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  “That’s my sister and mother,” he explained, his long fingers caressing the edges of the frames as he passed. “My dad and I when I graduated … There’s our last family get-together … ”

  They came to a cluster of doors at the end of the hallway, and he tapped on the first one to his left, muttering the word “office” before opening another door on their immediate right—“bathroom”—and finally pointing at a final door on the left.

  “That’s my bedroom, and here’s the kitchen.”

  He flipped a light switch and led her into the kitchen that sat at the end of the hall. Now it was time to be jealous. In a city where countertops and cabinet space were about as rare and precious as jade, Ben had apparently hit the jackpot. The spacious kitchen boasted the marble countertops and solid wood cabinets that Violet dreamed of having in her house whenever she perused home improvement catalogs; the appliances were top-of-the-line, and her palms itched at the thought of using them. She would kill for a kitchen like this, especially on nights when she moonlighted as a caterer and found herself elbows-deep in cookie favors or cheesecake pops.

  “Amazing,” was all she could say.

  From behind her, Ben placed his hands on her shoulders. “I’m glad you like it. How about I make coffee and you have a seat at the table?”

  She wasn’t going to miss this prime opportunity to get her bake on. “In the mood for a treat?”

  “What, like cake?”

  “Well, if you’ve got the supplies, I make a killer lemon muffin—then again, you’ve probably heard that.”

  She winked at him, and he smiled. “That sounds awesome, actually. Go for it.”

  Violet began opening cabinet drawers, finding her way around the kitchen as Ben pointed out where he kept his utensils, bowls, and other kitchen staples like flour, sugar, and baking powder. Yes, she celebrated internally, lemon muffins! Any moment where she could bake was a moment in which she felt right. And she was a little surprised to find that she was excited to share it with him.

  She felt Ben’s eyes on her as she measured dry ingredients and put them aside. “You bake like this at home?”

  “What, like a human? Yeah.” How else am I supposed to bake?

  They laughed, and Ben continued, “I mean, you’re setting up mise en place like the bakers would at the bakery.”

  “It’d be a mess if I did it any other way, silly.”

  “No, you’re right,” Ben agreed. “I would have already spilled flour on my pants by now.”

  She snickered. “And if your icing skills are any indication, you probably would have mixed all this together wrong, baked it at the wrong temperature, and somehow would have pulled wallpaper out of the oven.”

  He dipped his fingers into the flour canister next to her and flicked a little bit at her with a smile. “Duly noted, smartass.”

  Violet enjoyed the carefree air that had sprung up between them. “You wanna hand me a mixing bowl, you flour waster?”

  Ben reached into the cabinet above his head and grabbed a large silver mixing bowl before pulling open a drawer to his right and producing a whisk. He handed both to her, a charming grin on his face and a playful glint in his deep-set blue eyes. His boyish expression set off fireworks in her tummy, and she felt her cheeks heat up as she took the bowl and whisk from him.

  Violet turned away, dumping all the dry ingredients into the large bowl before combining the liquid ingredients. She avoided his gaze as she relished the flirty energy that had sparked with that single moment. “Boy, all these late-night treats. I’m gonna end up rolling myself home.”

  As she set up the muffin tin by pressing liners into them, she could hear a cabinet open and two mugs clink together. “Oh, you’re assuming I’m letting you go home tonight?”

  She licked her lips and poured the liquid ingredients into the dry as her tummy jumped. Whisking briskly, she replied, “You know, I normally have an answer for everything. But right now, I just … I don’t.”

  Ben began to laugh when a noise at the end of the hallway stopped him short. Violet looked in the direction of the door; Ben was already stepping toward the kitchen entrance.

  “You’re kidding me,” he grumbled.

  “What is it?”

  “Shh,” he urged, stepping into the hallway. “Stay here.”

  Ben disappeared, and she continued to stare into the hallway as she mixed her muffin batter. She first heard footsteps, then the lock of his door as it tumbled open.

  “Damn it, I thought you were Elena,” he cursed. “I really have to change these locks.”

