Irresistibly Played

Chapter 1 Caitlyn Cooper-Bentley checked her phone app displaying Ava Bentley’s vitals and then placed the phone in the pocket of her pale green cotton dress. The flowing fabric made her feel pretty as she worked around the condo. Now that her patient was cancer free, Caitlyn was calmer about her position as Roy Bentley’s wife. She hummed as she made herself and her husband a sandwich from last night’s leftover chicken. The juicy meat mixed perfectly with fresh avocado between slices of toasted brown bread. The Italian marble easily wiped clean when she brushed for crumbs after cutting the sandwiches. Like magic, Caitlyn opened the refrigerator that was always filled with whatever she wanted. A song played in her heart that she couldn’t quite remember but it didn’t matter. Not really. Life as a Bentley definitely had perks. It was much easier than working an odd schedule and sometimes 48 hours straight in an ER. She took out a bottle of organic unsweetened iced tea and poured it into two glasses to complete their lunch. This was a simple gesture she enjoyed before going upstairs to the daily tea she had with her new friends and sisters-in-law. Everything was pretty good. The ocean outside their condo was a crystal-like blue that stretched as far as her eye could see from the huge bay windows. She set the drinks and sandwiches on a tray to deliver Roy’s meal to his office and then she’d head outside to eat while reading her book. The only drawback was that her husband hated her, and she wasn’t sure what to do about it. But if she could survive years of being ignored at her parents’ home, she could settle into being ignored in her marriage too. At least she had a yummy lunch and hopefully her book would be good enough to let her escape her problems for a few hours. She opened the office door and swung it wide with her hip. Without a word to interrupt Roy’s phone conversation on the balcony, she placed the tray on his desk and set his sandwich in front of his keyboard. Very aware of her six-foot-two husband, and how well he filled out his tailored business suit, Caitlyn felt the urge to hurry when he suddenly ended his call. Life as a Bentley wasn’t as horrible as a per diem nurse, which had no perks other than a paltry paycheck. And here, she wasn’t constantly worried about her best friend being taken advantage of like she spent last year. Now everything was calm. She continued to hum that mysterious tune until Roy, closer to her than she’d realized, said in his deep voice, “Thanks.” “No problem.” Caitlyn’s pulse spiked, and her voice pitched higher than normal. She met his hazel eyes that lately had haunted her, even in her sleep—then she turned on her heels and quickly escaped. The moment she closed the door, her mind dinged. She had left her own sandwich on his desk. The attraction she had toward Roy wasn’t good. She swallowed and ignored how fast her pulse raced now. He probably thought she was an i***t. The doorbell rang. She checked with security on her phone that gave her the all clear post. Caitlyn grabbed at the reprieve, happy to put off her humiliation—she answered the knock and a delivery man immediately handed her a legal-sized yellow envelope stuffed with papers she signed for. Once she returned the electronic signature, he asked, “Caitlyn Bentley?” “Yes.” For now, she was Roy’s wife, in name only, not that the delivery man needed to know that. He turned to go and she closed the door, reading the obvious. This was for her husband, and from her ex-fiancé. Seeing Harry always reminded her of how she’d almost married a friend. If she’d followed her parents’ wishes, she never would have known how the real world worked. After working hard in the trenches, Caitlyn was glad for a second chance at luxury because now she knew. The real world wasn’t for her. Books and music were better than constant shooting pains in her legs though helping others was why she’d become a nurse. She made her way toward his office to deliver the package. Life could try to bring her down, but she hummed that tune she’d been singing all day and headed in. At least she had something else in hand to grab that sandwich without looking like a complete fool. Roy sat at his desk with his nose stuck in a huge manila folder filled with papers that he highlighted with different colors as some sort of code for himself. She put the envelope down in the middle of his desk and inched the package toward him. “Roy, you have more paperwork that’s been delivered.” “Thanks.” He handed her the small tray of food she’d left. “I think this is yours?” Her entire body zipped with