The Billionaire's Legacy

Benji stood, too, his eyes searching Sloane’s. For the first time in his life, Sloane Sutton wasn’t treating him like a little boy with a crush. Tonight, she saw him as a man. A man she desired.

He could see the passion in her brown eyes. Feel the heat that had been building between them all night.

When he was ten years old, he’d decided he was in love with Sloane because she was the nicest, prettiest girl he knew.

The passage of fifteen years hadn’t altered his opinion. With her standing this close, her luscious scent washing over him, his boyhood conviction was reinforced.

He wanted to be with this woman. To hold her in his arms. To tease every inch of her gorgeous body. Make love to her.

Get her out of his system once and for all, so he could stop living in the past.

They hadn’t seen each other in ten years. And in three days he’d be boarding a flight to Japan for the six-month-long consulting gig he’d agreed to when he sold his company. When it was over, he’d return to Seattle and Sloane would be back home in Nashville. Who knew when they’d see each other again?

Speak now, Benj, or forever hold your peace.

Benji stepped closer, his gaze locked with Sloane’s. She inhaled audibly, her body tensing as he leaned down and cradled her face. The sound of Sloane breathing and the frantic beat of his heart filled his ears.

Sloane didn’t object to the intimate gesture. Her pupils dilated, and her chest rose and fell heavily. He moved in closer, and she leaned in, too. She pressed a hand to his chest and her eyes drifted shut.

He kissed her, easing into it at first, reveling in the softness of her lips and the way her body nestled against his. Her lips parted on a sigh, granting his tongue access. Her mouth tasted rich and sweet. Like premium bourbon and pecan pie.

As the urgency of his kiss escalated, Sloane’s response matched his intensity.

Eager. Hungry. Demanding.

His heart thundered in his chest, his need for her building. He hauled her closer and groaned with pleasure at the sensation of his length pinned between them.

Sloane slipped her arms around him and tugged his shirt free from the back of his pants. Her fingernails scraped gently against his skin.

Benji groaned, hardening painfully as the sensation—part pain, part pleasure—heightened the euphoric feeling that vibrated beneath his skin. Made him desperate to finally have her. He lifted her onto the table, nestling in the space between her thighs.

He swallowed her gasp in response to the sudden move, kissing her harder. Losing himself in the clash of lips and tongues and the delicious sensation of their bodies moving against each other, desperate for more contact than their clothing would permit.

He savored her intoxicating scent and relished the feel of her full breasts with their hardened peaks pressed against his chest.

She glided her fingertips down his stomach and fumbled with his belt buckle, loosening it.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this,” he whispered, his lips brushing her ear.

Sloane’s hands froze. Her eyes opened and her gaze had shifted from one of intense desire to one of regret.

“Hey, beautiful.” Benji traced her cheekbone with his thumb. “Did I say something wrong?”

“I shouldn’t have come here, and we shouldn’t be doing this.” She lowered her gaze.

He was seconds away from making his boyhood fantasy a reality and he’d blown it, because he couldn’t keep his stupid mouth shut.

Way to go, Benj.

“Why not?” He spoke calmly, trying to put her at ease. “We’re consenting adults.”

“I’ve known you since you were five. You’re my best friend’s little brother. I’ve introduced you as my little brother.” She shook her head, her eyes still not meeting his. “This is bad. What would Delia say? And what would your parents think?”

“My mother will never believe anyone is good enough, and my sister adores you.” Benji dropped a slow, lingering kiss on her lips.

“Because I’m her friend, who she trusts not to blow into town and screw her little brother.” She jabbed him in the gut, but her lips parted to his tongue when he kissed her again.

“You’re too young for me, Benji,” she whispered against his lips as he slid the silky, blue material down her shoulder.

He kissed the shell of her ear. “Five years mattered then. It doesn’t now.”

“I’m not looking for a relationship, Benj.” She pressed her hands to his chest, halting his movement as her gaze met his. Still, she hadn’t moved an inch. Her legs framed his as she awaited his response.

