A Bet with Benefits

by Karen Booth

  “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. I think I underestimated how much Jake is still holding a grudge.”

  “Did you really screw him over?”

  Sam took in a deep breath through his nose. “I wouldn’t characterize it quite like that. We were both getting our businesses off the ground. Neither of us really knew what we were doing.”

  Was this Sam covering his tracks? He had a way of seeing his own misdeeds in quite a different light than others. “Cutting a friend out of a deal is no small thing. And you’re a smart guy. I don’t buy for a minute that you didn’t know that because you were only starting out.”

  He nodded in agreement, but the tension on his face was clear. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right. I had my reasons for doing it, though.”

  “Can you tell me what they were?”

  “This was years ago, Mindy. I don’t really want to dredge up the past.”

  “And I get that, but Jake is clearly still angry about it, and he’s marrying my sister, so I feel like I deserve to know your side. So I can at least defend you. That is, if you deserve defending.” She still didn’t trust Sam completely, but she did feel like she’d learned more about him during their last two conversations than she’d ever known about him. She couldn’t help but want to push for more. It was just her way.

  “Tell you what. I’ll explain it later.”

  “Later tonight? When you come to my room?”

  “Yeah. About that. I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. How about I walk you up to your room and sneak out when it looks like the coast is clear?”

  Mindy hated the disappointment that came with Sam’s answer, but it was the sensible choice and she was determined to be nothing but smart about Sam. “I’ll take what I can get from you, Sam Blackwell.”

  “I expect nothing less.”

  Sam and Mindy made their way into the dining room and took their seats, across the table from Jake and Sophie. All Mindy could do was hope that Sophie wasn’t feeling as on edge as she was, but judging by the number of glasses of champagne Sophie had downed, she was working hard to smooth her ragged edges. As difficult as it was for Mindy to imagine herself as the bride-to-be, she tried to put herself in her sister’s shoes. If she was getting married, she definitely wouldn’t want to endure any hostility between her groom and her sister’s date. This was Sophie’s time, and Mindy needed to stay focused on doing everything she could to help make it perfect.

  As dessert was served, the toasts were announced by Jake’s best man, who gently clinked a spoon against his wineglass. Mindy listened to his sweet and sentimental words for the happy couple, hoping she could measure up. She didn’t want to let her sister down. When it came time for Mindy’s turn, Sophie reached across the table and squeezed her hand.

  “I hope you know how much I love you,” Sophie said quietly.

  Tears immediately welled in Mindy’s eyes. She nodded eagerly. “Me, too. I love you so much.” She stood and raised her glass, trying to run through her carefully crafted toast, while the realization of her predicament settled over her. Even if she took Sam and the bet with her sisters out of it, the reality was that she and Sophie and Emma were bound tight, and that bond was getting stronger every day. It was going to be ridiculously hard to walk away from Eden’s in a year. Even when that had always been Mindy’s plan. Even when that was what she’d wanted all along, there would be no easy way out.

  “I want to say that I’m incredibly lucky to have the best sisters in the world. We don’t always agree or get along, but at the end of the day, I know that they both have my back.” She turned to Sophie, trying to ward off the lump that was forming in her throat. They had been through so much together, and it was time to recognize that. “Sophie, you and I have been thick as thieves since the minute Mom and Dad brought you home from the hospital. You have always been fiercely loyal and full of the best intentions. Nobody deserves to have found true love more than you. I know that you and Jake will have a long and loving life together, and I couldn’t be happier for you.”

  Everyone in the dining room offered a hearty “Hear, hear!” Mindy knocked back the last of her champagne, then became fixed on the sight of Jake and Sophie. They exchanged a sweet kiss, then looked deeply into each other’s eyes. It was so easy to see that there was nothing but love and admiration between them. Mindy didn’t want to be envious, but there was an invisible force pulling at her and leaving her feeling empty inside. She turned to Sam, only to see that he was watching them, too. He glanced over at Mindy, shrugged, then slugged back the last of his drink. Did he think this was all unbelievably sappy? Too sweet? If so, what had made Sam so hardened to the world? Was it simply years of pursuing big deals with no regard for the toll? Had his immense success made him not care about the more important things in life?

