"Why aren't you upset?" Calder demanded of her fiancé. "You know what he did."
"You and your sisters agreed to let Noah help with the Ingo Hunter mess," Adam pointed out. "Now, he's here. What's the problem?"
"I don't need calm and logical," Calder said. "I need outrage. You spend one evening with the guy bonding, and suddenly your loyalty shifts from Andi to him?"
"My loyalty is firmly where it should be." Adam tugged Calder from her seat until she sat on his lap. "With you. Always."
"Mush." Bryce made a face at her sister.
"You didn't complain this morning when we got a little mushy." Zach chuckled when Bryce stuck out her tongue. "Ain't true love grand?"
"Pretty much." Bryce beamed, pressing a kiss to Zach's lips.
As he watched the uninhibited displays of affection, Noah felt a wealth of emotions. Jealousy was the worst. Regret came in a close second. He and Andi. They'd be married by now. When he thought of all he'd missed because of doubts and pride, he was ready for a thorough ass-kicking. Let Adam and Zach do their worst. He wouldn't raise a hand to stop them.
"About Andi." Calder wasn't ready to let the subject drop. "We—"
"Need to let me handle my own problems."
"When we agreed to ask Noah to help, we didn't think we'd have to deal with him in our home." Bryce shot him an accusatory look. "In our kitchen."
"Do you want me to go?" Noah posed the question to Andi and Andi alone. Hers was the only opinion he cared about.
"I'd like to talk. Alone."
"Call if you change your mind," Calder told her sister. "I say Adam can take him."
"Thank you, my love."
The last thing Noah saw as he left the kitchen was Adam's face, beaming with pride and love.
"Seems like Bryce and Calder are happy."
"They are."
"Are you?"
Selfishly, Noah wanted Andi to say no. He'd read about the man in her life. Bile rose in his throat. The man in her life. Just the thought made him sick. And angry. He opened the door for her to fall in love with someone else. How could he blame her if she walked through and into the arms of Gerry Norton?
On paper, a slick lawyer with political ambitions should be Andi's type. Maybe her tastes had changed. Maybe she liked a man with polish from a conventional family who learned by osmosis which fork to use in any situation.
Noah wasn't that man. True, he'd acquired a bit of a sheen since he'd been away. He liked his shirts tailor-made and suits with designer labels. But he hadn't entirely lost his rough edges. Once upon a time, some called him a wildcard—emphasis on the wild—because they never knew how he might react from one moment to the next.
As he waited for Andi's answer, he proved how much he'd matured. Inside, he was a roiling inferno of need and worry. On the outside, utterly cool. However, an ice cube could take lessons in cool from Andi. She'd mastered the art of the freeze. At one time, he could bring her to a boil with one kiss.
Had times changed? Noah wished he had the nerve to find out.
"Business is booming."
"But are you happy? Anyone special in your life?"
"Anything personal is off limits, Noah."
"I'll tell you if you tell me."
What the hell? Noah had no idea why he would say such a thing. He wasn't ashamed of his less than monk-like lifestyle. But he didn't want to brag either. Especially to Andi.
"Not interested."
She tapped her foot on the marble floor, a sure sign she wasn't as in control as she wanted him to believe. For the first time, Noah felt a sliver of hope. He didn't have the right to take her into his arms. A kiss would be out of the question.
However, a little teasing to rile her up for old time's sake? Noah knew the impulse was a bad one and might give him deeper shit to wade through. But damn it, he was only human—especially where Andi was concerned. He couldn't resist the opportunity to watch her eyes glow a heated green instead of the frozen chunks of ice he saw now.
"You threatened to hurt me if I were still here when you came downstairs." To add fuel to the fire of his taunt, he turned his back and bent over. "Here's my ass, Anderson. Kick away. If you have the nerve."
Noah knew Andi would fume. He wasn't surprised when the fair skin of her face flushed a becoming pink. What he didn't expect was for her to take him up on his offer and kick his ass.
"Ouch!" Noah yelped. Pain radiated from his backside, down his legs, and up his back. As with everything else, when Andi did something, she did it with complete conviction. "What the hell?"