  To Violet’s surprise, she heard a woman respond. “If you called more, I wouldn’t have had to come down here. What’s wrong with you, anyway? Wait, did I interrupt something?”

  Violet’s heart pounded as two pairs of footsteps headed toward the kitchen. She waited with bated breath as Ben re-entered, followed by a slender, darkly dressed girl about her own age.

  He pursed his lips, looking slightly embarrassed. “Vi, this is my sister, Lisa.”

  Eight

  Ben’s gaze moved from Violet to Lisa a number of times, hoping that his sister hadn’t inadvertently made things uncomfortable by showing up unannounced. So far, thankfully, Violet seemed at ease as she leaned against the doorjamb in the living room entrance. Tall and crimson-haired, Lisa stood in front of their television, arms crossed over her chest, looking like the cat that ate the canary. And if his little sister didn’t wipe that look off her face, he might very well send her back to Bloomfield in a cab.

  “Oh, Ben,” she cooed. “This is too delicious.”

  He groaned and ran a hand through his hair. “Could you not make a big deal about this? And when did you dye your hair red?”

  “Last week,” she answered. “And don’t change the subject. When did this happen, you two?”

  “Yesterday, actually,” Violet replied.

  On a laugh, Lisa said, “Oh, wow, so I’m really intruding here! I’m sorry. Mom wanted me to come check on you, and I only got out of class an hour ago.”

  Ben sighed. “You should have called.”

  He looked to Violet, who seemed as amused by all of this as Lisa. She was being a real champ about this so far—he made a mental note to make it up to her later.

  “It’s actually fine,” Violet said. “We were just making some late-night coffee and muffins.”

  “Muffins? Did my brother actually have anything to do with the baking?”

  Ben gestured toward Violet, who raised her hand. “Nope, just me. He’s on coffee duty; I’m making the good stuff.”

  “How sweet is that? Oh my God, I feel bad for intruding.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Violet said with a smile. “Excuse me a minute, I actually have to get them in the oven if we’re going to have any.”

  Violet disappeared toward the back, and Ben dropped onto the love seat, burying his face in his hands.

  “I’m sorry, Ben! How was I supposed to know you’re seeing someone else?”

  “You would have known if you’d called!”

  “Maybe I can still get home—”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s after midnight.” My sister, the drama queen.

  Lisa took a seat on the couch that sat perpendicular to the love seat. “So what’s going on with Violet?”

  What was going on with Violet? It was only day two, so the safe bet would be to say “nothing, really.” But between seeing Elena in front of the movie theater and his sister’s impromptu appearance, Violet had just gotten thrown into more of his life than he was ready for her to see. He didn’t want to be secretive by any means, but he had hoped to be allowed to roll out the crazy in smaller increments.

  “I don’t know,” he answered. “This wasn’t exactly something I planned.”

  The sound of Violet’s voice surprised him. “That’s right. We just kind of—happened.”

  “And he got to tell you about Elena?” Lisa asked.

  “A little bit,” Violet answe
red. “We were gonna talk about it some more tonight.”

  Ben folded his arms and shifted, uncomfortable with his sister and—girlfriend? mistress?—talking about him as if he weren’t even in the room.

  “She knows the basics,” he added. “And I’m guessing you have more to tell me or you wouldn’t be here.”

  Lisa shook her head. “I told you, I came by for Mom. She wanted me to check on you and—come on, Violet, sit down.”

  Instinctively, Ben casually patted the cushion next to his own and glanced at Violet. Whoa, that came a little too naturally. Violet visibly tensed at the same time he did, so she definitely noticed the “couple-y” gesture. Relief washed over him when she sat down. Okay, good, she’s not freaking out.

  “So is Mom still convinced I’m in trouble?” Violet didn’t need to hear that his mother, as of his last conversation with Lisa, had actually used the word “suicidal.”

  “I’ve been doing so much damage control with her these days,” Lisa replied. “You know how she thinks. Elena’s been around for so long. Mom is convinced no one knows you like your wife would.”

  Ben tilted his head back and ran his hands down his face, wishing he could understand why Elena was going to such great lengths to make the divorce as dirty as possible. “But she’s my mother. How could anyone know me more than she would? Or more than you?”

