Harlequin Desire June 2021--Box Set 1 of 2

by Katherine Garbera

  Sienna went on to answer their questions about Teagan’s adoption, leaving out how their mother had preferred her beautiful adopted daughter over the plain child she’d given birth to.

  “Congratulations on your recent engagement,” Sienna said to Montgomery, pushing her ineffectual frustration aside for the time being. “Have you set a date for your wedding?”

  Aaron gave a rough laugh and clapped his brother on the shoulder. “If Hy’s smart she’ll tie the knot with this one before he wanders off to greener pastures.”

  Montgomery shot his younger brother a quelling look. “Hyacinth wants to be a June bride and needs a year to plan the wedding.”

  “At least,” Byron muttered in amusement.

  Sienna turned her gaze on Aaron. “And congratulations to you, as well. Your wife said she’s due next month and that you’re having a girl. Are you looking forward to being a father?”

  “Is anyone?” Aaron gave another hearty laugh.

  Sienna was disconcerted by his thoughtless comment and Montgomery’s inappropriate regard. Was their boorish behavior a symptom of rot within their family or just a case of overcompensation because of their insecurities? She couldn’t help but mark the contrast between their rudeness and the way Teagan had been welcomed with open arms by the Wattses.

  “I understand your grandfather started Gates Multimedia in the late sixties,” she said, to no brother in particular. “Do all of you work for the company?”

  “I do,” Montgomery said. “I’m the president of Gates Technology.” He stated this with a pompous air, then tipped his glass to indicate the youngest brother. “Byron is the regional manager for our broadcast network on the West Coast and our father is CFO.”

  “Carolina is lucky to have so many family members that she can count on.” No one seemed to hear the irony in her voice so she turned to Aaron and asked, “What is it you do?”

  Montgomery spoke up before his brother could. “Aaron has dabbled in quite a few ventures, but hasn’t found anything that suits him.”

  Deep resentment filled the gaze Aaron directed at his brother. “I’m between projects at the moment.”

  After making both his brothers uncomfortable, a satisfied smile twisted Montgomery’s lips. “And what is it you do?”

  Sienna explained her business, and then went a step further and shared her sister’s early business successes, all the while wondering if she imagined the surprise on both their faces. There was no question in her mind that their mother and romantic partners were not interested in pursuing careers. They came from wealthy families and while they might have dabbled in some sort of work, once they settled on a husband, they intended on dedicating all their energies to being the perfect wife and mother.

  Did it bother them that the person in charge at Gates Multimedia was a woman?

  At dinner, Sienna found herself seated between Byron and Montgomery. As everyone sat down, Sienna noticed that while she and Ethan had been expertly separated, the rest of the assembled couples had remained paired up. Divide and conquer? She caught Ethan’s eye and noted that he too had recognized the ploy. A thrill went through her at their silent communication. It seemed implausible that they’d only met a week ago and yet their minds were already operating along similar lines. Or maybe it was just wishful thinking on her part.

  The last person with whom she’d developed a quick and powerful connection had been her best friend, Gia. The two had immediately clicked freshman year and supported each other through four years of college and beyond. Sienna couldn’t imagine her life without Gia in it. If that was the same attachment she was developing with Ethan, what changes did her future hold? What if their relationship was a one-sided affair? She’d heard enough stories of Ethan’s romantic escapades to recognize that he wasn’t the sort to commit. Was she on the verge of putting too much of herself into their affair only to end up disappointed and hurt?

  Montgomery raised his eyebrows. “So you and our cousin aren’t dating?”

  Caught off guard by the blunt question, Sienna’s cheeks heated beneath Montgomery’s scrutiny. What label did she apply to their romance when she wasn’t sure where things were headed? “We’re...friends.”

  “Seems like there’s a little bit more to it.” Montgomery’s gaze dropped to her lips and then lowered to her breasts. “Or maybe he doesn’t know a good thing when it’s right under his nose.”

