A Bet With Benefits (The Eden Empire Book 3)

by Karen Booth

  The ceremony went off without a hitch, and it was short and sweet, thank goodness. Sam spent most of the time studying Mindy, trying to resign himself to the fact that she would likely always be unfinished business in his life. He was the sort of the guy who either tied up loose ends or left them entirely behind. He suspected there would never be any winning with Mindy and not simply because he was still wary of being hurt. He couldn’t imagine her ever letting him get close enough to try.

  After Sophie and Jake exchanged their vows and said, “I do,” the guests began to filter through a receiving line at the back of the room while hotel employees quickly moved the chairs and set things up for dinner. Not wanting to create tension with the bride and groom, Sam skipped the line and instead took his chance to exchange pleasantries with the various guests he’d most needed to reconnect with on a business basis. Thankfully, not a single person made a comment about Sam being a bit of an outcast with regard to the Eden family. Perhaps they had been discreet in their dislike for him.

  Mindy and Sam were reunited when it came time for dinner and they were able to sit together, but there wasn’t much opportunity for relaxed conversation. There were too many unpleasant undercurrents running through that room—Gerald shooting Sam the evil eye, Jake and Sophie ignoring him, Jill downing drinks a little too fast and Mindy preoccupied with everything being perfect.

  “The ceremony was nice,” Sam said.

  Mindy wiped her mouth with a napkin. “It was. We’re almost at the finish line.”

  Sam hated the fact that she wasn’t enjoying herself. He put his arm around her and leaned closer, speaking into her ear. “Relax. Everything is fine. Can I get you another drink?” Of course, Sam could do anything but relax right now, but he was fairly certain he was doing a good job of faking it. Being able to put his mouth so close to Mindy’s neck wasn’t helping him unwind. It only made his blood run a whole lot hotter. She not only looked stunning today, but he also had a real weakness for stressed-out Mindy. He knew how to unwind her. Again and again.

  She turned her head toward his and kissed him on the cheek. “Gerald is watching us,” she muttered.

  “So I gathered.” Sam didn’t bother to look. He’d take Mindy’s word for it. Instead, he took his chance to gaze deeply into her eyes, relishing the way they reflected uncertainty. She clearly had no idea what he would do next and how he loved the element of surprise. He leaned closer, and under the table, planted his hand on the top of her thigh, his fingertips just close enough to her center to send a message—he was hers for the taking. He placed a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth. Given the time and place, it was only a fraction of what he wanted to do, but he did make a point of being slow about it and allowing his lips to linger. It was chaste and sweet, when the thoughts running through his mind were of a more carnal variety. He wanted to pull her hair out of that neat twist, gather the gauzy fabric of her skirt in his hands and convince her to give in to him.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he said.

  “You’re so bad.” Mindy’s eyelids fluttered and she showed him the most relaxed smile he’d seen from her all night.

  Despite the need to keep Gerald at bay, Sam knew it wasn’t good for him to be flirting with Mindy this way. The problem was, he no longer cared what was good for him. He only wanted whatever she did. “I’m only living up to expectations.”

  * * *

  Sam was going to be the death of Mindy. Yes, they were putting on a show right now, but damn... It felt so real. It felt the way it had felt months ago, when things were fantastic between them, before they veered off course. His hand on her leg was one thing, but it was the kiss that really sent her into overdrive. It was enough to convince her that although they might eventually work as friends, for tonight, she needed more than that. She needed everything she’d wanted from him last night.

  Unfortunately, that couldn’t happen right now. Jake and Sophie were about to have their first dance. As the lights dimmed in the ballroom, Mindy took Sam’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go watch.” She tapped her mom on the shoulder. “Mom. Join us. We’ll be able to see better if we’re up by the dance floor.”

  The three made their way closer to Jake and Sophie as the DJ told a few corny jokes and many more of the wedding guests followed their lead, joining them at the edge of the dance floor. There in the near dark, Mindy didn’t hesitate to hold on to Sam’s hand tightly. All she could think about was how glad she was to have him here. She couldn’t imagine how little she would have enjoyed today if she’d had to do it all on her own.

