Could her biggest competition...

...become her babies’ father?

Alexa Moore is the definition of independent. She runs her own successful business and she’s decided to start a longed-for family—by herself! But after business rival Benjamin Foster comes to her rescue and pretends to be her boyfriend for a night, their earth-shattering kiss sparks Alexa’s desire to share much more with him... But having Benjamin in her life means she must confide in him—she’s pregnant with twins!

Being an author has always been THERESE BEHARRIE’s dream. But it was only when the corporate world loomed during her final year at university that she realised how soon she wanted that dream to become a reality. So she got serious about her writing, and now she writes the kind of books she wants to see in the world, featuring people who look like her, for a living. When she’s not writing she’s spending time with her husband and dogs in Cape Town, South Africa. She admits that this is a perfect life, and is grateful for it.

Also by Therese Beharrie

Tempted by the Billionaire Next Door

Surprise Baby, Second Chance

Her Festive Flirtation

Island Fling with the Tycoon

Conveniently Wed, Royally Bound miniseries

United by Their Royal Baby

Falling for His Convenient Queen

Billionaires for Heiresses miniseries

Second Chance with Her Billionaire

From Heiress to Mum

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Her Twin Baby Secret

Therese Beharrie

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-0-008-90323-7

HER TWIN BABY SECRET

© 2020 Therese Beharrie

Published in Great Britain 2020

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 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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Version: 2020-03-02

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For Grant,

who would pretend to be in a fake relationship

with me so I could save face in a heartbeat.

If we weren’t already married, I mean. I love you.

For the online friends

who’ve become my community.

I didn’t ever think you could exist,

but I’m so grateful you do.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Dedication

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

PROLOGUE

ALEXA MOORE HAD never thought the pressure her parents had put on her her entire life would result in this. She barely contained the squeal of excitement tickling her throat.

Her father was sitting beside her in the car, her mother at the back. Both were staring at their phones. They were either checking their emails, replying to emails, or writing their own emails. Leighton and Karla Moore were simple in that way. Work came first; everything else, second. They’d reconciled having a family in light of those priorities by treating their children as though they were work. That was why Alexa and her younger brother by a year, Lee, were raised to function much as their parents did: work was the most important thing. Being Leighton and Karla’s children, they had to work harder than anyone else.

Who needed a loving, emotionally supportive family anyway?

But that wasn’t for today. Today was for happiness and new beginnings. She wasn’t stubborn enough not to acknowledge her parents’ contribution to this moment. It was part of why she’d brought them with her. They were the ones who had suggested—instructed—her to start working as soon as she turned sixteen. They’d told her to give them half of what she earned, and because she was their child she’d asked them to help her invest the other half. On her graduation from her Honours degree in business, they’d gifted her with a policy they’d taken out with that money. It had been an impressive nest egg. And it had kept growing while she attended culinary school.

She’d got a bursary to study at Cape Town’s Culinary Institute. She was lucky. If she hadn’t, she would have had to use that nest egg and she wouldn’t be able to move forward with her dream. Her parents had paid for her studies in business on the condition that she got distinctions for all her subjects. She had, though not easily, because she knew she’d already disappointed them by not taking the mathematics bursary an elite tertiary faculty had offered.

But her dream was her dream. A business degree helped her get to that dream—and helped her please her parents more than culinary school had. Their disappointment was worth it for this moment though. She had no student loans, four years of business knowledge, two years of culinary knowledge, and two years’ experience in the industry. She was finally ready. This was the last step.

She pulled up in front of the property, letting out a happy sigh before she got out of the car. The brick façade of the building was as appealing as it had been the first time she’d seen it. As the first time it had encouraged her to take a chance on it.

‘This is it.’

She clasped her fingers together behind her back to keep from fidgeting.

‘This?’

‘Yes.’ She straightened her spine at the disapproval in her father’s voice. ‘It’s an up-and-coming neighbourhood.’

‘It looks unsafe, Lex,’ Karla said.

‘Oh, it’s fine.’ She waved a hand. ‘You know how Cape Town city centre is. The fanciest road is right next to the dodgiest one. Besides, there are so many people around.’

As if proving it, a group of young people walked past them. They were most likely students; not exactly her target clientele. But everyone had to start somewhere, and students meant lecturers and parents and more mature people who would come to the classy joint in the dingy neighbourhood for the feel of it. She jiggled her shoulders.

‘I’m going to call it In the Rough, because this place is a diamond in the rough.’ She grinned. ‘It’s going to be—’

‘Lee, darling!’

The world either slowed at her mother’s exclamation, or Alexa’s heart was pumping alarmingly fast. Why was her brother here? How much of what she’d said had he heard? Would he use it against her?

‘What are you doing here?’ she asked, her voice cool, a reaction to mitigate the heated emotions those questions had evoked. She would not show them that vulnerability. ‘I didn’t tell you about this.’

