The Winston Brothers Read online

  Allison laughed. “Nope, that couldn’t be it because she doesn’t have a sister. Sophie is an only child.”

  Cole was surprised that Allison didn’t know her employer any better than that, but then he thought of how private Sophie was, how little she talked, and he understood. “Shelly is her twin. She’s in town for a short visit.”

  Allison shook her head and put her hands on her hips. “I don’t know who’s been pulling your leg, but Sophie is all alone. She lost her folks when she was just a kid. Her aunt took her in and raised her, but she died, too, about a year ago.”

  His heart flipped, then began to slow, steady thumping. Every nerve on alert, Cole asked, “Are you sure about that?”

  “Positive.”

  Bombarded by a mix of feelings, most of all confusion, Cole braced his hands on the countertop and dropped his head forward, deep in thought. No twin.

  “Hey, are you all right?”

  He nodded. Hell yeah, he was all right. He was damn good. It was just that…He looked up at Allison again, trying for a casual expression to hide the emotions slamming through him, most of all sexual elation.

  He felt off balance. On top of the carnal images crowding his brain, a swelling tenderness threatened to overwhelm him. Sophie was all alone in the world, not a single relative around. He’d lost his parents, too, so he knew how devastating that could be. But he’d always had his brothers, and they were closer than most complete families. He wanted to protect Sophie, to comfort her, to tell her she’d never be alone again.

  His mind immediately skittered onto more profound thoughts, like the heat and sexual urgency of the night before. A hot rush of searing lust forced him to grip the counter hard. If Sophie didn’t have a sister, then his entire day was about to take on a new perspective. Anticipation churned low in his abdomen. “You know Sophie well?” He was careful to keep the question negligent, not to arouse suspicions.

  Allison shrugged. “Sure. I’ve been with her since she bought this place, around seven months now.”

  “I remember when she opened it.” Cole could feel the heated, forceful rush of blood in his veins. His body hardened, pressing against the rough fly of his jeans, but he couldn’t help himself. He shifted uncomfortably, remembering last night, how he’d touched Sophie, kissed Sophie. He knew what her breast felt like, how it nestled so perfectly in the palm of his hand. He knew the texture of her tight little derriere, the taste of her skin.

  And he knew that Sophie Sheridan, actress and fraud, wanted him—enough to pretend to be someone else. His knees nearly buckled.

  He cleared his throat twice before he could speak. “Sophie and I have gotten to know each other pretty well. But I could have sworn she told me she had a sister.”

  “No.” Allison, bursting with confidences, perched on a stool by the cash register and leaned her elbows on the counter. “Her aunt was all she had, and they were really close. They’ve always lived together because the aunt got sick and Sophie had to take care of her. But then she died last year. It was an awful blow to Sophie and she took her inheritance and moved here, away from the memories.” Allison tilted her head. “You interested in her?”

  Oh yeah, he was interested. He knew his eyes were glittering with intent as he smiled down at Allison, making her blush. “We’ve been close as friends, but I was hoping to give her a surprise for Valentine’s Day, something a little more…intimate. Could you do me a big favor, and not mention that I was here or that I asked about her? I don’t want to ruin the surprise.”

  Eyes wide, Allison made a cross on her chest with an index finger. “I won’t say a word. Sophie deserves a little fun.”

  Oh, he’d give her fun, all right. He mentally rubbed his hands together in sizzling anticipation. Sophie Sheridan was about to get what she wanted.

  No, not sweet shy Sophie, he thought, remembering how she’d refused to enter his contest, how she froze every damn time he touched her. The sexy Shelly. Cole grinned, already so aroused he didn’t know how he’d get through the day. Only the thought that the night would be an end to his frustration kept him on track with his plan. He’d deal with Shelly tonight—and then Sophie would deal with him in the morning.

  He’d give her a Valentine’s surprise she wouldn’t soon forget.

