Your Inescapable Love (The Bennett Family Book 4)

by Layla Hagen

  Despite myself, I grin. Of course they’d be tossed around casually in the Bennett household. Jenna and Richard Bennett are the picture-perfect example of a happy marriage. For me, the child of a loveless marriage, those two words seem as real as the possibility of finding a unicorn in my back yard. My fiasco engagement reinforced that view for me.

  “Can’t wait to see everyone again,” I tell Max honestly.

  ***

  Max picks me up from the clinic Thursday evening. He’s wearing jeans and a simple black shirt.

  “Such a gentleman,” I tell him as he opens the door to the passenger seat for me.

  “Nah, was just looking for an opportunity.”

  “To do what?” I’m momentarily distracted by the patch of chest showing through the unbuttoned top of his shirt. A naughty impulse to lick that spot shoots through me. Hot damn. No man has ever had this effect on me.

  “This.”

  Before I realize what is going on, Max tips his head to mine, parting my lips and kissing me thoroughly. There is nothing tentative about it. He’s claiming every inch of my mouth with ferocity, his passion dizzying me.

  “Max,” I admonish as we both come up for breath. “We’re in front of the clinic. What if someone sees?”

  “What if they do? All they see is me kissing my woman.”

  My woman. I like the sound of that. A lot. Still, that doesn’t mean I’ll let him get away with it.

  “It’s not professional. They won’t take me seriously if they see me kissing a man as though I’m about to climb him. I worked hard at building my reputation.”

  His lips curl up into a half smile. “You want to climb me?”

  “That’s the only piece of information you caught from all I said?”

  Max doesn’t answer, instead holding my gaze in a silent challenge. It takes every ounce of my restraint not to burst out laughing, but I hold my ground. A few heated seconds later, he places a chaste kiss on my forehead.

  “By the way, I forgot to congratulate you on scaring the crap out of John. I was at a seminar yesterday, and he avoided me the entire evening.”

  He steps back, and I notice his features have hardened. “You went to a seminar where John was?”

  “Yeah. He’s attending a lot of the same seminars I do.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I wasn’t aware I’m supposed to ask for permission,” I say dryly, now working to put distance between us.

  “That’s not what I meant. But I don’t want you to be around him.”

  Instantly, I boil on the inside. “You can’t dictate—”

  “Damn it, that’s not what I’m doing. I’m concerned for you, and that moron—”

  “He insulted me. That’s all. I agree he’s an idiot, but he’s not a danger. And as I said, he was avoiding me.”

  “Emilia—”

  “No.” Pulling myself to my full height, I look him straight in the eyes. I can go toe to toe with him. “I’m sorry, Max, this isn’t how things are going to be. I have a career I worked hard for, and I will continue to do that. You need to keep that caveman in you in check. I won’t have any of this.”

  Seconds of loaded silence pass before Max lets out an audible breath.

  “I’m sorry, you’re right. That was out of line.” He runs an agitated hand through his hair. “When you said his name that image of you on the garage floor popped in my mind, and I lost it.”

  “So we’re on the same page?”

  “We are, but let’s get one thing straight. You are mine to protect.”

  I try hard not to melt at his words. “From real threats, Max, not imagined ones.”

  “We agree on that.”

  I rise on my tiptoes, giving him a quick peck on his lips. “We just had a couple’s fight.”

  He grins at this. “We didn’t do too bad.”

  Opening the car door, he gestures for me to enter it.

  “By the way, the neurologist said he can see Grams tomorrow evening,” he says a few minutes later while we’re speeding through the city.

  “That’s great.” I finally convinced Grams that it’d be good to get another opinion on her medication. “Thank you.” Needing to switch to a lighter topic, I ask, “Who’s going to be at Pippa’s house?”

  “My entire family. Even Summer. She’s been in Italy the past couple of months, but she’s back now. Worked for a museum there. ”

  “Sebastian’s wife and Logan’s fiancée and Pippa’s husband will also be there?”

  “Exactly.”

  “So, what was that about matchmaking?”

