Is his on-again lover

plotting his downfall?

“Did you think I’d kiss you

and then agree to your terms?”

Back in town after sixteen years, Tennessee attorney Maty Taylor has to persuade her ex-lover—billionaire bourbon maker Sam Hawkins—to sell his priceless distillery. The stakes are high, since Maty’s being blackmailed to persuade him. Sensing trouble, Sam refuses the offer, even as renewed desire surges between them. But will his hidden agenda cost him a second chance with Maty?

USA TODAY Bestselling Author Jules Bennett

USA TODAY bestselling author JULES BENNETT has published over sixty books and never tires of writing happy endings. Writing strong heroines and alpha heroes is Jules’s favourite way to spend her workdays. Jules hosts weekly contests on her Facebook fan page and loves chatting with readers on Twitter, Facebook and via email through her website. Stay up-to-date by signing up for her newsletter at julesbennett.com

Also by Jules Bennett

Twin Secrets

Claimed by the Rancher

Taming the Texan

A Texan for Christmas

Montana Seduction

California Secrets

An Unexpected Scandal

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Scandalous Reunion

Jules Bennett

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-0-008-90434-0

SCANDALOUS REUNION

© 2020 Jules Bennett

Published in Great Britain 2020

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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To Michael, Ryan and Christy.

Here’s to all of our past distillery tours

and to the ones we’ve yet to take.

No such thing as too much research!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Dedication

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

About the Publisher

One

Sam sipped his black coffee and glanced at the stacks of mail on his desk. After being away for three weeks, the piles weren’t too bad. His assistant had sorted them between junk and urgent. Sam opted to go with the junk first to get that out of the way.

As he reached for the piece on the top, his cell vibrated on his desk. He glanced to the screen, but didn’t recognize the number. He set aside the piece of junk mail and answered his phone, already looking to the next piece.

“Sam Hawkins.”

“Sam, hi. It’s Maty Taylor.”

Maty Taylor. No two words could thrust him faster or deeper into his past than the woman who’d left him brokenhearted…a woman he hadn’t spoken to in sixteen years.

Refocusing on here and now, Sam struggled to catch back up to what she was saying.

“…the attorney representing Rusty Lockwood,” she went on in her professional tone as if he were a total stranger…as if their intimate bond had been severed forever when she left. “I’m calling to set up a meeting.”

Sam’s hand froze on the letter addressed to him as he gripped his phone with his other hand.

“Maty.”

Just saying her name seemed foreign, yet still so familiar, but he had to say it. He wanted her to nix the stiff tone and talk to him like she would if she ran into him on the street.

“I’m sorry, but did you say Rusty Lockwood? A meeting?” he repeated.

“Yes. I called last week and your assistant said you were out of town, so I wanted to catch you first thing this morning before your schedule got too busy.”

Wait…what? Was she for real? Just calling out of the blue on behalf of his main rival and she wasn’t even starting with a “Hi, how are you?” All of this was unbelievable, not to mention disappointing. How could she have any dealings with such a bastard?

“You work for Rusty Lockwood?” he double backed to ask, as he was still confused. It was too damn early for this bomb to blow up in his face. His past and present colliding to conspire against him? Oh, hell no.

When he and Maty had parted ways, he’d been in college and she was heading off to law school, set on changing the world. And where had she landed? At the door of the most crooked man Sam had ever known.

What the hell happened to the woman he knew?

“I’m his new personal attorney,” Maty answered, still using that professional, polished voice. “Which explains the nature of my call. I’d like to set up a meeting to discuss my client’s generous offer to purchase your distillery.”

Sam snorted and dismissed the ludicrous idea. He took a seat in his leather desk chair and opened the next piece of mail.

“Your client is well aware that I’m not selling now or ever, so your call and this meeting are irrelevant.” He pulled open a handwritten letter and smoothed it out on his desk to read. “Is that all you needed to discuss?”

“Sam,” she said, her tone going from poised to nearly pleading. “I’m only asking for five minutes.”

Five minutes. He wasn’t giving Lockwood five seconds. The man only wanted what he couldn’t have, and Sam was tired of playing this game. Sam refused to sell his distillery, and Rusty refused to take no for an answer.

“What the hell, Maty?”

“Excuse me?” Maty gasped.

“How did you get messed up with a man like Rusty Lockwood?” he asked. “He’s not a good guy.”

Silence greeted him on the other end and Sam shoved the letter aside as he came to his feet, waiting to hear a defense from her side.

“My professional status or my reasoning behind my position are none of your concern,” she informed him. “My main focus is getting this meeting set up.”

There she went again with that tone. Sam gritted his teeth and clenched his fist at his side as he turned to stare out at the mountainside and the creek running directly behind the distillery. This place was his everything and he’d be damned if he let anyone get their hands on it…especially Lockwood, even if he wanted to do it by way of Sam’s ex.

“What the hell kind of game are you playing?” he demanded.

“Game?” she repeated. “I’m not playing any game. I’m simply calling on behalf of my client. Can we meet on Wednesday at one? I’ll come to you.”

Sam shook his head and laughed. “I’m not meeting you, Maty, but I will give you a piece of advice. Find someone else to work for instead of that bastard.”

Sam disconnected the call and slid his cell back into his pocket.

What the hell was going on and what was Maty Taylor doing back in town and working for the devil himself?

Sam wasn’t the same love-struck eighteen-year-old he’d been, chasing after the sexy blonde four years his senior. He’d been naive enough to think they’d be together forever. What a joke. She chose law school over him, but looking back, her leaving was the biggest and best life lesson he’d ever had. He’d learned to guard his heart, focus on his career and build his brand.