  Sienna’s cheeks heated even as outrage surged through her. Surely the man couldn’t be hitting on her with his fiancée sitting beside him. She glanced to where Hyacinth was deep in conversation with her future father-in-law before glancing across the table and noticing Ethan’s stony gaze fixed on Montgomery. Had he seen the interaction and wondered what was going on? His displeasure worried her. The last thing she wanted to do was cause trouble between Ethan and his new relatives.

  “We understand Ethan and his father work for Watts Shipping,” Byron began as soon as the waiter had taken their drink orders.

  Sienna saw past the younger man’s polite curiosity to the concern that Carolina’s newfound son might be interested in joining Gates Multimedia and the detrimental consequences that could have on their futures.

  “At the moment,” she said. “His grandfather was chairman of the board until his stroke a few months back. He’s been steadily improving and has taken back some of his duties.”

  “But he has a brother and several cousins,” Byron continued. “They don’t have any interest in the family business?”

  As long as she stuck to public information, Sienna saw no harm in answering these questions. “His brother, Paul, owns a cybersecurity company. Ethan also has twin cousins. One is a chef, the other a hairdresser.”

  “It sounds as if Ethan is the one most likely to run his family’s company in the future,” Montgomery piped up, exchanging a satisfied glance with his brother.

  “I wouldn’t know.” Sienna thought about the panic that would set in with her dinner companions if she mentioned Teagan’s ambition regarding Watts Shipping. “But it seems as if that would make sense.”

  The waiter brought their drinks, and Sienna took the opportunity to change the subject. The rest of the dinner was an ordeal as she parried questions about Ethan, declaring that they’d only known each other a short time and his cousins would be better off asking him directly. She continuously redirected the conversation to generic topics like the city of Savannah and got them to discuss their own lives.

  She discovered Byron and his girlfriend, Melinda, had gone to the same high school, but hadn’t begun dating until after college. The pretty redhead was the most down-to-earth of all the women involved with the Pruitt boys. Montgomery deferred to his fiancée about their upcoming wedding and Hyacinth’s plans carried them through the dessert course.

  When no one seemed eager to linger over coffee, Sienna was thrilled to bid her dinner companions goodbye, assure Carolina how nice it had been to meet her and escape to the powder room. By the time she reached the sidewalk outside the restaurant, Ethan was standing alone and frowning at his cell phone. He was so absorbed that he didn’t notice her approach until she spoke.

  “Is something wrong?”

  His head whipped up and he shoved the phone into his pocket. “Not a thing.”

  “Are you sure? You look upset.”

  At first the smile he offered her seemed a little strained around the edges, but after he wrapped his arm around her waist and deposited a sizzling kiss on her lips, she lost track of her concern.

  “Let’s get out of here,” he murmured against her ear. “It’s our last night in Savannah and I want it to be memorable.”

  Sienna tunneled her fingers into his thick hair and let her kiss communicate her total agreement to that plan.

  TEN

  Sunday morning, Ethan left Sienna slumbering and crossed Forsyth Park to have breakfast with his mother. He
was no more eager to have a conversation about her offer to join Gates Multimedia than he was to deal with the ongoing battle between his ever-increasing emotional attachment to Sienna and the events—pointed to by the anonymous caller and confirmed last night by Paul—that depicted her as a liar and a cheat. If she’d been any other woman, Ethan would’ve immediately ended their association. But the thought of never seeing Sienna again aroused an ache that couldn’t be wished or willed away.

  Entering his mother’s house, Ethan pushed Sienna to the back of his mind and followed the maid into the dining room where Carolina sat in a voluminous caftan, sipping coffee. He greeted her and sat down, smiling absently as she poured him a cup from the coffeepot beside her and handed it over.

