Chapter 3
Beautiful, was the only word Danny could describe her night in Kit’s arms. It was strange being so close to a man, just in her underwear, and have him not make a play to get her naked and under him. They had fooled around in the water for a while, something she had always seen in movies and declared cheesy and corny and something she would not be caught dead doing. But Danny had never felt so alive. Her life had been moments from turning back to shambles. Then like a superhero, Kit was there to make sure she didn’t break.
Kit had fallen asleep on the beach and Danny lay in his embrace. She loved how his arms had locked behind her. She couldn’t move, but it didn’t matter. She didn’t want to leave his warmth. But her bladder wasn’t feeling the romance; she had to wake him up when she couldn’t break free. Kit had insisted on driving her home and he’d taken a cab back to his hotel. She couldn’t wait to see him later that night. Now she had an incentive to make this birthday the best he’d ever had.
Before going to work, Danny knew she had to make one stop. She went to the beach, the same spot where she and Kit had spent the night. She sat on the warm sand and stared out into the open, blue-calm ocean. It mirrored exactly how she felt inside. The torment of the night before disappeared, became simply a nightmare that was yet to be forgotten—but one that didn’t haunt her. Her eyes closed, she tilted her face up to the sun and soaked in its warmth. With a deep breath, the salty scent of the ocean filled her nostrils, that and a musk scent that was all too familiar. She could sense someone was next to her. That was confirmed when her sun was blocked out. She knew who it was; it was his scent. The memories of their night together made her heart beat erratically. She smiled as she slowly opened her eyes.
Her smile quickly disappeared, her joy replaced by indifference. He might look like him, smell like him, but Christopher could never be Kit. Danny rose to her feet, dusted the sand off her shorts, and began to walk away. Christopher caught her elbow and turned her around. He pulled her flush against his chest, lifted her chin with his thumb, and kissed her. Danny pushed back and wiped her lips with the back of her hand.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” she yelled.
“Nothing,” Christopher said with a grin.
“What was that?”
“Me apologizing.” Chris chuckled and reached out for her.
Danny stepped back as she slapped the offending hand away. “Apology not accepted. I have to go set up for your party.”
“Hey! Wait. I need a favour.”
Chris ran up next to her as she marched away. “What?”
“So, my brother hasn’t been home in a while. He turned his back on our family years ago. I wanted to set up a call-in, you know, a surprise. My father said he wanted to speak to him. I was wondering if you could set it up. A live video call between father and son, with all his friends present.”
There was a look on his face that made Danny uncomfortable. Usually, this would be a beautiful gesture from one sibling to another. However, there was a cheeky gleam in Chris’ eyes that told Danny this surprise gift wasn’t being offered with the best of intentions.
“Why?”
“Why what?”
It was obvious Chris was used to working a room and manipulating women to whatever he wanted with just that smile. But Danny wasn’t interested in being his conquest, and his appeal, in her eyes, was about as handsome as a dead fish on the third day. Danny had been raised by a lawyer, and the one thing she had learned from her father and her uncle Adrian was to spot a scheme at its infancy. Danny decided to play along, but she was going to flip the plan on him. She wasn’t going to let anything or anyone ruin Kit’s birthday, not even his evil twin.
“Sure. I have to go now.”
“Another kiss?”
“Yeah, the moment hell freezes over.” Danny got into her Jeep and drove away before getting Reno on the phone. There weren’t that many rich Henrys in the US, and Danny was hoping that they were the New York family. It would make her plan so much easier.
***
Christopher was used to getting everything he wanted, even if his twin Kit had it first. Like he’d taken Meredith, Kit’s position in the company, and everything else, he was determined to take Danny for himself. Kit had tried acting like there was nothing brewing between them, but Chris wasn’t blind or stupid. He’d seen their connection the moment Kit had walked into the club and Danny turned around to look at him. For her, she probably fell in love with him instantly. However, with Kit, it wasn’t easy to tell. Right away, it was obvious that he was attracted to her. He held on to her hand for way too long. Then, that smile, like he was fighting his face from showing his true emotions.