  Sophie and Jake looked so happy it was hard for Mindy to wrap her head around. She and Sophie had grown up with their parents’ marriage as the only example of the way a couple should behave, and it had not been pretty. They had never been kind or sweet to each other. They only exchanged barbs and icy stares. Once Mindy and Sophie were old enough to have a better sense of what was going on in their parents’ private lives, they quickly figured out that it wasn’t just their father who was having many affairs. Their mother was plenty unfaithful. It was only last December, after Gram’s will had been read and they learned that their cousin Emma was actually their half sister, that they also learned the most salient detail of the murky history of their parents’ marriage. Their father’s first affair had been Emma’s mom, Aunt Jenny. The betrayal their mother felt over that would never go away, not even now, years after their father’s death.

  How Mindy hoped that Sophie and Jake would never reach that state with their marriage. She wanted to believe it wasn’t preordained for their family. Sophie and Jake did genuinely love each other. That already gave them a leg up. Mindy wasn’t certain that her parents had ever felt that way about each other. It was difficult to imagine how anyone would ever hurt someone they love so badly.

  Sophie’s and Jake’s song wound down and the DJ invited the guests to join them. Mindy didn’t even need to ask Sam if he wanted to dance... He was already leading her out onto the dance floor, his hand fully wrapped around her own.

  She sucked in a sharp breath when he wound his arm around her waist and tugged her body against his. How she loved it when he took charge, but these were dangerous waters they were wading into. Every minute that ticked by seemed to be another tiny barrier breached—a touch, a warm breath, a kiss. She knew where that led with Sam... And he knew it, too. And she wasn’t sure how they were going to handle their goodbye in a few hours, when the dances were done and it was time for her to go upstairs and for him to go home. Her sisters were sincere about the bet, and not just because they wanted to keep her at Eden’s. They wanted to keep her from being hurt.

  Reginald, in his pastel peach suit and one of his trademark plaid bow ties, and Mindy’s mom joined the crowd on the dance floor, which made Mindy happy. She hadn’t seen a smile on her mother’s face in a long time. Sure, she was fairly certain she was drunk, but it didn’t matter. Happiness was happiness. “It’s nice to see my mom enjoying herself.”

  Sam glanced over at them. “I like your mom. She’s different than I thought she would be.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  Sam shrugged. “She’s not very sentimental. Most moms are, especially if their daughter is getting married.”

  “Do you really think most moms are that way? I think of moms as being tough and pragmatic.”

  Sam cast Mindy a look that seemed to suggest she was off her rocker. “Yes, moms can be like that, but in general, I’ve found most moms to be tenderhearted. Especially when it comes to their children.”

  Mindy shook her head. “Yeah. That’s not our mom. Is your mom like that?” Sam never, ever talked about his family.

  Sam’s lips formed a hard, thin line. “My mom passed away when I was in high school. But she was like that. Before she died.”

  “I’m so sorry. I had no idea. Why didn’t you ever tell me this before?”

  “It never came up.”


  “More like you failed to mention it. I’ve talked about my mom dozens of times around you. The subject definitely came up.”

  “I don’t want to argue about it, Mindy. It’s personal. And private. And something I don’t enjoy discussing.”

  Mindy had to choke back several follow-up questions about Sam’s mother. It was clear from his tone that he was very serious about this. Plus, her aunt Jenny was currently trying to cut in on her mom’s dance with Reginald.

  “Oh, crap,” Mindy said. “This is exactly what I worried about.”

  Sam seemed to know exactly what Mindy was thinking as he twirled them closer.

  “Have a seat,” Jenny said. “I want to dance with Reginald.”

  “You’re drunk,” Mindy’s mom snapped. “Go away.”

  “Ladies, ladies. There’s more than enough of me to go around,” Reginald said. He wasn’t wrong. Tall, spindly and unavoidable in his colorful suit, it did feel as though he could easily make time for everyone.