  “Thank you for last night’s dinner,” she began, a warm expression in her brown eyes. “I think everyone enjoyed themselves.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.” On the way over Ethan had debated whether to continue the fiction that all was well, or to come clean about his thoughts. “Although I suspect not everyone was happy to welcome a new family member.” If he hadn’t kept a close eye on his mother’s reaction, he might’ve missed her microgrimace. “They already suspect you’ve invited me to join the company.”

  “You’re my son. The company should be yours.”

  Ethan resisted a grimace of his own. He didn’t want to shut any doors, but what she was offering him could change everything. And not necessarily for the better. “I appreciate where you’re coming from, but you barely know me. And there’s my position at Watts Shipping to consider. I can’t just walk away and leave them hanging.”

  Yet wasn’t that exactly what he could do? With Teagan actively working to take away what all along had been his, it would be the perfect solution for everyone. Nor could he ignore how long he’d been pondering an opportunity like what his mother was offering. So what accounted for his resistance?

  “I understand that this is all very sudden,” Carolina said. “All I’m asking is for you to give it some thought. Maybe come down and spend some time with me getting to know the business. See if you like it.”

  Her request was completely reasonable and despite the disquiet roiling in his gut, Ethan found himself agreeing to do just that. The conversation shifted to a discussion of his cousins. Carolina had a lot to say about Montgomery’s upcoming wedding and Aaron’s pending fatherhood. Despite her attempts to sound positive, Ethan could tell she wasn’t fully sold on any of the Pruitt siblings, although she seemed most optimistic about Byron.

  They lingered over breakfast longer than Ethan intended and he suddenly realized the time to head back to Charleston was fast approaching. His mother escorted him to the front door and bid him goodbye with a sad smile. Her forlorn expression made him regret that he couldn’t stay a few more days. Before heading out, Ethan impulsively bent to kiss her cheek, the first show of affection he’d initiated. Eyes bright with unshed tears, Carolina set her fingertips over the spot and watched from the doorway as he headed down the walk.

  Light-headed, with heart thumping madly in his chest, he crossed the street. His emotional response to leaving Carolina plagued him as he strode across the park. The gush of fondness felt like a betrayal of the woman who’d raised him. He barely knew Carolina and it was certainly too soon for him to claim he loved her, but some emotion had him solidly in its grip.

  After entering the house, Ethan completed a quick circuit of both floors and found no sign of Sienna. No doubt she was taking one final stroll around the historic district. He shook off the niggling disappointment at her absence. When had he become a man who craved the company of one particular woman? The answer followed him into the bedroom they’d shared.

  Sienna’s voice reached his ears as he collected his charger from the nightstand. She was in the courtyard behind the house. Opening the door that led to the back terrace, Ethan was about to let her know he was back when he realized who was on the other end of the call.

  “Honestly, Teagan,” Sienna said, “this is a huge deal and you absolutely can’t tell anyone in the family about it.”

  Even though he wasn’t surprised Sienna had betrayed him to her sister, he was astonished how much it hurt. Counting on her to have his back had been a risk, especially with what he’d been warned to expect from Teagan.

  “Because no one knows.” Sienna’s reply was everything Ethan had been dreading. “He hasn’t said anything to his family yet.”

  In a weak attempt to change the topic, Sienna started going on about all that she’d seen around town.

  “Savannah’s a bit different from Charleston. The historic district contains more than twenty squares and several churches. The house we’re staying at is across from Forsyth Park and I’ve visited a couple really nice museums.”

  Obviously, Teagan wasn’t to be distracted because after a momentary pause to listen, Sienna dropped all talk of Savannah.

  “I think it’s a little premature to talk about whether or not Ethan’s going to inherit,” Sienna responded in a quelling tone.

  Silence filled the courtyard for several seconds before Sienna spoke again.

  “If Ethan became CEO of Gates Multimedia, that would make things a lot easier for you, wouldn’t it? Then the way would be clear for you to be the CEO of Watts Shipping.”