The clincher was when he’d given Chris permission to go after Danny. When it came to Kit, that only meant one of two things: “this woman is too clingy, get her off my hands” or, “I could actually fall for this girl. Give me a reason to not be with her.” It had to be Danny. Kit didn’t try to oversell it. He hadn’t even commented on Danny’s beauty. Kit never went for the girls Christopher went for. He had this thing called honour among brothers, a concept completely lost on his twin. While Kit was like, “you should go for her, I’ll step aside”, Chris was “I don’t care if she is going to be your wife. If I want her, I’ll have her.”
When Christopher saw Kit and Danny standing in the dark night, just staring at each other, like no words were needed to say what they were thinking or feeling, Chris had been struck by an emotion foreign to him. For the first time in their entire existence, Chris was jealous of his brother Kit. He wanted that, whatever it was going on between them. Chris wasn’t one for romantic words or gestures. Hell, he didn’t romanticize sex. To him, it was always that: sex. But being witness to the energy between Kit and Danny, he was convinced that two people could be intimate, make love without taking their clothes off.
Kit was good at romance, but passion was Chris’ game. Usually, he would have let the whole thing go but Kit had kicked in his door early in the morning to warn him against messing with Danny. Chris knew that Kit had followed him to the beach. Chris was supposed to apologize. He looked up and Kit was glaring at him. Kit was easy; all you had to do was make him believe that all women were shallow. Chris waved at his brother. Kit turned around and walked away.
To Chris, Kit had started a game he wouldn’t be able to make it to halftime. Seduction was Chris’ hobby and women his expertise. So tonight, he was determined to start Kit’s downfall. They only had a night and a day. The game was going to end with Danny in Chris’ bed. A birthday wish from their father was a joke within itself. Their father had consistently refused to speak to Kit after he’d abandoned his family. Chris knew once the old man knew it was Kit on the other end of the line, he would humiliate his son. He was determined to make Kit look bad in front of Danny.
Their father’s call was just an instrument. Making Danny look shallow and meddling, two qualities that Kit detested, he was bound to lash out at Danny. And this time, Chris was going to be the hero. It would be him who would end that night with Danny in his arms. They wouldn’t have to dance about. A few nice words and hero worship was going to seal the deal for him. Then tomorrow night he was going to go home and forget Maui, Danny, and ignore Kit’s absence. He couldn’t lie: he loved just being Chris and not “Christopher and Christian, the Henry twins”. Kit wasn’t there to show him up in front of their father by being better. So now whatever Chris gave was enough.
Danny was just about to realize how much better he was than Kit.
***
“She kissed him,” Kit kept on muttering. He didn’t think that Danny was that type of girl. Kit walked back to his hotel, trying to make up his mind on whether he wanted to go to his own party. Going would mean seeing Danny again, and he couldn’t promise his anger would stay down, swirling at the pits of his belly. Well, this was the out he needed since he’d first laid his eyes on Danny. He hadn’t thought he could let her go; now he knew he could. She was about to be another notch on Chris’ belt. Kit felt bad for her, considering her past.
Kit was alone. His Navy buddies were stuck in Miami for a conference that Kit had been allowed to skip in order to celebrate his birthday. Now Kit wished he had gone, even though these things weren’t mandatory and an excuse for guys to get a new, different playground. It wasn’t easy to date on the island. Everyone seemed to know everyone. Maybe if he had gone, he wouldn’t be in his room getting ready for a party he was dreading.
It was weird how much he loved his brother and detested his personality with equal measure. But it was Kit’s fault, in a way. Chris had already marked his territory and Kit had invaded it by asking him to apologize to Danny. No doubt that set Chris off. Anyway, Kit was determined to enjoy this birthday. With his career, Kit wasn’t sure when he and his brother would be able to celebrate a birthday together again. He had never let a woman come between them in the past and he wasn’t about to start now.
A knock came at the door and Chris sauntered in. He was dressed to the nines. He dressed like he was going to the Oscars, in a burgundy dinner jacket, a bow tie, and black tuxedo pants and a tuxedo shirt. He had a cigar at the corner of his mouth and a no-good look in his eyes. Chris’ outfit was complete. Kit examined his own all-black attire and was fine with it. He let his bow tie hang undone on his collar. “Walk of Fame”.
