Heaven Inside You(6)

He had been planning this for months. A few hours alone in Atlanta was all he needed to convince her that he was the man for her, to have her open up to the possibility of a relationship between them. He had reserved two adjoining rooms in a small Victorian Bed & Breakfast in the heart of the city, just for show, of course. If things worked out as he intended, they would only need the one room until it was time to head to the wedding.

His colleague David had recommended the place after he had taken his wife there for their tenth wedding anniversary. He came back looking well sated, claiming they had shacked themselves up in their room for three full days, surfacing only for occasional meals. David had gone on and on about the place. Did wonders for his sex life, indeed. Which was exactly what Cole needed to happen. One thing he knew was that he wasn’t taking any chances. He had planned a full scale seduction, a sensual takeover that was meant to leave them both right where they should be—breathless and panting in the throes of passion.

He knew that with a woman like Olivia, he had his job cut out for him. It wasn’t that she was difficult, but he needed to reassure her that he wasn’t out to hurt her. He knew a lot about her already. Maybe more than she knew about herself. After countless conversations with Chad, Fiona and her parents, he was left in no doubt as to how extraordinary she was. He sought out snippets of information about her like the most avid collector. He knew of the persistence and aggressiveness she displayed on her job, how the authors she worked with looked up to her, how her hard work and talent drove her to success in a field that she loved. He also knew how some men in her past had acted like jerks and hurt her feelings. The fools. She was way too good for them. A born optimist, she always bounced right back on her feet and moved on with her life. Honest to a fault, caring, gentle and compassionate. The one person everybody turned to when they were in trouble.

When he thought of her and her sister, it was hard to imagine how two such polar opposites could have even a drop of the same blood. Fiona was as tart and superficial as her sister was warm and delightful. It had taken him no time to see through Fiona’s sophisticated appearance to uncover the nasty piece of work she truly was—but then, he was sure Chad could handle her. As his brother rose to new heights in the corporate world, he was in need of a trophy wife to act the part of the perfect hostess and dangle prettily from his arm in society affairs. In return, he’d pacify her for his ignoring her in favor of his job by gifting her with a constant stream of expensive trinkets and paying exorbitant amounts of money to cover her trips to the designer stores and exclusive beauty salons. Perhaps he did love her in his own twisted way, but Cole knew his brother too well to hold much hope for a more deep-rooted connection between Chad and Fiona.

Their father had always made sure that his sons would know how to face life’s challenges. He had had a deprived childhood in his day and wanted his children to have the best, to be the best, even at the cost of brotherly affection. To this end, he went out of his way to create competition between the brothers, almost to the point of obsession.

Chad, being the younger of the two by one year, took this competition very seriously and followed through on his aspiration to make serious waves in the business world. In physical looks, Chad took after his mother’s side of the family. He was of a rather short stature and lean build, but he more than made up for his lack of height in temperament. An extrovert to the extreme—never let it be said that he wasn’t the life of the party. When they were in college, people would most certainly know when Chad was close by because they’d hear his voice booming from a mile away. He liked to gesticulate when he spoke, and women had always seemed attracted to his particular brand of charm. His choice to go to business school had suited him very well; ever since he could remember, his brother had always been a natural when it came to making deals happen.

Cole was as different from his brother as ambrosia is from cod liver oil. Unlike Chad, he was the more reserved type. Although he enjoyed his share of partying, he wasn’t indiscriminate when it came to women. He managed well with juggling law school and his college football career and excelled at both. He always had a feeling that Chad was jealous of the way Cole hardly had to make an effort to be well liked by everyone around him. But Cole never paid much attention to his brother’s taunts and pretty much moved on with his life the way he wanted. He was aware how his father had played a significant role in creating the rift between the boys, and he wasn’t about to make it any wider.

After graduating at the top of the class from law school, Cole was hired as a junior associate in one of New York City’s top corporate law firms. The money was good and the prospects were great. After seven years of hard work, he had finally made partner and enjoyed an upward change in status, which came complete with attendant superior perks and bonuses. All he had to give back was a pound of his flesh and his wish for a private life.