“Neither am I,” he said finally. “That doesn’t mean we can’t be together. I want you, Sloane. And I know you want me, too.” He slowly tugged the zipper down her back. The silky, cobalt blue material slid from her shoulders, giving him better access. He trailed kisses down her shoulder and across the top of her breasts, exposed by a pale pink strapless bra. “Just for tonight.”

She sucked in a deep breath and let the material slip down her arms and pool around her waist. Sloane unbuttoned his pants and inched the zipper down. The sound echoed off the solid oak floors and shiplap walls. She leaned in to kiss him. “Just for tonight.”

* * *

Usually an early riser, Benji refused to leave the warmth of Sloane’s curves. Her naked bottom was nestled against him, making him painfully hard. Which gave him hope they’d pick up where they’d left off just a few hours earlier when sleep had finally pulled them under.

Starting at her neck, he planted gentle kisses to the shooting stars that tattooed the length of her spine. By the time he reached the stars inked between her shoulder blades, she stirred.

“Mmm. Nice way to wake a girl.”

He rolled her, so she was facing him. Her pebbled brown nipples betrayed her arousal. “I can think of an even better way to wake you.”

“Bathroom first,” she mumbled through the hand clamped over her mouth.

“Anything you need is in there.” He nodded toward the adjoining bathroom before dropping another kiss on her shoulder. “Just hurry back.”

When Sloane returned, he was seated with his back propped against the padded leather headboard. Her bashful smile slowly gave way to a determined one. Her eyes locked with his as she straddled him. Bracing her hands on his shoulders, she leaned in and kissed him, tentatively at first.

He fought the urge to take over. Instead, he let her dictate the pace and manage the heat building between them. Sloane palmed his face and angled her head, her tongue gliding against his and her slick folds gliding along his heated flesh. She swiveled her hips, the pace and intensity of her movements more frantic.

Benji groaned with pleasure, losing all sense of control as he dug his fingers into the soft skin at her hip that bore a mandala tattoo with a rose at its center. He jerked her hips forward and then back. They were both getting closer to the edge, and he ached with the need to be inside her again. He flipped them over, so he lay atop her, and reached into the nightstand for a foil packet, fumbling to put it on.

He was desperate to get his fill of the woman who’d haunted his dreams since puberty. The only woman he’d ever really wanted.

Sloane wrapped her legs around him as he moved inside her. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders and her breath caught as she flew apart beneath him. His name rolled off her tongue as her muscles tensed, pulling him beneath the river of pleasure that washed over them.

Benji tumbled to the mattress, his skin slick with sweat and his breathing labored. He pulled her to him and kissed her damp forehead. “Come to Japan with me, Sloane.”

The words he’d whispered impulsively into her hair took him by surprise. They’d agreed to one night together, not a six-month-long commitment.

Smooth, Benj.

His brain urged him to revoke the invitation. But everything below his neck desperately wanted her to say yes.

“Sure. It’ll be a blast. We can eat sushi every day, sing karaoke every night and ride the bullet train on the weekends. Besides, seeing the cherry blossoms in bloom is on my bucket list. Just give me a few hours to throw a travel bag together.”

“You’ll come with me?” Abject terror and genuine excitement battled in his chest. The way they did during the seconds when a roller coaster made its painfully slow ascent to the summit before plummeting toward the earth.

“Wait...” Sloane lifted her head from his chest and blinked, her head cocked. “You’re not serious, are you?”

His shoulders tensed. “Dead serious.”

“Benji, I can’t. I thought you understood that this was just...”

“A game?”

“Fun. A release. Two people being a little naughty for the weekend.” Sloane pulled the sheet around her, suddenly self-conscious. She sat up, her back against the headboard. “But us getting serious? That can’t happen. I thought you were clear on that.”

“I am, and that doesn’t have to change. But it was nice to wake up to someone who made me want to spend the day in bed.” He shrugged. “I haven’t had that in a long time.”

“Neither have I, but—”

“Then why not keep doing it? In Japan,” he added.

Sloane dragged her fingers through her messy curls and huffed. “And while you’re working every day, what am I supposed to do? Lounge around, waiting for my sugar daddy to get home? No thanks, Benj. I’m not interested in being anyone’s kept woman. Not even a billionaire’s.” She climbed out of bed, taking the sheet with her as she wrapped it around her body and rummaged on the floor for her bra and panties. “Besides, I have a job and responsibilities, and I don’t have a passport. Never needed one.”

