Your Fierce Love (The Bennett Family)(38)

"Being our brother means we get to give you advice even when you don't want it," Sebastian says.

"Don't feel much like a brother right now, more like a barely tolerated neighbor."

"Look," Sebastian interjects. "When you find a good woman, you do everything to keep her."

"Clara's a good woman." That was Logan, helpful as ever.

"She's the best woman," I correct him. "And that's all I'm saying on the subject."

Logan looks as if he'd like to say more, but through some miracle, remains silent. So does Sebastian. Then they both grin.

"Our job here is done," Logan says.

Sebastian nods. "Yeah, that's as good a confession as any."

I groan. Can't believe I fell for their good cop, bad cop routine. Come to think of it, they both played bad cop today.

"Right. Next time you corner me, be good lads and make sure there's at least beer around. Whiskey would be even better."

"After the fallout with her boss, I assume she's looking for a job,"  Sebastian says. "We can always find a place in Bennett Enterprises for  her."

I shake my head, telling them both about her possible career in  illustrating children's books. She applied for the position Charlie told  her about and is waiting to hear from them.

"You've made it clear to this Charlie that not hiring Clara isn't an  option, right?" Logan asks. I grin. Clara explicitly asked me not to  interfere because she wants to receive the job only if she's good  enough. Logan usually tries to solve everyone's problems even when they  don't want his help, which got him in hot water with Nadine before they  were married.

Privately, I agree with his mode of operation, but I already pushed my  luck by arranging the meeting with Charlie in the first place, and I  also empathize with her desire to succeed on her own.

"When you get between a woman and her independent ways, prepare for a  tsunami-sized blowout. I learn from other people's mistakes."

"Don't worry, you'll make your own," Logan deadpans. Sebastian chuckles.

"Take that back." I point a finger at him. "Your words have the nasty habit of being prophetic."





CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Clara

Straight or undulating?

After blinking hard several times, I shake my head, then decide to call  it a night. You know you've been working on an illustration too long  when you can't even tell if a line you drew is straight or undulating.

Stretching, I tilt my head to the left and to the right, attempting to  dislodge the stiffness in my neck. No such luck. I'll need a hot bath  for this, using my favorite bath bomb-vanilla and lavender. I barely  form that thought when there is a knock at the front door.

"It's me," Blake's voice states, sounding surprisingly down.

"Come on in."

I wasn't expecting him for another hour or so. He said he's on family  duty today, but he didn't give me details-and I'll admit being a little  jealous for not being part of whatever he was up to.

The second he steps inside, I know something must have gone south.  Defeat and disappointment are written all over him, from his battered  expression to his hunched shoulders. Wordlessly, he slumps on the couch,  tilting his head on the headrest, closing his eyes and pressing the  heels of his palms against them.

"What's wrong?" I ask, scrambling to put together a plan to cheer him  up. It'll have to be a great one. My usual shenanigans will not suffice.  Tentatively, I sit on the couch, trying to assess how to best help him,  to understand what he needs so I can give him just that. I wish he  would look at me, but he's still in the time-out position, eyes closed.  Finally, he looks at me.

"Read any news today?"

"No, was too lost in my illustrations. What happened?"

Blake pulls out his smartphone, taps it twice, then hands it to me.

Bennett Enterprises: Will greed disintegrate the empire?

I read the entire article, which claims to have insider info that  Sebastian is trying to take control over all shares. By the time I  finish it, I feel cold.

"I don't understand."

"Remember I told you a lot of people are like Quentin and that idiot from We See You? Well, these are some of those people."

"But this article is a lie," I exclaim.

"Yeah, the press has a way of inventing dirt when they don't find any. That's what Shepperd was going to do on We See You."

I wince. "What?"

"Did some digging after you quit because I suspected he wouldn't give up  just because he didn't have a story. He was planning to make up one."                       
       
           


///
       

"Was?"

He smiles a little. "Let's just say he and Quentin are no longer a  threat. Actually, they no longer have a job, but that's another story."

"What did you do?"

"I've got my secrets."

Clearly, because I would never have pegged Blake for one to employ  mafioso tactics, but then Quentin and Shepperd deserve whatever they  got.

"This is what you meant when you said you fight your family's fights," I  say in amazement. I find the family dynamics fascinating. The older  ones protect the young ones, but the reverse is also true, so it all  comes full circle.

"Yeah, but I didn't do that for them. I did it for you."

A knot lodges in my throat. "For me?"

He nods, and I suddenly become a bit misty-eyed. Pointing to the phone, I ask, "What about this?"

"I met with Sebastian and Logan last week to give them heads-up about  Shepperd, and Sebastian said he'd caught wind that this would come out."  He points to his phone. "I pulled all the strings to keep it from being  published, but I couldn't stop it, damn it."

"I'm so sorry. How is Sebastian taking this?"

"He doesn't care at all what is being written about him. Says as long as  the people he cares about know the truth, nothing else matters."

"That's a great approach."

I inspect Blake, trying to gauge exactly what's upsetting him, especially since Sebastian himself isn't bothered.

My people-reading skills aren't worth jack shit, but he has something on  his mind. Since I can't guess, I'm gonna need words. Tucking my feet  underneath me, I inch closer to him, then stand higher on my knees,  facing him.

"Talk to me, Blake. What is eating away at you? Don't keep me out." The  five-o'clock shadow grazes my lips as I kiss down his jaw, then back up  on his cheek. I want to be helpful to him, but I can't do it if he  doesn't open up. I want him to know that it's safe to show me his  vulnerable side too, that he doesn't have to always be in his fun or  strong or seductive mode for me. I nibble at his earlobe, then trace a  straight line down his neck. A low grunt reverberates in his throat. I  pull away, looking him straight in the eyes.

"Tell me, Blake," I beckon.

"I don't like letting my family down."

Ah, so this is the crux of the issue.

"You didn't," I say gently. "You gave your best, but sometimes even our  best can't change the course of things." And then the real crux of the  issue hits me. "You let yourself down, am I right?"

Surprise flickers in his eyes, but he nods. I place one hand on his  chest without saying anything. I need to choose my words carefully.

"You're a good man, Blake. You're a great man. But some failure is inevitable, even when you have the best intentions."

His jaw tightens almost imperceptibly. It might not be noticeable to  anyone else, but I've learned him intimately enough to pick up subtle  changes. I hit a nerve with my failure comment. I think back on the day  he introduced me to Charlie, how terrified I was of failure too. Blake's  reassurance that he'll be next to me no matter what was exactly what I  needed. It strikes me that on some level everyone needs this,  reassurance that even if we fail and we're stripped bare of our  successes, the person at our side will still respect us, love us.

"And I want you to know that you don't have to always be in a fun,  strong, or seductive mode for me. It's safe to show me your vulnerable  side too." I drop my voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "I promise I  won't tell. You're my knight even when your armor's pierced."

"Yeah?"

He peppers kisses up and down my neck, nipping at my skin. Lowering his  hands to my ass, he pulls me closer to him until our groins touch.

"I need you, Clara."

"I'm yours. Whatever you need."

My pulse skitters as Blake kisses me. He does nothing else except kiss  me, and yet desire pools between my legs. Then he leads me to the  bedroom, pushes me on my back on the bed, lying next to me. In the light  streaming from above, I have a clear view of the desire etched on his  features. He pushes down my skirt, and I make quick work of undoing the  buttons of my blouse. Thong and bra go next, and then I'm naked in front  of him.

Discarding his clothes, he pulls out a condom, gloving up. I am turned  on just from watching him. Won't volunteer the fact out loud, but the  man would make an excellent stripper.