The Owner of His Heart

by Taylor, Theodora

  She peeled her tank top off over her head, careful to avoid messing up her freshly done hair or makeup. Then she took off her jeans as well. “Actually, I need you to help me pick out which dress to wear to the ball tonight.”

  He eyed her up and down, his eyes positively wolfish with lust. “Oh, I can definitely help with that.”

  She laughed and unhooked her bra, then laughed again when he drew in a sharp breath. What was with him? He was acting like he’d never seen her or her breasts before. Maybe, she thought with a fleeting sadness, it was because he knew this would be the last night they’d have together.

  As the sadness of her impending departure washed over her, she wondered, not for the first time, if she should just give in and sign his stupid pre-nup. She honestly couldn’t imagine spending the rest of her life with anyone else, and if her signing a document meant they could be together, maybe she should just do it, even if his distrust of her didn’t exactly bode well for a healthy and lasting relationship—

  Her thoughts were interrupted when Nathan crossed the space between them, gathered her into his arms, and crushed her mouth to his.

  ***

  “Hello, this is Layla. Please leave a message, and I’ll call you back as soon as possible.”

  Nathan listened to Layla’s message, which she of course delivered in a sincerely apologetic tone, for the sixth time in less than sixty minutes. “Layla, this is Nathan. Call me back as soon as you get this.”

  She still wasn’t answering her phone, and his earlier fear was beginning to morph into true dread, so he checked in with Kate again.

  Kate’s search hadn’t gone any better. “I called Jacob, and he said she’d already left. But he also said something about her still needing to pick out an evening gown. So I called just about every department store in the city, but that didn’t turn up anything. So I called Spencer Greeley to see if he could trace the credit card I gave her to buy the dress. I knew I should have just picked one out for her,” she fretted. “But she said she wanted to choose her own dress this time. Mr. Greeley said he’d see what he could do, but he was already working on another project for you due in the morning.”

  “I’m near my loft. I’m going to check to see if maybe she’s there and just not answering her phone for some reason,” Nathan said. “I’ll call you back if she isn’t, and you can tell Greeley to make the credit card his first priority.”

  A few minutes after hanging up with Kate, he was relieved when he pulled up to his building and saw the red Mini he’d bought Layla parked curbside. There was a small lot around back, but Layla claimed to prefer street parking in front because it was less fuss. When it came to everything outside of him, Layla always chose the less fuss option.

  He took a leaf from her book, though, and parked his Maserati behind her car. His heart eased off the adrenaline as he entered the building and got into the elevator. But he couldn’t quite allow himself to feel relief, not until he saw her with his own eyes.

  However, when he opened the elevator doors, he did see her with his own eyes. And she was standing naked accept for a pair of panties, kissing his brother.

  ***

  The kiss with Nathan was very nice, a little too nice. Alarm bells flared in the back of Layla’s head. The kiss seemed familiar, like she’d experienced it before, but at the same time, it didn’t feel quite right.

  He smelled differently. Like simple soap and water as opposed to his usual expensive cologne. And though the kiss had started out with great passion, his lips were now gentle above hers, as if he’d be happy to just stand there kissing her for hours on end. And though she could feel his hard-on, none of Nathan’s usual driving need seemed to be present. She couldn’t remember him ever just kissing her like this, without touching her breasts or complaining about how crazy she drove him while seeking entry into her womanhood.

  A nauseous feeling rose in her stomach. This man was a very good kisser, she realized. But he was not Nathan.

  She put her hands on his chest and pulled back from him, effectively breaking off the kiss. For a moment their eyes locked, hers confused, his glittering with some unnamed emotion. And then it hit her. She had finally found the man she’d been searching for since June. But she hadn’t even recognized him as Andrew Sinclair until this very moment.

  That’s when she felt another presence in the space. They both looked up to find Nathan standing in the open doorway, his face a work of stone-cold anger.

  “Nathan,” she said. And the most eerie feeling of déjà vu overtook her.