  Max doesn’t miss a beat. “Mom wanted grandchildren for a while. Since none of us kids were in serious relationships, she took the reins into her own hands. Didn’t really work out. Eventually Pippa took over from Mom, and she was surprisingly successful.”

  “Who plotted to bring Pippa and her husband together?”

  Max gives me a startled look. “How do you know anyone did?”

  “Just a hunch. I know your family. Meddling isn’t a one-sided activity.”

  “Sebastian’s wife, Ava, and Logan’s fiancée, Nadine. I think Alice was involved too.”

  “I see those girls fit right in with the Bennett clan. Can’t wait to meet them.”

  We fall into companionable silence, and I can’t help smiling as I remember the family dynamics and how I always wanted to be part of the clan. I loved Grams, but there was something undeniably magical about the large, loud, and lovely family.

  When I snap out of my memories, we’ve veered left into a quiet residential area in San Francisco. I’ve never been here before, but I can see the appeal this has for families. The streets are large and lined with thick, old trees, which cast a comfortable shade while still allowing in plenty of sunlight.

  “They just moved in here last week.” Max fills me in. “It took forever for them to find a house. Here we are.”

  Wow. Pippa and Eric Callahan’s house is a thing of beauty. Spanning two levels, with a warm brown roof on top, it seems plucked out of a fairy tale. The house is huge though, a U-shaped building surrounded by a garden so large one could fit half the clinic inside.

  “Why is it so large?” I ask as we walk up to the front door. “Eric has just one daughter, right?”

  Max told me Eric was a widower and single dad to a daughter when Pippa met him.

  “Yeah, but I think they are planning on having even more kids after the twins,” Max says with a fake shiver.

  “You afraid of kids, Max Bennett?” I tease.

  “Not exactly, but three sound like a handful already.”

  The front door opens before we have a chance to knock, and Jenna Bennett greets us. She looks every bit the woman I remember, plus a few wrinkles and white strands of hair. Her eyes haven’t lost any of their kindness, nor has her smile.

  “Max, thank you so much for bringing this lovely girl today.”

  She pays no further attention to her son, instead pulling me into one of those bear hugs I fondly remember. She smells like flowers and honey, and I could stay in the circle of her arms forever.

  “It’s so good to see you again, Emilia.” She lets go of me, patting my shoulders. “I can’t tell you how many times I wondered what became of your family after you moved away.”

  I had thought of the Bennetts often enough after I left. To know Mrs. Bennett also thought about us warms me on the inside.

  “Mom, you can catch up with Emilia later. Let’s say hi to everyone.”

  Mrs. Bennett nods, leading the way. I give him a speculative look as I walk with him behind her. Remembering his warning, I wonder why he’s so eager to face them all. Maybe he has a plan.

  The house is as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside. Decorated in a simple yet elegant fashion, Pippa’s eclectic spitfire and warm personality is visible in every corner. Mrs. Bennett leads us along a long corridor, which opens into a huge living room. Almost all eyes are on Max and me as we step inside
, and I feel myself shrinking under their scrutiny and curiosity. My gaze immediately finds his father, Richard Bennett, looking as sturdy as I remember him, if a little tired. He was the best father figure I could have hoped for growing up. On one memorable afternoon when I was twelve, he came over to my house and taught me how to paint the front door, saying I should know how to properly paint. I asked him if he was teaching me because I had no dad who could do it, and he kindly told me that every girl should know how to paint, that he’d taught Alice and Pippa, and would teach Summer too when she was old enough.

  “Eric, Ava, Nadine, this is Emilia,” Max says.

  I shake hands with the three of them, and then with Eric’s daughter, Julie. The girl’s age surprises me—she seems to be around thirteen, almost a teenager. Max never mentioned her age, so I supposed she was a small child. But this means Eric had her when he was very young. His story—the loss of his wife, and then his dedication to raising his daughter as a single father—hits a little too close to home.

  I’m exchanging a few words with Julie when Max addresses the rest of the room. “Everyone else, you already know Emilia. Yes, we’re dating. No, you can’t pester her with questions. And I forbid everyone to say the words wedding and matchmaking.”

