Your Captivating Love (The Bennett Family Book 2)

by Layla Hagen

“If you’re referring to my shopping spree...”

  I can imagine her grinning ear to ear at the other end. I didn’t touch this topic when she called to check on me on Monday.

  “You have fantastic taste,” I say. “I know both of you meant well. I just don’t like other people deciding things for me.”

  “Yeah, my brother sometimes does that for no reason. Or, well, I’m sure he does have a reason, but it’s not understandable to us. The whole ‘guys are from Mars, women from Venus’ thing is true. This time, though, I’m on his side.”

  I laugh softly. “Of course you are. See you later.”

  I almost pinch myself after I hang up. My dresses will be in the Bennett show. I feel like I’m flying. As Pippa said, it’ll be their show, not mine, but this is more than I ever dreamed of achieving in such a short time.

  I have two more customers until closing time, and then I receive a call from Archer.

  “Nadine, how have you been?”

  “Great.” I decide to keep the fire incident to myself, but I want to brag about my good news. “A few minutes ago, I was informed that my dresses will be used in the Bennett show at the end of the week.”

  “Congratulations. That’s fantastic news.”

  “I still can hardly believe it.”

  “Why not? Hard work pays off,” he says good-naturedly. I smile.

  “What can I do for you?”

  “I spoke to our buying managers in Milan and Barcelona, and they’d both be happy to carry some of your models.”

  I nearly drop the phone. “Seriously?”

  “Yes. I can forward you the email with the designs they’re interested in. Could you have them ready for shipment in two weeks?”

  “I... Wow. You’re quick. Send me the email and I’ll look into it. Archer, thank you.”

  After I hang up, I call Logan to share the good news.

  “Hello, handsome,” I tell him.

  “Hello back.”

  “I wanted to share some great news with you. Archer called, told me he wants to send a shipment to Milan in two weeks.”

  “Be careful, Nadine.”

  I sigh. I knew this was going to be his reaction, but I still wanted to share the news with him.

  “I am. Didn’t give Archer a definite answer yet. I can handle myself; don’t worry. And don’t get involved. Please.”

  “I won’t.”

  Telling him about Archer isn’t the only reason I called. I also wanted to thank him for Pippa’s invitation but decide against it at the last moment. I’ll surprise my man today. After I hang up, I open Archer’s stores’ website, to do a background check.

  ***

  Logan

  “What do you mean, the loan wasn’t approved?” I yell into my phone.

  “Her financial situation wasn’t deemed good enough for such a large loan. The bank can re-evaluate if we receive new information, but that can take a while, and she’ll default on her old debt if she doesn’t repay it soon.”

  “Fuck this,” I say through gritted teeth. “Pay her old debt from my account.”

  “I’ll need her permission for that.”

  “No, you don’t. We’re friends. Do me this favor, and I’ll tell Nadine about it.” She will not take this well, I know it in my gut, but I won’t sit back and see my woman endure hardships.

  “Fine, but you have a week max to tell her before she’ll find out anyway.”

  “Done.”

  I finish the conversation and look at Blake’s amused face. He sits across from me in my office. He was here when Finn called and heard everything since I had my phone on loudspeaker.

  “Solving everyone’s problems again, brother?” he asks.

  “None of your concern,” I reply in a clipped tone. “Why don’t you tell me why you came to see me?”

  “I’ve started planning Sebastian’s bachelor party.”

  “Let me get this straight. Sebastian’s wedding is six months away, and you already want to plan the bachelor party?”

  Blake nods, stifling a yawn. It’s very late, and almost everyone on my floor has left already. I stare at him in disbelief. My brother, the ultimate spur-of-the-moment guy, who doesn’t even plan one month ahead, is suddenly planning six months ahead.

  “Yeah. Our big brother is getting married. It’ll be the first bachelor party in our family,” he explains. “I’m not leaving anything to chance. The wedding’s for the women; the bachelor party is for the men. It’s hard to bring together a dozen people—”

  “Who have actual jobs? I can’t imagine.”

