This Is Love

by Nana Malone

  “Bennett. I don’t even know what—”

  The doors to the church opened. “Seriously, Val, you’re doing this at my wedding rehearsal? I mean, I know you’re not in the wedding party, but you’re my sis—”

  Solstice stopped when she saw Bennett and Trevor. “Oh, is this him? The magical boyfriend?” She put a hand up under her nose. “My nose isn’t as sensitive as yours, but even I can tell he smells like a bar. Seriously, Val?”

  “Sol, just go inside, I’ll be right there.”

  “Not with him you won’t.” She squinted. “Wait, he looks familiar.” Her attention was trained on Bennett. Pulling out her phone, she laughed. “Oh, wow. You’re Bennett Cooper, the photographer?”

  He nodded and swayed. “Congratulations. Sorry I’m so drunk.”

  Sol held out her phone to Val. “This is the guy you’re holding up my rehearsal for?”

  Val stared down at a video from TMZ on Sol’s phone. A photographer asked Bennett, “How is the man about town now? You’ve been quiet lately. Rumor is you’re locked up.”

  Bennett shook his head. “Nope. Single Bennett Cooper. Always single. Always alone. Besides, I always screw up. Who would put up with me?”

  Val stared and fought the nausea. Single. “You’re single, huh?”

  Sol frowned. “I thought you were together. Serious and all that.” Her sister narrowed her gaze. “Or did you make that up? Oh, Val, how pathetic is that?”

  Bennett shook his head. “No. Wait. Val. And Solstice. What kind of name is Solstice, anyway? Whatever. I can explain. We’re together. I want—”

  Val shook her head. “No. Don’t bother. I’m going inside. You can go.”

  She’d made a mistake. This was what trying to step out of her box got her. Heartbroken. She might be falling in love with him. But he didn’t feel the same, that much was clear.

  “Val.”

  “Bennett, just go. I’m tired.”

  She didn’t look back at him as she followed her sister inside.

  Chapter 15

  “I messed up, Trev.” Bennett’s head felt like it would pop off if he even tried to lift it. The hangover from last Friday had taken two days to dissipate. And then he’d spent the next week trying to get Val to talk to him. But she’d gone stone silent. Either she wasn’t staying at her place or she was real good at avoiding answering the door. He had to work, so she could have slipped in and out while he was gone. But more than likely she was staying with a friend.

  And then, like a moron, he’d brought out the eighteen-year-old scotch and tried to bury the aching hole in his chest. Smart move.

  “Yeah, you did, but you don’t need me to tell you that.”

  “Aren’t you supposed to help me?”

  “Sure. I am helping you. I’m telling you the truth. You screwed up bad. I’m just waiting for you to tell me how the hell you plan on fixing it.”

  “I’ve tried. I’ve tried, man. I leave in two days. I don’t want to just let it go.”

  “Then do something. Don’t do the Bennett thing where you just let it dissolve. Where you just back away, erect a wall. She’s good for you. You need to do something to repair this.”

  “But how? She won’t talk to me.”

  “Okay, then you’ll go to Antarctica for a month. And while you’re gone, somebody else will snatch her up. You keep sitting on your ass.”

  Despite the raging headache, Bennett pushed himself to sitting. “The hell they will.”

  Trevor nodded. “This is more like it. I like seeing you fired up. Now what are you going to do?”

  “I leave in two days, the day of the wedding. I can try and see her there.”

  Trevor nodded. “That’s more like it. Except what are you going to do if she doesn’t want to see you?”

  “I will grovel if I have to. I love the girl.”

  His friend grinned. “See, now, was that so hard to say?”

  Bennett rubbed the aching center of his chest. “Yes, but I’m going to keep saying it until she hears me.”

  “Awesome. And no more self-sabotage?”

  “What are you talking about? I wasn’t sabotaging myself.”

  “Seriously, dude?”

  “Voss wanted—”

  Trevor crossed his arms over his chest. “For real?”

  “Fine. I could have stopped at two and insisted. But I want this gig. I need it. It’s what I’ve been working toward all this time.”

  “This had nothing to do with that. Voss and his wife are messing with you. Maybe her more than him. But you can distance yourself from them. You want this job, but there will be others. You show how good you are. What you can do. You get to dictate your terms.”

  Bennett forced himself into a standing position. First things first. He was taking a shower. The way he smelled, he wasn’t going near her like this. Her nose would go crazy. It was time to pull his life together. If he wanted her, he was going to have to fight. Because she deserved that much from him. “You’re right. I’m on it. I’m going to that wedding.”

  “As if I’ve ever been wrong. Maybe that one time in ’96.”

  Bennett rolled his eyes. “Hey, Trev.”

  His friend looked up from his phone. “Yeah, man?”

  “Thanks for the pep talk.”

  The other man shrugged. “It’s nothin’. I like what she does to you. You become the more open version of yourself, so that’s cool. Besides, I didn’t want to have to deal with your morose ass when you get back from penguin country.”

  Bennett laughed. “Got you.” Now all he had to do was win Valentine back. He just wished he had a clue how to do that.