  Mindy glanced over at Sophie, who hadn’t yet noticed the drama unfolding before them. “Aunt Jenny, it’s probably not the best time for dancing anyway. Sophie and Jake are about to cut the cake soon. We wouldn’t want to miss that.”

  Aunt Jenny shot Mindy a look. “You’re just like your mother. Bossy as hell. You can’t tell me what to do.” She closed her eyes and her head bobbed back and forth. Mindy knew for sure that her aunt had enjoyed a few too many glasses of champagne.

  Mindy wanted to fight back, but this was all about de-escalation. “Um, I’m sorry. I’m just thinking about what Sophie would want. It’s sort of my job as maid of honor.”

  Sam let go of Mindy and set his hand on Jenny’s arm. “Ms. Stewart. I’m Sam Blackwell. I don’t believe we’ve had the chance to meet. I’d be happy to walk you back to your table.”

  “I don’t need your help!” Jenny shouted, yanking her hand back. The sound of her voice pierced all noise in the room, even the music. Everyone seemed to be staring at them.

  Sophie and Jake let go of each other and started making their way through the crowd on the dance floor. Mindy’s heart was about to pound its way through her chest. She had to do something, but what? There was no telling what Jenny might do if Mindy took the same approach Sam just had.

  “Of course you don’t need my help,” Sam said, taking her hand and hooking it in the crook of his elbow. “I was merely offering to walk you there. Or perhaps we can head out to the lobby and get out of this stuffy ballroom.”

  Jenny’s sights narrowed on Sam. “You’re trying to get rid of me.”

  “Not at all. I only sense that maybe you’re not enjoying yourself. We could go get a drink in the bar. You can tell me all about yourself.”

  Jenny was weaving again. “You’re lucky you’re so tall. I have a thing for ridiculously tall men.”

  “See? We make a perfect pair.” Sam wasn’t taking no for an answer. He began walking Jenny out of the ballroom and she had no choice but to stumble along.

  Sophie appeared at Mindy’s side. “What is he doing? Where is he taking her?”

  “From the looks of it, he’s saving your wedding reception.”

  “Oh, give me a break. Everyone’s having a lovely time.”

  Mindy turned to her sister. “Would you like to bring back Aunt Jenny? Because I can gladly go get her.”

  Sophie pursed her lips. “No. I don’t want that.”

  “Then I think we both know that Sam has done you a favor.”

  “That doesn’t count for that much, Min. It’ll take him a lifetime to make up for everything else he’s ever done.”

  “I’m sure he’s keenly aware of that. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to at least go offer to be his backup.” Mindy didn’t wait for another comment from her sister and rushed through the ballroom doors, down the hall and out into the lobby. She spotted Sam and Jenny sitting at a side table with cups of coffee.

  Sam subtly waved Mindy off, and so she hung back, watching him do this magic. Whatever he was saying, Jenny was clearly amused. She was warming up to him, smiling. Laughing, even. After a few moments, Sam beckoned one of the bell captains with a curl of his finger, gave him a tip and, before Mindy knew what was happening, Sam was walking Jenny outside. Mindy made her way across the lobby and peeked through the revolving doors just in time to see Sam put Jenny in a town car.

  The look of victory on his face when he returned to the lobby was pure magic. It made Mindy’s entire body tingle from head to toe. “Feeling pretty good about yourself, eh?” she asked.

  “Shouldn’t I be? I kept a bundle of dynamite from exploding in your sister’s wedding reception. I’m pretty proud of myself, to be honest. I’m not usually that good at calming people down.”

  Mindy pulled him closer, drawing in his scent. It was even more intoxicating now than it had been out on the dance floor. His effect on her was more potent now, too. There were no prying eyes on them now. She felt free. “It’s because you turned on the charm. Most women have no defense for that.”

  Sam’s eyes darkened. “And what about you, Mindy? What are you keeping up your defenses for? We kept Gerald from asking you to dance. Your sister’s wedding has gone off with only the most minor of hiccups. Looks to me like you’re in the free and clear.”

