by Katie Knight
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.
RELAY PUBLISHING EDITION, OCTOBER 2020
Copyright © 2020 Relay Publishing Ltd.
All rights reserved. Published in the United Kingdom by Relay Publishing. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Katie Knight is a pen name created by Relay Publishing for co-authored Romance projects. Relay Publishing works with incredible teams of writers and editors to collaboratively create the very best stories for our readers.
Cover design by Mayhem Cover Creations.
www.relaypub.com
Blurb
Lake Bailey loves her job working for the Shepperton Foundation, which is why she’s so upset when she suspects someone is funneling money from it. When her boss, Devon Shepperton, who she was casually dating and who she suspects might have been involved in the shady dealings, ends up dead, Lake worries someone is trying to kill her too. Complicating matters, she finds out she’s pregnant with Devon’s baby. So when Devon’s Navy SEAL twin, Drake, shows up to settle his late brother’s estate, she reaches out for help. Drake generously offers to keep her safe in his highly secure condo until danger passes. As the two spend more time together, Lake soon realizes keeping her heart intact might be her biggest challenge.
Drake knows he’s returning to his SEAL team, so getting romantically entangled with Lake is definitely off the table. His role is protector, not lover. Then comes The Kiss. Drake has kissed plenty of women, but for some reason, that one kiss from Lake is throwing him off his game, making him feel things he’s never felt. But he needs to stay focused. The danger to Lake is very real, and he strongly suspects the Shepperton Foundation is at the heart of it. As the danger swirling around them becomes a tempest, Drake finds himself drawn closer to Lake, realizing he’ll do just about anything to keep her safe. And to win her heart…
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
End of Protecting His Brother’s Babies
Thank You!
About Katie
About Leslie
Sneak Peek: The SEAL’s Pregnant Christmas Lover
Also by Leslie
One
God. Who the hell needed twenty pairs of the same identical fancy black socks?
Drake Shepperton swore under his breath and shook his head, tossing them all in a large box marked “Charity”. The excess was par for the course, he supposed, where his twin brother was concerned. Devon had always been far too slick and ostentatious for his own good.
In the end, it was probably what had gotten him killed, wrapping his expensive car around a tree because he’d believed that speed limits were meant for other people. Devon was reckless and rarely thought of the consequences of his actions—he always assumed that someone else would come along to handle the fallout from any of his stunts.
It had only been a week since the car accident that had taken his brother’s life, but already Drake’s neat, orderly life had been upended more than he could have imagined. And from the call he’d gotten earlier from the attorney for his family’s company, things would only get worse before they got better.
No. “Company” didn’t begin to cover what had become the Shepperton, Inc. manufacturing empire over the years. It was a behemoth, a massive industrial player with thousands of employees. And that meant that no matter how badly Drake wanted to walk away from the whole thing, he had to step up, take charge, and make sure the business was properly transitioned to new leadership now that his brother was no longer at the helm. That much was Drake’s duty as a Shepperton—even if it was a duty that he’d dodged for the past several years. He’d inherited the business along with Devon five years ago after their parents died, but he’d had exactly zero interest in leaving behind his hard-won career as a SEAL to share management of a business he hated. Devon had been more than happy to have the top seat at the company to himself, and Drake had been happy to leave him to it. Dividends from Drake’s shares were automatically deposited into an account that he never even looked at. An account that would grow even larger once Devon’s assets were added to it.
He didn’t care about the money. He would have given it all up to have his twin back.
Would have given even more to have been born into another family entirely.
Grumbling, he continued going through his brother’s clothes and other personal effects, separating out what he could send to charity and disposing of the rest in preparation for putting Devon’s million-dollar mini-palace of a condo on the market.
Drake could have kept it all, according to his brother’s will. Hell, he probably should keep at least some of the clothes—they’d fit him just as well as they’d fit Devon. Despite their different lifestyles, the twins had stayed a remarkably close match in their physical forms. And of course, as far as features and coloring went, they’d always been shockingly identical. What looked good on his brother would look good on him. But he didn’t want it. It was all just another reminder of all the things his family had cared about more than he did—money, prestige, power symbolized by glamor and frivolous excess.
He yanked open another dresser drawer to find set after set of twinkling cuff links. Gold, silver, some with diamonds, some with engravings. The stuff in the drawer was easily worth more than most people made in an entire year. It turned Drake’s stomach, to be honest. He slammed the drawer, then raked a hand through his short dark hair. He shouldn’t be here. He should be overseas with his SEAL team, fighting for truth, justice, and the American way. Fighting for things that mattered.
Instead, he was stuck right back into his family’s mess, the one place he swore he’d never be again.