  Sophie was dragging by the time she’d gotten off work. The combination of the late night, the stress of deception, and the anticipation of starting it all again had her weary, both in mind and body. Aunt Maude had believed in early to bed, early to rise, and Sophie had always adhered to the philosophy, happy to do her best to please the aunt who’d raised and loved her. Yet she’d been up till almost two A.M. last night, and even after she’d gotten to bed, she hadn’t been able to sleep, too filled with repressed desire. She wasn’t used to the churning feelings that had kept her awake, and rather than sleep, her mind kept wandering back, remembering the delicious feel of Cole’s hard, warm body pressed close, his muscled thigh between hers, his rough palm on her breast. She shivered anew. It had been a long, disturbing night.

  Allison had been helpful, but too cheerful all day, smiling and humming, and Sophie had been endlessly relieved when she finally hung the CLOSED sign in the front window.

  Despite her tiredness, she was anxious to see Cole, now that they shared a measure of carnal knowledge. She knew what his body felt like, how ravenous he was when kissing, his heady taste.

  When she walked into the bar, shivering from the icy night, Cole immediately looked up at her, snaring her in his golden brown gaze. She had the feeling he might have been watching for her, and her heartbeat tripped alarmingly. His smile was different somehow, warmer and more intimate. Sophie wondered if it was Shelly’s effect that made the difference.

  For an instant, she was jealous of herself.

  When Cole picked up a mug to fill with hot chocolate, releasing her from his gaze, she went to the back booth. Her belly tingled and her breasts felt heavy as she waited for him to serve her. She’d be herself, she thought, keeping her conversation to a minimum, drinking her hot chocolate without exception.

  Only he didn’t just give her the chocolate and leave after a few polite words. He set the cup in front of her, then seated himself opposite her in the booth, propping his chin on one large fist and smiling directly into her stunned eyes. He surveyed her until she squirmed, all the feelings from last night seeping into her muscles like an insidious warmth until her breath came too fast and shallow and her nipples puckered almost painfully tight. She hunched her shoulders in an effort to hide them.

  Cole grinned, his gaze still a little too warm, too intent, slipping over her face as if he’d never seen her before. Just to break the tension, Sophie nodded at the steaming mug. “Thank you. I’ve been looking forward to this all day.”

  “Hmm. Me, too.”

  She paused with the spoonful of whipped cream halfway to her open mouth. His tone had been a low hungry growl. “Cole?”

  He reached across the table and his large hand engulfed hers, then gently guided the spoon to her mouth. His gaze stayed directed on her lips, expectant, and like a zombie, Sophie obediently accepted the whipped cream. Slowly, Cole pulled the empty spoon away from her closed lips then laid it aside, his eyes so hot she could feel them touching on her. Using his thumb, he carefully removed a small dab of the cream from the corner of her mouth, and the gesture was so sensual, Sophie experienced a stirring of need low in her abdomen. His rough thumb idly rubbed her bottom lip, and for a few seconds her vision clouded and she had to close her eyes to regain her equilibrium.

  She felt nervous and too tense. Much more of this and she’d be getting light-headed, fainting at his feet.

  He pulled away, and his voice was low when he spoke, almost a whisper. “Have you ever dated, Sophie?”

  His hands rested flat on the table, and she watched him shift, those long fingers coming closer to hers. She tucked her hands safely into her lap. If he touched her again, she’d be begging him for more, ruining her entir
e charade. “Why do you ask?”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” His wicked smile was too sexy for words, but also playful. “Meeting your sister last night made me wonder why the two of you are so…different.”

  “You liked Shelly, then?” She already knew the answer to that. If Chase hadn’t interrupted them, she had an inkling their intimacy might have become complete. What they’d done had been so satisfying in a way, but also very frustrating. The incredible feelings he’d created had been escalating, building, and she wanted to know what would happen, what the fullness of it all would be. She wanted to feel his body bare of clothes, to trace the prominent muscles she’d felt with her fingertips, skin on skin. His scent was stronger at his throat, and she wondered how it might be in other places, across his chest and abdomen, and where that thick erection had thrust against her.

  Her breath caught and held as Cole reached across the table and fingered a curl hanging over her shoulder. “Yeah, I liked Shelly. But I like you, too.”