  I stare at him incredulously. This was his plan? Even I can tell how much shit his siblings are going to give him for this. I recognize Sebastian, Logan, Summer, Blake, and Daniel easily. The twins have wide grins on their faces as they shake their heads. I nearly choke when I see the person standing next to Blake. Christopher. Holy smokes. I knew he looked exactly like Max, but the impact of that fact became clear only just now. He’s the same six feet of hotness as my man. I look away quickly, but still catch Christopher’s self-satisfied smirk.

  “Well, now that my genius brother made it awkward for everyone,” Blake says, “we can move on. Nice to see you, Jonesie.”

  One by one, I greet everyone, making small talk and wondering how everyone grew up to be so attractive. Summer was a kid last time I saw her, but she’s grown up to be a beautiful woman. This family has damn good genes. No sooner have I made the rounds than Summer and Alice each grab my arms, pulling me to one side.

  ***

  Max

  “When are we eating?” I ask Pippa as I follow her to the kitchen, my stomach rumbling already.

  “I’ll check on the roast beef right now. I ran a little late with preparations.”

  “You’re still cooking?” I ask in alarm.

  “I’m pregnant, Max,” she says as we enter the kitchen. “Not sick. And Eric cooked. I’m just checking on things.”

  “Yeah, but you should take it easy. You’ve been organizing your move and stopping by the office every day, and you’re about to give birth. Slow down.”

  Pippa sighs. “The doctor says that moving and walking should help my water break. I am supposed to be due next week, but I barely even feel Braxton-Hicks contractions. And it’ll probably be a delayed birth.”

  “But, but—they are twins. There’s two of them, and not much space. Shouldn’t they be in a hurry to come out?”

  “Over 50 percent of twins are born preterm, and being overdue doesn’t happen very often, but it does occasionally.” My sister whisks a fork out of the sink, then proceeds to walk to the oven. “Let’s see if this beauty is cooked.”

  “I’ll check.”

  “You’re adorable, but if I let you decide when it’s cooked, we’ll starve.”

  “Not true. I’m an expert at ordering takeout. And this can’t be so difficult.” I take the fork from my sister’s hand, opening the door of the oven. Pippa smartly steps to the side, but I don’t. The wave of heat hitting my face makes my eyes water.

  Grimacing, I wipe the moisture from my eyes. “You could’ve warned me.”

  “Nope. Payback for always weaseling out of your cooking duties when we were kids.”

  Pippa chuckles, giving me instructions on how to check if the roast beef is done. Turns out it’s not, so my sister feeds me some cold leftovers in the meantime. We sit at the small wooden table in the center of the kitchen.

  “So,” Pippa begins. “What’s the deal with Emilia?”

  I groan. “I thought I said—”

  “We’re not supposed to pester her on this issue, so I choose to pester you. I want to hear all about you and her.”

  “Make sure to speak loudly,” Blake adds, appearing out of nowhere in the kitchen. “We all want to hear.”

  “Who’s we?” I ask, dumbfounded. I answer my own question as Alice steps into view as well.

  “Were you eavesdropping?” Pippa asks the two of them with a grin.

  “No, we followed the smell of the food,” Blake replies. He and Alice sit in the two remaining empty chairs at the table, whisking the plate of leftovers from me. My stomach is still empty.

  “But we couldn’t help overhear you say that you didn’t plan on pestering Emilia,” Alice tells Pippa. “Don’t worry, Summer and I did it for you. She’s head over heels where our brother here is concerned.”

  I look at Blake for help, but the bastard is just stuffing his face with my food.

  “Girls,” I say in a firm tone. “Keep out of it. Emilia and I are taking it one day at a time, enjoying getting to know one another. I’m not going to tell you anything more.”

  Alice raises a brow. “You’ve known each other for almost twenty years.”

  “Things are different once you get in a girl’s pants,” my brother supplies helpfully.

  “What he said,” I reply. “Only I wouldn’t have phrased it like an asshole.”