  As the guests began to dwindle, Sam got up from his seat. “I’m pretty tired, so if you’re still wanting me to walk you up to your room, it would be great if we could go now.”

  Mindy saw that Sophie and Jake were deep in conversation. Emma and her fiancé, Daniel, had already left. “Okay. Sure.”

  They strolled back through the lobby to the bank of elevators. With no one around, there was no show to put on, which meant no hand-holding. Mindy reminded herself this was for the best. She’d navigate whatever rockiness there was tomorrow, buy the building from Sam and then decide if she and he could make a run at friendship. That seemed like something Sam really needed, especially after witnessing his run-in with Jake, even if he might not ever admit it. Still, friendship meant closeness, and that would require a delicate balance. It was a narrow path to walk with Sam. It was so easy to get lured back in.

  Mindy keyed into her ninth-floor suite, Sam following behind her. Before he let the door shut, he took the do-not-disturb sign and hung it on the outside knob.

  “Can I make you a drink?” she asked, again filled with this uncomfortable mix of hope and regret. She hoped he’d stay, but she regretted her inclination to think that way. Why did her brain have to go there?

  He leaned against the wall and again stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I’m okay. I won’t stay long.”

  “What if you run into Gerald in the hall?”

  Sam flashed her a devilish smile. “I’ll tell him I’m running out for condoms.”

  Mindy laughed, but she had to force it out of herself. Her ill-advised hopes had officially been dashed. “Well, thank you for tonight. I know it wasn’t easy. Are you sure you don’t want to tell me about the Jake situation?”

  He shook his head slightly and stared down at the floor. “Not right now. It’s not a big deal. He’ll get over it or he won’t. I have no control over what other people think of me.”

  Mindy wasn’t used to this more somber side of Sam. “Okay. Well, if you ever want to talk about it, I’m all ears. Superunderstanding and completely nonjudgmental ears.”

  He smiled, a breathy laugh crossing his lips. “I appreciate that.”

  “Any time.”

  “Gotta be nice to the guy whose building you so desperately want to buy. Right?”

  Mindy dropped her head to one side and stepped closer to him. “It’s more than that. I hope you know that.”

  He nodded, but judging by the look in his eyes, he wasn’t necessarily buying it. “I should head out.”

  “Okay. Sure. Thanks for coming tonight.”

  “Absolutely. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her temple, gently gripping her shoulders. That brush of his skin sent tiny shock waves through her—pulses of electricity meant to remind her that he knew how to make her unravel. He could be her undoing.

  And just like that, Sam slipped through the door to her hotel room, the door thudding shut. Mindy wandered over to the bed, kicked off her shoes and flopped back on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling. Tonight had not gone the way sh
e’d thought it would. Some parts were better. Some parts were decidedly worse. More than anything, she was starting to see Sam in a different light. She’d always thought of him as an open book. Now she was starting to think that she might have read only the first chapter.

  Four

  Sam had thought once or twice about skipping Jake and Sophie’s wedding. It had taken far too much self-control to walk out of Mindy’s room last night. If things had been different, he would have stayed. But he wasn’t ready to be pulled back into Mindy’s world, however much it made him look good to be at this wedding. He wanted her, but he didn’t. Part of him wanted a fuller life, and part of him wasn’t convinced it was worth the hassle. In his experience, people you dare to care about eventually leave, in one way or another. In Mindy’s case, they banish you from their life and pull you back in only when it suits them.

  He arrived at the Grand Legacy early. Which was a good thing, judging by the panic-stricken look on Mindy’s face as she rushed across the lobby to him. “I’m so glad you’re here a little early. Gerald is being ridiculous. He won’t leave me alone.” She glanced back over her shoulder, seemingly making sure the coast was clear.