Benji dragged the remaining covers up to his waist. “I wasn’t thinking of the arrangement that way at all. We’d just be two friends hanging out.”

“And screwing. On your dime.” She looked at him pointedly. “Plus, you just called it ‘an arrangement.’ So if it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck—”

She had a point.

He had just turned into that guy. The one who thought he could buy anyone and anything. Even the woman he adored.

“Point taken.” He cleared his throat. “Like I said, that wasn’t my intention.”

“I know it wasn’t. And I’m flattered you asked.” Her tone and her gaze softened. She gripped her blue dress to her chest as she approached him and brushed a soft kiss to his lips. “If the situation was different...” Sloane wouldn’t allow herself to finish the thought.

It was just as well. No point in musing about some alternate universe in which she would say yes.

Benji did the only thing there was left to do. He tugged her to him. Her dress tumbled to the floor, quickly joined by the pale pink bra and panties.

One

Six months later

Benji inhaled the scent of the roses, lilies and snapdragons overflowing his arms as he approached Sloane’s building.

The edge of his mouth curled in a faint smile. Sloane had always loved the scent of the snapdragons his mother grew in their front yard.

He halted in front of the red door and drew in a deep breath.

It’s just friends going out for coffee. No big deal.

At least that was the first step of his grand plan. He’d invite her to coffee where they could have a discussion on neutral ground about the possibility of picking up where they’d left off before he’d departed for Japan.

He’d casually inquired about Sloane during his absence, but his sister had been unusually tight-lipped about her friend, so he didn’t press. It would only raise his sister’s suspicions about why he was so interested.

So he’d simply told Delia that he needed Sloane’s address for his Christmas list. Not a lie, but not the primary reason he was asking.

Benji had considered picking up the phone and calling Sloane while he was in Japan. But she’d been so adamant that walking away was the right thing to do. There was no way he would’ve been able to persuade her with a long-distance phone call.

He’d kept himself busy with work, but when it was time to book his flight home, he realized he’d arrive on Valentine’s Day.

It had seemed like a sign.

So instead of flying directly to Seattle, he’d booked a flight to Nashville. He needed to speak to Sloane in person.

Maybe he was crazy to believe there could be anything more between them. But dealing with Sloane’s rejection would be a lot less painful than suffering a lifetime of regret.

Clutching the flower arrangement in one arm, he rang Sloane’s buzzer.

“You looking for Sloane?” The woman in the unit across from Sloane’s peered down from the balcony where she was sweeping. “She left a couple of hours ago, but if you have a delivery for her, I’ll sign for it.”

“Thank you.” Benji tried not to sound as defeated as he felt. “But Sloane’s an old family friend. I was hoping to deliver these in person.”

“Then you’re in luck.” The older woman pointed toward a vehicle that had just turned down the lane next to the building. “That’s her truck pulling around back.”

Benji thanked the woman and made his way behind the building. Sloane had parked her car in the garage and was rummaging in her trunk.

He approached her silently, still replaying in his head exactly what he planned to say. Gripping the flowers in one arm, Benji stopped a few feet short of where she stood. He shoved his free hand in his pocket.

“Hey, Sloane.”

“Benji?” Her body stiffened, and she glanced over her shoulder. “What are you doing here?”

Not the reception he’d hoped for. He forced a smile anyway.

“I wanted to surprise you for Valentine’s Day. I thought that, if you don’t already have plans, maybe we could do something together.” He cleared his throat when she still hadn’t turned around. “I flew straight here from Japan because I really needed to see you.”

“You shouldn’t have come.” She turned back to the groceries in her trunk. “This isn’t what we agreed to.”

“I know it isn’t, but—”

“You should go. Now. Please.” She arranged the grocery bags in her trunk into two rows, her back to him.

“Can’t we at least talk about this?” He hated that he sounded like a kid negotiating his bedtime with the babysitter. He was a grown man. A business owner. A self-made fucking billionaire whose business advice was in demand.

So why did he revert to a love-struck little boy whenever he was around Sloane?

