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Chapter Three

Audrey turned and regarded the man standing behind her, determined to keep a lid on her temper. He lounged against the door, towel low on his hips, arms crossed over his chest. He was handsome, in that cocky, knows-all-the-ladies-want-him sort of way. There was a scruffy goatee on his tanned face and he wasn’t classically handsome like the statue of David or a model. He was a bit too blue-collar and rough seeming, but what he lacked in the looks department, he made up for in sheer charisma. Even though she was furious at him, she couldn’t help but weaken every time he gave her that sly little half smile.

And that made her more than a little furious with herself.

So she forced herself to be calm. Cool. Collected. The smile she gave him was professional. “I’m sorry, Mr. Durham—”

“Reese.”

“Mr. Durham,” she emphasized. “But Cade promised to let us have use of this cabin for the next month and you’re not invited.”

“Us?” His thick brows went up, and a delighted look crossed his face as he glanced toward the stairs. “Loverboy hiding up there? Letting you fight all his battles for him?”

“No and it’s none of your business who I’m here with. The important thing is that you leave.”

“My clothes were in that car that just drove off.”

Audrey gritted her teeth. “You’re lying, aren’t you.”

“Wish I was. Did you say Cade was headed this way? I can borrow some stuff from him.” He scratched his bare chest idly. “When he gets here.”

And he continued to lean against the wall as if he had all the time in the world.

This . . . was frustrating. Audrey crossed her arms over her chest and then flushed when his gaze automatically went there. She’d forgotten that her sweater was wet and caused her breasts to be a little too outlined in the damp material. She clasped her hands in front of her instead, concentrating on the problem. How did she get this man out of here without him noticing that her famous sister was here?

“What if I drive you back to the nearest town and you buy yourself some clothes and call a taxi?” she suggested.

“Nah.” Again, he scratched his chest, drawing her attention there. She hadn’t noticed it earlier, but he had a dark tattoo over one rather well-defined pectoral, as well as a sprinkling of dark chest hair that narrowed to a tight vee close to his—

She jerked her head back up, her cheeks burning. That had been dangerously close to checking out his package, and she refused to do that. Refused.

“How about I call you a cab?” she asked desperately.

“No cab’s going to want to pick up a naked man.”

“You’re not naked.”

“I can be.”

Are you just deliberately trying to be infuriating?”

“Maybe.” And that bastard grinned at her. “I have to admit, I’m enjoying myself. Kind of nice having the tables turned and someone else is caught off guard, isn’t it? Consider this payback for your little hot tub ambush.” He strolled past her and sat down on one end of the couch, then planted his large, bare feet on the rustic coffee table. He looked for all the world that he was ready to settle in for the evening.



He also looked like he was in danger of losing his towel.

“You know what? I’m calling you a cab,” Audrey said, her voice high-pitched and a little louder than usual. “I don’t care what you want. This cabin is going to be ours and you weren’t invited.”

“There’s no landline,” Reese told her, not bothering to get up from the couch. “And your phone is in the hot tub.”

“Then I’ll use your phone.”

“It’s in my pants.” He grinned. “Guess where those are.”

“In the car?” she asked weakly, then slumped on the corner of the couch opposite from him. “This is a nightmare.”

“Hey, look at the bright side. You have pants.”

Audrey rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Will you shut up for five minutes? Please! You’re driving me mad!”

He laughed.

“Audrey?” Daphne’s thin voice came from the stairs. “I thought I heard someone talking. Is everything okay? Did you get them to leave?”

Audrey stared at Reese in horror and then bolted from the couch, running for the stairs. She had to get to Daphne before Reese saw her.

To her intense frustration, Reese dashed after her and nearly skidded into her back when she halted at the base of the stairs.

Daphne stood on the steps, her hand to her forehead. Her thin face was ghost pale and her fingers were trembling, her eyes sunken. She stared at Reese for a moment, then focused back on Audrey again. “Who’s that?”

“One of Cade’s friends,” she said, forcing a bright smile to her face. “It’s all right. He’s promised not to say anything about you being here. Cade will take care of it.” And she leaned in and pinched Reese’s arm, hard, as if daring him to say anything to the contrary.

“That’s right,” Reese said. His voice had taken on an oddly gentle tone, very different from the constant obnoxious teasing he sent her way. “I’m staying a few days, but your secret’s safe with me. No worries.”