  The situation was ridiculous. Sam had to put it to an end. “Where is he? Let me talk to him and tell him to back off.”

  “You can’t make a scene, Sam. Sophie is already freaking out enough as it is. Plus, I don’t think Jake will like it if you’re mean to one of his best friends.”

  Sam grumbled under his breath and pushed aside his annoyance, instead taking his chance to admire her—she was breathtaking in a flowing dove-gray bridesmaid’s dress that showed off her glowing sculpted shoulders and graceful collarbone. “I can’t entirely blame Gerald. You look especially beautiful today, Min.”

  Mindy dropped her stressed facade for an instant, while her rosy pink lips pulled into a pleased smile. “Thank you. You clean up very well. I love you in a tux. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear one before.” She smoothed her hand over his lapel and dragged her fingers down the length of his arm.

  “I’m not a huge fan, but I figured your stunt boyfriend would wear one.”

  “You’re absolutely right. He would. Now come on. Stay close to me.” Mindy grabbed his hand and began pulling him back across the lobby toward the bank of elevators. “Gerald’s not our only problem today, unfortunately. I think we have a potential catfight on our hands.”

  “Our problem? Don’t you mean your problem? I’d been hoping to do some networking today. Reconnect with a few big fish.”

  “But I need your help.”

  Sam didn’t completely understand why he allowed himself to be pulled into Eden family drama. He only knew that it happened with regularity. “Alright. I suppose you’d better tell me why there’s going to be a catfight.” If today was going to be torture, and wholly unproductive from a business standpoint, at least it would be interesting.

  “There’s trouble brewing between my mom and Emma’s mom,” Mindy muttered, stopping and pulling him closer. “They’re already throwing around unkind words and I’m worried about what’s going to happen when champagne starts flowing at the reception. This is only the second time they’ve been in the same room since our grandmother died and her will was read.”

  “You mean the day everyone found out they’d both had children by your dad?”

  “Exactly.”

  Other than his sister, Sam had no extended family to speak of. His father had passed away when he was sixteen and his mom less than a year later. It was just Sam and Isabel from that point on and they’d had no need for family drama. It had been enough to figure out how to survive. “Okay. Sure. What can I do to help?”

  “Can I have you sit next to my mom during the ceremony? My aunt is several rows back and I convinced Lizzie, the receptionist from Eden’s, to sit with her. Emma and I can worry about them during the reception.”

  Several guests filtered past, carrying elaborately wrapped gifts and chattering away.

  “This isn’t going to be a particularly fun affair for you, is it?”

  “By the looks of it, no.”

  Sam couldn’t help it. It was his inclination to help Mindy whenever she was in a tough spot.

  “Okay, then. Introduce me to your mom.”

  Mindy took Sam’s hand and they wound their way through the crowd gathered to enter the hotel’s grand ballroom. They ducked past the ushers and marched straight down the aisle until they reached the first row.

  “Sit right here.” Mindy pointed to the second seat in. “My mom will be the first one down the aisle after the flower girls.”

  “Who’s walking Sophie up the aisle?”

  “Reginald. Eden’s creative director.”

  “The guy who designs the window displays?”

  Mindy nodded. “He was one of our gram’s closest friends. He’s like an uncle to us.”

  “The store really is an extended family, isn’t it?”

  “Of course it is. That’s why I feel so guilty about it most of the time.”

  Sam studied the look of worry on Mindy’s face. He knew very well her inner conflict over Eden’s. She loved it, but she didn’t like being tied down or told what to do. It would have been a very different situation if she’d chosen to work at Eden’s. But she hadn’t. Her inheritance had been tied to it. “Well, don’t worry about me. I will have no problem taking care of your mom.”

  Mindy leaned down and kissed his cheek, leaving behind a tingle and probably lipstick, too. “You’re the best. Thank you.”