awareness while she took her lunch and blinked at how defined his muscles were in his white business shirt. “Yes.” Caitlyn told herself to stop being silly and this time it wasn’t because she’d been forgetful. Roy Bentley wasn’t interested in her. He highlighted the paper with a green marker without looking at her. She knew better. She held the tray as a barrier between them. “Is Harry coming to help you again?” His eyebrow arched. Seriously, his dark brows made his hazel eyes that much more mesmerizing, especially framed with long thick lashes that she’d always wanted for herself. Men weren’t supposed to be as handsome as Roy Bentley. It just wasn’t fair. “Yes. Is that a problem?” She shook her head fast though heat rose in her cheeks. “No. I’ll ensure he gets a light lunch when he joins you.” She happened to know that Harry also liked chicken sandwiches and she could whip that up without interrupting her day. Roy took the tray from her hands and laid it on his desk, ignoring the stacks and piles, even the yellow envelope. “Caitlyn?” A tremble rushed through her as she adjusted her crucifix around her neck. “Yeah?” He took her hand and his warmth triggered another spark of awareness. “Thanks again for helping with my mother.” Oh. Right. She slipped her hand away from him and hugged her waist. The only thing she’d ever done in life that she still liked about herself was back in college when she’d defied her parents and studied to be a nurse instead of acquiring some creative degree that enabled her to be a charming housewife for a lawyer. It was good to be useful even if in the end, she’d married a lawyer. “Ava is a kind woman.” Roy motioned toward the leather couch on the wall behind her—she knew that the sofa near the door had served him when he’d needed to read papers with his feet up at night. “Do you have a few minutes?” Huh? First he wanted to have a conversation, and now they were going to sit—he’d avoided her since their marriage. Today must be a full moon or something. She nodded, held her dress to the side to keep it from wrinkling, and sat. “I guess. Tea with the women isn’t for another hour.” He took the seat next to her, gliding into his chair like it was made for him. “I’ve noticed that we’ve come to a mutual silence as a way of living together.” True. Her mouth tingled for a kiss. She was never one to fantasize over a guy so honestly the spike in her temperature was new. She stared at her lap as she said, “Yes. We both agreed on why.” “We did.” He swiveled so that his knees turned toward her. Her heart sped up at his closeness and her mind raced. She’d agreed to stay his wife so his whole family would be united until they found whoever had set them up for prison. A divorce would take him off the list for the royal crown in a country she’d never heard of—he was fourth in line after his two older brothers and a new nephew that he loved. There was also something to do with a lot of money his family had, with a seemingly never-ending supply of oil. What he didn’t know and would never know was that none of that mattered to her at all. What mattered was that she’d made her own choices and could have a voice; she had friends to visit daily, a bit of a job to stay busy, and she had less hardship now that she wasn’t living on Jensen’s commune, or working for days on end at the hospital that offered no benefits, including the basic one of sleep. Roy adjusted his tie but that only made the blue paisley pattern slightly crooked. “I wanted to ask if seeing Harry bothers you, or if it makes you jealous?” Unable to stop the impulse, she reached out to straighten the tie. His hard muscles under her palm made her want to curl her fingers around the silk and pull him close. “He’s happily married now.” Roy stopped her but held both of her hands. “Yes, but we aren’t, exactly.” The day she’d married Roy in prison wasn’t something either of them wanted to relive. She’d worn a simple white cotton dress, not caring to impress. Now aware of his every move, her face heated and adrenaline rushed through her. Caitlyn began to slip away. “We both agreed--” Roy gripped her hands a little tighter and interrupted her, “I’m asking if you’re jealous.” Of Harry and Roxy? Oh. She batted her eyes and wished Roy would throw her down and kiss her senseless. No one had ever kissed her with such imagined passion, and she’d probably built up all this tension in her mind. She tugged free, refusing to acknowledge her own emotional response, and shook her head. “I’m jealous that he’s happy, but I want him to be. He was always my friend.” Now that Roy wasn’t touching her, she sounded calmer. That