Sam stared at the pile of mail he still needed to go through. The handwritten letter still sat there, but he didn’t care about that. No, his mind was on the woman who’d contacted him out of the blue. He knew full well that wasn’t the last time Maty would try. Rusty was a persistent bastard and Maty didn’t give up on what she set her sights on, either.

Sam looked forward to seeing her again after all these years. He only hoped she’d prepared herself because he was stronger, more powerful and much more experienced than the last time she’d seen him.

“Damn it.”

Maty muttered her curse, but frustration coupled with fear and anxiety pumped through her. Sam had the nerve to laugh at her and not even attempt to work with her on a meeting. Is that how he conducted all his business?

Even though he’d been a complete jerk, he still had that low, gravelly voice that made every nerve ending stand up. Damn him for still being sexy.

And she knew he was sexy because she had seen enough photos of him over the years, and time had most definitely been kind to him.

Sex appeal or not, he still didn’t have to blow off her request like she meant nothing to him. They’d shared a past, yet he couldn’t find time to meet with her?

Too damn bad. She had too much at stake to let Sam call the shots. Granted her situation wasn’t his fault, but he was the only solution. If there were any other way to save her brother, Maty certainly wouldn’t be contacting Sam again. But Rusty couldn’t be dissuaded and his blackmail scheme was impossible to get out of so she had to get Sam to see her, and then she had to convince him to sell his distillery to Rusty Lockwood.

Giving up wasn’t an option, so Maty would just have to go to Sam.

Rusty made it clear, in very certain terms, what her duties were as his new attorney. What she’d have to do to protect her brother.

No, she didn’t like being blackmailed, but she had no choice but to do Rusty Lockwood’s dirty work. Since coming to Green Valley to work for Lockwood Lightning, the world’s largest moonshine distillery, she’d heard rumors of Rusty’s bad reputation. He was allegedly skimming money off his employees’ donations to a charity for children that he supposedly supported.

Thankfully that was not her area of law so he had other lawyers, likely crooked, handling that ordeal.

No, Rusty had other plans for her, and they were only marginally related to her law experience. He’d tracked her down specifically because of her past with Sam Hawkins.

They’d been in love once, planning a future together, until she’d decided to go to law school and he’d refused to leave Green Valley. They’d had to reevaluate everything and in the end, Maty left town without looking back.

Yet here she was again after a sixteen-year absence, and if she didn’t get Sam to sell his distillery, Rusty would stop payments for the care and therapy of Maty’s younger brother.

If that happened…well, it just couldn’t happen. Maty had no other funds, nobody to help her, nothing to fall back on. She wasn’t like Rusty or Sam, both of whom had more money than they knew what to do with. She was truly alone for the first time in her life and more vulnerable than ever.

Maty pulled in a deep breath and smoothed her hand down her black pencil dress. She didn’t expect approaching Sam to be an easy task. If getting him to sell his precious distillery had been easy, Rusty wouldn’t have needed to enlist her help.

She nearly laughed. He hadn’t enlisted her help. He’d demanded it. He’d removed her from her other firm in Virginia, and he’d brought her here—going so far as to set her up in an old apartment that he knew held too many memories and making it clear her brother would have all the care he needed so long as she did his dirty work.

Rusty had to have dug deep into Sam’s past to find her. She and Sam hadn’t had a relationship since college—though she’d never forgotten him.

She’d been four years ahead of him, more eager to jump into the career world, while he’d still been finding his way and dealing with his mother’s gambling addiction.

As serious as their relationship had been, as in love as they’d declared themselves to be, so many outside circumstances had wedged between them that eventually the last tie binding them finally snapped.

Maty swallowed the lump of emotions in her throat and forced away the memories. She wasn’t that same woman anymore. There was a vast difference, a lifetime practically, between twenty-two and thirty-eight. She’d experienced heartache far beyond that of losing her first love.

Though she’d still wondered about Sam over the years. It would have been impossible to ignore the explosion he had made on the scene here in Tennessee and across the country. The youngest distiller to break one billion dollars in sales in one year and the youngest master distiller in history. She couldn’t go to an upscale restaurant or even a pub back in Virginia without seeing his signature bottle behind the bar.

But here in Green Valley? Nothing. The only place you could purchase Hawkins gin, and soon to be bourbon, was at the distillery itself. Rusty Lockwood kept those hard liquor licenses tied up with his moonshine. There was no way to touch the iron-fisted mogul, or his hold on the locals, and Sam was in for one hell of a fight because Maty couldn’t fail. She had everything to lose.

Blackmail was a crime, but Rusty was careful not to leave a trail. He was as crooked as they came and she was in the thick of his web now. Her only edge at this stage was the element of surprise. Clearly Sam had been stunned by her Monday morning phone call. She couldn’t let the momentum stop. Not only did she need to keep Sam off his game, she had to move before her fears and her memories made her call off this whole thing.

Two

An hour after he hung up with Maty, Sam stood in his office staring at the letter that he’d started to open earlier that morning.

His eyes scanned over it, then read it once more because he was positive this was a joke. Even after dissecting each and every word, he was still just as shocked as he’d been the first time through.

He had questions—so many that he didn’t even know where to start. One thing he did know, though, was that he needed to get his emotions the hell under control.

This cryptic letter couldn’t have come at a worse time. He didn’t believe in coincidences and he was going to get to the bottom of this.

Did Maty know about this letter? Did Rusty? Was Rusty going after him even harder now that the distillery was about to launch its first ten-year bourbon?

He still couldn’t comprehend how Maty had gotten tangled up with such a shady businessman.