‘Dad did,’ Lee said, taking their father’s hand in a quick shake. ‘He told me about a week ago you were planning on showing them a property. Gave me the address and everything, so I could check it out myself.’

‘Why would you want to?’

‘I can’t check on what my big sister is doing with her life?’

No, she wanted to answer. She would have, if their parents weren’t there—they would disapprove. Somehow, after years of trying and failing to obtain their approval, she still wanted it. After years of her brother using that desire as a weapon to compete with her, she was still offering it to him.

‘To be fair, I’m not doing this with my life yet.’ She was trying to be civil, like she always did. Because she was still trying to be a decent person with Lee, too. When would she learn her lesson when it came to her family? ‘I wanted Mom and Dad to see this place before I put in an offer.’

‘I know.’

‘Did you want to see it, too?’

‘Oh, I already have.’

She frowned. ‘Why?’

‘Because I made an offer.’ He shoved his hands into his pockets, his smile catlike. ‘The owner accepted it this morning. This place is going to be mine.’

There was a stunned silence. Her parents broke it by asking Lee why he’d bought the place. Bits and pieces of his answer floated across to her. He wanted to secure the place as a surprise for Alexa. It was a smart business decision to invest in property, particularly in a neighbourhood that was fast becoming one to watch. If he and Alexa worked together, there was less chance of failure. The Moores could become a powerhouse in the hospitality industry.

Lies. Lies, all of it.

Lee spoke to them as fluently as he did his other languages. His linguistic skills were as impressive as her mathematical skills. He knew five of South Africa’s eleven official languages; he also knew how to fool their parents. They thought he was a good, supportive brother when in reality, he was a master manipulator. All for the sake of winning a competition he’d made up in his head where they were the only competitors and he the only willing participant.

‘Alexa,’ Karla called. ‘You’re daydreaming, darling.’

She blinked. ‘Sorry.’

‘Did you hear what your brother did?’

‘Yes.’

‘Aren’t you glad?’

‘Why would I be glad?’

Her mother exchanged a look with her father. Leighton took the baton.

‘Lee’s made the smart decision here. It’s not a buyer’s market at the moment, so you might not have got the property. He has more capital, and more clout, so he had a better chance of being successful in the purchase.’

‘He didn’t know about the property before you told him,’ she said numbly. ‘And he only has more capital because he’s been working longer.’ In the business sector, which was more lucrative. Even her nest egg couldn’t beat that. ‘The owner said she hadn’t had much interest in the six months the property’s been on the market.’

‘She did sound thrilled with my offer.’

She turned at the satisfaction in Lee’s voice. When she saw it reflected on his face, her heart broke. This didn’t feel like the other times. When he’d race to the dinner table, turn back to her and say, ‘I win!’ though he’d been the only one running. Or when he would bring a test home from school, announcing that he’d beat Alexa’s mark from the year before.

This was more malicious. It was...uglier. And it proved that she would always be a target Lee would shoot at, no matter what the cost.

Unless she did something about it.

‘I hope you find a tenant soon, Lee.’

‘Wait!’ he said when she started walking to her car. ‘I thought you’d rent it?’

‘So you can pop in whenever you want? Make your presence known in my business? Pull the rug out from under me when I think I’m safe?’ She shook her head. ‘I appreciate the offer, but you’ll have to find someone else.’

‘Alexa, you’re being foolish.’

‘No, Dad, I’m being realistic. But this is a great neighbourhood.’ Her voice cracked, echoing her heart. ‘He’ll find someone to rent from him soon enough.’

‘Darling, your brother only wants to help.’

She took a deep breath before offering her mother a smile. ‘I know.’ Even after he’d punctured a hole in her dreams and her parents were defending him, she couldn’t be blunt. ‘I can’t take his help or I wouldn’t be making the Moore name proud, would I? It’s all about achieving things we can be proud of. I can’t be proud of this.’

Another breath.

‘You should go to the restaurant I booked for us tonight with Lee. He deserves it.’ She smiled at her family, well aware that it didn’t reach her eyes. ‘I hope you enjoy the food.’

She got into her car and drove away, leaving her heart and her dreams shattered behind her.

CHAPTER ONE
Four years later

‘OH,’ ALEXA SAID FLATLY. ‘It’s you.’

Benjamin Foster couldn’t help the laugh that rumbled in his chest. ‘Yes, it’s me.’

Alexa Moore, owner of the elite Infinity restaurant, and the woman who probably hated him more than anyone else in the world, glowered.

‘You need to stop following me.’

‘I’m not following you,’ he denied.

‘Are you sure? You seem to be everywhere I am.’

‘Because we’re in the same business.’

Her eyes stopped scanning the room and settled on him. Sharpened. ‘You’re here to offer Cherise de Bruyn a job.’

He tilted his head. ‘How did you know?’