  She made a croaking sound, the best she could do with her thoughts so vivid and him looking at her like that. His knuckles brushed her cheek as he continued to toy with that one loose curl. “Well? Do you ever date?”

  “No. I…” She tried a slight smile, but her face felt tight and strained. “You know how it is, how busy a business can keep you.”

  He nodded. “I raised my brothers, you know. Keeping them out of trouble and in school took up most of my time. I’ve just gotten to where I can have a serious relationship.”

  Sophie wanted to run away as fast as she could. Was he hinting that he wanted a relationship with Shelly? Good grief, she’d have to find a way to dissuade him of that notion.

  Her jealousy swelled.

  A smile flickered over Cole’s mouth as he gave a playful tug on her hair. “Why don’t you and Shelly get your picture taken together? I can’t imagine anything prettier than that.”

  “Together?”

  “Mmm. I could almost guarantee you’d win. And since you come in here every night, you could get your hot chocolate on the house.”

  And he could get his night on the town with Shelly. Words escaped her, so she merely shook her head. Winning the contest had never been her intent. She’d merely wanted to spend more time with Cole under the pretense of entering, using it as a way to introduce him to Shelly—on a temporary basis.

  “All right. Suit yourself. But could you do me a favor? Ask Shelly if she can come in a little later tonight. Closer to closing. I have a lot of things to take care of and when she’s here, I don’t want to be distracted with work. Could you do that for me?”

  Her mind raced. She’d probably have time to go home and catch a nap. She was absolutely exhausted, and as excited as she was about seeing him again, kissing and touching him again, she could barely keep her eyes open. A little sleep would refresh her and sharpen her flagging wits. “Yes. I’ll tell her. There…there shouldn’t be a problem. Her time is pretty free right now.”

  “Good. And Sophie?” He grinned, waiting for the questioning lift of her brows. “If you change your mind and decide to enter the contest, just let me know.”

  She could feel the embarrassed heat rushing to her cheeks and barely managed a nod. God, she hated it when she blushed. “Yes, all right. Thank you.”

  He walked away, whistling, and Sophie stared at her chocolate in abject misery. Most of the whipped cream had melted.

  Well heck. She was horribly afraid her plans had just gotten irrevocably twisted.

  Cole made it sound as though he hadn’t stayed single by choice but rather by necessity. He’d even hinted that he wouldn’t mind getting involved with a woman now.

  And here she had stupidly given him over to her make-believe sister. Sophie covered her face with both hands. The best laid plans, she thought.

  She finished up her hot chocolate and literally fled.

  “You’re grinning like the cat who just found a bucket of cream.”

  “Yeah.” Cole turned to Chase and grinned some more. He’d been grinning all night, and with good reason. Damn, he felt good. Sophie wanted him. He kept reminding himself of that, but every time, it thrilled him all over. If he hadn’t already known about her ruse, her last blush before rushing out would have done it. No one blushed like Sophie. He wanted to see her entire body flushed that way, hot for him and how he could make her feel. He’d been thinking and planning for hours now, ever since Sophie left, knowing that Shelly would return.

  “So, what’s up? You and Ms. Sunshine finally hook up, or was it that little rendezvous with the sister? That lady looked like she could put the grin on any guy.”

  Cole and Chase had always been as much like best friends as they were brothers, possibly because they were the two oldest, even though nine years separated them. They’d pretty much always confided in each other, but even so, if he’d had a choice, Cole would have kept Sophie’s secret to himself. Problem was, Chase already knew she supposedly had a twin, so an explanation was in order. He sighed. “There is no sister.”

  Chase paused in the act of polishing a glass. “Come again?”

  Damn, but he couldn’t seem to stop grinning, the satisfaction almost alive inside him, bursting out. “Sophie doesn’t have a sister.” He said it slowly and precisely, relishing the words. “She’s an only child.”

  Cole waited while Chase sorted that out in his mind, then a dumbfounded look spread over his face and he laughed out loud. “Well, I’ll be.” He gave a masculine nudge against Cole’s shoulder. “Aren’t you the lucky one?”