  Chapter 16

  This was a mistake.

  Val shifted in her seat and tried to focus in front of her instead of on her phone in her purse. You could call him. He might still come. Call him.

  No. Hell, no. She was not calling Bennett. Never mind that she hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep since last Saturday. She’d thought she could stay home, but as she spent more than an hour listening for his footsteps, she knew that was a bad idea. Instead, she’d packed up and gone to Mel’s. It was closer for the wedding, anyway. She wasn’t an idiot—she would have to go home eventually. But she just needed some time to separate and not obsess.

  Except she’d just obsessed at Mel’s instead of at home.

  Bennett hadn’t called. He hadn’t texted. A part of her had thought he might, but then she reminded herself of the nature of their brief relationship. She’d helped him out. He was supposed to help her out. But that hadn’t worked out how she’d planned. And after the embarrassment of her parents finding out they weren’t really together, she had to endure her mother’s pity setups. Her mother had called James, who’d agreed to come with her. Heaven forbid the seating plans be all messed up.

  “You can at least say thank you.”

  Val forced herself to sit perfectly still. She was pretty sure whacking James on the head with her shoe would ruin her sister’s day. Especially if she used the pointy four-inch heel. “You seem to forget that you were trying to dump me. And you were doing a bad job of it.”

  “Yeah, but if I’d known that there was some sort of competition, I would have reevaluated my position.”

  She clenched her jaw. To hell with Sol’s wedding. She was going to kill him regardless. “Why did you come, James? It’s not like you want to be here.”

  “On the contrary. I spoke to my father, and he helped me see how you and I together could be a good match.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Do you even like me? Like, as a person?”

  “Of course I like you. You’re beautiful, and pleasant enough, unless you’re complaining about the smell somewhere. You’re smart. Though, unless you’re going to go into finan
ce if we stay together, it’s probably best you don’t work. I do have some political aspirations, and the woman I will need by my side has to aim for something more than lifestyle blogger.”

  She stared at him for a moment. Was this really her life? At a wedding she didn’t want to be at, sitting next to a man she didn’t want to date, trying to please a mother who would never be satisfied?

  You’re not happy.

  No. She wasn’t. Over the last month, she’d been happy with Bennett. But after what he’d said to that tabloid reporter, could she go back to him? He didn’t want to be with her. And wasn’t that the whole point of her year of living dangerously? To be out of her comfort zone. To take risks. To find her bliss. This, right here, wasn’t giving her any satisfaction. Here, sitting in the hard pew in a dress her mother had squeezed her into, brought zero joy.

  And even if Bennett wasn’t her future, she deserved to be doing something else. With someone else. Because from now on she was going to do things that made her excited.

  She turned to James. “You’re a poor facsimile for Marcus. He was this guy that broke up with me in college. I thought he was perfect. He went to the right school. Was in the right fraternity. He graduated magna cum laude. Was headed to Yale for law school. And then one day he decided he was done with me and ghosted me. Just pretended I no longer existed.”

  He frowned. “I don’t understand what that has to do with me.”

  “It has nothing to do with you. It has to do with me. I’ve been trying to fix that relationship for so long. Trying to get a do-over on what I might have done wrong. I realize now I didn’t do anything. Because he dumped me when I spread my wings. I should have taken the cue that he was wrong for me. But no. I’m slow on the uptake. You and I are done. We’re not doing this. I’m leaving after the ceremony.”

  “You’re walking away from me?” He blinked as if he couldn’t fathom the possibility.

  “Yep. Again.”

  “For that photographer?”

  She smiled. “No. Not even. I wish. I love him and I miss him. But even if he and I are done, it still stands. You bring me zero happiness. Matter of fact, you are a joy sucker. I deserve to be the best me. Weird oddities and all. So you might as well go. I won’t be needing you to do me any favors.”

  “You can’t imagine how happy that makes me to hear that.”

  Val whirled in the pew to find Bennett leaning over the next row. “Bennett?”

  “Hi, beautiful. I’m so sorry I’m late.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  He stood, looking incredible in his charcoal suit. This was a version of him she’d never seen. He scooted around the guests and marched over to her in full view of everyone. Several of the guests started to whisper. “I’m here to apologize. I’m here to tell you I screwed up. But if you let me, I’ll make it up to you.”

  The air whooshed out of her lungs. “Bennett—”

  “Wait.” He held up a hand. “Before you tell me all the reasons we don’t belong together, hear me out.”

  The doors opened with an echo, and in her peripheral vision, she saw her mother approaching quickly. “I don’t—”

  “I’m in love with you. That’s the fact. And it scares me. It’s terrifying, really. Love. It’s far easier to block every emotion out. The problem is you don’t truly live like that.” With his gaze on hers, he ignored her mother’s attempts to grasp his arm. “Mrs. Anderson, I appreciate it’s Solstice’s wedding, but if you’ll just let me profess my love to your other daughter, then we can get this show on the road.”