‘You think I didn’t hear about Victor Fourie being poached from In the Rough?’ She smiled, but it wasn’t friendly. ‘It’s terrible when karma does her thing, isn’t it?’

‘I’m not sure why she would get involved.’

She gave him a look. He allowed himself a small smile.

‘Fine, I do know.’ A few seconds passed. Something cleared in his brain. ‘You’re here to offer Cherise a job, too.’

She responded by ignoring him. He shouldn’t have wanted to smile. It seemed rude to since he was the reason she had to offer Cherise a job. She hadn’t confirmed that was why she was there, but he was fairly certain. When the thought of being rude did nothing to deter his amusement—apparently what his presence did to her tickled his funny bone—he turned to the barperson and ordered a drink.

‘Can I get you one?’

‘I don’t want to owe you one, so no, thank you.’

He tsked. ‘That’s not very mature, Alexa.’

‘Maturity is for the weak,’ she muttered under her breath.

He didn’t bother hiding his grin this time, but paid for his drink before he replied. ‘I don’t agree with that.’

‘Why would you, Benjamin?’ she said with a sigh. ‘I said it. On principle, you can’t agree with me lest you seem weak.’

‘“Lest”?’

‘It means to avoid the risk of.’

‘I know what it means. I’m wondering why you said it.’

She sighed again, as though he were chopping up the last of her patience. Which was probably true. They’d known one another for eight years now. Or perhaps it would be better to say they’d known about one another for eight years. They didn’t know one another, not by a long shot. They had only gone to the Culinary Institute together, the current venue of their meeting, and met on and off in the six years after that.

Whenever they did, they rubbed each other up the wrong way. It caused a friction so intense that sometimes Benjamin struggled to figure out how he felt about her. On the one hand, she never backed down, said interesting things like lest, and made him laugh. On the other hand, she was his greatest competition.

Who could be friendly with the competition?

Infinity was rated highly on all the important websites. He often heard whispers of the patrons of his own restaurant comparing In the Rough’s food or ambience to Infinity’s. It wasn’t uncommon for patrons to do so; comments like that were part of the business. But her restaurant was the one he heard mentioned most frequently. It was also the one they preferred most frequently.

‘Really?’ she asked when he leaned against the bar. ‘In this spacious, beautiful, but most importantly spacious place, you couldn’t find someone else to bother?’

‘Bothering you is more fun.’

Her reply came in the form of a glare. He smiled back, sipped from his drink, and didn’t move. He did watch though.

She was right—the venue was gorgeous. It was nestled in the valley of one of the many vineyards in Stellenbosch. Bright green fields stretched out in front of them courtesy of an all-glass wall. The room they were in, usually a dining hall, had been transformed for the sake of the graduation. Chairs were set out in rows, a small stage had been erected on one side, and the opposite side housed the bar they were at. On the other side of the glass wall, accessed through a door on the side, were tables and chairs under tall trees.

He remembered sitting there many a lunch time when he’d been at the Institute. Hell, he remembered watching Alexa glower at him from inside the dining hall much in the same way she was doing now. He’d known even then that she was dangerous. How, he wasn’t sure.

‘What the hell is he doing here?’

The words weren’t meant for him, but he heard them. When he followed her gaze, he saw the cause. Her brother, his business partner, was there. Benjamin didn’t know why. Securing a head chef was more in line with Benjamin’s responsibilities. But their partnership had evolved in the last four years, and their roles weren’t what they initially were when they started working together.

Back then, Benjamin was the head chef and Lee’s management company dealt with the running of the restaurant. Benjamin had since taken over some of those responsibilities, which was hard to do without a head chef. It meant that Benjamin’s time was still needed in the kitchen. For three glorious months after Victor Fourie had been persuaded to work for In the Rough, Benjamin had been able to explore more of the management side of things. As it turned out, he enjoyed running a restaurant more than spending all his time in the kitchen.

But Lee had been acting strangely when it came to this head chef thing. With Victor Fourie, Lee had actively encouraged Benjamin to go after the man even though he knew Victor worked for Alexa. It had started out harmlessly enough. They’d been out for drinks one night, discussing work, when the chef walked into the bar. It had seemed like a perfectly fair move to ask him to join them. After that night, Lee had told him to get Victor to take over some of Benjamin’s responsibilities. Since it would take an immense amount of pressure off Benjamin, he’d done it, though he hadn’t understood Lee’s insistence. Now Lee was here...

‘Ben!’ Lee said when he saw them. His eyes flickered to his sister. Something Benjamin didn’t like shimmered there. ‘Fancy seeing you here.’

‘Is it?’ Benjamin asked, taking Lee’s hand. ‘I told you I was coming.’

‘He has to pretend it’s a surprise in front of me,’ Alexa said, her voice emotionless.

