The Secret Twin

by Catherine Mann

  No sooner had Ward and Brea passed off their coats than his date bolted away, under the guise of talking to Felicity and Delaney. The duo stood by a crackling fire, sipping wine. Waitstaff walked from person to person, offering roasted-eggplant pâté on pita bread and gnocchi with cambozola and red crab. Another waiter flourished a tray with Alaskan oysters and Neapolitan seafood mousse.

  But Ward’s attention was still on Brea. His smile faded. He didn’t want to frighten her. When he’d roped her into this pretend relationship, he’d been so focused on protecting the company, he hadn’t thought much about what she’d been through, losing her family, for all intents and purposes kidnapped. He needed to weigh his next move carefully to protect the business. And yes, to protect this woman too, if she was somehow as vulnerable as she’d looked in that flash before she’d retreated.

  A tap on the shoulder had him looking away to turn and find Broderick Steele, Brea’s oldest brother. “We need to have a talk. Are you actually dating my sister?”

  “Why is that a question? I already announced that we are, and we came here together.” Had Brea said something to tip off her brother? Ward studied the man in front of him—the eldest Steele was a carbon copy of his father.

  “You barely know her,” Broderick said. “She’s hardly speaking to our family. We don’t know if we can trust her. Shall I keep listing the reasons why this seems like the strangest relationship ever?”

  Broderick was sharp from years in the boardroom.

  But so was Ward.

  “She’s an attractive woman.” His gaze landed on her all over again, enjoying the way she looked in her red sheath dress with long sleeves and a low back. “Circumstances drew us together. We have chemistry. It’s nothing serious at this point, but we’re giving it a go. How’s that for a list?”

  “She’s fragile.” Broderick’s shoulders braced protectively as he tightened his grip on his lowball glass.

  “You clearly don’t know Brea—the woman she is now—as well as you think.” Even considering that moment of fear in her face, he knew how brave she must be to face all of them after what she’d been through.

  But brave didn’t necessarily equate with honest.

  “That could be true,” Broderick conceded, tipping his drink from one side to the other, making the ice cubes clink against cut crystal. “I’m not sure anyone does know who she is now, since she’s playing things so close to the vest. What if your relationship explodes in your face?”

  Ward glanced across the room to where Brea stood with the other women by the thick cream-colored curtains. Her dark features schooled into practiced neutrality. “Then that would be a damn shame, but I don’t see what it has to do with my contract with the company.”

  Broderick’s eyebrows raised as his face became tight, foreboding as a winter storm. “It could make things awkward for you with the family if you two are tangled up with each other.”

  “Could. But it won’t. I’m a professional.” And if Brea really was intent on harming the company in some way, he was the only one likely to push hard enough to figure it out. Her family seemed to just want her back, no matter what she’d done.

  He understood that feeling well after losing his stepdaughter. But he couldn’t let it jeopardize what he was building here at Alaska Oil Barons, Inc. He had big plans for the company, working with Royce Miller to implement his inventions for the safer transportation of fuel and alternative energy sources. Delaney Steele was also an advocate with strong connections. He had a chance to make a difference.

  Broderick eyed him skeptically. “Do you actually think life is that simple?”

  “Sometimes it is. Sometimes it isn’t,” he answered as honestly as possible, given the circumstance.

  “Okay then, I’ll make this clear and simple for you.” Broderick’s voice dropped an octave as he leaned closer. “Be careful with my sister. Because even if I don’t know exactly who she has become, she is—and always will be—my sister. If you hurt her, there won’t be a place in Alaska remote enough for you to hide.”

  “Message heard.” Ward met Broderick’s icy gaze with all the warmth of a tropical island. With a boardroom smile, he inclined his head. “Now I have a date. With your sister.”

  And despite all the warnings—from Broderick, and from his own wary nature—Ward very much looked forward to kissing her good-night on her doorstep.

  Three

  If someone had told her a year ago that she would have a subdued casual dinner out with her family, Brea would have called them crazy. But with Ward at her side, she’d faced the Steeles—and the questionable Mikkelsons—through a whole five-course meal.

  She’d almost managed to quell her nerves. Almost.

  And now that she stood outside her apartment door with the sexy new CEO of Alaska Oil Barons, Inc., her heart raced. He stared down at her with mesmerizingly blue eyes, seeming to see deep inside her. Was that an illusion? Or did Ward Benally somehow have insights into her that her own family—and even she herself—lacked?

  The idea was crazy, of course. He was only going through with this dating scheme to keep tabs on her. But she couldn’t deny that their connection felt personal. And that, despite all the reasons she shouldn’t trust him, she felt a level of ease in his presence.

  Except for right now, when she also felt something dangerously close to...temptation.

  “Dinner was nice. The food was delicious.” She needed to bring the evening to a sensible close. Thank him and be done with it. “You were a gentleman. I appreciate that you respected my boundaries.”

  The location had been public enough to avoid confrontations, while also staying away from prying eyes. She was touched by his thoughtfulness, his intuitive understanding of what would be easiest for her. Touched, and surprised.