Hearing her voice earlier had catapulted Sam into the only time in his life where he’d thought everything seemed right. For those few years when they’d been together, he’d let himself believe in a future that he now knew didn’t exist.

Granted he’d been naive and in love…but all of that was in the past. He’d certainly learned his lesson in letting people in. People had to earn his trust now and he didn’t make it easy for them. But once they were in his inner circle, he did everything in his power to keep them there. Friends and trusted colleagues were invaluable.

Some people who knew his past might believe he had mommy issues, but he’d never trusted his mother, so that certainly wasn’t the case.

No, his skepticism stemmed from one honey-blonde, doe-eyed beauty who looked like an innocent, but gutted his heart without any qualms or regrets.

As angry as he’d been at the time, looking back, Sam realized that had she stayed, neither of them would’ve been happy. They both had dreams and, unfortunately for that inexperienced, naive couple, the main component of those dreams had included successful careers before personal lives.

He’d wanted to hate her that day she left him, but even then, he’d loved her. Maybe he loved her for years afterward, but now… Well, he didn’t know her. Did she look the same? Had she gotten even sexier with time? He hadn’t looked her up on social media, hadn’t wanted to go back in time when he’d worked so hard on moving forward.

His ex coming back into town after so long wouldn’t affect him. She could say or do anything she wanted and that still wouldn’t change his answer on selling Hawkins. Sam pushed thoughts of Maty aside and focused on something he could actually control. He needed to figure out how to deal with this life-altering letter that had landed on his desk.

This letter, if what it said was true, changed absolutely everything he’d ever known as the truth.

All those years he’d asked his mother about who his father was and all she’d ever said was that the man was a bastard and they were all better off without him. But there were characteristics Sam had always wondered about. His mother’s skin was much darker than his own, so he had always been curious what nationality or ethnicity his father was. Sam also had broad shoulders and a large frame, nothing like his mother’s petite build. And the dimple he had beneath his scruffy beard. His mother didn’t have dimples.

Little things that always had him wondering.

Was he holding the truth in his hands now? As much as he wanted that chapter of his past closed, he wasn’t so sure this was the closure he wanted.

Sam swiped his phone up from his desk and shot off a text to his new acquaintance and friend Nick Campbell, telling him they needed to meet as soon as possible. Not only were Sam and Nick working to bring Rusty down, but Nick was also wrapped up in this untimely letter.

Sam had met the man only a month ago, but their lives were intertwined now.

Sam grabbed the envelope to check the stamped date. Nearly three weeks ago. This must’ve come just after he’d left for his trip, or maybe even the day he’d left. Who knew, but clearly his assistant had put this in the junk pile by mistake.

His door flew open and Sam jerked his attention to the interruption. Joe, his loyal assistant, had wide eyes and was shaking his head.

“I’m sorry, Sam, she—”

“Good afternoon, Sam.”

Maty Taylor busted through like the whirlwind he’d always remembered. The woman had always been bold, take-charge and confident. Looks like she hadn’t changed.

But she had.

Her hair had gotten longer, the curls more prominent, her curves had filled out more, and that bright blue dress did nothing to hide the flare of her hips.

Get ahold of yourself. She’s working for the enemy…which makes her an enemy.

Sam came around his desk and focused on Joe. “It’s fine. Thank you.”

Joe glanced to Maty once more before closing the double doors and leaving the two of them. Sam stood in front of his desk, crossing his arms and casually leaning against the edge. There was nothing casual about this impromptu reunion and Maty looked too damn sexy, too damn striking.

Maybe he should’ve researched her so he could’ve prepared himself for the reunion with this walking fantasy. He’d known that she’d show up. She wouldn’t settle for another phone call and risk him hanging up. The Maty he’d known was hands-on and never afraid to tackle anything.

Damn, she looked too good and had him remembering too much, too fast.

Good thing his emotional walls had been erected years ago.

Hell, he’d been so naive when they’d first been together, he hadn’t even realized he needed walls. He knew now.

Rusty had chosen his latest weapon well, but Sam didn’t want Maty, or anyone else, in the middle of this battle. That old bastard was going to lose and he was going to make a damn fool of himself for trying all of these low-down tactics.

“I’m not selling.” Sam kept his eyes locked on hers. “You can go back and tell your boss that my answer is the same as it was when his last attorney came to me and when you called me this morning.”

Maty took a step forward in a pair of leopard print heels that had way too many fantasies popping into his head—like her on his desk wearing nothing but those shoes.

“Maybe we can find a solution where both parties are happy,” she suggested, a soft smile forming over her pale pink lips.

She’d rarely worn makeup when they’d been together. Now she had her deep brown eyes outlined and something sultry was going on with those lashes.

Damn it. Glossy lips and doe eyes shouldn’t have his body stirring, but they did…and those damn heels weren’t helping.

If he didn’t keep his focus, he would succumb to this physical attraction. How could she have such an impact on him in such a short time? He’d dated over the years; it wasn’t like he was never around beautiful women.

But Maty was, well… Maty.

She’d always been different and a certain part of his life still belonged only to her.

“All parties involved?” he repeated. “This party is happy just the way things are,” he informed her. “If Rusty isn’t contented, that’s not my problem.”

Maty stared at him for another minute before her intense stare darted away, taking in his office. He watched as she made her way to the wall of black-and-white photos he had on display. He’d made somewhat of a timeline of his journey to get where he was today. He needed that reminder each and every day he entered this office, of how hard he’d worked, what all he’d accomplished, to keep him moving forward.