He’d only ever heard her speak that way with her brother. He would have thought, after his and Alexa’s antagonistic history, she would have aimed that tone at him, too. But when she spoke to him, her voice was icy, or annoyed, or full of emotion, none of which he could read. He found he preferred it.

‘If he doesn’t,’ she continued, ‘it would be clear that he’s really here because of me.’

‘Not everything I do is because of you, Alexa.’ Lee said it smoothly, but Benjamin could feel the resentment.

‘I wish that were true.’

Lee didn’t acknowledge that Alexa had spoken. ‘What I am surprised about is finding you two together.’

‘Why?’ Benjamin asked.

‘Don’t you hate one another?’

He looked at Alexa; Alexa looked at him. For a beat, they said nothing. Her expression changed then, going from icy cool to warm. His heart thundered in response to her hazel eyes opening. They grew lighter when they did, so that he could see the green flecks in the light brown. In a way no grown man should experience, Benjamin’s knees went weak.

Her eyebrow quirked, as if she knew, though there was no possible way she could. But the show of sassiness pulled the side of her face higher, softening a defined cheekbone. It was an extraordinary juxtaposition to the other side of her face, which was untouched by the expression. It was still hard lines and sharp angles. That had never applied to her lips though, one side of which was now quirked up—much like her brow—in amusement. At him. He was amusing her.

Because he was admiring her full lips that looked as soft as dough. An interesting comparison, though not surprising since he regularly dealt with dough. What was surprising was that he wanted to mould that dough as he did in the kitchen. But with his lips instead of his hands, though he could imagine brushing a thumb over those soft creases...

He took a long drag from his drink, severely disappointed that it wasn’t alcohol. He could have done with the shock, the burn of downing a whiskey. But no, he’d decided he shouldn’t drink because he wanted a clear head when he spoke to Cherise.

How was this clear?

‘Well, Lee,’ Alexa said, her voice as smooth as the brandy he’d longed for. Or had he thought of whiskey? ‘You know what they say: hate and love are two sides of the same coin.’

Lee’s head dropped. ‘What are you saying?’

‘You don’t know?’ She turned to Benjamin. ‘You kept your word. How lovely of you.’

Benjamin didn’t know what was going on, but he understood he shouldn’t say anything.

‘There’s no way you and Ben are dating.’

‘You’re entitled to believe what you want to, Lee. We don’t owe you explanations.’

‘You’re dating her?’ Lee asked Benjamin now. ‘No. Of course not. You would have told me.’

‘I asked him not to. Apparently his loyalties are divided now.’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘I shouldn’t have said that. It was insensitive.’

She grabbed Benjamin’s hand. Good thing he was still numb from shock, or he might have felt that explosion of warmth from the contact.

‘I’m sorry, Ben.’

Their eyes met again. Nothing he could read on her face gave him any clues to her feelings. No plea that he play along; no acknowledgement that this was strange. Or maybe there were clues, but he couldn’t recognise them.

Then she smiled at him. Her mouth widened, revealing strikingly straight white teeth. Those lips curved up, softening all the lines and angles of her face. Even her gaze warmed, though he had no idea why or how. It was a genuine smile that both stunned and enthralled him. He couldn’t look away.

‘Oh, you are together.’ Lee’s voice penetrated the fog in his brain. ‘Wow. I can already see the headline in Cape Town Culinary: “Rival restaurant owners fall in love”.’ He paused. ‘Maybe we should get the photographer to take a picture of you two now for the article? I’ll call her over.’

Both of them wrenched their gazes away from one another to stare at Lee.

CHAPTER TWO

‘I’D RATHER NOT,’ Alexa said when she recovered from the shock. She set the water she’d been drinking on the bar, slid off the stool. ‘If you’ll excuse me, I think some fresh air would do me good.’

She looked at neither of them. Not the man who’d broken her heart too many times for her to count; not the man who’d helped her brother do it. Though now, of course, she was pretending that he was her boyfriend. She alone, because Benjamin had not once said a word about the elaborate tale she’d woven. He would now, of course. As soon as she was out of the way, he’d tell Lee that she was lying and they’d laugh at her.

Nausea welled up inside her. She hoped it didn’t mean she’d throw up. She could already imagine Lee’s questions: Rough night last night, sis? Or are you pregnant? He would laugh, she wouldn’t, and he’d know something was up. The last thing she needed was her brother discovering her secret.

She soothed the panic the idea evoked by reminding herself that Lee’s presence in the last four years had generally made her queasy. That could be the answer now, too. The thought calmed her. Remembering she’d been feeling surprisingly good these last months helped, too. She took a breath, exhaled slowly. She was one week away from entering her second trimester. Once she got there, she’d tell her parents, and there would be no chance Lee could tell them for her.

It might have been a little paranoid—but then, it might not. She had a brother who was intent on ruining her life after all. Telling their parents she was pregnant before she could was exactly the kind of thing he’d do. She wouldn’t get the chance to tell them the story she’d practised since she’d decided to do something about her need for a family. Not the broken one she currently had, but a whole one. A safe one. A family she could actually trust.