“Let’s go?” Chris asked.
“Sure.”
“No hard feelings about Danny?”
“Of course not.” Kit’s jaw clenched shut, imprisoning his true sentiments about the subject. “Let’s have fun.”
“It’s going to be a great night.”
Kit forced a smile and followed his brother out of the room. He wasn’t so sure that he shared the same excitement as Chris. Maybe if he didn’t have to see Danny it could be an okay night.
Of course, when they arrived, the red carpet had been rolled out for them. Kit didn’t know who Chris had invited so the occasion warranted a press line and added security. As soon as Kit stepped into the club, the tension rolled over his whole body. There was also a swarm of butterflies wreaking havoc on his insides, although Kit would rather attribute the nervous rolling of his stomach to hunger. Kit immediately spotted a few celebrities that had been friends with Christopher, familiar faces and strangers, all mixed together. However, once he spotted Danny, it was as if the people parted, like the Red Sea, leaving a path that led straight to him.
Kit already knew how he was going to play this. He was going to put as much distance between him and Danny as possible. It wasn’t going to be difficult, considering the number of people who were there already. Danny was smiling, the kind of smile that radiated throughout the whole room, lightening up her face and making her even more beautiful. It was hard not to notice how the metallic dress she wore wrapped around her curves. The shoes she wore elongated her legs, he wished they had been wrapped around his waist once more.
“Happy birthday!” she bubbled. Danny came in for a hug, but Kit stepped back. Her smile dropped and a confused frown replaced it.
“What about me? It’s my birthday, too.” Chris stepped in between them and insisted on a hug that Danny hadn’t offered.
“Of course. Happy birthday, Mr. Henry, Major Henry.”
Major. How did she know he was in the Navy?
It killed Kit to hear the excitement complexly doused in her tone. “If you would follow me, your VIP guests are waiting for you.”
“Nice assets, by the way, Danny.” Kit caught Christopher’s arm just as he was about to slap Danny’s ass. Indifferent was the approach he had decided for tonight. That didn’t mean he was going to be ignorant.
Danny stepped aside once they got to the sectioned-off area. As Kit was about to walk past her, Danny caught his arms. “Is something going on that I should know about?”
“Nothing. Good job. You are really worth every dime we are paying you for this party.” It wasn’t meant as an insult. It was a compliment, albeit not delivered in the best way.
“Same egg. I should have known the two of you are the same. You are twins, but you are the worst of the two. You are really good at hiding your true nature,” Danny scoffed. “Well, happy birthday, asshole. I got you a present.”
“Happy birthday!” Kit turned to see his brother, Duke, and sister, Katherine, embracing Chris. His Navy buddies came up behind them. Kit had thought he was going to be alone for his birthday, that Chris would be the only one having fun. But his family was here—sure, his dad and mom had skipped the festivities—but his friends were here, too.
“Happy birthday, baby brother,” Katherine said as she embraced him.
“I thought you guys wouldn’t be able to make it,” Kit said as he shook Duke’s hand.
“Danny made a convincing argument. Five years is way too long, little brother,” Duke said.
“Way too long,” Kit echoed.
Kit turned to his best friend, Brody. They had joined the Navy together. He was the only one who knew how he had struggled with his decision and his family’s reaction to it. Brody was also going to be Kit’s sounding board, once he was ready to talk about Danny. But his whole unit was here, and that was the best gift anyone could get him. “I thought you guys were in Miami.”
“A beautiful girl called and said the magic words,” Brody said.
“What? Please?”
“No, ‘private jet’.” Brody laughed. “Danny is really something special.”
“That she is. Hi, girly.” Kit watched as Katherine embraced Danny as if they had been long-time friends. “AJ couldn’t come. He’s covering for me at the hospital.”
“It’s cool. Besides, he would only police me the whole time,” Danny said. “I have to go back to work. I have to make sure I earn every penny.”
Her last statement had been directed to him, her eyes slit, rage burning behind her usually calm brown eyes.
Kit knew he had messed up.