Of course she stopped right at the first photo of him in front of his first home-brewed beer. It had tasted like dirty bath water, but he was damn proud of that mistake. Every failure pushed him to be a better man…including the failure standing there looking like a lethal combination of brains and beauty.

“I remember this picture,” she said, throwing him a glance over her shoulder.

Sam said nothing. What was there to say? She’d taken the damn picture, of course she would remember.

Maty had been there at the beginning, through his early experiments. She knew his goal of one day owning a distillery, but at seventeen, that had been so far out of the realm of possibility, he’d never dreamed it would actually happen.

When the silence stretched, Maty turned back around and Sam exhaled. Damn it. He hadn’t even realized he’d been holding his breath, but when those eyes landed on him, he became paralyzed. If he didn’t get his act together, she might just mesmerize him and take full advantage of his rekindled desire.

No matter what had happened in the past, there was no denying that she was even sexier than he remembered and his body didn’t give a damn what had happened to his heart in the past. The ache seemed instant. He had to get her out of here.

When the quiet apparently became too much, Maty moved to the next photo. She crossed her arms and shifted her hips in a way that had his body stirring with unwanted arousal.

“You seem happy here,” she murmured, tapping one perfectly polished nail against the glass.

“I graduated top of my class when I had everything stacked against me and my family to take care of.”

She flashed him a glance over her shoulder. “Your mother.”

Sam nodded. No need in denying the facts. Maty had been around long enough back then to know exactly the type of woman his mother was. All that had changed since Maty left, and now that Sam had money, was his mother always wanted him to bail her out of all her wrong turns.

“You didn’t come here to do the whole memory lane thing,” he accused, not wanting to delve into the past with her. “But you’re wasting your time with anything else.”

Now she turned fully, her arms dropping to her sides as she tipped her head. “Maybe I want to catch up,” she countered. “Maybe I’m curious what you’ve been up to these last sixteen years.”

“What I’ve been up to?” He laughed and opened his arms wide. “Look all around you. What you and Lockwood want to take from me is what I’ve been up to.”

Taking his heart so long ago wasn’t enough? Now she wanted his life?

Because this distillery, these employees, were absolutely everything. He’d worked too damn hard, countless hours, many sleepless nights to make Hawkins a reputable business. Even if Sam died, he wouldn’t pass this legacy to Rusty. There was literally no way ol’ Lockwood would get his talons on Sam’s distillery.

“I’m not looking to steal anything,” she volleyed back. “I’m merely here on behalf of my client who is willing to up his asking price. You haven’t even heard the number and it may be worth considering.”

Sam hated her professional tone. Hated that she was treating him like a regular client. Hated even more that she was tied up with that bastard. But…maybe she’d changed. Maybe she didn’t have morals anymore. The girl he’d once loved had been loyal to her family, put her parents and her brother above everything.

Now, she’d drawn a line between them the moment she opted to take up with his rival. He couldn’t help but wonder what events over the last sixteen years had led her to make this career decision.

“How’s your family?” he asked, turning the tables on her.

Maty’s face paled for a second before she tipped up her chin. “My parents were killed in a car accident two years ago. My brother is still in Virginia.”

All of his anger and resentment washed away at her statement. He’d loved her family like his own, so the hurt that overcame him was partly selfish.

“Maty, I had no idea,” he said, taking a step forward. “I’m sorry doesn’t seem adequate, but I am.”

Sam forced himself to stop before he did something stupid like reach out and touch her, in a vain attempt at consoling her. He was the one who was shocked. After all, she’d had time to process the loss. Sam had always admired Will and Monica Taylor. They were loving parents, the picture of happiness with their two children who were brilliant and destined for great things.

“So is Carter an attorney, too?”

Maty blinked and spun around to the pictures. “You’ve had some impressive celebrities stop through here.”

When she tapped the photo of a popular country singer holding up a tumbler of gin, Sam took that as his cue to stop any talk of her brother…which made Sam want to find out even more. Maty and Carter had always been close, like best friends. The fact that she was so quick to move on with another topic raised some serious red flags. They would get back to this at a later time—Sam would make sure of it.

Maty finished her perusal of the black-and-white images and blew out a sigh as she made a slow circle of his office. “You’ve done really well for yourself.”

“I don’t need your approval.”

Sam relaxed against the edge of his desk and crossed his arms as he met her stare across the room. Why did he let her affect him? He’d come a hell of a long way since they were together. He was proud of where he’d landed and where he was going.

“We seem to be getting off on the wrong foot,” she stated. “Is it because of the past? Because—”

“My irritation has nothing to do with the past and everything to do with your arrogant client who thinks he can have anything he wants if he whines long enough, like a toddler. He might as well move on. There are other distilleries he could look into acquiring.”

“True.” Maty nodded in agreement. “But he wants yours.”

Sam grunted. “And you just happen, conveniently, to be the attorney assigned to this mission.”

Her eyes narrowed. Her lips pursed. What he wouldn’t like to do to those lips under much different circumstances.

“Mr. Lockwood is aware of our past if that’s what you’re asking.”

“And he hired you to do what?” Sam pushed off his desk, slowly closing the gap between them. “Did he think I’d meet with you? Maybe we’d start reminiscing like we are now?”

Maty’s eyes widened as Sam reached up. With one fingertip, he slid a wayward golden strand of hair behind her ear. Just as silky as he remembered.

“Maybe I’d kiss you, plunge both of us back into the past.” He leaned in closer, cursing himself for being a masochist, but he couldn’t stop…or perhaps he just didn’t want to. “Maybe I’d be so overwhelmed with lust that I’d agree to your terms.”