  Blake narrows his eyes. “Daniel and I are the PR representatives of the company.”

  “You mean showing up at collection shows and bragging? That’s not a real job.”

  “Don’t start. I’m not in the mood for a lecture.”

  “You never are, and I still give them. But I’ll let it slide today.”

  My relationship with Blake and Daniel can be summed up by the following conundrum: I want to strangle them on a daily basis, while also making sure no one else does.

  “Back to the party,” Blake says. “I plan to send our big brother to marriage jail in style.”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “Vegas.”

  I scoff. “That’s your idea of style?”

  “Yeah. Don’t worry, your bachelor party will be in some fancy-ass place where you can wear your cufflinks, and not look ridiculous.”

  I’m not sure how I feel about Blake already thinking about my bachelor party, so I focus on Sebastian.

  Leaning back in my chair, I say, “Maybe Vegas isn’t such a bad idea.”

  “I wasn’t expecting you to give in so easily.” Blake eyes me closely, as if he’s suspecting I’m setting a trap.

  “Why the hell not? If there’s a time for Vegas, it’s then. Not sure how happy Ava and Nadine will be about it, though.”

  Blake picks up a crystal panther I have on my desk, inspecting it. I received it when we struck our first deal with a luxury chain distributor, and it’s been on my desk for more than a decade.

  “Pippa tells me Nadine will be the designer of the next show.” He says this without taking his eyes off the panther, blatantly ignoring my woes at the girls’ disapproval of Vegas.

  “Yeah, I’m very proud of her. It’ll be splendid exposure for her. Summer’s gallery helped a lot too. She made connections. Some good, some dubious.”

  “What do you mean?” He puts the panther back on the desk, training his eyes on me.

  “There’s this guy, Archer Daring.” I tell him quickly about the offer to Nadine.

  “Archer Daring,” Blake sneers. “Even his name sounds suspicious. Did you run a background check on him?”

  “No, Nadine asked me to stay out of it.”

  “So?”

  “So I’m staying out of it.”

  There is a pause, and Blake raises his eyebrows. “Oh, you’re serious. I was waiting for the punchline—something like, ‘I’ve already got my men on it.’”

  “I meant what I said.”

  “You just paid a loan she didn’t ask you to pay. Since when are you keeping out of other people’s business?”

  “I’m working on improving that.”

  “Who are you, and what have you done with Logan?”

  “I’m trying not to be overbearing.”

  Blake chuckles, crossing his arms over his chest. “Well, well, well. The mighty have fallen.”

  “I see this as progress.”

  “We never really agree on anything. Except Vegas. Can’t believe Sebastian is getting married in six months, and you’re in love. It’s scary.”

  It’s my turn to chuckle. Blake shuns commitment, whether commitment means a stable job or a steady girlfriend. Maybe a woman wouldn’t be so bad for him; she could bring him on the right track. I should put Pippa on it. Though, knowing my sister, she’s probably already made a shortlist of potential candidates for him.

  “You have the g
irl; now make sure you keep her.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I stare down at him.

  “As someone who’s mastered the art of screwing up relationships, I’m just saying be careful. Also, not judging you, but you’ve screwed up plenty of times before.”

  Since I cast so much judgment on him, it’s fair that I take some in return.

  “Those weren’t exactly screw-ups. I wasn’t interested in making those relationships last.”

  “I see.”

  Blake opens his mouth, but a knock on the door interrupts us.

  “Come in,” I call out.

  The door opens, and Nadine comes in, wearing an elegant coat... And two seconds after stepping inside, she drops the coat to the floor. She’s stark naked underneath it.

  Then she notices Blake.

  “Oh, my God,” Nadine exclaims. Hurriedly, she covers herself with the coat again.

  “I haven’t seen anything,” Blake says, turning to face the wall. Judging by his grin, he took an eyeful. The bastard.

  Nadine’s blushing, Blake’s biting his fist to keep from laughing, and my dick’s twitching. Perfect.