was good. Roy didn’t move a muscle but her skin sizzled from his nearness. “You’ve said that before.” “It’s still true.” Her voice rose in pitch. He nodded and leaned closer. “But we’re not friends, you and I.” “No, we’re not.” She lowered her lashes to somehow block her feelings from his view. Was that interest in his deep voice? The way he’d held her hands? She widened her eyes—her imagination was interfering with reality. There was no way the man with the oaky cologne would want her. Was he tired of the silence? “I see how Logan and Hannah are happy together and as time goes on, they’re even happier.” “They are,” Roy said without an argument. Before she could ask him if he wanted to be friends, or more than friends, Caitlyn cleared her throat. “Well, this was a nice chat.” She needed to get her head on straight and go about her day so she placed her hands on her knees to get up. Roy said, “I’m working so much of the time to clear my family of these charges.” She followed through, stood, and looked down at him as she reminded him, “And yourself—you need to be cleared too.” Since she’d gotten to know him, he seemed selfless as he always put his family first. He rose to his feet and towered taller than most men. It wasn’t fair how much she idolized him, though he couldn’t know. “I haven’t forgotten, but I was hoping we could talk about us.” Yeah. No. This was a bad idea. They were a bad idea. Thinking of them together, in bed, on the couch, on the balcony—more bad ideas. “We’re temporarily married roommates.” “True.” He took a step to block her from easily walking out the door. “You’ve never told me why our arrangement works for you.” A jolt of desire made her knees weak. She shouldn’t sound breathless—she wasn’t some innocent maiden to be overcome by a man. “Why are you asking now?” “One of the wives is betraying us.” That was the cold water she needed to douse her libido. She took a deep breath, and let her mind relax back into her normal state. “And you think it’s me?” He traced her arm and goosebumps grew in his path. “I don’t actually, but I don’t normally just go on feelings. It occurred to me that we are strangers.” As soon as he’d intertwined his fingers with hers, she’d realized today was an anomaly. She’d check her vitals immediately after this meeting to make sure she wasn’t getting sick. Caitlyn shouldn’t be lusting after the same man she’d sworn to avoid after their fake vows a month ago. She hugged her waist to stay under control. “Okay. What do you want to know?” His gaze narrowed while he crossed his arms, looking down his nose with an expression that left her feeling defenseless before he even asked, “Why is our arrangement better than going to your parents or just leaving to live on your own?” Now this was why he was a good lawyer. Her heart sank that he might judge her, and she had a pinch in the back of her neck just from avoiding him. Her past was no bouquet of roses. And her talking to the police wasn’t exactly a betrayal. The police had been fair since the Bentley family had walked out of prison. She lifted her chin, c****d an eyebrow and asked like she had all the confidence in the world, “That is what you want to know about me?” He motioned toward the couch she’d just left as he said, “I need to know that I’m right to trust you.” “Okay. Fine.” She retook the seat and waited for him to join her. As their knees brushed, she ignored the ache to be held and this fantasy of hers to kiss him senseless. Once she was sure she could speak, she said, “I’ll start with the fact that your parents are nothing like mine.” He held his hand together folded between his knees and paying apt attention to anything she might do while he asked, “Bad or good?” Nothing in life was black or white. Sure, Roy was an attorney, but Lady Justice wasn’t blind. Caitlyn bounced her foot, causing friction between the cloth of his navy blue suit and her bare knee while she said, “Neither. But your parents let their children choose their lives and didn’t run the show. Mine are the epitome of helicopter parents. They chose everything for me, right down to Harry—I almost married him because they picked him out for me.” Roy had a way of looking down with his long nose that made him seem regal and untouchable but sexy enough that she wanted to run her fingers through his coarse dark hair. Living with a one-sided attraction shouldn’t be so hard. “You didn’t love Harry?” “No.” Perhaps Roy wouldn’t like her answer, but the truth was something she’d shout for the rest of her life if she could. Caitlyn Cooper, the only daughter of Sam and Heather Cooper, was no one’s insurance policy