A little closer, his lips hovered within a whisper of hers. She wasn’t moving, he was positive she held her breath as her eyes dropped to his lips.

There it was. That same crackling tension they’d always shared. That same invisible string that pulled them together no matter how hard they fought it.

Sam touched her nowhere now, but damn if it didn’t take every bit of his resolve to hold himself back. She had some floral scent that he didn’t recognize, but it was driving him out of his mind.

“Sam,” she whispered.

“Is that what you were hoping for, Maty? A little reunion sex and a closed deal?”

Sam grazed his lips across hers, his entire body tightened with arousal as she gasped.

Get a grip, Hawkins. You’re being a jerk.

Gritting his teeth and clenching his fists at his sides, Sam took a step back. Those wide eyes still remained locked on his, but now they were a shade darker…just like they used to be when she was fully aroused.

There she was. That girl he remembered who always gave him every bit of her passion. She never could mask her desire.

Sam cursed beneath his breath and spun on his heel to circle his desk. He needed to put some space, or something substantial, between them. They’d been in the same room for ten minutes and already he wanted to slide that zipper down and see if she still liked lacy underwear.

“Go back to Rusty and tell him even you won’t get me to sell,” he ordered. “And maybe find yourself a client who isn’t crooked, unless you are only in this for the money.”

She’d never been about money before, but time changed people. Circumstances changed people. Maybe the death of her parents had done something to that moral compass of hers.

Regardless, these were not his problems and he had a company to run and a gala to prepare for in less than two weeks. He’d been gone for the past three weeks and this was only his first day back. Getting sexually distracted by his ex wasn’t the best way to kick off his work week.

Maty smoothed her hair back and pasted on a smile that gave him another punch to the gut. He had a feeling she knew exactly how potent she was. Maty wasn’t stupid or naive and he had to ignore her charms or any advances.

“I’ll be in touch,” she promised. “You might just be given a deal you can’t refuse.”

As she sashayed out with those swinging hips and honey hair bouncing, that’s exactly what Sam was afraid of.

Sam needed a distraction, something to get his mind off the woman who’d just blown into his office and left her mark.

He stared down at his desk, at the letter he’d read earlier. It still sat on top of the envelope. It was rare for someone to write an actual letter these days, and he still couldn’t believe that the words were true so he grabbed it, taking a seat as he read.

Sam,

You don’t know me and by the time you receive this, I will be gone. My name is Lori Campbell. I’m Nick Campbell’s mother. I do not mean to turn your life upside down, but I can’t leave this world without giving my son the truth about his paternity, and I’m afraid I need to tell you as well.

Rusty Lockwood is Nick’s biological father…something he just discovered. Rusty also fathered two other children and you are one of them.

I’m sorry to tell you this way, but I know my son will need family once I’m gone. He will have no one and I pray he finds someone he can lean on during this difficult time. If you would, I’d like you to reach out to him.

I hope Rusty doesn’t cause trouble. I have sent a letter to the other brother as well. I wish you all well.

Lori

He still couldn’t process it.

Rusty Lockwood was his biological father? How the hell did this woman know?

Sam was well connected with Nick Campbell now. They’d been acquaintances through the industry for a while, but just in the last month Nick had approached Sam about teaming up against Rusty Lockwood and putting an end to Rusty’s local monopoly over hard liquor licensing.

Nick’s mother had recently passed away, but Sam never knew her, never heard her name, actually.

Had Nick known Rusty was supposedly his own father? Is that why he wanted to tackle the mogul? Did he know that Rusty was Sam’s father? Was that why he’d wanted to partner up?

Sam leaned forward, resting his palms on his desk. He blew out a breath and wondered what the hell he was supposed to do with all this information, all these questions.

Did he go to Nick? Did he stay quiet?

What about his mother? She’d kept this secret his entire life. Anytime he’d asked about his father, she would always say they were both better off without him. Sam had to agree, if Rusty was indeed his father. But how in the hell had his mother gotten involved with such a man to begin with?

Another realization hit him. Did Rusty know about his sons? If he did, had he shared that secret with Maty? Is that why she was back at this time to completely throw Sam off his game?

Between Maty dropping back into his life and working for the enemy, and this cryptic letter, Sam didn’t know what to believe. But, one thing was for sure, he couldn’t let his guard down.

He had to find out what the hell was going on.

Three

Rusty was blackmailing Maty. That could be the only explanation.

Even though she’d left him without looking back, Sam refused to believe that sweet girl from years ago had completely lost her common sense and turned so dark and unscrupulous that she’d take a job and a salary from Sam’s enemy. What was her angle? Why come back to Green Valley and suddenly team up with Rusty after all this time?

Sam had had a full day of meetings and employee reviews that had occupied his time, but now that he’d gotten home and had more time to think, a blackmail scheme was all he could come up with. Not that he wanted Rusty to be holding something over her head, but Sam hated thinking the worst.

Maty had admitted that Rusty knew of her past with Sam. No doubt he’d used that as the foundation for this game plan, but there had to be more than Maty and Sam’s old connection bringing her here. What could Rusty have dangled in front of Maty?

Money? Maybe, but Sam hoped to hell she hadn’t gotten that shallow.

As he stepped onto the second-story balcony off his master suite, the cell in his pocket vibrated. Sam shifted his bourbon into his left hand and pulled out his phone.

Nick’s name lit up the screen and Sam hesitated for a second. He’d forgotten he’d texted Nick earlier. After that little meeting with Maty and then that damning letter, Sam was still struggling to get his head on straight.

Pulling in a deep breath, Sam swiped to answer the call.

“Hawkins.”