  He was exactly right. She didn’t need to be there for the cake cutting. She didn’t need to worry any more about the bad things that might happen and her role in stopping any of them. She smoothed her hand over Sam’s lapel and dared to look him square in the eye. “I think you’re right. I think I can do whatever I want right now.”

  “And what is it that you want, Min?”

  She bit down on her lower lip, a million ideas zipping through her head. Could she present Sam with a list of what she wanted? Because she certainly had enough material to make one. “Right now, with nobody watching us, I want to take you upstairs and get you out of this tux.”

  Five

  The elevator door hadn’t even closed before Mindy was kissing Sam, and he eagerly returned the favor. Lucky enough to be riding alone with him, Mindy saw no point in waiting, going straight for his tie and undoing the knot. She’d spent a lot of time and effort fighting this moment. It felt so good to simply give in to it. As she started to unbutton his shirt, she banished the little voice in her head that said this was just going to create problems. Problems were for tomorrow. Tonight, now that the weight of Sophie’s wedding was gone, all she wanted was to get lost in Sam.

  She flattened him against the wall, but he countered with a kiss that nearly blinded her. “I don’t care that this is crazy. I want you.” Her voice was a gasp, so desperate and breathless that it was as if it no longer belonged to her. She waited for Sam to respond, her chest heaving. She needed to hear him say that he needed her, too.

  “Are you sure you want to do this, Min?” He reared back his head, leaving his mouth out of reach. At this point, even in heels, she would need a stepladder to kiss him. It felt mean and cruel, like he was showing off his masterful self-control. Mindy possessed so little of it when it came to him.

  The elevator door slid open and she grabbed his hand, stealing down the hall to her room. “Am I sure I want to have sex with you? Yes. I didn’t say that to be cute or coy.” She waved her key in front of the lock and they were quickly inside. “Why? Are you not sure you want to have sex with me?” It felt like forever ticked by while she waited for his answer. She braced for the possibility that he would reject her. It was a mortifying prospect, but she could imagine him doing it. To get even. To have the upper hand.

  Without a word, his hands went to her hips, which gave her a sliver of hope. She knew Sam. He wouldn’t touch her if he didn’t want her. “I’m sure I do. I just needed to ask.”

  Mindy was more than a little relieved. “Oh, good. I was worried there for a minute.” She sensed that wasn�
��t enough of an answer. She did want him to know that the things he’d done for her over the last forty-eight hours had meant something. “Thank you for being such a sport about the wedding, and having to pretend to be my real date, and dealing with the moms. It really means a lot to me. Honestly, I don’t know what I would have done without you.” It was the truth. He was so much of the reason she’d found a way to enjoy herself.

  “I’m not a bad guy. Maybe you can remember that the next time someone tries to convince you that I am.”

  Mindy really didn’t want to get into this again. Such serious topics would ruin the impetuousness of the moment. She took his hands from her hips and walked backward, leading him farther into the room. “You know, Sam, right now it’s just you and me and a beautiful bed. I don’t think we should think about other people or let this go to waste.” Mindy came to a stop when the backs of her legs hit the mattress.

  Sam let go of her hands and rolled his shoulders out of his suit jacket, tossing it aside. He kicked off his shoes and took off his socks, then untucked his shirt, not taking his eyes off her. “The rest of my clothes are up to you.”

  Now they were getting somewhere. Mindy took her time unbuttoning his shirt, standing close to him and drawing in his warmth and masculine smell. She loved having his eyes on her as she spread her hands across his firm chest, using her fingers to trace the defined contours. She’d really missed seeing him without a shirt. She’d missed having her hands on his bare skin. If she were being honest, she’d simply missed being around him. His presence, when there were no outside forces between them, was comforting—like being wrapped up in a warm blanket. Paradoxically, being with him was also a thrill, causing her pulse to race and her head to swim.

  He watched her as she unbuckled his belt, then unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, letting them drop to the floor. The look on his face, full of his unflinching restraint, made her that much more eager for the main event. She not only needed every inch of him, she wanted to put a smile on his face. Make him happy. Remind him that she was worth missing.