“Thank you,” Daphne said quietly. Her fingers brushed her forehead again. “I think I’m going to take a nap, Audrey. I’m not feeling so hot.”

“All right,” Audrey said. “Do you need anything? A glass of water? Aspirin?”

Daphne shook her head, turning and heading back up the stairs. “Just want to sleep.”

“Just yell if you need anything,” Audrey called after her, and remained where she was until Daphne disappeared. As soon as her twin was gone, she turned to Reese, grabbed him by the arm, and dragged him back toward the living room. To her satisfaction, he didn’t fight her. When they were a safe distance away, she dropped his arm and whispered, “You cannot say a word of this to the papers.”

Reese gave her an odd look. “So you’re that Audrey. Gretchen’s sister Audrey.” He was looking at her as if seeing her for the first time.

Her face burned. She knew what he was referring to. Last month, Gretchen and her new boyfriend, Hunter, had given a dinner party. Audrey had been invited but Daphne had showed up at Audrey’s apartment at the last minute, high as a kite and upset about the cancellation of her latest tour by her label, who didn’t think she was healthy enough to perform. Audrey’d had no choice but to take Daphne with her to Gretchen’s party, and all of Logan Hawkings’s rich and powerful friends had been there—including Cade Archer and Reese. At the party, Daphne had drank copious amounts of wine and embarrassed the hell out of herself—and Audrey.

It wasn’t surprising that Reese hadn’t remembered her until he’d seen her with Daphne. She was a pretty forgettable sort. She didn’t dress flashy, didn’t call attention to herself. Still, the fact that he remembered now and was thinking of that party? Humiliating. Audrey’s cheeks burned in memory. “Gretchen’s sister Audrey,” she affirmed. “And you can’t say a thing about Daphne being here. If the paparazzi get wind of this, she’ll get more stressed than she already is.”

“She’s not stressed. She’s strung out. Didn’t you see how her hands were shaking? She needs a doctor, Audrey.”

Her hands clenched all over again. The last thing she needed was a bossy jerk butting into their business. “Don’t you think I know that? She won’t see one. This is the only thing she’ll let me do for her.”

“Stop asking her and just do it. She clearly isn’t in a position to make decisions for herself.”

“You don’t understand. She’s my twin. If I betray her, she’ll never forgive me.” Daphne had cut Audrey out of her life once, for a year, and it had been awful. She’d been worried sick for Daph the entire time. If staying in Daphne’s life meant giving in on certain things, then Audrey would. If she wasn’t in Daphne’s life at all, she couldn’t help her.

He shook his head, then rubbed a hand through his wet hair. “She needs rehab more than she needs a vacation. You’re not doing her any favors here.”

“Look, will you please just go? Just forget you saw us here. I’ll call you a cab and you can go back to chasing after Tiffany and her father’s money.”

“Camilla, and I’m staying.” He headed back to the couch and lounged on the end of it, locking his hands behind his head. “She’s going to need a few days to cool down and it’s time I had a vacation. Besides, you’re going to need my help.”

“I don’t need your help.”

“You will if she’s looking that bad already,” he cautioned.

“Cade’s going to be here soon,” she said desperately. “He’ll help me with things.”

He looked at her, then shrugged. “Still not going.”

“There aren’t enough rooms.”

“There are three. One for me, one for Cade, and you and your sister can share.” He wagged his eyebrows at her. “Or you and I can share.”

“Or you can leave,” she snapped. When he put a finger to his lips and pointed at the ceiling, indicating that she should be quiet for her napping sister, she had to bite down on her lip to keep from screaming.

This man was going to drive her absolutely insane. Where, oh where was Cade when she needed him?

***

 

It was, quite possibly, the longest afternoon she’d spent in quite some time. With her twin upstairs napping and no one around except for Reese—who she didn’t want to talk to—Audrey sat on a corner of the sofa and drummed her fingers, waiting for Cade to arrive.

She couldn’t go upstairs and unpack at the moment. Daphne looked exhausted and Audrey didn’t want to wake her. She could have read one of her romance novels, she supposed, but Reese was lurking in the too-small lodge and she had no wish to hear smirky commentary from him about what she was reading. So she sat and waited, drumming her fingers on the arm of the couch. If she’d had her phone, she could have gone through work email and routed it to the temp covering her job. But her phone had been thrown into the hot tub and was completely and utterly destroyed.