He looked around the room with a disgusted sneer. For all the amenities and expensive artwork hanging around the condo, there were no family photos at all. Another Shepperton trait—family was only prized for what they could give you, not for love.
His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out to see another text from the head of the company’s legal department.
Emergency Meeting Scheduled 9am Tomorrow. Devon’s Office.
The knot of tension in his neck tightened further and Drake cringed, rolling his shoulders to try and loosen the muscles. Dammit. He wanted to go sit in some stuffy financial meeting about as much as he wanted to get a root canal done, but he had no choice. If he didn’t show up, he’d leave all the workers for their company in peril. And Drake was nothing if not a protector. Underdogs, the underprivileged—basically anyone who needed help, he was their guy. He fixed problems.
Too bad there was no one else around to help him fix this mess he was in now.
Frustrated and restless, he tossed his phone on the massive bed in the center of the room and
stalked out to the fancy restaurant-grade kitchen to see if his brother had any decent booze in the place. Drake wasn’t much of a drinker, normally, but damn if liquor didn’t sound like manna from heaven about now.
He’d just yanked open the door to the large double-sided, stainless-steel fridge and peered inside, when a knock sounded on the front door. Drake frowned, glancing back over his shoulder. He wasn’t expecting anyone and as far as he knew, his brother’s address wasn’t listed, for security reasons. While there had never been any serious threats, apparently it wasn’t possible to run a manufacturing company without ticking some people off. That meant that Devon’s home address hadn’t been widely known, even within his social circle. So who could be at the door? Had some nosy neighbor spotted him coming in and out of the condo and decided to bring over a casserole or something?
Drake straightened and snorted, bracing himself for painful small talk with a stranger. Yes, he and his brother had been twins. Yes, such a tragedy—so young, etc. Sure, he supposed it was a comfort to know it had happened quickly, without a lot of suffering.
That much was true, at least. Devon had died instantly, according to the coroner. Hell, he’d been dictating a text at the time, from what the police found on the vehicle’s black box. Something about money. Figured. Chasing more cash until the end. The Shepperton way. But Drake probably wouldn’t mention that to the neighbor.
Nor would he mention that personally, he’d rather live on the street than in some palatial prison like this.
Give him a tent in the dusty desert and a war to win and he was a happy camper.
The knocking sounded again, louder and faster this time.
Damn. He’d hoped they’d go away if he ignored it.
Apparently not. Stalking over to the door with a bottle of locally brewed ale, he sighed and turned the handle, bracing himself to be polite.
“I’m so sorry to bother you, but—” she started, her shoulder-length dark hair partially covering her face as she fiddled with her phone. Then she looked up and her doe-like brown eyes widened, what little color was in her cheeks draining away before his eyes. Her pink lips parted, and she wavered on her feet. “Oh God. You…it can’t be. You’re dead… I…”
Drake grabbed her arm before she toppled over, intrigued despite himself. She looked familiar, but from where? He’d only arrived back in the country after receiving word of Devon’s death and the subsequent funeral, so he hadn’t had time to meet anyone connected to his brother, let alone a woman as attractive as this.
“Here, sit down,” he said, guiding her to the overstuffed leather sofa nearby. “Let me get you some water.”
She’d turned an odd grayish colour and he was worried she’d pass out on him.
He hurried to get the water, then returned to the living room, standing nearby by and eyeing her warily while she sipped the drink. He didn’t like being caught off-guard. Disliked not knowing why she looked familiar even more. Was she one of Devon’s bimbos? Could be. His brother’s appetite for wealth had been rivaled only by his lust for the next new thing—be it women or cars or luxury yachts. Devon had always enjoyed sending Drake pictures of his so-called glamorous lifestyle. Maybe he’d seen this woman in one of those?
“Feeling better?” Drake asked after a moment, glad to see a bit of pink return to her face.
The woman nodded, her gaze still lowered to the glass in her lap. “Yes, thank you. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to act like such an idiot. I was just surprised to see someone who…”
Her voice trailed off again, but Drake could fill in the blanks.
It wasn’t the first time someone had mistaken him for his twin. They were identical after all, at least on the outside. Same six-foot-plus height, same dark hair and eyes, same muscular build—though Drake’s came from honest hard work while his twin’s had been courtesy of some state-of-the-art gym equipment and an expensive personal trainer. Anyway, they got mistaken for each other a lot. Or they used to, anyway.
An odd pinch settled in Drake’s heart. He and his brother might have lived very different lives and had little in common these days, but they’d still been twins. Drake might not have liked or even respected his brother Devon, but that bond between them forged in the womb had been unseverable.