***
In her head, this night would have gone completely differently. Kit was supposed to be happy with the surprise she had for him. She’d practically moved heaven and earth to get them all there. Danny had sweet-talked Reno into talking to Duke, big brother to big brother. Then she’d convinced Duke that using the company jet to fly him, their family, and friends to the island wasn’t a waste of company resources, it was just helping guys that hadn’t wanted to be pulled away from the Miami bikini babes in the first place. She’d expected a kiss, or at least a hug. The last thing she’d thought would happen was for Chris to be more likable than Kit. Danny was hurt and all she wanted to do was cry. She stepped back from the VIP area and turned her back on Kit. Danny had thought that she would get to hang out with them tonight. She had even made her assistant in charge of the night. It had been a waste of time, a waste of a great dress and makeup. This was going to be a long night; one she wasn’t looking forward to.
“Hi.” Danny was startled when Katherine sneaked up behind her.
“Hi. You almost gave me a heart attack.” Danny forced a smile. “So, tell me, how are my brothers?”
“AJ and Reno are doing great. They are worried about you.”
“Ah! Let me guess, they sent you down here with a mission of your own. I won’t stop working here,” Danny said.
“I told them that. But they are concerned. It’s not exactly the atmosphere you should be in.”
Danny was already pissed, and this conversation was taking her to enraged, so she quickly changed the topic. “When is the wedding? I can plan it if you want me to.”
“Do you think you can handle my mother?”
“I can take her,” Danny teased.
“What about my brother?”
Danny groaned inwardly. It seemed she couldn’t sidestep Katherine today. “Which one? You have three.”
“The one who is using his military training to track you down and follow your every move.” Kathrine flashed her a knowing and cheeky smile.
“I thought that there was something, but…anyway, if our families keep on intermarrying, it will all soon turn into incest and inbreeding.” Danny picked up her clipboard and started walking toward the DJ, Katherine hot on her heels.
“Disgusting! And what’s going on?”
“Chris is an asshole—”
“I apologize for that one. He wasn’t built right.”
“And Major Henry is too hot and cold for me. He is giving me whiplash.” Danny spun around to face Katherine, causing Katherine to bump into her. “Last night was incredible. Chris did something stupid, and Kit swooped in like a hero. We spent the night at the beach. No, we didn’t have sex. I thought tonight was going to be beautiful. That’s why I worked so hard to make it special for him. But he had just treated me like the help.”
Katherine shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, as if confused herself. “Kit is guarded. Growing up with Chris wasn’t easy, especially when it came to girls. He may have misread something.”
“Not misread.” Danny thought back to Chris’ kiss. She had been set up by that little punk. Danny turned to the DJ and said, “Cue it up.” She picked up a microphone and walked back to the VIP area. She tapped on the microphone once and the music died down. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Chris and Kit’s birthday. On behalf of this fine establishment, I would like to wish you a happy birthday. Katherine.”
Danny handed the microphone off to Katherine and forced her head not to turn to Kit’s gaze. The strain in her neck, the tension in her shoulders, and the denial were just making her headache.
“First, I would like to thank Danny for organizing a great party and bringing us all together. And even though she would like to pretend this next surprise was my idea, it was all hers.”
Danny wanted to cringe away when Chris came up to her. “Is this it?”
“Yup. Enjoy.” Danny walked away and out of the club just as Harry Henry’s voice filled the room. Her job was done there and everything else could be handled by her assistant. Right now, all she wanted was to go home, eat some ice cream, and curl into her bed with a good book, looking forward to a Kit-and-Chris-Henry-free life.
***
Kit couldn’t believe the night he’d had. Danny had compiled a montage of old family videos and recorded messages from his parents. Kit had thought that was the highlight of his weekend, until he met with his parents for breakfast the next morning. Kit rubbed his sweaty palms on his jeans as he sat across from his father.
“The last time I was here, Dennis Senior was getting himself into trouble,” Harry said. “He has a very beautiful daughter.”
“Yes, she is,” Kit echoed.
“Kit, come with me,” his father said as he pushed his chair back and stood up.