  She started to explain, but Nathan crossed the room in a lightning flash. And before she could stop him, he pulled Andrew away from her and punched him dead in the face.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  “NATHAN, NO!” he heard Layla yell behind him.

  Ten years ago, he had turned tail and run when he encountered a less-naked version of this exact scene, but this time he grabbed Andrew and punched him. He had been afraid of Andrew swooping in to steal Layla away from him before, but now he only knew determination. Layla was his woman, and he’d be damned if he let his brother steal her back twice.

  He swung at Andrew again. The second punch also hit its mark, and it sent his brother toppling to the floor.

  “Stop it,” Layla said again. Out of the corner of one eye, he could see her putting back on her tank top.

  Nathan ignored her, keeping his fists at the ready, while he waited for Andrew to get back on his feet, so he could hit him again. But Layla grabbed one of his punching arms, pulling it down with both of her hands and all of her might.

  “Stop it,” she said. “It’s not what you think. I thought I was kissing you.”

  “What?” Nathan asked. The thought of his brother pretending to be him in order to kiss Layla sent another storm of rage through his entire system. “So you didn’t—”

  Andrew chose that moment to jump to his feet and blindside Nathan with a punch of his own. Nathan felt his lip split as his head whipped to the side with the impact of his brother’s fist. He brought a hand up to his bloody lip and decided this time he was going to beat his brother within an inch of his life.

  But before he could make a move on Andrew, Layla was in front of him, pushing his brother away from him and saying, “Don’t you dare hit him again. You stop this right now.”

  “He started it,” Andrew yelled.

  “Yes, because you tricked me into kissing you, which you had no right to do,” she said. “Now back off.”

  “I had no right?” Andrew questioned. “Jessica told me he tricked you into dating him!”

  “Who?” Nathan said, his killing rage giving way to confusion.

  “One of your many ex-girlfriends. Remember? Apparently she ran into Layla at that opera fundraiser you attended.”

  Nathan cursed, remembering the pretty co-ed Layla had sent packing on their first and last double date. Why had he invited Layla to that ball? He should have kept her hidden away in his loft. It would have saved him a month’s worth of drama if he’d just gone to the damn fundraiser alone.

  Andrew continued. “Jessica emailed me a couple of weeks ago to tell me what you were up to. She said Layla was trying to find me. I would have come back sooner, but it took a while to get WiFi set up at the ranch, so I didn’t get her message until a few nights ago. So I came back for the ball, served Diana with divorce papers, and now I’m here to find out why you tricked my ex-girlfriend, the only girl I truly ever loved, into sleeping and apparently cohabitating with you.”

  Nathan looked to Layla, who was now rubbing her temple as if this whole situation was giving her a headache. “You’re in contact with Jessica?” he asked. “And you told her everything.”

  “No, not everything,” Layla said. “But enough that I can see why she would have contacted Andrew. That was very sweet of her.”

  “If by sweet, you mean meddlesome.”

  Layla glared at him. “By sweet, I mean she did what you were unwilling to do—help me get
answers.”

  “Well, make sure to send her a thank you note after you leave town,” he said. He knew he was being mean, but this was the exact scenario he’d been trying to avoid when he manipulated her into signing the contract. Now Jessica had ruined everything. Andrew knew about Layla, had served his wife with divorce papers, and was probably already plotting how to get his ex-girlfriend back.

  As if reading his mind, Andrew’s eyes gentled on Layla. “Jessica also told me you’d lost a year worth of memories after the accident. She said you were trying to find out what happened during that time. I wasn’t sure how to approach you, and that’s why I didn’t tell you who I was right off the bat. I didn’t want to upset you or scare you.” His face turned red and he looked away. “I was trying to figure out how to tell you I wasn’t Nathan, when you took your shirt off, and I got…distracted.”

  He stepped closer to her and rubbed her arms in a soothing manner. “I’m sorry for kissing you without your permission. But I can help you. And unlike Nathan, I actually want to help you remember.”

  It was a great speech, illustrating perfectly why Andrew had a reputation for being such a good guy. And it made Nathan want to punch him again, knock out teeth this time. “Take your hands off of her,” he said, his voice low and menacing.