  “You didn’t use the safe word even once,” he teased, his hand resting on the doorframe beside her, his shoulders broad and the stubble along his jaw an alluring shadow.

  She swallowed to clear her suddenly dry mouth. “Because I couldn’t remember what it was.”

  A lie, of course. To cover the fact that she’d actually felt sort of safe with him all evening long.

  “Gargoyle.” He winked, his blue eyes glimmering with mischief.

  “Got it. I won’t forget again.”

  Was there a safe word to protect her against the draw of this man?

  Fiddling with the fringes of his wool scarf, Ward seemed to take his time before speaking. “Your family’s trying hard to respect your space while welcoming you back into the fold.”

  She wanted that to be true. But trust was difficult to come by after all she’d been told by the couple who’d rescued her. Her recovery after the crash had been lengthy, and at the start they hadn’t known who she was. Then they’d told her that her family had given up looking for her. Now she knew they’d kept her secluded, kidnapped and brainwashed. Her counselor said she suffered from Stockholm syndrome. And because they’d lied, that had crumbled her confidence when it came to believing other people, too. Not that she intended to share all of that with this man, who had questionable motives of his own.

  So she stayed silent. Waiting. Wondering why she didn’t just say good-night and slide into her apartment. Alone.

  Ward’s gaze held hers. “There are a lot of you Steeles.”

  She wished she could see into his thoughts as easily as he seemed to divine hers. “And your point is?”

  “Just that they seem to care. They seem to think of you as one of their own.” He shrugged his broad shoulders as he took a step toward her.

  The distance between them was electric.

  “Gargoyle.” She swallowed, but didn’t back away.

  He stilled, head tipped to the side. “You want to leave?”

  “Leave this conversation.” And still she didn’t go into her apartment.

  “Ok
ay then... The casino party is still a couple of days away. I think we should make arrangements for another date.” He eased back a step, giving her space. “Just to be sure people don’t question our devotion to each other. What would you suggest we do next?”

  Now, that sounded like a loaded question. “You’re in charge of the dates.”

  “I’m a modern guy, completely okay with you choosing what we do between now and your sister’s engagement party.”

  She mulled over ideas, but she wasn’t one for hobbies. Her adoptive family had been hardworking, their community insular and self-sustaining. She’d felt safe there, accepted, loved. Her adoptive parents had convinced her the outside world was dangerous—and she saw now that their fears were overblown. But in many ways, they had treated her well, like the child they’d always wanted and never had. In spite of their betrayal, she couldn’t bring herself to hate them.

  Damn, but her life was all so confusing.

  Her mind wandered back to the time before the crash. Her mind filled with memories of ice fishing with her dad. Of horseback riding with her twin sister. Of climbing into the tree house with her brother Marshall to read—he always preferred quiet, his thick head of curls falling forward over his forehead.

  All those memories, though, still felt too questionable, given how much she was working to piece everything together. She should devote time to digging through more data in the files she’d copied from Ward’s computer.

  Should.

  But she wasn’t.

  There was also something compelling about spending time with her family, especially with Ward as a buffer. He led conversations, allowed her to be quiet when she wanted to observe and process.

  The fake dating arrangement could actually benefit her more than she’d ever guessed.

  Either that or she was justifying wanting to indulge this attraction just a little while longer.

  “Let’s get coffee and shop for books,” she found herself saying. “Pick me up tomorrow, after seven.”

  “It’s a date,” he said, dipping his head to cover her mouth with his.

  Surprise stilled her for a moment. The warmth and pressure of his lips on hers was a sudden, pleasant jolt to her senses, drawing all her focus to that place where they touched. The scent of his aftershave tantalized her as he gently deepened the kiss. His tongue touched hers, stroked, and she found herself swaying closer. Her body was ahead of her brain.

  Before she could question herself further, though, sensation took over, nerve endings tingling to life, pleasure flowing through her veins. She swayed forward, her breasts lightly skimming against the hard wall of his chest. Her hands slid up to his shoulders. His low growl of approval rumbled between them, and he brought her closer. His tongue carried a lingering taste of dessert and a hint of something else. A breath mint maybe?

  Her senses were awash in desire.

  Her breath caught. Her fingers fisted against his jacket, gripping him tightly.

  The heat and strength of him was apparent even through the wool, and it stunned her to realize how much she wanted to lean in closer. To part the fabric and feel more of him, test and learn the texture of his skin.

  He angled back to look into her eyes, and she knew he was giving her control, letting her make the next move. Or not.

  Breathing hard, she couldn’t deny that she wanted him. She was all the more tempted by his restraint, a quality she appreciated. Admired.

  Still, things were moving too fast. Her world was in turmoil.

  And this wouldn’t be her only chance to be with him.

  Before she could succumb to the temptation to invite him inside, she spun away and slipped into her apartment, barely hanging on to the tattered shreds of her control.

  She didn’t want the night to end, but she would wait.

  She had to wait. Be certain she wasn’t making a mistake.

  Because even as she tipped her head back against the door inside her apartment, she was already anticipating their next date.