  “I thought you were alone, Logan,” Nadine says, mortified. She clutches the collar of her coat with both hands. “The security guard said all the employees on your floor have left.”

  “I’m not an employee,” Blake chimes in. “He wasn’t there when I came into the building. Anyway, I’m leaving now.”

  Nadine flattens herself against the wall as Blake heads to the door. She stares at a spot on the carpet the entire time. He doesn’t wipe off his smile, but at least he has the decency not to joke about it in front of her.

  Nadine covers her face with her palms after he leaves. “I’m never going to be able to look Blake in the eyes again.”

  I walk up to her, lying through my teeth. “He didn’t see anything.”

  She peeks at me between her fingers. “You’re lying.”

  “Fine, I am. Let’s forget about him.”

  “I can’t believe this. The first time I was in this building, I soaked my dress and shoved my boobs in your face, and now—”

  “Shh,” I say, fighting not to laugh.

  When she still doesn’t take her hands off her face, I kiss her forehead softly. She smells like oranges, as usual. I’ve never had her smell in my office. It feels good. “I appreciated the view very much. Both times.” I lower my fingers to her collar, but Nadine slaps my hand. Taking a deep breath, she looks up at me. She’s adorable.

  “I’m not ready to be naked in your office right now.”

  I grin. “Okay. I want you to be comfortable.”

  I walk over to my desk, slumping in my seat. She glances around the office with curious eyes, finally joining me behind the desk, leaning against the counter. Knowing that she’s naked underneath the coat makes me so aroused I can barely think straight.

  Still, I try.

  “How come you decided to visit?”

  “Pippa called me today asking if she can use my designs for the show, so I brought the dresses, and wanted to surprise you.”

  “That was definitely a surprise.”

  “I saw pictures of the new collection. The jewels are so beautiful, the sapphires especially.”

  Sapphires would suit her; they’d match her blue eyes. I file that information in my mind for later.

  Nadine smiles, her usual seductive spirit overpowering her lingering embarrassment. About time, because I’ll explode in my pants otherwise.

  “Thank you for putting in a good word for me with Pippa, by the way.”

  “Mmm.” Unable to resist anymore, I pull her in my lap and run my thumb across her lower lip. She takes it in her mouth. Jesus, this woman will kill me. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I know that I should talk to her about the bank situation, but I don’t want to spoil the moment. In fact, I’ll wait until after the show. She has enough on her mind as it is.

  “I thought you’d be difficult.” Her tone is playful as she shifts over the bulge in my pants.

  “What are you talking about?” I manage to ask.

  Her eyes widen. “You have a very strict ‘no sex at the office’ rule. Ava told me about it.”

  I pause in the act of opening the belt of her coat. I do have that rule, but I haven’t even thought about it. The office has been my sanctuary for years. I never brought women here. But Nadine belongs here, just as she belongs in every area of my life.

  “You make me want to break all the rules. Or at least change them. My office. My rules. Strip.” I kiss her passionately, enjoying her soft lips.

  I won’t mess this up.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Logan

  The opportunity to mess things up presents itself two days later, in the form of a call from Blake.

  “I have info about Archer,” Blake says instead of good morning. “I ran a background check on him.”

  “What? Blake, Nadine specifically asked—”

  “You to stay out of it, yeah. But I’m not you—thank God, by the way. Not sure I could handle so many cufflinks. She didn’t forbid me anything, so I did some digging.”

  “Are you trying to kill me?” Gritting my teeth, I rub my forehead. I’m in my office and have a million things to do.

  “Actually, I’m trying to be of service to my older brother. I don’t expect a thank you, don’t worry.”

  “I suppose you wouldn’t call if you’d found out he’s the Dalai Lama.”

  “That’s my brother. I knew there must be some truth to the rumor that you’re smart. And you’re right, I wouldn’t have called.”

  “What did you find on him?”

  Blake has nothing good to share. Archer Daring is a scam artist. He’s doing it smartly, which is why his stores have operated for years, leaving a trail of scammed designers in his wake. There are many roads to success, but crushing the other people in your way is the lowest one to take.

