Joy Avery - Campaign For His Heart

Two taps sounded at his door, and Lauder grew overly excited. Had Willow returned? “Come in.” A smile lit his face, then melted away. “Oh, it’s just you,” he said to his foster brother Roth Lexington.

“Damn. Should I leave and come back?”

Lauder rounded his desk. “Nah, man. I just thought you were someone else.”

The two exchanged an affectionate hug. Though he and Roth weren’t related, people actually thought they were biological brothers because they favored each other so much. Both over six feet tall, both had deep brown skin tones, both had prominent features and a commanding presence.

“Where’s Alonso? I thought he was rolling with us to lunch,” Lauder said.

Roth chuckled. “He’s going to meet us there. Had to go home and kiss the twins and do only God knows what to Vivian.”

The room filled with laughter.

“Man, looking at you and Lo, I can almost picture myself settling down. Wife, kids, white picket fence. Almost.”

“It’s the best feeling in the world, man, to come home to a wife and kids you love more than the sun.”

Lauder enjoyed seeing Roth so happy. He was a good brother and deserved all the happiness life had to give.

“What about that sister who nearly plowed into me rushing from your office? Does she have anything to do with your change of heart? Last I recall, you said you’re never getting married and definitely not having any kids.”

“Willow Dawson,” Lauder said, dropping into the chair across from his desk.

Roth occupied the opposite one. “Willow Dawson?” His brow furrowed. “Why does that name sound so familiar?” Obviously, it dawned on him. “Wait, is she the same Willow Dawson who got you kicked out of the group home years ago?”

Lauder couldn’t believe Roth still remembered that. Though he shouldn’t have been surprised. Roth had the memory of an elephant. “One and the same.”

To be honest, Willow hadn’t gotten him kicked out of the group home; breaking Marvin Kramer’s nose had gotten him kicked out. But Lauder had been defending Willow’s honor, so he guessed she could share some of the blame. One day he’d get around to sharing the details of his honor brawl with her. Maybe if she knew the truth, she’d drop her grudge against him.

Roth cut into Lauder’s thoughts.

“Are you two...”

Lauder hadn’t told Roth about Willow playing his pretend lover, but knew he could trust the man with the information. “Chuck thought I should come across as more family oriented, so I’ve enlisted Willow to play my make-believe lover.”

Lauder studied Roth’s face for any signs of disapproval. There was none that he could spot.

Roth chuckled. “Are you sure it’s all make-believe? The woman has you thinking about settling down. That’s...huge. Especially for you.”

Lauder rubbed his jaw. “Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“How’d you learn to trust Tressa?” Lauder figured that if Roth could open himself up to another person, as guarded as he’d always been, anyone could.

“It wasn’t easy. But when my trust issues jeopardized my relationship with Tress, I vowed to change. I knew that woman was my forever. I didn’t want to lose her.”

“How did you know she was the one?”

Roth beamed as if reliving a beautiful memory, then in a flash sobered. “Her touch.”

By the intense expression on his face, Lauder assumed there was more to the touch story than Roth was sharing. He didn’t pry.

“You’ll know,” Roth said, standing. “Now let’s go. I’m starving.”

Lauder scrubbed a hand over his head. Thing was, he was sure he already knew. And knowing complicated things.

Chapter 5

“You did what!” Hannah’s bright eyes glowed with excitement.

Willow flailed her arms in Hannah’s direction. “Shhh,” she warned, coming from behind her desk to close her office door. “Keep your voice down.” Willow peeped out to make sure no one was within earshot of them, then pushed the door shut. Facing Hannah, she rested a hand on her forehead and sighed heavily. “I kissed him. Like, really kissed him. I couldn’t stop kissing him.”

The second her lips touched Lauder’s it was like she’d had an out-of-body experience, as if she were hovering high above watching herself kiss Lauder, unable to stop. By the time she’d pulled away, her body was so electrified she thought the current would kill her.

“Was it good?” Hannah asked.

Willow attempted to bite back a smile, but it broke through. “It was fantastic.”

Hannah squealed. “Yes! I knew it. I knew you still had feelings for him. After all of these years apart, your heart still beats for your first.” She cupped her hands under her chin and went all dreamy eyed. “That’s so romantic.”

“Because I enjoyed a spine-tingling kiss way more than I should have doesn’t mean I’m still in love with Lauder Tolson. It’s been—” Willow paused, noting the odd look on Hannah’s face. “What?”

“Still?”

“What?”

“You said still in love with him. Meaning, at one point, you were in love with him.”

Willow released a shaky laugh and rubbed her shoulder. “I—I was sixteen. Of course I thought I was in love. Isn’t that what sixteen-year-old girls do? Fall recklessly in love with bad boys?”

“Yes, reckless sixteen-year-olds. Since we met freshman year of college, you’ve always been ordered, in control, methodical.”

Never been reckless? Then how did Hannah explain her agreeing to play Lauder’s fake lover? In her opinion, that was as reckless as you could get. She reminded herself why she was doing it. The idea of becoming a mother made her decision less daunting.

Hannah smiled. “How long have we known each other?”

“Over ten—”

“Yep, over ten years,” Hannah said, cutting Willow off. “So I know when you’re lying. Even when you’re not rubbing the brown off your shoulder.”

Willow allowed her arm to fall to her side. “I’m not—”

Hannah pinched Willow’s lips together. “Shush.”

Willow protested in an array of grunts.

“Shush,” Hannah repeated. “Are you listening?”

Defeated, Willow nodded her head. “Mmm-hmm.”

“Good. Let this thing between you and Lauder happen. You deserve a man like Lauder—fine as hell, rich and powerful. You deserve great sex—the kind that leaves you hobbling afterwards. And you definitely deserve love—the kind of love that will last an eternity.”

Willow hummed but .

“ Shush . You’re going to go on your date with Lauder tomorrow night. You’re going to kick all caution to the wind. And you’re going to let. It. Happen.”

Another muffled but .

Hannah’s voice went from soft and sweet, to gruff and deep. “Let. It. Happen.”

Willow jerked. “Umph.” Then she nodded, because that was all she could do.

* * *

Twenty-four hours later, Willow stood in front of the full-length door mirror in her bedroom. Why in the heck was she so obsessed with her appearance for her date with Lauder? It wasn’t like she wanted to impress or entice him. And she definitely had no intentions of letting it happen . Regardless of what she’d agreed to under duress.

The elusive it made her think of the horror movie with the clown. What if tonight was just as terrifying? What had she gotten herself into? An evening with Lauder. Well, at least in a restaurant full of people, they wouldn’t be alone. That was a saving grace.

Why was she putting herself through this torture? Instead of jumping through hoops with Lauder, she could just let Reggie knock her up and forget about all of this fake lover business. No, she couldn’t imagine being tied to any man for the next eighteen-plus years. And if what Hannah suspected about Reggie—that he’d fallen for her—was true, he would surely want to stick around and be in the child’s life.