“No.” Sloane stood up straight, abruptly smacking her head on the raised deck lid. She swayed, her body going limp.

“Sloane!” Benji dropped the flowers to the ground and surged forward, catching her before she hit the concrete.

“I’ve got you.” He hoisted her into his arms. She was noticeably heavier than she’d been when he’d carried her to his bed six months ago.

Is that why she didn’t want to see him? Was she self-conscious about her weight gain? She should know him well enough to realize that would never matter to him.

“Sloane. Sloane! Honey, are you all right?” His heart beat faster.

She was breathing but unresponsive.

Benji carried her to the passenger side of her car and put her in the seat to drive her to the hospital. He stretched the seat belt to put it over her, his gaze trailing down to her burgeoning belly.

“Sloane, you’re... I mean...are you—”

“Pregnant?” The word came out as more of a moan as her eyes fluttered open. One hand moved to her belly and rubbed it in a soothing circle. “Yes.”

“Exactly how pregnant are you?”

“Very.” Sloane forced a weak laugh, then winced. When he didn’t react, she cleared her throat and her expression grew serious, too. Her response was little more than a whisper. “Six months.”

“Is it... I mean...am I...” He felt as if he were suffocating, unable to get the words out. He swallowed hard and tried again. “Is the baby mine?”

“I haven’t been with anyone but you since my divorce, so my money is on you. I’m not really the immaculate conception type.”

He narrowed his gaze at Sloane. How could she joke about the fact that he was going to be a father in just a few months and she hadn’t even had the decency to let him know. “Were you ever going to tell me?”

“Honestly? I don’t know.” The sarcasm she’d been using as a shield evaporated, and he noticed that the corners of her eyes were suddenly damp. Her gaze didn’t meet his. “That weekend, you made it pretty clear that you weren’t the daddy type.”

“What do you—” He stopped midsentence, recalling their conversation about his niece.

Evie’s a cool kid and everything, but 3:00 a.m. feedings and dirty diapers just aren’t for me.

“I was speaking in hypotheticals. As in, I had no immediate plans to have children. Not as in, I’m such a coldhearted bastard that I wouldn’t want to know my own baby.”

“Babies.” Sloane emphasized the s at the end of the word as she reached up and rubbed the spot where the lid of the trunk had tagged her head. She grimaced.

“Twins?” Benji’s voice reverted to the high pitch of a boy entering puberty. He cleared his throat and tried again. “We’re having twins?”

Benji’s gaze returned to her belly. For a moment he felt weak. As if everything was spinning around them.

“I’m having twins.” Sloane’s voice deepened as she gripped her belly and winced. “Hopefully not at this moment. It’s too soon, but something doesn’t feel right.”

Benji felt the knot rising on her head, then touched her stomach, but drew his hand back. Despite everything they’d done that weekend, the simple act of touching her belly suddenly felt intrusive. Too intimate.

“I’m getting you to a doctor.” He stretched the seat belt across her body and secured it, then demanded her keys.

She stared at him as if she wanted to give him the finger, but she reached into her pocket instead, and handed him the keys without a word.

Benji retrieved the bouquet he’d brought for Sloane from the ground and got into the driver’s seat.

“Those are for me, I presume.” Her voice was softer. Apologetic.

“Oh, yeah. Here.” He handed her the flowers that looked the worse for wear after he’d clenched them in a Vulcan death grip and then dropped them to keep her from falling. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” he mumbled bitterly.

“Snapdragons.” She whispered the word as she inhaled their scent. Suddenly tears were running down her face.

“Are you in pain?” He gripped her arm.

“Yes, but that isn’t why I’m crying.” She sniffled. “It’s these stupid hormones and...” She sniffled again, louder this time. “You remembered that I like snapdragons.”

Benji sighed and gave her a pained smile despite the anger that was burning inside his chest. “I remember everything about you, Sloane. No matter how damn hard I’ve tried to forget.”

* * *

Benji’s words hurt.

More than the physical discomfort of one of the twins bouncing on her bladder while her belly felt as if it was being squeezed in a vise.

He’d tried to forget her. Meanwhile, Benji had been all she could think of even before she’d learned she was pregnant—with twins, no less.