As usual, the thought sent vibrations through her. Pain, disappointment prickled her skin. She stopped walking, bracing herself against a tree as she caught the breath her emotions stole. She didn’t get the chance to.

‘You haven’t seen me in months and this is how you treat me?’

She closed her eyes, put all her defences in place, and turned. ‘I thought you’d get the message.’

‘What message?’

‘I don’t want to see you, Lee,’ she told him. ‘I don’t want you in my life.’

Something almost imperceptible passed over his face. ‘We’re family. You have no choice.’

‘I’m aware that we’re family.’ She took a deep breath. ‘That’s the only reason we’ve seen one another at all in the last four years. Mom and Dad have birthdays, and there are special days, like Christmas and...’ She broke off. She didn’t have to explain anything to him. ‘Anyway, we have to see one another at those occasions. But not outside of them.’

‘All this because I bought a building you wanted?’

‘You know it wasn’t only a building,’ she snapped. Pulled it back. But it was hard to contain. It sat in her chest like a swarm of angry bees, waiting to be let out. She could not let it out. ‘You’ve insisted on making this about you and me, but really it’s about you. It’s always been. I want to live my life without you. You can’t seem to live yours without me.’

He smirked. ‘You’re putting an awful lot of importance on yourself.’

‘No, you are.’

She meant to stride past him, but his hand caught her wrist.

‘I assume you’re here for a new head chef. What happens if you don’t get one, Lex?’ he asked softly. ‘You can’t keep running Infinity and its kitchen. You must be spreading yourself thin since your last chef left.’

‘He didn’t leave. You stole him. You and Benjamin stole him.’

‘Which makes me wonder how your romance bloomed?’ Lee’s lips curved into a smile that broke her heart. Because it was mean, and so unlike that of the brother she’d once thought she had. ‘Were you looking for revenge? Maybe you thought you could make him fall in love with you, then break his heart? Or maybe use your body to—’

‘Lee.’

The voice was deep with unbridled emotion. Both she and Lee looked in the direction it came from. Benjamin stood there, watching them with a glower she’d never seen on him before. He was usually effortlessly charming, which had been one of the reasons she didn’t like him. No one could be that charming, certainly not effortlessly. Her conclusion had been that he was a demon, or some kind of magical being sent there to test her patience. The test was going smoothly. Her results were not as positive.

His disapproval should have been aimed at her then, considering their history of battling against one another. But it wasn’t. It was aimed at Lee. A thrill went through her before she stomped it down viciously. She did a few more jumps on it for good measure.

‘Ben,’ Lee said with a smile. He tended to reserve the vicious side of his temperament for her. ‘Didn’t see you there.’

‘I thought as much. I doubt you’d be talking to Alexa that way if you did.’

Benjamin’s eyes met hers. She wasn’t sure how she knew it, but he was asking her if she was okay. She angled her head. He looked back at Lee.

‘You should probably get someone to help you if that’s your perception of relationships.’ He held a hand out to her. It took her a moment to realise he meant for her to take it. As if someone else were in her body, she did. ‘Even so, I have to say I’m not thrilled with your implication. Alexa and I are in a healthy relationship. Neither of us is using the other. Unless there’s something you want to tell me, Lex?’

Oh. He was keeping the pretence going.

Oh.

She shook her head.

‘If I say something corny like “I’m using you for your addictive kisses”, would you be mad?’ he asked.

There it was, that effortless charm. It was kind of nice when it was being used for good. To help her instead of annoy her.

‘You probably shouldn’t say it, to be safe.’

He laughed. For a moment, it was just the two of them, amused at one another. A part of her wiggled with glee; another part told her to take a step back. This was confusing, and happening too fast. She wasn’t even sure what ‘this’ was.

‘Seriously?’ Genuine confusion lit Lee’s face. ‘I thought this, you two, were a joke.’

‘You were accusing Alexa of those things earlier and you thought this was a joke?’ Benjamin’s voice had switched from charm to ice.

Alexa cleared her throat. She didn’t want this turning into a full-on brawl. Even if the prospect of seeing Lee punched brought her more joy than it should have. She was strangely certain that would be the outcome if she didn’t intervene.

‘Ben and I agreed to keep business and our personal lives separate,’ she told Lee. ‘That’s why no one knew about our relationship until today.’

‘And you told me?’ Lee asked. ‘Now I know you two are lying.’

‘You don’t have to believe us, Lee.’

But she really wanted him to. Maybe that was why she went along with what Benjamin said next.

‘He doesn’t have to believe us, but why don’t we show him why he should?’

When he looked at her, asked her permission with his eyes, she nodded. Told herself wanting to make Lee believe her was why she’d went along with what Benjamin did next. But all of that dissipated when he kissed her.

