Chapter 1 #3
His brother breezed into the office, dressed in a suit which would cost most professionals several months’ pay.
While Zane had gotten his genes from his father, Harris was the male version of Natalie Wagner.
He had golden blond hair and brown eyes and was an inch under six feet.
He worked out regularly, usually playing tennis or pickleball.
Zane didn’t bother to rise. He merely held out a hand, indicating the chair in front of his desk.
Harris took it. “Nice to see you, big brother.”
“Is it?” he asked. Keeping his tone even, he added, “What do you need, Harris? I’m heading out the door soon, so please make this quick.”
“I’m getting married.”
It was the last thing Zane would have expected Harris to say. Then a sense of dread filled him.
“You don’t want me to serve as your best man, do you?”
Harris laughed. “No. That never occurred to me.” He sobered. “But I did want to give you a heads up.”
When Harris remained silent, Zane pressed. “Why? I know nothing about you. When and where it takes place doesn’t concern me because I’m not expecting an invitation.” He paused. “Or do you want me to make nice and show up?”
“I don’t want you there at all,” Harris said flatly.
This was more like the Harris he knew. They had despised each other before his little brother could even talk. Nothing would ever change that.
“Spill,” he said.
“I thought you should know. I’m marrying Amanda.”
Zane felt as if he’d been gut-punched. For a moment, he couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. And then anger permeated every inch of him.
“What?” he shouted, leaping to his feet.
“Sit,” Harris said calmly. “Don’t make a scene. It’s not like you.”
Reluctantly, Zane sat again, his mind racing. He had never spoken to anyone other than Sullivan about the end of his marriage. Not even Dad knew what had happened between Amanda and him, so Harris wouldn’t know she was a lying, two-faced bitch.
“I’d advise against it,” he said succinctly. “Amanda isn’t what she appears to be.”
Harris laughed. “Coming from the man who filed for divorce after three months of marriage.”
“That was two months and twenty-nine days later than I should have.” He hesitated. “Seriously, Harris. I’m not one to tell you what to do, but you really need to think long and hard about tying yourself to Amanda.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve already seen an attorney. There’s a strong pre-nup in place. I just thought you should know about our plans.”
Zane realized he could have talked from now through eternity, enumerating the reasons why his little brother shouldn’t marry such a viper, but Harris was as headstrong as Natalie had been.
And who knew what Amanda had told her fiancé?
She poisoned everything she touched. Might as well let them marry and have Harris discover everything on his own.
His voice neutral, he said, “I’d wish you well, but I don’t think it’ll last.”
Harris met his gaze. “I know what I’m getting, Zane. Amanda isn’t perfect. She’s got plenty of flaws, but then so do I. We’re both smart and attractive. We have no secrets from one another.”
He couldn’t help but wonder if Amanda had confessed her infidelity to Zane and decided he just didn’t care.
“Do what you want, Harris. You always have.”
“I thought I owed it to you. Don’t want you reading about it anywhere or running into someone who mentioned it and you not knowing about our marriage.”
“Thank you for your consideration,” he said stiffly.
Harris rose. “We’re getting married the second Saturday of July at her parents’ estate in Newport. Honeymooning throughout Europe. It’ll be a mixture of business and pleasure. Amanda will accompany me to social events I’ll attend for Wagner Enterprises.”
“Does Dad know?”
“I’m heading to tell him right now. Just thought my big brother needed the heads up first. After all, Amanda was your first wife. Ever going to have a second one, Zane?”
The way Harris asked it, Zane decided Amanda had probably told Harris everything about her marriage to Zane.
“I don’t plan on it,” he said flatly.
His brother smiled like the Cheshire Cat. “Next time you see me, I’ll be a married man. And I do hope when the occasion comes and Amanda and I run into you, we can all be civil adults.”
Harris left his office, and Zane sat, totally deflated.
On one hand, he was glad he wouldn’t be invited and expected to play nice at his ex-wife’s wedding to his brother.
At the same time, he wouldn’t be able to avoid Amanda entirely.
Since Amanda had the morals of an alley cat, he fully expected she would move on from Harris.
In fact, she was probably marrying him just to open Zane’s old wounds.
Once she’d had her fun, she’d leave Harris.
He had no intentions of picking up the pieces left of his brother.
Zane’s brief marriage to Amanda had soured him on women and relationships.
The thought of opening up again, being vulnerable—even loving someone—caused a sick feeling to wash over him.
He had been blinded by Amanda’s beauty and charm, and he was determined never to make that mistake again.
He no longer trusted women and refused to let his guard down and get close to a woman, much less fall in love. Love was for fools.
And Zane Wagner was anything but a fool.