  Ethan hadn’t really needed the warning emails. Teagan hadn’t exactly been subtle about learning all about Watts Shipping’s operations, and then demonstrating her business savvy in lengthy conversations with the current CEO. His dad had taken several of her suggestions under advisement and Grady, current chairman of the board, was singing her praises.

  Still, it wasn’t Teagan’s machinations that bothered him at the moment, but the information she was receiving from Sienna. Caught up in meeting his birth family, he’d forgotten to be wary.

  “Sure,” Sienna said bitterly. “It’s a win-win for everybody.”

  In the silence following her statement, Ethan’s thoughts whirled. While Teagan’s eagerness to poach his position at Watts Shipping annoyed him to no end, he couldn’t deny the simplicity of her suggestion.

  “And if he doesn’t want to work for Gates Multimedia?” Sienna asked, letting her annoyance come through loud and clear. “I should convince him?”

  Lost in the passion of their strong sexual connection, he’d lost track of her role in her sister’s schemes.

  “You’re crazy if you believe that he’s into me that much.”

  Ethan pondered Teagan’s opinion and considered how he’d been feeling these last few days. His gut clenched when he remembered Sienna’s hands roaming hungrily over him. Her passionate kisses. The sexy sounds she made. The thought of all that incredible sex being a vehicle for Teagan’s ambition made him sick.

  “He’s not falling in love with me,” Sienna protested, sounding oddly withdrawn. “I don’t care what his family says.”

  Ethan’s hands balled into fists. That his family had been speculating about his feelings for Sienna didn’t surprise him. Nor was he shocked that Teagan had encouraged her sister to capitalize on how smitten he appeared to be about her.

  But Sienna confiding his private business to her sister after he requested she not reveal the information until he could share it with his parents was a betrayal he couldn’t stomach. Especially not when he was poised on the brink of falling for her.

  Ethan had heard enough. He eased the French door closed and retreated. In so many ways, it was almost a relief to have his suspicions confirmed. Now he could stop worrying about fighting whatever emotions had begun to develop. Proof of her deception meant that he wouldn’t give her a second thought when she returned to New York. Even before she’d shown her true colors, the possibility that anything between them could survive beyond these couple weeks had been crazy. Their interlude had been a means to an end. A way to keep tabs on what Teagan was up to.

  Today’s overhea
rd conversation demonstrated why he’d developed a relationship with Sienna. Now that he was in possession of valuable insight about how Teagan intended to use her sister, he was free to do whatever it took to mislead his rival.

  * * *

  The weekend in Savannah was fast becoming a precious memory as the city vanished in the distance behind them. Sienna sat in the passenger seat beside Ethan and fought back melancholy. The intense connection that had developed during their time together these past few days had surpassed anything she’d ever experienced. Being with him as he’d navigated the emotional storm of meeting his birth mother and his blood relatives had connected them at a spiritual level she hadn’t expected. The glimpse of his fears and insecurities had allowed Sienna to drop her guard. With their true selves exposed, they’d come together in bed with feverish urgency and the sex had blown her mind.

  And now they were heading back to Charleston and she had to face the fact it was almost over. Already, she’d lingered beyond the original few days she’d planned to stay. All too soon she would be heading back to New York City. Back to isolation and the grind of long days spent flying around the world, brutally awakened to the realization that filling her hours with work wasn’t the solution to loneliness.

  She glanced at Ethan’s profile. Maybe that could change. He hadn’t come out and declared that he wanted to see more of her, and she might be kidding herself that he had felt anything for her beyond desire, but the fact that he’d invited her to Savannah said something. But now, with Ethan being so uncharacteristically silent, Sienna wondered if she was on his mind at all.

  Before they’d left, he’d gone alone to have breakfast with his mother and said little since returning. No doubt leaving Carolina was difficult after having just found her. Or had he made a decision about her offer to join Gates Multimedia? He’d shut her down when she’d asked, claiming he had a lot of thinking to do.