  Andrew ignored him. “I was about to leave for the party. Come with me. We can talk, and I’ll answer any questions you have.”

  “Won’t your wife have a problem with that?” Nathan asked.

  Andrew glared at him over Layla’s shoulder. “My soon-to-be ex-wife you mean, and obviously she won’t be attending the ball this year.”

  “Then who’s going to handle hosting duties?”

  “The party planner,” he answered. “And, of course, I’ll do my part to fill in any gaps left by Diana’s absence.”

  “About time you finally decided to start doing your part. And what’s this about a ranch. Is that where you were hiding?”

  Andrew let go of Layla and turned to confront Nathan. “I’ve always done my part for Sinclair Industries. I’m the one who found us that deal and got Matsuda to the table. I had a few personal issues this summer, so yes, I stayed at a ranch in Montana for a while. And it was great, the best thing I’ve ever done for myself, which is why I ended up buying it. But at least I didn’t spend the summer deceiving your ex-girlfriend, just so she’d sleep with me.”

  Andrew shook his head, his face filled with disgust. “You know, you’ve always had a bad reputation when it comes to women, but this is low, even for you.”

  “Yes, you’re right,” Nathan shot back. “I’m not a paragon of virtue like you, who hid out on a ranch all summer, then served his wife with divorce papers after which he immediately came looking for his ex-girlfriend.”

  “Diana and I were over long before I officially asked for a divorce. We never should have gotten married in the first place. I never would have taken her back, if she hadn’t been there for me when…”

  He caught himself and trailed off, but Nathan finished the sentence for him. “If she hadn’t been there for you after you abandoned Layla, then you never would have married Diana. That’s what you’re saying.”

  “I didn’t abandon Layla,” Andrew answered. “I honestly thought she was trying to sue our family. If I had known her father had been acting on his own, I never would have left her side.”

  But Nathan just shook his head. “You’re a weak coward, and you don’t deserve her.”

  Andrew’s face turned red with fury. “And you think you do? The only reason she’s with you is because she doesn’t remember me. I’m the one she dated for a year. I’m the one who fell in love with her first ten years ago. You’re just a parasite, preying on her head injury. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d rather help Layla get the answers she came to Pittsburgh for than stand here arguing with my good-for-nothing brother.”

  He turned back to the spot where he’d left Layla standing, but to both their surprise, she was no longer there.

  “Layla,” they said together.

  “I’m over here,” she said from behind the retractable wall that hid the bedroom.

  Nathan and Andrew had been so consumed with their argument, they hadn’t even noticed her pull the wall out, much less disappear behind it. But she now emerged from the hidden bedroom, dressed in a diaphanous purple sheath dress. She put Nathan in mind of a goddess as she walked toward them.

  However, this goddess was positively radiating with anger. “I picked the purple one on my own while you two were fighting over me like two dogs with a bone.”

  Nathan folded his arms. Considering their history, he saw no reason to pretend he was sorry for his behavior.

  But of course, Andrew had to rush in with an apology, once again painting himself as the more upstanding brother. “I’m sorry. I came here to give you answers, and instead I ended up fighting with my brother. I guess not much hasn’t changed since you saw us both last.”

  “Oh, it’s changed,” Nathan said. “Layla is mine now, and you don’t have any business with her.”

  Andrew stiffened. “I don’t want to upset Layla any further, so I’m going to ignore you.” He turned his gaze back to her. “Does this mean you’re driving to the ball with me?”

  “No,” Nathan said.

  “Yes,” Layla answered at the same time.

  Nathan turned to regard Layla for the first time since he caught her kissing Andrew. “No,” he said again, the command in his voice unmistakable.

  “Yes,” she repeated, her eyes steeled with resolution. “You don’t own me, Nathan.”

  His entire body went stiff. It felt like she’d thrown a bucket of ice water at him. “And you asked why I don’t trust you?”

  He could see the steel in her eyes falter as guilt overrode her need for answers. “I’ll see you at the ball,” she said. “I promise.”