"You hurt me, Noah. You shouldn't be surprised I'd take such a perfect chance to hurt you back."
Righteous, gorgeous, and still mad as all get out, Andi turned and walked, head held high, back to the kitchen.
Rubbing his butt, Noah closed his eyes, let out the breath he'd held since he walked into the Benedict mansion for the first time in over three years, and then? He grinned. Damn, he loved her. Always had. Always would. Now, all he had to do was convince her she felt the same.
~~~~
SEETHING, ANDI KEPT her back straight until the kitchen door closed behind her. Andi would have died before she gave Noah the satisfaction of knowing she'd hurt herself on his hard ass.
"How's your foot?"
"You watched?" Andi wasn't surprised when all five heads nodded yes. "Then you already know the answer. My foot hurts. A lot. Give me a hand."
In a flash, Bryce and Calder were by her side. They helped her limp toward a stool where they carefully gave her a boost up.
"Think you broke a toe?" Frowning with worry, Calder lifted Andi's foot onto a corresponding chair.
"The instep is awfully red." Bryce leaned close. "Maybe we should get you to the emergency room for x-rays."
"Move aside, amateurs." The ever-efficient Mrs. Finch watched as Bryce and Calder scooted back enough for her to get next to Andi, but no more. "Give me a little breathing room, girls. Go finish your breakfast."
Grumbling, Calder and Bryce reluctantly did as they were told. But as they picked at their food, they kept a concerned eye on their sister.
"How are you doing?" Mrs. Finch, her warm smile a balm no amount of fancy medicine could match, expertly ran her cool hands over Andi's ankle and worked downward.
"Never should have kicked him without a steel-enforced work boot on my foot," Andi hissed when Mrs. F. flexed her big toe. "Stupid. I let him goad me."
"Yes." Mrs. Finch's lips twitched. To her credit, she suppressed the urge to smile. "Noah didn't think you'd kick him. The look of surprised pain on his face was priceless."
"Was he always such a jerk?" Andi looked toward her sisters for help. "Did my feelings for him all those years ago blind me?"
"I—" Bryce shrugged, but whatever her opinion, Andi bulldozed over with her own.
"Nobody changes that much in three years. My eyes were clouded by moonbeams and lollipops and whatever else love does to a woman's vision."
"Can't say I've seen any lollipops." Calder patted Adam's hand. "Sorry, my love."
"Never was a fan of lollipops. Artificially flavored sugar. Blah."
"Are you making fun of me?" Where was the sisterly, no matter what, support? "I suppose you think I overacted? I shouldn't have taken Noah up on his offer?"
"Are you kidding? He gave you a free shot." Bryce chuckled. "Baby, you walloped his ass. Too bad your poor foot had to pay the price."
"Nothing broken," Mrs. Finch declared with absolute certainty. "You'll be sore for a few days. Plenty of ice packs. And no high heels."
"What?" Horrified, Andi was certain she'd misheard. "Heels are my life. My raison d'etre. People expect me to maintain a certain standard of fashion. What will happen to my brand? My livelihood?"
"Cue the crocodile tears." Bryce rolled her eyes, smiling at Zach. "You've just witnessed what we sisters refer to as Hambone Andi. The real reason she chose fashion over acting?"
&nb
sp; "Great artist. Lousy actress," Calder chimed in.
"Forget my foot. The real pain was applied by my sisters." Andi slid from the stool, clutching her heart. "I'm hurt. Deeply, irreparably injured."
Bryce retrieved an ever-present ice pack from the freezer. With a warm hug, she handed the item to Andi.
"You, my dear, are hilarious."
"That too." Andi winked at her sister's grinning fiancés. "I'll be in my room, nursing my wounded pride, if you need me."
"Want some help?" Calder winced as she watched Andi hobble from the room. "I volunteer Adam. He's a first-rate woman carrier."
Adam, dear, sweet man that he was, jumped to his feet, ready to help. Andi waved him off.
"Thank you for the offer. I'm fine. For once, I can take the elevator, and no one will give me a hard time. Right?"
"Destry's the elevator stickler." Bryce snatched the last bite of roll from Zach's plate, smiling at her fiancé's warning look. "Go. Enjoy the novelty."