when it came to good sense. She shrugged. “Honestly, he’s nice, and maybe there was the beginning of affection, but I was trapped with Harry. I couldn’t sign off on the rest of my life with a man I didn’t choose.” He smoothed his tie and asked in a way that made her feel cross examined, “So you left with Hannah to join a cult?” His tone made her time in the woodland commune sound really bad. No one had raped her or trapped her or done anything bad to her. She’d chosen to leave Miami. And besides she’d reported to the police everything she’d ever seen in the forest and now here. At the beginning, she’d wanted to protect Hannah, her friend, from making even more bad decisions with following Jensen. Caitlyn adjusted her ponytail to tighten it. “Hannah was the more religious one of us, but I fit in better because I am good at delivering what others want from me.” She wasn’t bragging, but she’d learned how to survive her parents until she could escape. He coughed and her attention returned to his tie that he wore over his shirt that hid his perfectly formed male body. “Why marry me?” Drat. She swallowed and then let out a small laugh as she looked up at the white ceiling. “Honestly, you were supposed to be horrible and a criminal and the worst choice.” “Sorry to disappoint.” “I was going to make my parents stay far away with you being a bad boy, while I was able to come home to Miami, and have some freedom.” His disappointment hung in the air. She glanced out the window of his office, toward the tops of the palm trees that lined his balcony. The wind this high in the condo tower was stronger than she’d have imagined to create such sway. Caitlyn placed her hands over his. “You don’t get it, Roy. You were supposed to be my declaration that I am running my own life.” Her parents came to mind. “That I could live in Miami with plenty of cash without having to follow orders. The plan was perfect.” He didn’t move as he countered, “You’re not a child anymore.” Now that was true. She couldn’t blame all her decisions on Sam and Heather. That wasn’t very responsible or adult-like. Caitlyn folded her hands in her lap. “I might pretend to adult, but honestly I am not qualified to be successful on my own. DC taught me I wasn’t happy just going to a job and coming home, without many luxuries. I was too spoiled as a child.” Another truth. The hardest part of living on her own in DC was the daily monotony of her routine. In the last two years post-college, after leaving the forest, she’d gone to work as a nurse, treated as expendable, only to come home, watch something on TV before bed, and start the cycle all over again the next day. Her life, though free, had been nothing like she’d imagined where she would work as a valued member of a team, enjoy off-time with friends, and live like people on a sitcom. Roy didn’t get it at all. “I see. So why stay here now?” Too bad she couldn’t tell him that she voluntarily worked for the police detectives because she’d been sworn not to—though she wasn’t hurting his family in any way. No one was doing anything illegal so he had no worries. “I like your parents and your siblings. I won’t betray you. I can stick it out until you discover who is targeting your family.” Neither of them moved. A bird flew outside the clear windows made to withstand hurricanes. “Caitlyn?” “Yeah?” She glanced at the man way too hot to ever truly be hers. How did they let someone so charismatic argue in court? Every woman she’d ever known would swoon at the man who was her husband rather than find him mistaken. Roy stood and offered his hand. “Tonight instead of eating on our own, where you watch something on TV and I work, can we try something different?” “Like what?” Her senses were alert from the way he held her hand He gave her a heated look and asked, “Have the meal together while we talk?” Was that how the devil tempted innocents? She wasn’t sure, but the fire in her belly from his simple glance set her off course. “Like friends?” He slowly unlaced his fingers from hers. “Knowing more about each other means we can ease the tension.” The flames inside her threatened to burn brighter even as she said, “Okay. I’d like that.” She turned to leave, but he handed her the sandwich tray. Right. She took her lunch and left fast, needing to get herself under control and quickly. Tonight she had a date with her husband. She’d have to banish her fantasies about him and figure out how to sound like herself without getting all flustered with wishes that were never going to come to fruition. Imagination and real life never combined and it was best if she faced him with a cool head.