At least until now. The strange emptiness that had been lurking around his edges crept a little farther into his soul.
Absently, he took a large swig of his ale, then plopped down into an armchair across from the woman. “It’s okay,” he said, picking at the label on his bottle. He shrugged, resisting the urge to rub his sore neck again. “Happens a lot. Or used to, anyway. It’s been a while since I’ve been home. I take it Devon didn’t mention he had a twin?”
She shook her head. “No. He mentioned that he had a brother, but he rarely talked about you—and I had no idea that you were twins. But then I didn’t know him that well. Or I suppose I did, in a way, but no. He didn’t mention it.”
“How did you know him?” Drake asked, curiosity getting the better of him. “You look familiar.”
She extended a slim hand toward him. “I’m Lake Bailey. I work for Shepperton Foundation.” He shook her hand briefly, and then she tucked her hair behind her ear and revealed an entire row of small studs lining the shell of her ear. Huh. The small hint of a punk aesthetic was not exactly what Drake was used to seeing on the socialites who usually frequented his brother’s bed, let alone the people who worked for the charitable arm of his family’s company. “Or I did. Not sure how that will all go now with Devon gone.” She took another swallow of water, then met his gaze at last. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks.” Drake sat back and took another swig of ale, hoping the liquor would kick in soon and help alleviate the stress scorching through his bloodstream. He’d kill for a nice, numbing buzz right about now. In the meantime, he examined his guest more closely. The woman seemed nice enough, if a bit quiet. Well dressed, in a pricey black pantsuit with diamonds in her earlobes. She was probably some high society heiress, seduced by his brother’s charm into volunteering for the company’s charity and falling into Devon’s bed. He’d seen the type before. They usually didn’t stick around long. “So, you volunteered for the charity. That must’ve been where I’ve seen you. Press photos and stuff.”
“Maybe.” She took a deep breath and seemed to gather her flagging confidence, her slim shoulders straightening once more. “But I’m not a volunteer. I’m actually the Executive Director of the Shepperton Foundation. I worked directly under your brother and oversaw most of the community outreach and coordination. I have a Master’s in social work and a BA in business administration, so my skill set fit well with the organization.”
“I bet it did,” Drake said, narrowing his gaze on her. To be honest, he was kind of surprised by his brother’s choice to date this woman. Remembering some of the previous relationships his brother had had—if you wanted to call them that—Drake had not been impressed with his brother’s taste. This woman seemed very different. But then what did he know? He hadn’t seen his brother in ages and truthfully, he’d never been the playboy his brother had been. Not that Drake ever dated as much as his brother. In fact, he’d only had one serious relationship so far and that had failed when he’d joined the SEALs. Long-distance never worked out well when it came to love, at least in his experience. Still, he could see why Devon would have been attracted to the woman across from him. She was polished, poised, and well-educated, given her manners and schooling. He always did love a smart woman. Devon, though, would have gone for her because of those beautiful brown eyes of hers and all that silky hair. Not to mention legs for days and the hint of fine breasts beneath that black jacket and white shirt of hers.
Whoa there, cowboy.
Drake glanced up to find her watching him with a deepening frown. Oops. Yeah. Drinking on an empty stomach probably hadn’t been the wisest idea ever. He set the ale aside and cleared his throat, doing his best to get his mind back on the task a
t hand. “I appreciate the condolences, but I doubt you came all the way out here just to share them in person. So if you don’t mind my being blunt, why are you here?”
That air of confidence about her evaporated again and her hand shook slightly as she set her now-empty water on the coffee table. “I, uh… I spoke with an attorney at Shepperton who said I could find you here.”
The knots between Drake’s shoulder blades squeezed tighter. Was she hoping for some kind of payoff? Even if their relationship had technically been consensual, Devon had still been her boss, and there were bound to be some news outlets that would jump on the story of the abuse of power. Wouldn’t be the first time a male Shepperton had been caught in a compromising position and had to buy his way out of it. Lord knew their father had had his share of indiscretions, and Devon did his best to follow in the family tradition.
“I wanted to talk to you in private.”
I bet you did.
He did his best to keep his growing disgust from showing on his face and failed miserably, if the way she flinched was any indication. A muscle ticked near his clenched jaw and he took a deep breath to calm his raging pulse. “Go on then. Tell me what you want.”
“I don’t think Devon’s death was an accident,” she said, her response so quiet he would have missed it if he hadn’t been paying attention.
It took a moment for those words to sink into Drake’s brain, but when they did the air left his lungs in one big exhale. Whatever he’d been expecting her to say, it sure as hell hadn’t been that. “What?”