“Sam, it’s Nick. Sorry I’m just getting back to you. Silvia and I were at the site all day.”

Nick Campbell and Silvia Lane had started a working relationship when Nick hired Silvia to be the lead architect on his late mother’s mountainside resort. Sam didn’t know the dynamics of their relationship, but he did know they were now married and expecting a baby. Everything seemed to be falling into place for Nick now, even after his world had crumbled when his mother passed. Sam had to assume she had written the letter close to her passing, knowing the end was near.

“Is something wrong?” Nick asked. “Your text seemed urgent.”

Something wrong? If Rusty Lockwood was his father—their father—then yes, something was wrong.

“It is urgent, but I’d rather not discuss this over the phone.” Sam swirled his bourbon around his ice sphere. “Are you free in the morning?”

“This sounds serious.”

“It is.”

“Then I’m free in the morning,” Nick declared. “Should I come to your office?”

“Eight o’clock,” Sam confirmed. “My assistant won’t be in until nine, so we’ll have some privacy.”

“Should I be worried?” Nick asked.

Sam had no clue how to answer that. “I just came across some information on Rusty and since we’re working together on trying to get that license overturned, I wanted to share this sensitive material with you as soon as possible.”

“You’ve piqued my interest. I’ll be there.”

Sam disconnected the call and tossed back his bourbon. Yes, the amber liquid should be savored and sipped. Sam wasn’t in a savor and sip mood. He wanted hard and fast…liquor or a woman, he didn’t care which.

Maty instantly came to mind.

Those curves had filled out even more since she’d been twenty-two. Her body wasn’t the only thing that had changed. Her entire personality had shifted. What had once been fun and bubbly now seemed cold and closed off. She was hiding something and Sam should listen to his head and leave her be…but he couldn’t. Something held her to Rusty and something, or someone, had her scared. Sam wouldn’t want anyone to be in that position, let alone someone he used to care for.

Rusty was clearly using Maty because of Sam, so he couldn’t just ignore the situation. Well, he could if he was a cold bastard like Lockwood, but Sam wasn’t anything like that man.

The man who could possibly be his father.

Was that even true? He could go to his mother and find out, but she had always been so insistent that she never wanted to discuss his father, saying they never needed him. And she’d been too busy wasting her life at blackjack tables to really care anyway.

Sam was a big boy now—he could more than handle his own and with this letter surfacing, he couldn’t just dismiss what could be hard facts.

Sam would confront his mother when he was ready. He was still trying to process everything himself and he had a feeling Nick might hold even more of the puzzle pieces Sam needed.

This alliance they’d already formed weeks ago to bring Rusty down had forged a friendship. But how would Nick react once Sam revealed the letter Lori had sent?

Maty had just taken off her boxing gloves when her phone chimed. She swiped the perspiration from her forehead with the back of her arm and reached for her cell on the window ledge.

The first thing she’d done when she’d moved into this tiny apartment was put up her heavy bag. Some people drank when they were stressed, some ate their feelings, but Maty preferred to punch and kick things. She also enjoyed art, but that was for when she had a calmer frame of mind. Her mood right now was far from calm.

She glanced at her screen and saw Rusty’s name. A 7:00 a.m. call from the bane of her existence? Not how she wanted to start her day.

“This is Maty,” she answered.

“Miss Taylor, I worried when I didn’t hear from you yesterday,” Rusty started. “How did the meeting go with Sam?”

Maty pulled in a deep breath and reached for her water bottle. “We had a good talk.”

“Good as in he agreed to the terms?”

Maty forced herself to remain calm. “I warned you going in that he wouldn’t agree to anything at the first meeting. Sam loves that company that he’s built and getting him to sell will take some time.”

“That’s something you don’t have,” he reminded her. “The month will be up before you know it.”

As if she needed the recap of the ticking clock. Rusty not only blackmailed her into coming to Green Valley, but he’d given her a timetable that would be impossible to manage given even the best of circumstances…and these were far from great circumstances. Her stress level was at an all-time high; she worried about her mental state. But she worried more about failing her brother who needed the health care Rusty was paying for.

Maty had to jump through every hoop Rusty put in her path. She had to carry out his plans, no matter what she thought of the man or his schemes.

She had come back to Green Valley with every intention of succeeding and facing Sam Hawkins. The meeting with him actually went better than she thought. She managed to be in the room with him without apologizing for leaving so long ago, without throwing herself all over him because he was still the sexiest man she’d ever known, and he didn’t claim to hate her. All in all, things could’ve been worse. Though she did leave with a whole host of brand new fantasies because he’d gotten broader, rougher, edgier. Everything about him exuded power—he was a man not to be messed with.

Yet here she was, doing exactly that.

Maty took a long pull of her cold water. She weighed her words to Rusty as she took a seat on the bench beneath the window.

“Yesterday was the first day,” she explained. “You’ve had other attorneys attempt this bargain and even you yourself couldn’t close the deal in several months, so don’t expect a miracle on day one.”

“I expect you to make this happen or you will not like the end result.”

Intimidation seemed to be the key component Rusty used to wrap people in his plans. A man like Rusty would use any means necessary to get what he wanted. Likely that’s how he’d landed where he was today.

Threats were how he’d gotten her to this point and as strong as she’d always prided herself on being, Rusty Lockwood had found her weak spot and used it to his full advantage. As if her life hadn’t been degraded enough, now she had to work for the devil himself.

No doubt Sam thought she had turned into some kind of shark lawyer with only a paycheck in mind. As if she needed to give him more reasons to dislike her. Just the idea that Sam could hate her left a yawning pit in Maty’s stomach. Out of all the people in the world, she truly cared what Sam thought of her.