The second Andi was gone, Calder scampered to the door, just to be certain.
"All clear." She met Bryce's gaze. "Well?"
"No doubt she still loves Noah."
"He's a goner over her," Adam assured the sisters. "If you'd seen the guy's face last night. Every time Andi's name was mentioned, he looked positively pathetic."
"Question is, does he deserve a second chance?" Worry, especially over someone she loved, was the best way to kill Bryce's indefatigable appetite. Frowning, she toyed with her food. "We played Cupid the first time around and look what happened."
Zach gave Bryce's arm a comforting rub.
"You know how I feel about Andi. She's my sister, and I love her." Bryce's expression turned gooey, adoration shining from her eyes.
"Isn't he the best?"
"A-1," Calder sighed. "What's your point, Zach?"
"Let Andi and Noah figure things out for themselves."
"In other words, don't interfere?" Bryce asked.
"Exactly."
She and Calder burst out laughing. Resigned, Zach exchanged shrugs with Adam.
"They plan to stick their noses right in the middle."
"Absolutely." Used to the Benedict sisters' way of doing things, Adam grinned.
"Should we tell Andi what we know?" Calder's expression grew thoughtful. "The information Noah shared with Adam and Zach explains a lot."
"But not everything," Bryce pointed out. "We'll keep what we know to ourselves and give Noah a chance to redeem himself. If he doesn't, then we tell Andi."
"She won't thank us for keeping quiet."
"Hopefully, by the time she finds out what we know, she'll be so happy she gives us a pass."
Calder snorted. "Andi? She has a long memory."
"We have a big advantage in our favor." Bryce slung her arm around her sister. "She loves us."
"And we love her."
"There you go." Her appetite fully restored, Bryce dove into what remained of her breakfast, and Zach's. She lifted her glass of juice. "To Andi and Noah. May they find their happiness."
The sisters clinked glasses.
"And if Noah screws up again?" Calder paused for dramatic effect. "Here's to Destry. She'll know where to bury the body."
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
~~~~
I LOVE MY sisters. I LOVE MY sisters. I LOVE MY sisters.
Over the next week, Andi repeated the words to herself again and again and again. The phrase became her mantra every time she tripped over Noah Brennan. She knew Bryce and Calder were behind his constant presence in their home.
Her sisters gave Noah an office to use, located one floor below hers. Since he was there to help them with their Ingo Hunter infestation, she didn't raise a fuss. Naturally, Mrs. Finch felt she had the duty to feed him. However, three meals a day plus snacks seemed like overkill. Still, Andi kept her objections to herself.
The proverbial straw that broke the camel's back, and Andi's patience, was when they turned him back into the Benedict family handyman—with his obvious consent. Worst of all, Calder and Bryce had disappeared.
"They left town?" Andi couldn't believe her ears. "Both of them?"
Mrs. Finch nodded, her expression innocent.
"Together?"
"With their fiancés. Something about a long weekend on Zach's island."
Zach Devlin owned a private island off the coast. Once his main residence, since he and Bryce fell in love, he spent most of his time in the city.
"A long weekend? Starting on Monday?" Andi's patience stretched to wire thin. "Mrs. F.—"
"My mistake." The housekeeper laughed as if she didn't hear Andi's growl of frustration. "Bryce told me they'd be gone for the week, not the weekend."
"You never make mistakes." Mrs. Finch kept track of her girls' whereabouts—always.
"Must be getting old." With another lilting laugh, she cracked an egg into a bowl. "Run along. My ladies club has a bake sale scheduled for tomorrow, and I promised to bring six dozen cookies."
"About Noah—"
"You need to find Noah? Why didn't you say so?" Mrs. Finch rushed to interrupt Andi while she carefully measured cup after cup of flour. "I asked him to change a burned-out light bulb."
Fine, Andi thought with a sigh. If she couldn't deal with her sisters or Mrs. Finch, she'd go to the source of her problems.
"Where is he?"
"In the first-floor linen closet."