Because when she screwed up, she did it big.

She’d spent the two months after their night together regretting that she hadn’t taken him up on his offer to join him in Japan, daydreaming about their incredible night together and wanting him. She’d been so preoccupied with work and thoughts of Benji that she hadn’t noticed that she’d missed not one but two periods. Until the sudden, severe case of morning sickness she developed made it clear she was pregnant.

“I’m sorry you had to find out like this.” Sloane stared out the window, not wanting to see the hatred and disappointment in his eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” His words vibrated with hurt and anger. Pain.

“I know I should’ve, but...” She turned toward him, needing to see that he was okay. She licked her lips, her throat incredibly dry. “This isn’t what you signed up for. We agreed to a one-night stand, not an eighteen-year commitment as parents. Besides, you made it pretty clear that kids weren’t something you wanted.”

“I was speaking in generalities, Sloane.” He clenched the wheel as he turned a corner.

“You said, and I quote—”

“I’m aware of what I said. I remember everything that happened between us that night.” He took another sharp turn, following the directions of the GPS app. “But how could you think that meant I wouldn’t take care of my own flesh and blood, or wouldn’t want to know that I have a son or daughter somewhere out in the world?”

“It’s both.” She winced again, pressing a hand to her belly, trying to calm herself as the pain got worse. “A boy and a girl.”

He glanced at her quickly before returning his gaze to the road. “Does this happen often? The pain, I mean?”

“Not like this.” Tears stung her eyes, more from fear than from the pain. It was too early for the twins to be born. Not if they were going to be okay. She forced a laugh. “Usually it’s just discomfort from your son bouncing his big head on my bladder and your daughter doing some kind of calisthenics. I swear, that girl is going to be a gymnast.”

“Everything is gonna be okay.” He reached over and squeezed her hand, despite the reserved anger in his tone. “First, we make sure you and the babies are all right. Then...”

“I’ll tell you anything you want to know,” she said, grateful to see the hospital sign come into view. “I promise.”

* * *

Benji hadn’t stopped pacing outside Sloane’s hospital room since they’d admitted her.

He was going to be a father of two babies—a boy and a girl. He still couldn’t wrap his head around it. He’d been responsible and used protection every time they were together.

How could this have happened?

Benji’s phone vibrated in his pocket and he glanced at the screen. It was his mother. Probably checking to see if he’d returned safely from Japan. But he didn’t dare answer the call. Not yet. Not until he’d gotten some definitive answers from Sloane about why she hadn’t told him he was going to be a father. Regardless of what he’d said that night, he couldn’t believe that was the only reason Sloane had kept something this important from him.

He respected the fact that it was Sloane who was carrying these babies, but they were half his, too. What about his right to know? And to be part of his children’s lives? Sloane’s father had left home when she was around ten. She understood the pain of living without a father. Why would she intentionally subject their kids to the same fate?

The door opened, and the doctor introduced herself and invited him into the room where Sloane was hooked up to an IV. She gave him an apologetic smile before lowering her gaze to her hands, which were pressed to her belly.

“Is Sloane okay? Will the twins be all right?” he asked Dr. Carroll.

The older woman placed a gentle hand on his arm. “Sloane is going to be just fine, Mr. Bennett. She’s experiencing something called Braxton Hicks contractions. It’s basically the uterus practicing up for child labor.” Her smile deepened. “They’re usually painless, but Sloane is experiencing particularly intense ones today. She’s dehydrated. That likely contributed to it.”

He nodded dumbly, his hands shaking and his head feeling light. None of this seemed real.

“Perhaps you should have a seat.” Worry lines spanned the doctor’s forehead as she indicated a sofa along the wall. She sat beside him. “Just take a deep breath. I realize this must seem very overwhelming, but everything is going to be fine.”

“Sorry, this is all kind of a surprise.”

“I know.” The woman nodded gravely. “Sloane explained the situation to me. I can only imagine what a shock it must’ve been. But the good news is, you have the opportunity to be there for the birth of your children. And you and Sloane still have lots of time before the twins are born to hash things out.” She looked pointedly at both of them in a firm but kind manner. “The twins are counting on you two to do that.”