  Shopping for books had never sounded so appealing, when she’d be in the company of the sexiest man she’d ever met.

  * * *

  Ward had wined and dined women. A five-star dinner was a surefire way to get himself out of the doghouse when he’d been married to his ex.

  So he’d been caught unaware by Brea’s request last night for a simple coffee date, along with book shopping at a local two-story establishment. Although shopping wasn’t quite the right word for his date’s approach to the shelves. Her walk down each aisle was something more akin to worship. She read the spine of each title, touching some reverently.

  She gave an elegance to skinny jeans that drew him like a magnet. Turning a corner, she headed for the used-book section, toward the ladder. She climbed up two rungs, her soft red-and-black plaid shirt hugging her curves. Loose hair swaying, she leaned toward the shelf, smiling. The curve of her lips sent his thoughts chasing back to last night. To that spark between them that had leapt into something so very intense during that kiss.

  It had been all he could do to walk away from her door last night.

  For a moment he could have sworn she had considered taking things to the next level by inviting him into her bed. Maybe the next time they kissed, she wouldn’t want to stop.

  He certainly hoped that was the case, because thoughts of her were turning him inside out. Considering a fling was one thing. Having her occupy his thoughts so fully was another matter altogether. Obsession was not an option.

  She climbed down from the ladder and picked up another book, her fingers stroking over the leather binding. Brea appeared lost in her own world as her hair waterfalled down her back. She was a siren indeed, her curves and the silken glisten of her hair calling to him.

  Her beauty almost helped him push back the painful memory of another bookstore outing. Two years ago, he’d taken his stepdaughter to lunch and then out to buy a stack of books for her summer reading.

  His mind filled with heartbreaking images of her smile when she found the new superhero-canine story she’d been looking for, her excitement when the store clerk had given her a bookmark with a picture of the fictional dog on it. Ward had promised they would read the first chapter together later that week, but it was a moment that had never happened because Melanie had left him, taking Paisley with her. Losing his little girl had torn his heart out, and he didn’t intend to put himself in that vulnerable position ever again.

  Clearing away the lump in his throat, he stopped beside Brea, who was thumbing through a mythology collection. “Would you like a refill on the coffee?”

  She turned to him with startled eyes, then blinked back to a more neutral expression. “Yes, please. Extra milk. Extra sweetener.”

  “As ordered.” He pulled his hand from behind his back, already holding what she’d ordered. He’d listened. He tuned in to everything she said.

  Not just because he needed to search out any possible hidden agenda.

  And to be honest with himself, even if she did have an agenda, he still wanted to sleep with her.

  “You know what I like?”

  He let the double entendre pass. For now. “I paid attention to your order.”

  “That, too. Thank you.” Cradling the cup in her hands, she eyed him over the top. “What would you have done if I’d said no just now?”

  “Then I guess the coffee would have gone into the garbage.” He pulled his other hand from behind his back. “Along with mine.” He took a swallow of his steaming java while the store music swapped to a light jazz tune.

  Foot traffic around the shelves was quiet in this section, although a student with bright red hair and a leather backpack passed now and then, singing to whatever played through the earbuds.

  Brea stood in a beam from the track lighting streaming down. After her sip of coffee, she sighed with bliss. “You don’t
have to romance me.”

  The hardwood floor squeaked as she shifted her feet.

  “I’m attracted to you, and I consider myself a man of finesse.” It didn’t appear as if she wanted a long-term attachment, which made them a good match for an affair.

  If only he could trust her, this would be an easy call, since he wanted her as much as air.

  Although, the fact that he couldn’t trust her would also protect him emotionally if they did indulge in a fling.

  “I noticed.” Her nose scrunched with her smile.

  “Good. And the more we know about each other, the more authentic our dating ruse will seem to your family.” He pulled the book from under her arm and set it on a table by a two-seat sofa tucked in the corner of the store. He motioned for her to sit.

  Then he joined her, his thigh against hers, the intimacy of the quiet space wrapping around him. The floral scent of her shampoo teasing his every breath.

  She set her coffee down, her brown eyes troubled. “You must realize I’m using you as a buffer with them. Those were the terms for our pretend relationship.”

  “Of course. And I don’t have a problem at all with you using me as much as you like.” Taking a sip, he appreciated the bitterness of his black coffee. The way even the scent of the beans kept him alert.

  She laughed softly. “You are a strange man.”

  “A strange man who’s piqued your interest.” He could see it in her eyes. Feel the crackle in the air between them.

  “How is it you manage to make a trip to the corner bookstore seem risqué?”

  “You bring it out in me.” His eyes lingered on her lips for a moment before he met her gaze, finding a heat that met and matched his own.

  He dipped his head, angling his mouth along hers. Not for long. While it was private in this aisle for the moment, he couldn’t count on that for long. The hum of voices around the store was muted through his passion-fogged senses, but he maintained enough cognizance to know he and Brea were too close to being discovered. And he wouldn’t disrespect her with public displays. He grazed a quick, final kiss along her lips.