  “I can dig up more dirt,” Blake finishes.

  “No need, I’ll have one of my men in Europe do it.”

  “By the way, now I finally understand your desire to commit. Nadine is hot.”

  “If you ever mention that again, I will punch you.”

  “No deal. I’ll gladly take the punch to see your annoyed face. You’ll never hear the end of it.”

  “Very mature, Blake. Thank you, by the way. For helping with this Archer business.”

  “Welcome. See you at the show.”

  “Bye.”

  I make a few phone calls to some people I know in Europe, requesting a full background check on Archer. The report comes at the end of the day, and I find out how he operates down to the dirtiest detail. It’s all I can do not to smash the guy’s face, or ruin him. That’s what he deserves. He ruined countless unsuspecting designers starting out, and now he’s after Nadine. But he’s in for a nasty surprise. He won’t hurt my woman, not on my watch. I’ve been in the business world a lot longer, and I know all the shades scam artists come in. She doesn’t, but I’ll protect her from it, even if she doesn’t want me to.

  I can crush the bastard and his business in a matter of days.

  ***

  I’m mapping out the best course of action when my phone rings.

  “Hi, Dad.”

  “Hi, Logan. Everything all right, son?”

  “Sure. We’re busy with the collection launch, but that’s not news.” Dealing with Archer is news, though. An idea strikes me—Dad always gives good advice. “Do you and Mom mind if I stop by for dinner tonight?”

  “Sure. We’d love to see Nadine as well.”

  “I’m afraid that won’t be possible.” I chuckle. “She’s with Pippa and Ava in Creative, setting the finishing touches for the show on Friday. They’ll be here until midnight.”

  “All right.”

  “See you in a few hours.”

  “Okay—Wait, your mom is asking if you want her to cook something specific.”

  “N—actually, ye
s. Tell Mom I want apple pie.”

  “Order taken,” Mom’s voice sounds in the background.

  “See you two later.”

  ***

  Somehow, with only five hours’ notice, my mom cooked roast beef, turkey, and pie.

  “Mom, you know it’s just me, right?” I ask, surveying the full table in my parents’ living room. “Not the entire clan?”

  Dad shrugs.

  Mom beams at me from her seat. “I wanted to make soup too, but your father convinced me there was enough food.”

  Dad and I avoid each other’s eyes. Mom is a great cook... most of the time. But somehow, making soup completely escapes her. Dad never had the heart to tell her, and neither did the rest of us.

  Over dinner, they tell me their plans to refurbish our old ranch, and turn it into a bed and breakfast. The ranch was all my parents had many years ago. My father built it with his own hands. When Sebastian asked them to sell it and hand him the money so he could set up Bennett Enterprises, they did it without blinking. It was a huge gamble, but we all trusted Sebastian. It paid off.

  Last year, the ranch was up for sale, and Sebastian bought it back and gave it to my parents as an anniversary present.

  “It’ll give us something to do, running the B&B,” Mom says happily.

  “It’s a great idea,” I say. My parents don’t need the money, but I understand where they’re coming from. They are used to hard work, yet the second Bennett Enterprises turned a profit, Sebastian and I took care of all their financial worries, basically forbidding them to work. It seemed like a good idea to us at the time, but it wasn’t the best for our parents.

  “I’ll leave you boys to talk,” Mom says after we finish the pie. My puzzlement must register on my face because she adds, “You always request pie when you want to talk to your dad.”

  “I do?” The things parents notice will never cease to amaze me.

  “Yes,” she confirms, leaving the room with a smile.

  “Spit it out, son,” Dad says.

  I tell him everything about the situation with Nadine and Archer. That I discovered Archer’s a bastard, and that Nadine asked me not to get involved, but it’s hard for me not to step in and flat-out ruin that son of a bitch.

  “Son, you were always overprotective. When you were young and were watching Blake and Daniel learning to walk, you were hovering around them, catching them every time they were about to fall.”