  Sam took his seat. “You’re more than welcome.” He watched as Mindy walked away, her dress swooshing back and forth. She was easily the most complicated woman he’d ever had the pleasure to be with. He usually avoided complications. But there was something about Mindy that made them, at the very least, enticing.

  Guests continued to file in and he took his chance to wave or nod at a few people he hadn’t seen in some time. There was the Langford family, famous for their international telecom business—Adam and his wife, Melanie, and their twin boys. Adam’s sister, Anna, and her financier husband, Jacob Lin, their little girl toddling between them. By the looks of Anna, there was another baby on the way. Joining them was Aiden, the oldest brother in the family, and his wife, Sarah, along with Aiden’s young son.

  The Locke family, owners of the hotel, were on hand, as well. Sawyer, the oldest, and his wife, PR whiz Kendall, along with their daughter. Noah, the youngest, and his wife, Lily. And real estate power couple Charlotte and her husband, Michael. Sam even got a glimpse of a few famous New Yorkers he’d never met, like British gin magnate Marcus Chambers and his wife, television personality Ashley George, better known as the Manhattan Matchmaker.

  Soon enough, the guests had filled the ballroom. The processional music began. Along with everyone else, Sam stood and watched as two flower girls flung flower petals on the aisle runner and scurried to their parents as soon as they could. After that came Jill Eden, Mindy and Sophie’s mom. She had the same flame-red hair as her daughters, but with a stylish streak of silver in the front, and carried herself as a woman who had known nothing less in her life than money and luxury. Sam pushed aside the thoughts of his own mom—they always seemed to creep in at moments like this, when major life events were occurring.

  Jill smiled at Sam when she arrived at the first row. “You must be my wrangler. I’ve heard a lot about you.” She held out her hand and raised an eyebrow, regarding Sam with suspicion. He was more than used to that treatment from members of the Eden family.

  “I’m your honored guest. Nothing more than that.”

  “I have to hand it to my daughter. You’re smooth. And handsome.”

  Sam stifled a grin as they returned their attention to the bridesmaids marching up the aisle. Even now he could see Mindy at the very end and he found his heart thumping harder. It all seemed a
little silly. He wasn’t the type to fall for the romanticism of an event like this, but there was something in the air—a warm feeling he couldn’t put a name on. She smiled as she gracefully stepped her way past the guests, nodding and silently greeting people she knew. But then her sights landed on Sam, their eyes locked and he felt a verifiable jolt in the center of his chest. At any other time in his relationship with Mindy, this would have been par for the course. She had no trouble getting his engine revving. But he’d promised himself he wouldn’t get caught up in her again, and this was the surest sign that he was doing exactly that. He forced himself to look down at his shoes. He’d gotten himself into this and he was going to have to find a way to get himself out.

  “You must be very proud,” Sam said, leaning closer to Jill as Sophie made her slow march up the aisle on the arm of Reginald from Eden’s.

  She nodded. “I am. I just hope it lasts. My marriage was not a good one.”

  Sam found that an odd sentiment for the mother of the bride, but then again, Jill Eden had been burned by her husband, big-time.

  “I should enjoy this while I can,” she muttered out of the side of her mouth. “Sophie might be the only daughter I get to see married. Mindy’s too independent. To her, it’s a trap.”

  Sophie stopped at their row and gave her mom a kiss on the cheek. She ignored Sam, which was fine with him at this point. Then Reginald escorted her the final steps to the altar, where she took her place next to Jake. The officiant invited the guests to take their seats. Meanwhile, Jill’s words about Mindy and her independence echoed in Sam’s head. Mindy and Sam had never discussed marriage. In fact, the subject of commitment had never come up. Not that Sam had been particularly eager to go there, but he hadn’t even had the chance to entertain it with her. It had always been Mindy who put up boundaries and set rules. She seemed to think that Sam had been entirely to blame in their many breakups, but the truth of their situation was that Mindy had always made the call. So perhaps her mother was right. Maybe Mindy saw all of this—commitment and love—as nothing more than an ambush.