He’d never wanted to punch someone as much as he’d wanted to punch his business partner in the last few minutes. He wasn’t sure if it was because Lee was acting almost unrecognisably, or if his instincts were tingling because he did recognise the way Lee was acting. It was the same way people in his past had acted. They’d need something from him, then act surprised, attacked, victimised when he asked them if they were taking advantage of his desire to help.

His instincts could also have been tingling because despite his past, he still wanted to help someone who needed him. It was clear Alexa did. It was his weakness, helping people. Not when the help was appreciated; only when the help was taken advantage of. He didn’t know where Alexa fitted into that. It didn’t keep him from kissing her though.

Not his best decision, though his lips disagreed. They heartily approved of the softness of Alexa’s lips pressed against them. She smelled of something sweet and light; reminded him of walking through a garden at the beginning of spring. It felt as though he’d been drawn into that scene when her mouth began to move against his. His body felt lighter, as it often did after a long, dull winter and the sun made its comeback. He could easily imagine the two of them in that garden, surrounded by flowers, overcome with the joy and happiness a new season tended to bring.

The taste of her brought him sharply back into his body.

He hadn’t intended on really kissing her. A quick meeting of lips was enough to convince her brother they were together—people who didn’t like one another didn’t kiss at all. He assumed. Before he started to kiss this woman he supposedly didn’t like.

There was no time to think of it since his tongue had somehow disobeyed his desire to keep things simple. Instead, it had slipped between Alexa’s lips, plunging them both into complicated.

But damn, if complicated didn’t feel good. She was sweet, spicy, exactly as her personality dictated. The tangling of their tongues sent pulses through his body, settling in places that made him both uncomfortable and desperate. He used it as an excuse to rest a hand on the small of her back, pressing her against him. She gave a little gasp into his mouth as her body moulded against his, but she didn’t pull away. She did the opposite in fact, reaching her arms around his neck and pulling herself higher so their bodies were aligned at a more pleasurable height.

It was that thought that had him pulling away. He wouldn’t embarrass himself in public. More importantly, he couldn’t embarrass Alexa. Both would happen if they didn’t pull themselves together.

She didn’t protest, lowering herself to her feet again, her gaze avoiding his. But then she shook her head and looked at him. Curiosity and desire were fierce in her expression, but it was the confusion that did him in.

Was it brought on by this little charade they were performing? Or was she surprised at the intensity of their kisses?

‘Happy?’ she asked.

He almost answered before he realised she wasn’t talking to him. Good thing his brain had started working in time. He would have said something he couldn’t take back if he answered. Something in the vicinity of a yes and no and maybe a few other statements.

Lee was watching them with a frown.

‘You two really are together.’

‘So you keep saying.’

‘I mean it this time,’ Lee said. His next words were directed at Benjamin. ‘You’ve complicated things.’

No kidding. ‘You didn’t know about us for months.’ Because there was nothing to know. ‘We’ll be fine.’

‘I’m sure Cherise de Bruyn agrees.’

Benjamin thought that was a strange thing to say until he saw the jerk of Lee’s head to the side. Cherise stood with her fellow graduates, watching the three of them with a bemused smile on her face. Considering he’d spoken to her first thing when he arrived, he was sure Alexa had, too. Now Cherise was watching the two people competing for her to work for them kiss, and was probably wondering what the hell would happen next.

To be fair, so was he.

CHAPTER THREE

ALEXA PAUSED AT her front door, wondering why she was doing what she was doing. No answer she came up with made her feel better about doing it, so she simply unlocked the door. She stepped aside to let Benjamin pass her, then closed it and resisted—barely—leaning her forehead against it. Alexa couldn’t give in to her impulses any more. They were what had got her into trouble in the first place. If she hadn’t pretended Benjamin was her boyfriend, she wouldn’t be letting him into her home now to discuss the way forward.

It seemed particularly cruel that she had to do that here. Her home was her space. It was where she recovered from long, rough days. It was where she cried when the pressure of running a business got to her. It was where she remembered her complicated feelings when her sous chef had brought in her new baby.

Kenya had come in to show the baby around and had brought her mother, too. There had been so much love between the three of them. Alexa had watched it, her heart breaking and filling at the same time. When Kenya had handed her the child, that breaking stopped. She’d remembered all those times she’d thought family couldn’t only mean competition and neglect. She hadn’t seen examples otherwise, but she’d hoped. Then, between her studies, work, and her brother ruining her dreams, she’d forgotten that hope. Until she’d seen Kenya and her family. Until she’d held that baby.

She’d remembered that, once upon a time, her dreams had included having a family. A warm, happy family with people who loved and respected one another. She thought about how she had no one to go home to at night. How the idea of dating and trusting someone so she could have someone to go home to made her feel ill. A new idea had popped into her head then. One year later, whoops, she was pregnant and there was no going back.