Kit did what came normally to him whenever his father called him aside, alone. He looked to the rest of his family sitting at the table, his gaze fixed on his mother. A reassuring nod from her, and he followed his father. He thought he was in trouble, and since he and his father hadn’t said much of anything to each other, he was sure it was about his career choice. Kit prepared himself for an argument that he would one, win; two, walk away from; or three, lose. Kit nervously shifted on his feet as his father stared past him, shifting his gaze to everywhere else and away from his father’s face.
“I’m proud of you.”
“What?” Kit exclaimed.
“I said, I’m proud of you,” his father said forcefully, clearly embarrassed that he had to repeat himself. “You have shown me what it’s like to be a real man.”
“Dad?” Kit wasn’t sure where all this emotion was coming from, but it was making him uncomfortable. The authoritative, almost commanding way his father usually spoke was what had helped Kit adapt to the Navy and taking instructions and orders so easily. Harry’s bark and bite were equally dangerous. So having his father, before him, so amicably, was throwing Kit off. Harry had changed the rules of engagement and Kit was now lost. “Thank you. I’ve waited a long time for you to say that.”
“Well.” Harry cleared his throat and tugged on his polo shirt collar. “I grew up in a different time than you. From a young age, I knew it was my duty to take over the family business. And I expected that from my sons. I guess it’s a good thing there are three of you.”
“Although it’s one of us doing all the hard work.” Kit looked over at Duke. His never relaxed face was now permanently in a scowl or a worried frown. It was always business when it came to Duke, and at times he looked like he was just waking up from a hangover. If it wasn’t his wife, it was the company that was giving him a headache. Well, he had protocol on how to handle both deep-seated in his brain. Duke operated more like a robot than a man.
“Well, your brother’s work is his life.”
“It shouldn’t be.”
“So how about today we do something that we haven’t done in forever—a family day,” Harry said.
“As long as Duke isn’t allowed to bring his phone.”
Kit enjoyed being with his family. As he spent the day with them, he realized just how much he’d missed them. When they got back to the hotel later that evening, Kit knew he had to go see Danny, especially since he was expected back at base. He had to catch his flight to Honolulu early the next morning.
When Kit got Danny’s cottage, he was terrified of what waited for him. Danny must be pissed; he had treated her like an employee, not like someone he liked, someone he’d had fun with and spent the night with on the beach. He didn’t want to be that guy again, Chris’ pawn. He knocked on the door and hoped that when she opened it and saw it was him, she wouldn’t slam it in his face. He listened as her light feet made their way to the door. Kit counted ten seconds before he heard the latch release. She was obviously wondering whether she wanted to speak to him or not. When the door opened, Kit stood there anticipating silence, waiting for Danny to slam the door in his face. But she didn’t. Instead, she leaned on the door frame, her arms crossed.
“The second Henry of the day. Boy, do I feel special.” The sarcasm cut through the thick, tense air.
Second Henry? It seemed like Chris had been there. Danny and Kat were friends, so Kit knew that she wouldn’t take that tone when speaking about his sister. “I don’t even want to ask what he wanted here.”
“Don’t ask, don’t tell. I am learning the value of that statement.” Danny faked a smile then looked away. “Chris was faster at getting to the point of his visit.”
“I came to apologize. I’m sorry for being cold toward you at the party.”
Danny nodded her head, then said, “Okay.”
“I was rude to you, and you had gone out of your way to make my birthday special. Thank you for that.”
“I was just doing my job.”
***
“I was just doing my job.”
Unbelievable! The lie rang loud and clear in her head. In all the years she had worked at the club, never had she made sure that the birthday girl or boy’s estranged family was in attendance. She hadn’t begged for private jets or called in favours from her big brother for them. Kit was special to her, but apparently, he was just as special to someone else, if not more so. Kit was talking, the sound of his voice droned on, but all Danny could think about was Chris’ visit.
When Danny had heard the knock on the door early that morning, the last face she’d expected to see was Chris Henry’s. They stood there, staring at each other, Danny waiting for him to state his business, Chris probably wondering why she didn’t rush to invite him in. As it turned out, she didn’t have to. Chris welcomed himself and made himself comfortable on her velvet covered sofa. Even in his relaxed posture, Chris didn’t say a thing. Danny stood there for a while before deciding that it would be better to leave the room. She was sure Chris would sit there, and probably within the hour let himself out.