She couldn’t blame him for not wanting to sell his distillery, though. Why would he? He’d taken over a floundering company nearly a decade ago and turned it into a huge success. Within the next few years, his brand would be all over the world.

Sam had always had a very detailed dream and he was living that vision every single day. He sure as hell didn’t need the money.

That was the thing about Sam that Rusty would never comprehend. Sam wasn’t in this industry for the money. He was here for the passion, the process. He’d always loved creating and studying and learning from his mistakes.

Rusty was about the almighty dollar and how padded his accounts could be, and that would ultimately be his downfall.

Unfortunately, his downfall didn’t seem to be coming anytime soon. And Maty had gotten herself caught in Rusty’s clenches. Until she could figure out a solution to all her problems—like winning the lottery—she was stuck.

“You were supposed to use your connection to charm him,” Rusty added.

Maty clenched her teeth. She wanted nothing more than to have the power and the courage to tell Rusty exactly what she thought of him and this plan. She wished like hell she had the funding to care for her brother, and then she could go back to Virginia and actually live her life.

But she was stuck and she wasn’t even sure the end result would turn to her favor. Rusty could end the payments for her brother’s care, even if she did get this deal signed. All of this could be for nothing…but she still couldn’t give up.

“Despite what you may think of me, or of any other woman you employ, I will not use sex to get what you want.” The mere thought made her blood boil and her stomach tighten. “And I haven’t seen Sam in sixteen years. Any bond we had is no longer relevant.”

“Then make it relevant,” he demanded, his voice booming.

Maty closed her eyes and gripped her water bottle, the plastic crackling beneath her fingers. She’d known going into this whole situation that luring Sam in would be an impossible task. But with her brother’s care and her own reputation and career on the line, she’d had no choice.

At the end of this nightmare, she was going to have to find a respectable job and she needed to not have a giant black mark marring her name.

“I expect to be notified after each meeting,” Rusty added a second before disconnecting the call.

Maty dropped her cell on the bench beside her and took another drink. She eyed her gloves and came to her feet. She might not have proper furniture, but she had a stress reliever and right at this minute, that was the most important thing.

She had to figure out how to keep her brother in the best possible care and convince Sam to give up everything he’d worked for, and she was down to twenty-nine days.

She’d never been more terrified in her life.

Sam opened the main door to the office building and let Nick pass through.

“Thanks for coming in so early,” Sam stated, locking the door and motioning toward the hallway leading to his private office. “We can talk back here.”

“You’ve been gone three weeks and you’re back a whole day and find out something about Rusty that can’t be discussed over the phone.” Nick laughed. “That’s pretty damn impressive.”

Sam’s gut tightened with guilt. He hadn’t been totally up front and once he exposed the letter, he worried how Nick would handle the news. Surely the death of his mother was still so fresh and raw, but Lori had stated she wanted family there for Nick once she was gone. Apparently, that family was Sam.

They stepped into Sam’s office and he closed the door at his back.

“I’ll get right to the point.” Sam crossed to his desk and picked up the envelope. “I received a letter while I was gone. It sat here for three weeks, so I had no clue it even existed.”

Nick’s eyes landed on the paper, then focused back up onto Sam. “This is about Rusty?”

Sam nodded. “It’s from your mother.”

“My mother?” Nick’s eyes widened, his brows rose. “She left me a letter, too. She said that…”

Silence stretched as Nick’s attention remained on the envelope. Sam waited, giving Nick time to process or make the next move. Nick had to know now exactly what this meant for both of them.

After several yawning minutes, Nick took a step forward and reached for the sheet of paper.

“Do you care if I read it?” he asked.

Sam handed it over. He kept his eyes on Nick as he unfolded the letter and read. No expression, no sign of what he was thinking or feeling. Nick’s eyes got to the bottom before he started over and read through it once more.

Nick dropped the letter to his side. “Do you believe this?” he asked.

“Should I?”

Nick raked a hand over the back of his neck and stared down at the message once more. “Yeah. You should.”

That’s what Sam thought he would say. While Sam didn’t know Lori Campbell, he doubted the woman had any reason to lie or upend her son’s life once she was gone. Sam truly believed she wanted Nick to move on and find some family, and maybe she wanted to stick it to Rusty in the end, too. He couldn’t say he blamed her.

Taking a step back, Sam leaned on the edge of his desk and crossed his arms over his chest. He honestly still didn’t know how to wrap his mind around all of this.

“I don’t know what I’m more shocked about,” he stated. “That you’re my half brother or that Rusty is our father.”

Nick carefully folded the paper and slid it back into the envelope. “The Rusty revelation isn’t new to me anymore, but I am surprised that I actually know one of my brothers.”

Sam nodded. “It’s all so surprising.”

Nick nodded. “My mother left me a letter, too. She claimed there were two other boys that Rusty fathered. So now I know you, but there’s still one missing. If he received the letter, he hasn’t come forward.”

“How long have you known?” Sam asked.

“I opened my letter at my mother’s graveside.”

Damn. That must’ve been a harsh blow at the worst possible time. But Nick’s mom must have wanted these boys to know about Rusty for a reason. Maybe she just wanted to leave this earth with nothing on her conscience. Maybe she didn’t want her son to be without family. Sam didn’t know the answer, so he had to just move forward with the information he had.

And he was going to have to go to his mother and make her face her past and tell him the truth—as if their relationship through the years wasn’t strained enough. He loved her, he truly did. He just didn’t like her actions or the gambling habit she couldn’t kick.