Reese had disappeared and reappeared some time later in what must have been Cade’s clothing—a T-shirt that was a few sizes too small and a pair of pajama pants that looked to be about four inches too short. She’d almost laughed aloud at the sight—almost—except that when he turned, that tight T-shirt displayed every single muscle in his well-defined body, including a pair of the most sculpted arms she’d ever seen. When his hand slid over his stomach, idly scratching at his skin, her gaze had followed, riveted.

It suddenly hadn’t been a laughing matter anymore.

She’d gotten up and went outside, admiring the view that the cabin offered. They were perched in the trees and atop a hill, but behind the cabin she saw a dirt path leading to a small dock and a crystal clear lake surrounded by trees. This was by far the prettiest vacation spot she’d ever been to, and she supposed that money could buy just about anything after all.

Someone came up behind her as she gazed down at the lake. “So,” Reese said, leaning on the wood railing of the balcony. “You avoiding me or are you planning a secret skinny-dipping rendezvous later?”

She took it back. Money couldn’t buy a personality for Reese Durham. Audrey cast him a scathing look. “Don’t you have a rock you could crawl back under?”

He chuckled, amused by her irritation. “Hey, if you didn’t want me here, you shouldn’t have ran my date off.”

She ignored him. It seemed to be the best policy at the moment. Instead, she focused her attention on the lake and the lovely weather. It was brisk but clear, and there was no snow (for which she was thankful for).

Inside the cabin, a male voice called out, “Hello?”

Cade was here!

Audrey’s heart pounded in her chest and she jerked upright. Automatically, her hands went to her hair and she smoothed a few stray locks down, then bit her lips to plump them. She glanced over at Reese and noticed he was watching her with great interest, one eyebrow raised.

She ignored his inquiring look and headed into the house, her heart pounding with excitement. Cade was finally here.

Standing in the doorway, looking just as gorgeous as the last time she’d seen him, was the man she was in love with.

Cade Archer.

Audrey gave a small little sigh of pleasure at the sight of him, noticing the fine cut of his gray suit and the matching tie. Cade wasn’t as tall as Reese or Logan, but he was well built and oh-so handsome. Dark blond hair clung to his elegant skull and his blue eyes brightened at the sight of her.

He held his arms out in greeting. “Audrey! Look at you. You look terrific.”

She rushed into his arms, feeling the blush heat her cheeks and didn’t care. She clung to him, enjoying the warmth of his arms around her, smelling the fresh dry cleaning scent of his clothing.

Her Cade.

He pulled her away and smiled down at her upturned face. “I’m so glad you and Daphne decided to come to the cabin.”

“Well, you know Daphne,” she said, delighted at his obvious pleasure. “Once she gets an idea in her head, she won’t let go of it.”

“She’s not the only twin like that,” Cade said easily, then glanced around the room. “Speaking of twin, where is yours?”

“Sleeping,” Audrey said with a small grimace. “She wasn’t feeling so well.”

His sparkling gaze turned somber. “Is she . . . all right?”

Audrey nodded. “For now. She says this time she’s going to change. She promised.” She didn’t add that Daphne had promised that many times before, and then just as quickly broke her promises. This time, Audrey vowed, it’d be different.

Cade nodded. He rubbed Audrey’s arm as if to reassure her. “Well, it’s going to be good to have all three of us together again. Just like old times, eh?”

“Just like,” she said, and was horrified to hear a girlish giggle escape her throat. God, was that pathetic sound coming from her?

Cade didn’t seem to notice it, though. He continued to smile at her. “How have you been? It feels like forever since we’ve seen each other.”

“We saw each other last month at Gretchen’s party,” she told him, then grimaced. “Briefly.”

“Mmm.” His face fell a little and his smile faded a bit as they both recalled Daphne’s actions at that party. Once again, Daphne hadn’t listened to a thing that Audrey had said, and Cade had come to the rescue, scooping Daphne into his arms and removing her and Audrey from the party.

A throat cleared.