  “That’s what I tell her,” Lisa continued. “But every time I think I’m gaining ground, Elena pops up with her sob stories and her bullshit concerns, and Mom’s wringing her hands again. Mom wants you to come home.”

  Ben shook his head quickly. “Not happening. I’m not letting Elena run me out of town like some B-rated Western movie. If she wants to fight the entire way through this divorce, I’ll do it. But I won’t let her win, and I won’t let her lie.”

  “She’s been spending a lot of time in New Jersey,” Lisa remarked. “And if I know Elena like I think I do, she’s gonna try and subpoena Mom to inadvertently speak against you. I’m sorry, Violet—this has gotta be too much.”

  Ben looked to Violet, who was chewing her bottom lip with a knitted brow. She looked thoroughly engrossed in what Lisa was saying. Suddenly, Violet blinked. “Huh? Oh, totally—it’s a lot to hear. But everyone’s got their battles, I guess. How would Elena even do that?”

  “All she needs is for a lawyer to get Mom to admit she’s worried about Ben’s well-being,” Lisa replied. “Mom’s been a worrywart all our lives, and Ben’s never been an open book, so it would be easy for her to accidentally corroborate Elena’s story.”

  Violet’s hand was warm against his knee as she patted it. Tingles started in his stomach, spreading throughout his body. Not now, dummy.

  “Maybe you should head out to New Jersey yourself.”

  Ben nodded. She was hot and right. “Yeah, I know.”

  “This is what I’ve been trying to tell you,” Lisa said, her voice growing stern. “I can only tell her so much before you have to start speaking for yourself. You and Elena have been together so long that Mom can’t even begin to believe that she’s a lunatic.”

  Violet looked to Lisa. “But you do?”

  “From day one.”

  Ben jerked his head upward, giving his sister a look of disbelief. “Oh, stop it.”

  “You stop it,” Lisa interrupted. “Why do you think I left the wedding early? Why do you think I never came in to visit unless she was away on business trips?”

  Ben scoffed. “Business trips.”

  “That’s neither here nor there at this point,” Lisa insisted. “She and I have always been on the outs. When you guys first started dating, she let me know in no uncertain terms that she thought our relationship was unnatural because of how close we were.”

  Violet’s bemusement matched Ben’s as he replied, “Why didn’t you tell me this?”

  “Would you have believed me?” Lisa asked, leaning back into the couch. “Would young, starry-eyed Ben have believed his barely-of-age sister when she said the hot hostess wasn’t on the up and up?”

  “You should have given me the chance to prove you wrong.”

  Violet looked to Lisa. “You know, she saw us coming out of the movie theater about an hour ago.”

  “She’s on a mission,” Lisa said. “And, honestly, I don’t know what she’s up to—but either way, I’ve got his back.”

  Ben shook his head. “I told her I don’t need a bodyguard. But here she is.”

  He expected to hear Violet’s laugh in response, but instead she nodded. “I can respect that. Every guy should have a protective sister.”

  Lisa smiled and looked at Ben as she gestured toward Violet. “I like this one.”

  • • •

  When Ben woke up the next morning, he was going over his morning routine before he even opened his eyes. He was usually running around from dawn until dusk, even on his day off. But today he liked the idea of staying in and lounging around, and the reason for the change in pace was lying right next to him. The gorgeous woman with the wild curls, impossibly gray sparklers for eyes, and strong but feminine curves lay fast asleep just inches away. He examined her with a content smile, able to see every contour of her face thanks to the scrunchie Violet had borrowed from Lisa to put her hair up before bed. She stretched comfortably in her sleep and turned over, effectively barring Ben from his preferred view. He leaned forward and gave her shoulder blade a careful kiss.

  His sister was a fair enough distance away that she wouldn’t be disturbed by his stirring, but he took care to avoid waking her anyway. He smiled to himself again—Violet, try as he might to persuade her otherwise, had refused to do any more than kiss him because Lisa was, in her mind, “right down the hall.” He’d pointed out the size of the apartment and the fact that a rather large office separated his room from the living room, but Violet would have none of it. So Ben was left holding her, chatting until they fell asleep; he realized, just as his eyelids were about to close, just how long it had been since he’d emotionally connected with anyone. And the thought terrified him.