  Blake shrugs, helping himself to more leftovers from the fridge.

  To my astonishment, Pippa says, “Okay, we won’t meddle.”

  “No offense, but I have a hard time believing that,” I say.

  Rising from her chair, she paces around the kitchen, patting her enormous belly. “I think you’re right. You both need time to learn each other. You were tight as kids, yeah, but now it’s different. Just be careful. Don’t hurt her.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I feel as if someone punched me in the gut.

  “It means you haven’t had a serious relationship before, and men usually need one relationship—”

  “Or ten,” Blake chimes in.

  Pippa glares at him before focusing on me again. “Or more, until they get it right. From what Alice said, Emilia has a lot on her plate without heartbreak on top of it.”

  A loaded silence follows before Blake bursts out laughing. My sisters and I all turn to him.

  “What’s so funny?” I ask him.

  “Man, Pippa couldn’t push Sebastian and Logan hard enough, and she’s actually warning you not to mess up.” Leaning back in his chair, he places his hands at the back of his neck. “I guess it just feels good not to be the only one on the receiving end of warnings all the time.”

  Ignoring the stab, I focus on Pippa. “I won’t hurt her. This isn’t some sort of trial or fun for me. I’m serious about her. I’ve never felt this way about other women. Maybe that’s why I didn’t make an effort before.”

  Blake rolls his eyes, but my sisters have strange expressions on their faces.

  “I’m serious about Emilia,” I repeat. Pippa and Alice exchange glances before they both burst out laughing and high-five each other. “What’s going on?”

  Alice props her head in both hands, grinning widely. “You got played, that’s what’s going on. You wouldn’t tell me much when I questioned you at Blake’s bar, so I thought it would be best to hand the reins to the queen.” She points to Pippa, bowing her head mockingly.

  “I knew the only way to make you talk was to attack you,” Pippa says simply.

  “So wait, this whole don’t hurt her crap was a ruse?” Blake asks, visibly disappointed.

  Alice shrugs. “It got him to tell us what we wanted to know. That he’s serious about her.”

  “I thought you were on my side, Alice,” I say accusingly.r />
  She jerks her head back. “Whatever gave you that idea?” She and Pippa share another malicious look. They manage to play me every single time. How is this even possible? Yet as I look at my two sisters half in awe, half annoyed, the warning—real or fake—does gnaw at me. What if I do end up hurting Emilia?

  ***

  Emilia

  The dinner is delicious. After we finish stuffing our bellies, we all head to the area of the living room housing two enormous L-shaped couches. Eric immediately arranges the cushions behind Pippa’s back so she’s comfortable, and it’s clear he’s doting on her all the time. They are precious together.

  “Nadine and I have news,” Logan says after everyone’s seated. “We finally set our wedding date. It’s in September.”

  “Congratulations.” Ava hugs Nadine tightly, smiling at Logan. Everyone takes turns congratulating them and pestering them with questions about location and other details.

  “Nothing’s set in stone,” Nadine repeats with infinite patience. “But I’d like a small wedding at the old ranch, like Pippa’s.”

  “Yeah, not gonna happen.” Logan kisses her forehead, patting her leg. “I want a big splash. I thought we’d agreed on it.”

  “We’re still negotiating,” Nadine tells the room. “But from time to time I like to let him think he’s won.”

  Everyone roars with laughter, and Ava whispers to me, “That’s the secret with the Bennett brothers. Always let them believe they’re in charge. Ouch.” She all but leaps off the couch, rubbing her arm vigorously where a grinning Sebastian pinched her.

  “Emilia has enough experience dealing with Max,” Mrs. Bennett says knowingly. “They were inseparable as kids.”

  “Yeah, you were at our house all the time,” Christopher says. “You were the first adopted Bennett.”

  “What do you mean the first?” I’m genuinely confused.

  “We use that nickname for other good friends who became close to the family. You started the trend,” Christopher explains, and it’s the weirdest feeling, as though I’m talking to Max, but also not talking to Max.