It wasn’t so much whoops as going through vigorous fertility treatments and being artificially inseminated twice. But whoops was what she planned to tell her parents. Rather their disappointment that she hadn’t been careful than tell them she didn’t want anyone in her life who could hurt her the way they had.

She was clearly in a very healthy mental space.

‘Nice place,’ Benjamin said, breaking into her thoughts.

‘Thanks.’

It was more invasive than she’d anticipated, having him look at her stuff. But they needed privacy, her place was the closest, and it was better to be here than at Infinity. There was more of her there, and with their baggage, it had felt wrong to take him there.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t proud of her home. Everything in it had been put there for a reason. The beige sofas were comfortable and expensive, the first items she’d bought for the flat. The restaurant had still been a baby, so it had taken most of her disposable income to buy them. She had slept on them for four months. They weren’t as comfortable as a bed, but then, she hadn’t been sleeping much anyway. She had been fuelled by the desire to succeed, and three to four hours of sleep were more than enough in those days.

The coffee table had come next, then the dining room set, both made from the most gorgeous stained wood. The fluffy carpet had been an indulgence considering she still hadn’t had a bed, but filling the open-plan lounge and dining-room had been more important to her. It had made the flat feel like a home.

Her priorities had then shifted to her bedroom, which took her six months to complete. Last was her kitchen, separated from the dining room by half-wall, half-glass, with an opening on the right. The style somehow managed to give the impression of being open-plan, but offered privacy, too. She hadn’t had the money to do what she wanted in the kitchen for the longest time, which was why she’d left it for last. Besides, she had everything she wanted at her restaurant, and that was enough.

After a year and a half, her kitchen was exactly what she had imagined it would be. Her appliances were top-of-the-range. Shelves were strategically placed all over the room; spices near the stove, fresh herbs near the window. Cupboards were filled with the best quality ingredients, and close to where they were needed. She’d added colour with fake plants, because her energy was mostly focused on keeping the herbs alive and there was too much competition for the light. And her utensils! Those were colourful, too, though pastel, which made her feel classy and grown-up. Heaven only knew why.

‘I didn’t expect it to be quite this...warm.’

She threw her handbag onto the sofa, shrugged off her coat. ‘Because I’m so cold-hearted, you mean?’

‘Not at all.’

‘Then what did you mean?’

‘It’s just...’ He looked around, as if to confirm what he was about to say. ‘It really is lovely. Everything fits. It’s like you selected each thing on purpose.’

‘You didn’t?’ she asked. ‘In your own home?’

‘I don’t have my own home.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I live with my parents.’

She stared at him. She didn’t know how long it was until his lip curled.

‘You have an opinion on that?’

‘No,’ she replied. ‘I don’t.’

‘You have an opinion on everything. Also, your face is saying something different.’

‘You’re right. I do have an opinion. But I don’t want to share it.’

It was pure stubbornness, since sharing her opinion would have been the perfect segue into the questions she had. Why was he, a successful adult, still living with his parents? She knew he was successful because In the Rough was her main rival, according to reviews and social media, and she was pretty damn successful, despite the forces working against her.

It still smarted that they were succeeding with a restaurant that had been meant to be hers. The location, the property, the name—Lee had stolen it all from her. Then he’d gone and recruited Benjamin to work with him. Lee could have chosen anyone else. Actually, she was sure that Lee had specifically chosen Benjamin because the man annoyed her so much, though she wasn’t sure how Lee would know that. Either way, Benjamin annoyed her more now that he was in cahoots with her brother. At least before, he’d annoyed her on his own merits.

He’d singled her out their first day at the Institute. She had no idea why, since she minded her own business. For some inexplicable reason, he’d decided she was partly his business, and he began to compete with her. She’d instantly recoiled; she had enough competition in life. She hadn’t cut Lee out of her life and minimised her contact with her parents, only to replace them with a negligible man-child.

Now she had to work with the man-child.

‘Would you like some alcohol?’ she asked after a deep sigh.

His eyes flickered with amusement, contrasting the tighter lines on his face. ‘Anything you want to give me is fine.’

She bit her tongue before she could reply. She hadn’t thought of anything to reply with, but her tongue was often quicker than her brain. She didn’t want to take the chance of saying something inappropriate. Such as how what she wanted to give him was another kiss to see if the spark she’d felt was a fluke...

She poured him a generous glass of whiskey from a bottle that was still three quarters full and settled on water and peppermint for herself.

‘You’re not having any?’ he asked, accepting the glass from her.

She leaned back against the counter on the opposite side of the kitchen. ‘I’m on an alcohol fast.’

‘Why?’

She rolled her eyes. ‘Does it matter?’

‘You’re annoyed because I asked?’

‘Yes, actually. It’s rude.’