  “You also promised you’d attend the ball with me. If you go with Andrew then you’re breaking that promise.”

  Again a falter. She looked from him to Andrew and back to him. And for a moment, he thought she’d give in, but then she drew herself up straight. “I guess I am breaking my promise then.”

  She turned to Andrew and said, “Lets go.” Then she walked toward the still open door without a backwards glance.

  Andrew followed her, but as he closed the door behind them, he met Nathan’s eyes. And smirked.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  “I STILL can’t believe Nathan did this,” Andrew said, his hands tight on the steering wheel of his Mercedes S-class, as they coasted through town on their way to Fox Chapel. “He’s always been an irredeemable asshole, but this goes beyond his usual behavior. I could seriously maim him.”

  Layla peered at him sideways from the passenger seat. He’d been ranting about Nathan for the last ten minutes. “Are you done being angry with your brother yet?”

  He threw her an apologetic look and covered her hand with his. The gesture was so automatic and familiar, she could easily imagine them driving in this exact same manner as younger versions of themselves. “I’m sorry. This is not the way I wanted our reunion to go. Nathan ruined that, too,” he said.

  Layla opened her mouth to answer, but he ended up correcting himself. “I’m doing it again.” He squeezed her hand. “Okay, no more talk about that evil piece of shit I call a brother. Let’s start answering your questions. I’m ready and willing. Ask me anything?”

  “Really? Anything?” she said.

  “Yes, really. You have to understand, Layla, I’m not usually like this. The Andrew you used to date was laidback and easygoing. I still am, but Nathan gets under my skin and brings out the worse parts of me.”

  She half-smiled. “Yeah, he has a way of doing that.”

  “But like I said, ‘Enough about him.’ Where do you want to start? With the fall?”

  Layla nodded. “Yes, we could start there. Can you tell me what happened that night?”

  “Well, I don’t actually know m
uch. You’d come to visit me, but I was out to dinner with my parents. Apparently you asked one of the maids if it was okay to slip a note under my bedroom door. According to her you insisted on doing it yourself, and she liked you—” he broke off with a wry smile. “Everybody liked you. I’m sure the same is still true.”

  She demurred. “Not everybody,” she insisted, thinking of whoever had spray painted her locker at work and the front door of her apartment.

  “And still humble, too, I see.” He gave her a teasing glance before continuing on. “In any case, she let you go up. Five minutes later she heard you scream, then she found you at the bottom of the staircase. From what the police could determine, you were distracted, missed the first step, and couldn’t correct yourself once you started falling.”

  “So I wasn’t pushed,” Layla said.

  “No, Nathan was in Ibiza, and it was night time, so there weren’t any servants upstairs. But we paid your father off, because we knew how hard it would be to prove if you actually decided to take us to court. Also, at Sinclair Industries, we pride ourselves on our good community standing. My father didn’t want a scandal.”

  Layla squeezed his hand. “Thank you for telling me. I really needed to hear what happened. And I’m sorry for any distress my father caused your family.”

  “No, I’m sorry for not coming to the hospital. If I’d known you were suffering from amnesia, it wouldn’t have mattered that…” he trailed off with a shake of his head. “Believe me, I wouldn’t have stayed away.”

  Layla gave his hand another squeeze. “I believe you. I think when you’re not dealing with Nathan, you’re a very upstanding and kind man. I can tell that.”

  Andrew let out a pent up breath. “I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear you say that until you just did. I know Nathan made it seem like I was an uncaring pig for serving Diana and then seeking you out, but believe me, I struggled with the decision to ask Diana for a divorce. I keep my promises, and I made a vow to her, but we’re just not good together. I like the outdoors, she prefers spa vacations. I want at least three children, she wants one, because she says she doesn’t want to ruin her body. Hailing from two wealthy Pittsburgh families, it looked like we had enough things in common on paper to get along, but when it came down to who we really were as people, we were exact opposites. We would have made ourselves miserable keeping our promises if I hadn’t ended it.”