“Where are you going?”
Danny scratched her nose, a sign of irritation, a tic she had developed in in her teen years. Her father did the same thing when he was annoyed and short of words. “What are you doing here, Chris?”
“What’s going on between you and Kit?” Chris picked imaginary dirt off his trousers before dusting it off.
Danny wished it could be that easy to get rid of him. “Nothing, and if there were, that would be none of your business.”
“Oh!” Chris nodded as if he understood. “What do you see in him?”
“That I don’t see in you?” Chris gave a half nod. “If you had asked me that question the day before yesterday, I would say he is kinder, thoughtful, and more of a man than you could ever be. However, after last night, one doesn’t have to dig too deep to see you are both just the same.”
“We are twins.”
“Well, I thought he was…different.”
The corners of Chris’ mouth pulled down as he nodded once again. He stood up and slowly moved toward her. Danny took a step back, uncertain of what was about to unfold.
“He is everything I’m not. God, you don’t know how tired I am of hearing that. But we are alike. He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Worse than I am.”
“I doubt that,” Danny muttered under her breath.
Chris reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture. “Kind and thoughtful, that’s what Meredith sees in him. His new fiancée, my ex-girlfriend. I guess she also thought he was more of a man than I was.”
It was an irrational reaction, but Danny couldn’t help the fact that Chris had just dealt her a blow that had knocked the wind right out of her. Chris put the picture on the table.
“You can keep that, I have plenty at home.” Chris walked past her to the door. “I may seem brutish and forceful, but I’m just a man with a broken heart. My twin brother betrayed me. Look out for the mail. I’ll send you a wedding invitation.”
Danny was still frozen in shock, staring at the picture on her coffee table, evidence that her Prince Charming was nothing more than a jerk who would stab his own flesh and blood in the back. Meredith, that was her name. Danny slowly approached the table and picked up the picture. She knew her type, rich and pretty but not exactly a debutante. Any girl worth her breeding wouldn’t use the whole tube of Lancôme Red Haute at one go. She didn’t look like the kind of girl Kit would go for, but then again, she didn’t know Kit that well.
Danny was cuddled on her hammock with a box of tissues, chocolates, and red wine. She was going through a rapid-fire heart break and recovery. She was determined that by sunrise the next day, Kit would be a distant memory erased from her mind, an ache in her heart that would soon be extinct. So, when the doorbell rang once again, she wasn’t at all prepared to face Kit. Quickly, she washed her face in the kitchen sink and hid all evidence of her pity party. She didn’t think Kit would force his way in, but then, she didn’t know.
Danny cracked the door open, and Kit was just standing there, an unsure smile playing on his lips. He was so handsome. He is the enemy, she reminded herself.
“The second Henry of the day. Boy, do I feel special.” The valley between Kit’s brows creased and suddenly, Danny wasn’t so sure that mentioning Chris or his visit had been a good idea. She wondered if he was going to ask what Chris had wanted, but it was exactly the opposite.
Kit rolled it off playfully. “I don’t even want to ask what he wanted here.”
“Don’t ask, don’t tell. I am learning the value of that statement.” Danny faked a smile, then looked away. She began to scratch her nose but dropped her hand. This visit was getting awkward, quickly. “Chris was faster at getting to the point of his visit.”
“I came to apologize. I’m sorry for being cold toward you at the party.”
Danny nodded her head, and said, “Okay.”
“I was rude to you, and you had gone out of your way to make my birthday special. Thank you for that.”
“I was just doing my job.”
Kit’s face was the exhibition of confusion with every passing second. “You did a great job.”
“That’s what they pay me for.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I just have to go. I have a bunch of nothing to do in here. So, enjoy the rest of your life.”
“What?”
Danny shut the door before he could say one more word. She locked it and went into the other room to make sure she didn’t grow weak in the knees and chase after him. What was wrong with her? It was like her addiction all over again. She’d gotten a taste and all she wanted to do was bathe in it.
Danny hadn’t thought that “The End” part of her love story would come so quickly. But it was better that way. She picked up the picture of Meredith and pasted it on her bathroom mirror. The other woman was going to serve as Danny’s reminder about first impressions.