips next. Will it be my chest, my shoulders again? He does neither, instead whirling me around, pushing my hair to one side, and kissing the back of my neck until I’m trembling in his arms. I decide to stop trying to anticipate his every move and just allow myself to be surprised. And holy hell, does he ever surprise me by cinching the dress up at my sides, lifting it up, up, up. Then he pushes the thong to one side, driving a finger inside me. I buckle forward, a gasp escaping my lips.