Cade looked up and he tilted his head and stared over his shoulder, as if not quite believing his eyes. “Reese!” His gaze went back to Audrey, and then a sly, almost disbelieving look crossed his face as he pointed at her, then Reese. “Don’t tell me. The two of you—”

“No!” Audrey’s horrified response blurted from her and she raised her hands. “Not in a million years!”

Reese chuckled, approaching Cade and gave him a man-hug that involved a half handshake and a slap on the back. “Good to see you, bro. I was here for the weekend with a . . . friend when these two showed up and my friend retreated, along with my ride back to civilization.”

“And he was just about to call a cab,” Audrey interjected.

“No, I wasn’t,” Reese said easily. “I’m staying for the weekend, if you don’t have a problem with that.”

Please, please have a problem with that, Audrey thought quietly.

But Cade, ever the gentleman, looked thrilled that Reese was there. “You know I don’t have a problem with it. I told you that any time you wanted, the cabin was yours to use. And we’ll be glad for the company. Isn’t that right, Audrey?” Cade looked over at her.

“I thought so,” Reese said, giving her an I-told-you-so look from Cade’s side.

She was trapped. Hell. Audrey forced her tight, professional smile on her face. “As long as you’re okay with someone taking up one of the rooms, I don’t have a problem with it.”

“Not to worry,” Reese said, elbowing Cade as if they were frat brothers. “Audrey told me she wouldn’t mind cuddling with me if things got too tight in Daphne’s room.”

Audrey gave a shocked gasp. “I did not!”

Cade laughed and slapped Reese on the back. “Count on you to romance all the women within minutes of making an entrance.”

“He’s not romancing me,” Audrey pointed out, trying to keep smiling. “And he’s joking. About all of it.”

Cade just chuckled, and then rubbed his face. He gestured outside. “I parked behind you, if that’s all right.”

“That’s perfect,” Audrey said, then blushed at how infatuated she sounded. “Perfectly fine,” she amended in a brisk voice.

He grinned. “I’ll just go get my bags, then.”

As he disappeared back out the front, Audrey followed to the doorstep, watching him move as he jaunted down the steps of the lodge and out to his car. He drove a Lyons, too, but she wasn’t surprised to see that it was a dark blue sedan. That was more like Cade. Practical and elegant.

“Well, well, well.” Reese’s voice thrummed in her ear. “Just look at you.”

She turned and scowled at him. “What?”

“You’re glowing.” His grin cut across his entire face. “You’re positively beaming now that Cade’s here. You’re lit up like a firecracker.”

The flush on her cheeks threatened to grow hotter. “I’m just thrilled to see an old friend.”

“Don’t think I didn’t notice how you weren’t exactly quick to let go of him,” Reese said. “And I’m pretty sure I saw you sniff his jacket.”

“I did not.”

“Yeah, you did.” He rubbed that scruffy goatee on his chin thoughtfully. “Does Cade know that you’re in love with him?”

Her irritation turned to panic. “What are you talking about?”

He made a silly, high-pitched giggle that sounded shamefully like the one she’d burbled just moments ago. “You’re perfect, Cade,” he mimicked.

She smacked his arm. “You’re a horrible man. I wish you’d go drown in the lake.”

He waggled his eyebrows. “I see someone’s in a rush to try out her CPR skills. Baby, if you want to give me mouth to mouth, all you have to do is ask—”

“Please, shut up!”

“No can do. As Cade’s best buddy, it’s my duty to let him in on any secrets I might think he’d have interest in. And do you think he’d be curious to know that the good, sweet little twin is in love with her childhood buddy?”

She gasped, mortified to hear that out in the open. “It’s not like that!”

“Too far back? Since your teen years, then?”

“No! You’ve got it all wrong.”

“Do I?” He gave a lazy shrug of his big shoulders in that too-tight shirt. “I guess we could always run the idea past Cade and see what he thinks.”

She clenched her fists. He was turning her reunion with Cade—her first chance to spend some real, quality time with him in years—into nothing short of a nightmare. How weird would it be around Cade if he knew that she was secretly in love with him? How would he act toward her?

She suspected he would be kind and understanding . . . because Cade always was. He’d try to let her down easy, and it would break her heart. “Please,” she gritted. “Please don’t say anything at all.”

He rubbed that scruffy goatee again. “I might be persuaded to keep my silence.”

Audrey gasped. “Blackmail?”