  Relieved that Chase was going to view the circumstances in the same way he had, Cole nodded. “Damn right. But no one else knows.”

  “Not a problem. Mack and Zane were so busy tripping over themselves yesterday trying to figure out what was going on with you two, I just left them to their own imaginations. It’s not often they get to see you tongue-tied around a woman.”

  Cole slanted him a look. “It wasn’t my tongue that was knotted up. Hell, I think the Inquisition could have been easier than last night was.”

  “But tonight will be different?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Tonight he had no reason to resist Shelly’s invitation. That expanding tenderness gripped him again, and his resolve doubled. When he thought of what Sophie was putting herself through, the elaborateness of her plan, he wanted to whisk her away and spend days showing her how unnecessary it all had been. Almost from the first day he’d seen her, he’d wanted her. All she had to do was smile, or order hot chocolate, and he was a goner. “If I don’t miss my guess, Sophie is trying to get one thing without losing another.”

  “And you’re both of those things?”

  He nodded. “She’s lived a sheltered life with an elderly aunt, and she hasn’t ever dated much. She doesn’t want to risk the comfort of coming here every night, which I gather is the sum of her social life, by causing an awkwardness between us. If we have an affair, things might change, at least that’s how she likely sees it. But once I explain it all to her, she’ll know how silly she’s been.”

  “So you’re going to admit to her you know she’s an only child?”

  “Hell no!” Cole scoffed at the very idea. Sophie, in all her innocence, was offering him a fantasy come true, and no way was he going to mess up her little performance. Besides, he wanted to see exactly how far she’d go with it. “I intend to show her that I want her, no matter who she is.”

  “Sounds like a dumb, hormone-inspired plan to me. And one guaranteed to tick the lady off.”

  “Like you’re the expert?” Chase did even less honest dating than Cole. The death of their parents had hit him hard, and he’d been mostly reclusive ever since. Not that he was a monk, just very selective, and always very brief. Cole couldn’t think of a single woman Chase had ever seen more than three times.

  Chase shook his head. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out she’ll be embarrassed. And women can be damn funny about things like that. You can accidentally bruise he
r while horsing around with some rough play, and she’ll forgive you that. But hurt her feelings, and she’ll never forget it.”

  Since that wasn’t what Cole wanted to hear, he shrugged off the warning. Sophie had two sides, that was apparent now, and he intended to appease them both.

  At that moment, she walked in, and incredibly, she looked even better now than she had last night. Of course, now he was looking at her with new eyes. This was his Sophie, so shy and sweet, yet now looking so sexy his teeth ached. The combination was guaranteed to blow his mind.

  She wore the long, black leather coat again, this time over a loose, white blouse that buttoned down the front, tucked into a long black shirt and flat-heeled black shoes. She looked sensuously feminine and good enough to eat.

  “Here comes Mutt and Jeff, so you better get your eyes back in your head and your tongue off the ground.”

  At Chase’s muttered words, Cole pulled his gaze away from Sophie—Shelly—and turned to his brothers.

  Mack was the first to speak, though he kept his fascinated gaze on Sophie. “What’s going on with her lately? She’s looking too damn fine.”

  “I’ll say,” Zane added. “Not that she wasn’t a looker to begin with, but she never seemed aware of it before. She was always so…understated. Now her sex appeal is kind of up front, right in your face.” He chuckled. “I like it.”

  Cole didn’t bother responding to either brother. “I’m going to take her picture, so I’d appreciate some privacy while I’m in my office with her.”

  Mack’s grin was so wide, it lifted his ears a fraction of an inch. “You need privacy to take her picture?”

  Zane slugged him, which gained a disgruntled look, and a reciprocal smack. As Zane rubbed his shoulder, he said, “Don’t tease him, Mack. Hell, I’m just glad to see him finally cutting loose a little.” To Cole he remarked, “You act more like a grandpa than a big brother.”

  “Gee thanks.”

  Mack chuckled again. “We promise to give you all the leeway you need. In fact, given it’s Friday, I can close up with Chase if you like.”