Sam refocused on the situation before him and vowed to talk to his mother later.

“Did you confront Rusty?”

Nick nodded and rested a hand on the back of the leather chair across from Sam’s desk. “I did. You can imagine how that bastard reacted. He wasn’t sorry my mother struggled as a single woman raising his child. He didn’t even seem surprised that I was his son, actually.”

“Are you certain about all of this, though?” Sam asked. “I’m not dismissing what your mother said, but shouldn’t we have our DNA tested?”

Nick shrugged. “I don’t want to confirm anything. My mother had no reason to lie and turn my life around, plus the lives of two strangers she didn’t know. Taking a test won’t change the way I feel about him or how he feels about me.”

Sam agreed. Lori Campbell had written deathbed confessions and no matter what the truth truly was, that wouldn’t change how Sam or Nick felt about Rusty. Besides, it wasn’t like the old guy would welcome them into his life with open arms no matter what a test said.

“He’s hired a new attorney to get me to sell Hawkins,” Sam told Nick. “Maty Taylor. My ex-girlfriend from college.”

Nick shifted and sighed. “Creepy that he dug that far back into your past. So how’s that going?”

“I have to assume he’s using her.” The more Sam thought about this whole charade, the angrier he got. “I’m nearly positive he’s using her because she admitted he knew about our connection. We lost touch, but I can’t imagine her turning into someone who condones anything Rusty does.”

He planned on making an impromptu visit to her later today. Catching Maty off guard might be the only way to get to the bottom of this entire mess. Added to that, he wanted to see her. So what if they’d ended things long ago? Sam was human and she was damn attractive. Beneath that steely, sexy facade he’d noted a vulnerability he wanted to uncover and ultimately protect. She wouldn’t like it, wouldn’t want him interfering, but too damn bad. If Rusty was in fact doing anything to harm her emotionally, Sam wouldn’t just interfere, he’d bust onto the scene and bring Rusty down single-handedly.

“I don’t even know what to say.” Nick’s murmur cut into Sam’s thoughts. “Mom mentioned two brothers, but I had no idea if anyone would actually seek me out or even believe what they’d read.”

“If I didn’t know you and know your current circumstance, I’m not sure I would’ve believed it,” Sam admitted. “I don’t doubt you trust all of this to be the truth, but I’m holding out. Not that having you for a brother wouldn’t be damn cool, but I sure as hell hope that ass is not my father.”

But Sam could tell by the look on Nick’s face that he fully believed everything his mother had said.

Sam wanted to hold on to that sliver of hope that Lori was simply mistaken.

“So what now?” Nick asked. “Are you going to go to him?”

Sam had been thinking about that since reading the letter. “No. At least, not right now. I want to wait and see how he plays this game, and I want to know what the hell he’s doing with Maty.”

“You still care for her?” Nick asked, quirking a brow.

Sam went with straight honesty here. How could he not care? She was the first woman who had ever captured his heart, and maybe she’d kept a piece when she left. Going to her would open up those old wounds, but he wasn’t the same man now. He could see her, still appreciate her beauty and tenacity and maintain his distance.

Right?

“I care for the girl I remember. I don’t know the woman she is now, but I know that Rusty has no scruples and he’d take any advantage where he saw an opening.”

Nick stepped forward and laid the envelope back on the desk next to Sam’s hip.

“Do you want to keep that?” Sam asked.

Nick took a step back and shook his head. “No. She meant for you to have it and I have my own letter. I hope we can still work together to team up against Rusty.”

“Now more than ever,” Sam agreed.

“If you decide to confront him about the paternity issue, I’ll go with you.”

Sam appreciated that, but at this stage, he had no idea how to handle Rusty or this information. He’d like to have more solid proof than a letter from a deceased woman. But, on the other hand, he didn’t want to know.

Above all else, he wanted Maty away from Rusty. Whatever was happening here was about to explode and he didn’t want her in the cross fire.

“I should be going,” Nick said with a sigh. “Are we meeting at the card game this Friday?”

About a month ago, the two of them had decided to crash the good ol’ boys’ poker game at the local pub, Rogue Wingman. Every Friday, Rusty and a bunch of his city council cronies meet for hours of gaming and Nick had asked Sam to join him to break into the game. The united front had startled Rusty and had gotten the attention of the council members. The moonshine king wasn’t the only high roller in this area and younger, smarter crews were moving in.

Sam was sure there was some poetic justice here, seeing that it was Rusty’s own sons, sons he’d supposedly abandoned, who would likely bring him down. If only they knew who the third party was and if he even knew the name Rusty Lockwood, then maybe Sam and Nick would have another ally.

“I’ll be there,” Sam told him. “But can we keep this letter and everything under wraps for now?”

“Ashamed of being my brother already?” Nick joked.

“That’s the only part I’m ready to believe is true,” Sam corrected. “I just want to figure out what move to make regarding Maty and Rusty. I have to keep the upper hand for as long as I can.”

Nick nodded. “I understand. I did the same thing.”

After Nick left, Sam went back to his desk and stared at the letter. His past and his future were colliding. He had to be very careful about what step he took next because he wasn’t going to fall into some seduction trap and lose everything he’d worked for his entire life.

But he also wasn’t stupid or naive. Seeing Maty again, even after all the time that had wedged between them, only dredged up each and every spark of desire he’d ever had for her. Only that desire was ten times stronger now. Her determination combined with those new curves drew him to her even more than he would’ve thought possible.

How could he keep his distance? How could he ignore the pull?

He had an enemy to fight and a business to protect and the woman he wanted more than anything might just disrupt all of his plans.

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