Secret Heir Seduction. Reese Ryan

relationship seemed picture-perfect from the outside—like the chocolate shell on the outside of a cherry cordial. But on the inside, there were no cherries and there was no cream filling. There was nothing at all beyond the surface, leaving her with a hollow, empty feeling.

      She needed something more.

      Something like what she and Darius had shared. But this time, with someone who wanted to be with her. Always.

      The way she’d once felt about Darius.

      Her phone signaled that she had a new voice mail and she sighed quietly. For the first time, she understood why Darius hadn’t returned her calls five years ago.

       When it’s really over, what else is there to discuss?

      The realization made her heart ache. No matter how much she tried to deny it, a part of her heart still harbored the small hope that she and Darius could one day get it right.

      That was why she’d turned down his invitation to join him for coffee. She needed to protect the fragile part of her heart that held on to that hope.

      She gave her phone the voice command to play the eighties and nineties soft rock music playlist that always relaxed her.

      Steve Perry sang the opening lines of “Foolish Heart.”

      It was just the reminder she needed.

       You’re here for one reason and one reason only. Stay focused.

      Anything else was a foolish distraction that would only lead to a broken heart.

      She’d had enough of those to last a lifetime.

       Five

      It was his second day in Royal. Despite barely sleeping four hours last night, he’d risen early this morning to the sound of Audra diving into the pool. He’d gotten up, taken a quick shower, dressed, grabbed a cup of coffee and then watched her graceful movements as she finished her laps.

      When she was done, she toweled off and made her way back to her yard without casting so much as a glance toward the house.

      Not that he wanted or expected her to look for him. But he certainly hadn’t been able to take his eyes off of her.

      The swimsuit she’d worn that morning was a one-piece, long-sleeve suit with a zipper down the front. Suitable for the chillier early-morning temperature. But he couldn’t help thinking of how amazing she’d looked in the two-piece she’d worn last night.

      He was groggy and jetlagged. Restless, because it was still too early to call any of his team back home in LA. But watching Audra for the past two days had given him an idea. Swimwear for both men and women.

      When he’d originally started the line five years ago, it had consisted of a handful of men’s sportswear pieces. Little by little, he’d expanded the collection. Two years ago, they’d tested their first women’s collection. It had been a resounding success. But neither line included swimwear.

      It was risky to throw something else into the mix so close to their first LA Fashion Week runway show. But if they could pull it off, the swimwear pieces might even become the centerpiece of the show.

      Darius pulled out his sketchpad and the wooden case that contained his watercolor pencils. He drafted a rough outline of a woman’s suit adorning the shapely curves that had inspired the idea. The same ones that haunted his sleep.

      Audra couldn’t help smiling as she sat across the table from Sophie Blackwood and her fiancé, Nigel Townshend. They made a handsome couple.

      Sophie had long, glossy auburn hair, warm brown eyes and killer curves, highlighted by the peplum blouse she wore coupled with a maxi skirt.

      Nigel’s stunning, baby blue eyes practically danced as he watched Sophie. He sat with an arm wrapped around his fiancée’s waist. His mouth curved in a contented smile.

      The two of them were beyond adorable.

      And as if the man wasn’t handsome enough with his good looks and his short, tousled brown hair, he spoke with a thick British accent. Audra could happily listen to Nigel Townshend recite the periodic table.

      After lunch, they’d moved to a sun-filled room just off the patio. Where Sophie and Nigel shared their vision for their wedding rings and the custom jewelry pieces they wanted to give each member of their bridal party. Audra took notes and sketched in her notebook as the couple talked. She loved hearing the funny, sweet and moving stories about the friends and family they’d selected to stand beside them on their wedding day.

      This was why she loved working with engaged couples. It reminded her true love really existed.

      She’d thought she’d found the love of her life the night she met Darius. But she’d been wrong. Then she’d taken the expected path by getting into a relationship with Cash. But getting involved with her longtime family friend had been a mistake, too.

      Working with couples like Sophie and Nigel revived her belief that, regardless of her failures and false starts, she’d eventually find the man she’d want to be with forever.

      Someone who’d feel the same about her.

      As they chatted, Audra made a few amendments to the three concepts she’d developed for Sophie’s and Nigel’s rings.

      “Okay,” Audra said finally, her heart beating a mile a minute. “Here are a few options for your engagement and wedding rings. They’re just preliminary sketches that’ll give me a better sense of the right design for you.” She turned the sketchpad toward the couple and pushed it across the table tentatively. “What do you think? Am I on the right track?”

      Audra was good at what she did, and she’d designed hundreds of pieces over the past five years. But it always made her incredibly nervous to show clients her first draft. This moment could make or break the rest of the design experience.

      “Oh my God.” Sophie pressed a trembling hand to her lips. Her eyes filled with tears as she traced the sketch of the vintage-inspired, floral-themed engagement ring. “It’s stunning. I love it.” She gripped Nigel’s forearm and gazed up at him. “What do you think?”

      “I couldn’t possibly imagine a better reaction.” He beamed, wiping tears from her cheek with his thumb. “So I’m happy if you’re happy, love.”

      It was sweet of Nigel, but it wasn’t the enthusiastic reaction Audra was hoping for. He obviously didn’t care for the corresponding design for his ring. Instead, his eye was drawn to the sketch of a set of sleek, modern wedding bands.

      They were a stark contrast to the engagement ring Sophie adored.

      “I realize that tradition dictates matching wedding bands, but this is your life and your marriage,” Audra said. “Who says you have to be bound by tradition?”

      “You’re suggesting we have different styles of wedding bands?” Sophie asked.

      “Why not?” Audra shrugged. “Your differences are part of what attracted you two, right? Why not celebrate them by selecting individual ring styles connected by the same metals?”

      “Bloody brilliant, Audra.” Nigel grinned. He turned back to Sophie. “What do you think, love?”

      “I love the symbolism of it.” Sophie sounded unconvinced as she pressed a hand to her cheek.

       Translation: she hates the idea.

      “It would be better if I showed you.” Audra smiled confidently. “I’ll have new sketches ready for you tomorrow afternoon. And I’ll bring samples so you can get a better sense of how the finished design will look.”