  Val tried to hide the giggle, but it escaped anyway. She stood. “Mother, enough. For once in your life, you will put me first. I deserve as much love and respect as you give Sol, and you’re going to give it to me. Now, if you’ll back off for a minute, I’m trying to listen to Bennett. I’ll only be a second. Then Sol can get married.”

  Her mother’s eyes went wide. “How dare you speak to me like—”

  Sometime during the power struggle, her father had come down the aisle. He tugged on her mother’s arm. “Sweetheart, enough. Val deserves to be happy. Give her a moment with her young man.”

  Her mother looked like she might argue, but she backed off.

  Bennett breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m leaving for my flight to Antarctica in a few hours. I want you to come with me. It’s a month away so it won’t be the most ideal vacation in the world. But afterward, we can explore South America and all the food. Come with me, please. I need you.”

  The resident fear tried to cover her like a shroud. Tried to prevent her from saying what she needed. But after one glance at her father, then James, she slid her glance back to Bennett. “I love you. I’ve missed you.”

  “Thank God. I know I was an idiot. I wanted to sabotage things because, well, I was terrified you’d leave once you knew me.”

  “You’re not shaking me now. My boyfriend has turned me into someone wild and adventurous.”

  His smile was broad. As she reached for his hand, he said, “I like the sound of adventurous. Tell me, Valentine Anderson, how flexible are you?”

  Val just shook her head. “James, you’ve been supplanted. Get up. Daddy, you can tell Sol we’re ready to go. My date is here now. Oh, and you and Mom better get used to him, because we’re in love.”

  Bennett pulled her close and kissed her. “I totally agree with what you just said.”

  * * * * *

  FROM MY HEART

  Sienna Mynx

  Dear Reader,

  They say Italy is a place for lovers. In my frequent travels across the world, no other place has inspired such desire and truth from me. From My Heart is a story that centers on matters of the heart. How many times have we been burdened with regret after the end of a meaningful relationship? How often does one find the courage to let go of the bitterness and explore love again?

  On the most romantic day of the year, an encounter between two strangers changes their faith and belief in second chances. Personally, I’ve never felt that kind of dynamic physical attraction. But in my heart, I know it exists. If you read my stories based on the passion of Italian men you know what you are in store for—undeniable love and proof of second chances.

  Sienna Mynx

  Acknowledgments

  I want to thank my fans (the Mynxers) for continuing this journey with me. Also, I’d like to thank my author friends who continue to nurture and encourage the storyteller in me: Erosa Knowles, Jackie Kelly, Renee Wynn and Pepper Pace. Through the years, I’ve learned and grown as a writer and a woman because of you. Cheers! Here’s to so many more fun, sexy, naughty, good girl/bad boy stories to come.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 1

  “What is this!”

  The words leaped off the screen. Any other woman so close to her wedding day would have been angry, frustrated and maybe a bit panicked noticing such a glaring mistake. Not Aniyah. She’d walked on clouds and slid down rainbows with her arms in the air ever since the six-carat diamond ring was slid onto her finger.

  “Denton! Come here!”

  Leave it to her man to make such a silly mistake. From the day of the proposal to now, Aniyah had taken the lead on everything needed to plan and coordinate the wedding. Denton had been given one job, to spend a few hours while they were on a home vacation this week reviewing the seating arrangement. Who else should decide where his side of family would sit at the reception? Her? Not for a family who frowned at their engagement and whispered that she was just using him to get her struggling acting career off the g
round. And typical of Denton, he’d given it half the attention required.

  Aniyah shook her head and expelled a deep sigh. She spoke loud enough for him to hear. “So according to you, Buster, Aunt Clara’s seeing-eye German shepherd, is married to your aunt Louise. C’mon, Denton! The only reason we have Buster on the invite is because Clara is blind. Remember, you were supposed to put them at a table with family members who wouldn’t mind a dog sniffing at their feet while they ate wedding cake.” Aniyah dropped her head back in exasperation and closed her eyes. “Did you even try to go through the seating arrangement like I asked?”

  She waited. She was certain Denton would run off a list of excuses why this mistake was something she should handle. What her sweet fiancé didn’t understand was that they were a team now. Even before she took his name and had the responsibility of being his wife.

  Silence spoke for Denton. Aniyah opened her eyes and listened intently for him. She glanced behind her to realize she was alone.

  “Oh, good grief,” she sighed and pushed back from the breakfast nook, where she had spread out the the reception hall contracts and the little pearl buttons her auntie Donna wanted to make sure she had sewn in on the train of her dress. Auntie Donna had been a mother to her since she was three years old. The pearls were once worn by Aniyah’s own mother on her wedding day.

  When she stood she must have done so too quickly. A cramp gripped the back of Aniyah’s neck and sent a sharp pain down her spine. “Ow.” She grimaced. She looked down to the chair and realized she’d been sitting in it for over four hours and hadn’t seen or heard from Denton since her work had begun. Strange. She stretched and yawned, her vision sweeping the lower level of the loft for him. They’d dated for three long years before he had finally popped the question. Her acting career and his job as a celebrity chef on one of the most popular reality shows kept their schedules in constant conflict. But not anymore. She had one priority—to be Mrs. Denton Jones.