Filled with righteous indignation, Andi strode across the foyer. She was so intent on her goal—a chance to give Noah a piece of her mind—she was halfway there when she remembered. Her steps slowed as she walked down the secluded hallway to the place where she and Noah first made love.
No, she corrected herself. Where they first had sex. Love, tenderness, and emotion came later. The first time was a culmination of weeks of want and need. After trying for too long to dodge the inevitable, she ravaged Noah. Luckily, he ravaged her back.
Andi felt her heart constrict before the blood pounded with a wicked beat. Damn, damn, damn. If life were fair, time would have rendered the uncontrollable passion she felt for Noah null and void. Instead, her feelings for him seemed stronger and more intense than ever.
Noah was still the only man who could make her so angry she could spit nails, and so alive her skin tingled with what she could only describe as a painful yet breathtaking awareness.
Damn him. And damn her. She wasn't a weak person. But where Noah was concerned, she had the backbone of a bowl of Jell-O.
Andi paused outside the small wooden door as she tried to gather her riotous emotions into a semblance of calm. Breathe. Breathe. Oh, what the hell. Sometimes calm and rational were overrated. Sometimes, like now, she had to follow her heart.
Without preamble, Andi burst into the tiny closet. Noah looked startled, but to his credit, his only reaction was a small jump. Dressed in a light-gray suit, his jacket open, his tie slightly askew, he looked like a million bucks. Or many, many millions, to be more accurate. In contrast to his upscale wardrobe, he stood on a footstool as he replaced one light bulb with another.
"Anderson." Noah stepped down. He tossed the burned-out bulb in the trash and swallowed. "I—"
"Don't say a word."
"But—"
"Not. A. Word."
Andi grabbed Noah by his impeccably tailored silk shirt and pushed him against the linen-filled shelves. Their eyes met for a moment. Long enough for her to see a wild, answering heat in the intense blue depths of his gaze.
Too long. The thought zinged through her brain the moment their lips met. And then, she couldn't think at all. In a flash, Noah's kisses brought the world to a halt. With one knowing touch, he became the center of her universe. And before she knew what happened, the craving she thought she'd conquered rushed back more intense than ever.
All Andi wanted to do was sink into Noah and forget everything else.
"Nothing else matters," he whispered ag
ainst her neck, his voice ragged. "Only you. Always you."
Only? Always? Andi's eyes flew open. Angry with herself, she gave Noah a shove.
"I told you not to speak."
"What?" Noah looked as confused as Andi felt. "What did I say?"
"The wrong thing." She pushed her way past him. "I'm a fool. And you're…"
"What?" Noah growled, shoving a hand through his hair. "What am I, Anderson?"
"You're such a…" Her fog-drenched brain searched for the right word. A way to communicate her anger, and hurt, and confusion. "You're such a man!"
Pleased with her choice, Andi slammed out of the closet. She was halfway down the hall when Noah called after her.
"What the hell do you mean?" he yelled, frustration dripping from his voice. "Of course I'm a man. What else would I be?"
Andi almost laughed. She didn't expect Noah to understand. But she did. He was a man. Her man.
She headed up the stairs. Before they could move forward, they had to confront the past. Questions needed to be answered. Wounds needed to heal.
Taking her key, she entered her room, flopping onto her bed. Touching her lips. One kiss would never be enough. Smiling, she hugged herself close and realized what had been missing from her life for so long.
Good old-fashioned hope.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
~~~~
"THE HALIBUT SOUNDS good. Says the chef sautés it in butter." Gerry patted his flat stomach. "Too many calories."
"The waiter can ask him to broil the fish instead," Andi said as she sipped her wine.
"Of course." Beaming at her as if she'd found the cure to the common cold, Gerry set aside his menu. "I can always count on you to come up with the perfect solution."
Andi suppressed a sigh and smiled. She wished herself anywhere but here. Unfortunately, her innate sense of right and wrong wouldn't let her break up with Gerry over the phone. Dinner wasn't the perfect solution, but in fairness to the man she'd dated for almost a year, she had to end their relationship tonight.
Maybe things would work out with Noah, maybe not. Either way, Gerry deserved to know the truth.
Three Wishes_A Second Chance at Love Contemporary Romance Page 20