“Now that you mention it, blackmail does sound pretty interesting.” He grinned, white teeth flashing in his face. “What do you say me and you rendezvous later tonight for a moonlight kiss?”

“You know I don’t want to kiss you! You’re the last man on earth I’d want to kiss right about now.”

“I know,” he replied, his voice smug. “That’s why I suggested it. It’d be more fun to tell Cade all about your secret. Maybe I could pass him a note like we did in grade school. ‘Audrey’s in love with you. Do you love her? Check yes or no.’”

She glanced at the doorway and noticed Cade was starting to head up the steps. Panic overtook her. “No notes. Don’t tell him anything. Please!”

“Rendezvous then? Tonight?”

She had about two seconds to decide. Her mind whirled frantically for a moment, and then she turned and smacked Reese on the shoulder. “I hate you so much.”

“So that’s a yes?”

“It’s a yes,” she whispered, practically exploding it at him. “Now just shut up! Please!”

He winked at her and made a zipping motion over his mouth, just as the door opened again.

“Here, let me help you with that,” Audrey said to Cade, rushing forward to take a few of the bags from his hands. He had an overnight bag slung over one shoulder and multiple plastic grocery bags piled onto each arm. “It looks like you stopped at the grocery store.”

“I did. Wanted to make sure things were as easy for you and Daph as possible.”

“You’re so thoughtful,” she said softly to him, taking a few of the bags.

“You’re a real prince charming,” Reese teased, but grinned and made the zipping motion again when Audrey glared at him.

He’d keep the secret, all right. He’d just needle the hell out of her with the information since he had it. God, she hated the man.

“I cleared my schedule,” Cade was saying as he headed into the kitchen with the rest of the bags. “So as long as you and Daph need me, I’ll be here for you.”

Thankful tears burned her eyes. Getting Daphne clean would be hard enough on her own, but with Cade here, she had her best friend and support system right at hand. She couldn’t have asked for better. “It’s so good that you’re here, Cade. I’m so glad to see you.” And then she added, “I’m sure Daphne will be thrilled, too.”

Cade gave her a gentle smile, ruffling her tight bun. “You know I’ll always be there for you in your hour of need, Audrey.”

His words were like sweet music to her ears. It was just a shame that he’d tried to ruffle her hair like when she was a kid. She ignored that part, focusing on the delicious words instead, and her heart melted just a bit more.

Things would be wonderful now that Cade was here.

***

 

So far, this weekend was turning into a huge bust.

Reese tugged at the too-tight sleeves of his borrowed T-shirt and sat on the end of the couch, watching as Audrey—snarling, angry Audrey with the tight bun and even tighter mouth—fluttered over Cade and giggled at everything he said.

It would have been downright amusing if it hadn’t hurt his ego, just a touch.

Reese was the playboy of their club, after all. The others joked that if they needed a woman seduced, all they had to do was send her to Reese, and she’d be melting as soon as he smiled. His charm had gotten him into many a sealed boardroom . . . and plenty of beds. He’d been planning on using that infamous charm on Camilla Sellers, heiress to Sellers Hotels and daughter of the man Reese was currently going back and forth with in regards to an investment opportunity for a series of cruise lines. Reese wanted to expand his empire, and Sellers was looking more and more like the way to go. The fact that his daughter was twenty-five, gorgeous, and clearly interested in Reese was just a bonus. She didn’t sit on the board . . . yet. But she definitely had her father’s ear, and while Reese romanced her, she could be talking him up to her father, convincing him that a partnership with Durham Industries was the way to go.

Cade might think it was underhanded, but Cade had already made his fortune. Reese, as always, was still trying to catch up to the others in regards to funds. He’d relied on his easy charm for years, back when charm made up for the fact that his wallet was empty.

This weekend had been planned with dual purposes in mind. He’d wanted to get away and spend some time with Camilla, to get to know her better and to feel her out on how her father’s business was leaning in regards to the cruise lines. And he’d been getting to know her quite well in the hot tub, edging into conversation about hotels and cruise lines . . . until sour Audrey had showed up and kicked up a fuss.

He could have cheerfully strangled her in that moment.