  Violet could have been just like any girl. Hell, she could have been just like Elena. Sure, the last two nights with her had been amazing, but what would she be like in two weeks? Two months? Two years, if he dared think that far ahead? Two years was exactly what it took for Elena to pull away from him. And he still didn’t fully understand why. What if, like Elena had been insisting, their divorce really was his fault? What if there was something fundamentally wrong with him that drove Violet away? His stomach officially in knots, Ben climbed out of bed.

  He stepped into the kitchen to call his building maintenance department about changing the locks on his doors when his cell phone rang. He raised an eyebrow at the “private” listing flashing on his screen before throwing caution to the wind and accepting the call.

  “Hello?”

  “It’s Tommy. What were you up to last night?”

  “I had a date. Why?”

  “Because Elena saw you, that’s why.”

  “I know, I looked her in the face. Did you know she showed up at my house unannounced and said she’d destroy me?”

  Tommy paused. “I heard about that, but of course that wasn’t how she described it to my source.”

  “How did she describe it?”

  “That she showed up to talk and you verbally assaulted her before physically tossing her out of the condo. And now that she’s seen you with someone new, she’s looking to prove that you were cheating on her way before you kicked her out.”

  He turned away from the sink, water blasting out of the faucet and splashing large droplets all over the pristine counter as he took a seat at the dinette. “Kicked her out? She left me!”

  “I know, but this is what she’s saying,” Tommy warned. “Just keep it together, and watch what you do in public. She may have a private eye follow you. And I wouldn’t be surprised if she tried to postdate the photos.”

  “How would she even pull that off?”

 
; “We’re in the age of digital photography, my friend. A little Photoshop goes a long way.”

  Ben remained silent, dropping his head in his hand.

  Tommy continued, “I know this is frustrating. She’s trying to break you, I know this for a fact. What it comes down to is that you’re worth a lot of money if she can angle things right—even more if she can prove abuse or infidelity. And if she can get a judge to see both, you’re screwed.”

  “But none of it’s true!” Ben exclaimed. “I spent seven years treating her like a damn princess! Anything she wanted, I gave her. She wanted jewelry, I gave it to her. She wanted a car, I gave it to her. She wanted space, and I gave it to her. What did I get in return? Elena walked out on me with Ethan carrying her full set of Chanel luggage—which I bought her!”

  “Bro, I know,” Tommy reassured him. “It’s a house of cards, I promise you. And the case I’m developing will break her; if I can get this source to come out of the shadows, her entire story will fall apart. You’ve just got to trust me.”

  “Is your source credible?”

  “Highly.”

  Ben frowned. “And you’re sure they’re not playing you?”

  Tommy paused. “Like, 97 percent sure.”

  “You’re giving me condom odds on a source that can make or break me?”

  “It’ll be a 100 percent soon. Just let me do what I do.”

  “Don’t make me regret this.”

  “Just be careful. And you’re gonna have to tell me about this new girl.”

  “I’ll tell you all about her, but you already know who she is.”

  Tommy only needed to think briefly before laughing. “Whoa, the production supervisor? How? When?”

  “Long story,” Ben answered.

  “I can’t wait to hear it. I’ve gotta run, but I’m going to text you later. Maybe we can have a drink in your neighborhood.”

  “Yeah, that’s a possibility. I’ll let you know later.”

  After the call ended, Ben placed his phone back on the table and spent a long moment staring at it. Most guys fresh out of a marriage and headed toward divorce, especially when they were the ones who got cheated on, had a much longer mourning period than the handful of weeks he’d spent in the Caribbean. Then again, most women weren’t like Elena. Even saying her name in his mind set off a wave of anxiety; he couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t just go away. If she had kept proceedings clean, he might have even paid alimony without so much as a grumble. But the idea that she was after much more than that—that she was out to break him—hurt more than the fact that she’d spent most of their marriage laying with the guy who’d claimed to be his best friend.