Plus she didn’t have a good answer for him. She hadn’t anticipated him asking why she was fasting from alcohol. She should have known he wouldn’t be polite and leave it at that though.

‘Sorry.’ His lips twitched. ‘So...’

He didn’t say anything more. She didn’t speak either. The silence stretched between them like a cat in the sun. Then, as a cat would, it stared Alexa in the eyes, unblinking, until she sighed.

‘This is what dating you is like?’ She didn’t wait for an answer. ‘How disturbing.’

How she knew exactly what to say to get under his skin was what was really disturbing.

But then, disturbing seemed to be the theme of the night. What with the fake relationship, the kiss, being in Alexa’s home. He’d offended her by noting that her flat was homey, but he couldn’t help but be honest. She’d done an amazing job turning what would have been a trendy, but not particularly special place into something he could imagine coming home to.

Well, not him, exactly. He had his own home. With his parents. Which she had an opinion on, but wouldn’t tell him about because she was stubborn. He couldn’t be upset by it since he was stubborn, too. If she’d asked why he still lived with his parents he wouldn’t have told her.

Not that any of it was important now.

‘Cherise saw us.’

‘I know.’ She drained her glass. Her gaze rested on his, before it rose to his face. Something about it made his body feel more aware. ‘Would you like some more?’

He glanced at the glass. Empty. Strange. He didn’t remember drinking from it. Except for that one time when he’d taken a long, deep gulp and—

Ah, yes. He remembered now.

‘No, thank you.’ Probably best with all the disturbing stuff happening.

‘Tea, then? I’m making myself some.’

‘Anything to avoid having a straight conversation with me?’

‘What is this we’re having, then?’ she asked, filling the kettle with water. She took out two mugs, despite the fact that he hadn’t answered her. ‘A skew conversation? Diagonal?’

‘Funny lady.’

Amusement flickered in her eyes. ‘I try.’

‘To annoy me, yes,’ he muttered.

The amused light danced in her eyes again. He felt an answering light in his chest. He didn’t care for it. It made him think the tables had turned.

‘I know we have to talk about this.’ She took out ginger from the fridge, sliced up some pieces and threw it in one cup. She looked over at him. ‘Tea? Coffee?’

‘Coffee. Please,’ he added as an afterthought.

She began to make his coffee, expression pensive. ‘I suppose I wanted to make the conversation easier. Less awkward. A discussion over hot drinks seemed like something that would help with that.’

His mother would like her, he thought before he could stop himself. Usually, he was more careful when it came to comparisons between his mother and people he wasn’t related to. Hell, people he was related to, too. It tended to evoke protective feelings in him when he did. He blamed it on the fact that he felt protective of his mother, so when he recognised something akin to her in someone else, those feelings bled over. It had too often in the past, and he’d been hurt because of it. Which should have made him more careful. It usually did. Except now, apparently.

‘How did I manage to upset you with that?’ she asked, more resigned than curious.

‘You didn’t.’ A lie. Or half-lie. He’d upset himself, but because of something she’d said.

Her eyes narrowed, but she finished his coffee, slid it over the counter towards him. She finished her own drink with a teaspoon of honey, then leaned back against the counter as she had with her water.

‘Okay, so let’s talk straight.’ She bit her lip, then straightened her shoulders. ‘I’m sorry for pretending you’re my boyfriend. It was an impulse.’

‘Why did you?’

She tilted her head, as if considering his question. Or perhaps considering whether she’d answer it.

‘My brother is a jerk.’

He stared.

‘You can’t possibly not have noticed,’ she replied at the look. ‘He’s entitled, and competitive, and generally unkind. I wanted to push him off a cliff. Since literally doing so would send me to prison, I settled for figuratively. You were the figurative.’

He took a minute to process that.

‘He’s normally a decent guy.’

‘Maybe to you. But since you said normally, I think you recognised that he wasn’t decent today.’ She paused, her lips pursing. ‘He normally isn’t decent with me.’

Lee’s behaviour today didn’t encourage him to disagree with her. So he didn’t.

‘It’s weird that you pretended I was your boyfriend. You hate me.’

‘You were the closest person,’ she said coolly, not denying his statement. ‘Also, you’re his business partner. Best cliff.’ She shrugged.

He took a steadying breath. He didn’t like being used. He’d had too many instances of it in his life. His last girlfriend, his father’s colleague, his cousin. Those were but a few, but they were the most recent. Remembering them had him steeling himself against Alexa’s charm—or whatever it was that kept him standing there.

‘I don’t like being used.’

‘I’m sorry.’ Her voice and expression were sincere. ‘I’m sorry for putting you in a position to be used. For using you.’

It was that sincerity that had him saying, ‘Apology accepted,’ when he wasn’t entirely sure he meant it.

‘Thank you.’ There was a brief pause. ‘So maybe now you can explain why you decided to go along with the charade. Maybe you can apologise for that kiss, too.’

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