To make matters worse, Camilla had ran as soon as Audrey had pulled out the camera phone, ruining his plans. It was going to be impossible to romance Camilla into opening up about Sellers Hotels, especially when she was clearly terrified of her father finding out about their flirtation. Audrey’s bullheaded charging into his seductive getaway had ruined more than just his weekend plans. He’d have to start over with Camilla, break down her defenses gently, and then lay the foundation for suggestion later.

But he hadn’t showed any of his outward irritation at Audrey, because he’d gotten quite good at hiding that sort of thing years ago. Women—all women—responded best to a flirty laugh and a teasing voice.

All women, except this one. For some reason, the more he’d teased, the more annoyed and flustered she’d gotten. Which had made his bruised ego feel better, so he’d continued to tease and prod at her with his words, enjoying her reactions. She was as tense and rigid as that tight little bun that sat atop her head.

Until Cade had arrived. And then her tense frowns had turned into smiles; her narrowed eyes had changed and she’d begun to bat her lashes. And she’d blushed prettily when Cade had hugged her, and she’d even sniffed his jacket.

It was obvious to anyone that she had a crush on the man. And just as obvious when she’d turned and glared at him that she hated Reese.

It was fascinating to him. Normally he could charm the pants off any woman he put his mind to. And since she’d ruined his weekend, well, he’d go ahead and ruin hers. He could use a good diversion, and driving rigid little Audrey up the wall would do just fine.

She wasn’t his type, after all. Though her hair was an interesting color, the tight set of her mouth and paleness of her skin were very different from the tanned, golden beauties he was used to dating. So was her figure. He normally dated women who were extremely conscious of every bite they put into their mouths. Audrey clearly was not. Where her twin was nearly skeletal from her drug use, Audrey’s figure was lush and curvy. He’d thought her simply boxy and a bit frumpy in her loose-fitting clothing, until he’d gotten her wet and her sweater had stuck to her body. Before she’d pulled the fabric away from her chest, he’d caught a glimpse of large, rounded breasts above the hollow of her stomach, and he’d realized that her clothing was masking a very attractive figure.

His interest had grown exponentially.

Of course, her constant simpering over Cade was irritating. It was that reaction—so different to the one she’d given him—that had caused him to suggest their little deal. At first he’d mentioned it simply to get under her skin. But the more flustered she’d become, the more he’d wanted to hold her to it.

After all, she was now responsible for his weekend entertainment, since she’d chased his away.

Unless Cade was interested in her, too. If that was the case, he’d back off and let his buddy have the curvy little minx. He regarded the two of them putting away the groceries. It was a cozy scene; they laughed and chatted as they packed away cans and boxes of food. And he watched Cade’s reaction to Audrey. They were pleasant, and his smile was easy and friendly. Whereas Audrey seemed to punctuate every sentence with a bright red flush that made the faint freckles on her cheeks stand out.

He was pretty sure there was interest, but it seemed to be only one-sided. Still, he decided to test the waters. He headed into the kitchen and hopped up on the counter, letting his legs dangle over the side. It was, coincidentally, the counter above the spot where Audrey had been putting away groceries. For her to continue to do so, she’d have to reach between his legs.

Audrey gave him a cross look. “Move.”

“You have to ask nicely,” he told her.

Irritation flared on her face again, just before she tamped it down into her serene, professional expression that would have fooled anyone who didn’t notice the rigid set of her mouth. She looked over at Cade. “Your friend is determined to get under my skin this weekend.”

Cade chuckled, shaking his head. “Reese is a flirt, Audrey. Pay him no mind.” He shot Reese an amused look and handed Audrey a canister of oatmeal.

That wasn’t the look of a man concerned about his woman. Whatever Cade felt for Audrey, it didn’t extend past friendship, which meant she was fair game for his teasing.

Reese crossed his arms over his chest, grinning at Audrey. “Play your cards right and I can get under a lot of things.”

Her color flared again, and her mouth went even tighter. She shoved the canister of oatmeal at his chest. “You know what? You can put this away. I’m going to go check on Daphne.”

As she stomped away, Reese clutched the oatmeal to his chest and chuckled.

Cade simply shook his head. “You definitely bring out raw emotion in people. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Audrey so flustered.”

“It’s probably the combination of the two of us,” Reese told him, bending over and tossing the oatmeal under the counter like he was throwing a football. From the sound of things, it knocked a few other things over, which was fine with him. More to aggravate Ms. Uptight when she returned.

Cade gave him a puzzled look. “The two of us? What do you mean?”

“Nothing,” Reese said blandly. If Cade didn’t have a clue that Audrey had a crush on him, he’d keep it that way. The last thing Cade needed was more stress. He’d seemed a bit tense lately, which wasn’t like him. “How you hanging in there?”

“Good. Work’s been busy but numbers are good. I’m scheduled to go to Africa in a month to oversee a few of the clinics we’ve set up with Doctors Without Borders and determine the needs of the communities. I don’t have to go, but I want to . . . as long as things are good here.” Again, that line of tension crossed his face, and he set down a box of cereal, then gave Reese a dark look. “How is she?”

“Audrey? You saw her.”

“No. Daphne.”

Aha. So the white knight had arrived to the rescue of a very different twin. Suddenly, a few things locked into place. It explained why, despite Cade’s busy schedule, he was here hanging out with a pair of childhood friends.

He was in love with a twin, all right, but it was the wrong one. For some reason, somewhere along the way, Cade Archer—good hearted, generous, white knight Cade Archer—had fallen for the messed–up, drug-using, infamous twin.

He didn’t know who he felt sorrier for—Cade, for his choice in women or Audrey, who clearly had a crush on a man who wouldn’t notice she was there except in a friendship capacity.

“She’s a fucking mess,” Reese said bluntly, and hated the way that Cade’s brows furrowed even deeper. “That girl needs a year of rehab, not a vacation in the woods.”

“Daphne’s stubborn,” Cade told him with a tense look. “Audrey’s tried to get her into rehab before, but she just runs away. Her label’s not much help, either. I think someone there keeps supplying her with the drugs. I imagine a constantly available stream of her favorite addictions keeps her under their control more than threats of a contract breach does.” He didn’t look very pleased at the thought.

“She’s famous,” Reese told him. “She runs with all kinds of crowds. She can probably get drugs anywhere and everywhere.”

“That’s why I’m here,” Cade told him, and rubbed a hand on his nape, as if weary. “Audrey had mentioned concerns, but I didn’t realize. Thought the tabloids were just full of their usual bullshit. Then when I saw her at the party, I realized that they were all true. And I couldn’t leave her like that. So when she reached out to me, I suggested she come here. Maybe if . . .” He paused, then gave Reese a tense look, daring him to contradict him. “Maybe if I’m here, it’ll make a difference.”

“Maybe,” Reese said. He wasn’t sure. The girl seemed pretty messed up to him. But if Cade wanted to ride to the rescue, he wouldn’t be able to dissuade him. “You just let me know if you need help with things.”

“I will. Sorry your weekend was ruined. Sounds like Audrey has some impeccable timing.”

Reese grinned. “Camilla will get over it. In the meantime, I plan on making Audrey regret that she interrupted my rendezvous.”

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

Reese snorted. “Buddy, everything I do is something you wouldn’t do.”

“She’s a friend,” Cade cautioned, ever serious. “A childhood friend. Don’t hurt her. Despite her bluster, Audrey’s got a really good heart and she’s sensitive.”

The woman was about as sensitive as a bull in a china shop, but he didn’t disagree with Cade openly. “I just plan on teasing her a bit, man. She’s safe with me.” Safe enough, anyhow.

He didn’t mention their little blackmail-directed rendezvous scheduled for later that night. While he still considered that teasing, he wasn’t sure that Cade would.

“Good,” Cade said with a grin. “I’m glad you’re here. It’ll give us a chance to hang out, and I’m guessing we’ll need another set of hands around, if Daphne ends up being half the handful I think she’ll be.”

Reese was pretty sure that Daphne would be more than just a handful, but he said nothing to Cade. No sense in starting an argument. “It’ll be interesting.”

He just wondered what good ol’ Audrey would think when he didn’t leave immediately. Maybe he’d stick around for longer than the weekend, just to crawl under that woman’s skin. He had to admit that the idea had appeal, and his work was covered thanks to a few rather aggressive hires to handle the day-to-day aspects of Durham Industries.

Which left him plenty of time to torment Audrey Petty.

She’d fall under his spell eventually. Reese Durham always won over the women he had his eye on. And until she did, she was going to be mighty fun to play with.

He always did enjoy the chase a bit more than anything.

 



Date: 2015-02-03; view: 508


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