Virgin For The Fourth Time: Barrington Billionaire's Series: Book Four Read online

  But for today only, she was going to listen to Bennett and stop thinking. If all she had was this date, she was going to make it one she’d never forget.

  Bennett had enjoyed watching Zoey attempt to bowl. Even if he’d tried to throw a game, he didn’t think there was any way he could get enough gutter balls to make it look believable.

  He was glad they’d ordered their sundaes to go. Bennett wanted time with Zoey and didn’t want to compete with a bunch of screaming kids for her attention. Her home was the best solution. He wanted her all to himself.

  They sat at her kitchen table, and he ate his winnings. Zoey said, “I guess I’m not good at bowling.”

  “Nope. You suck,” Bennett said teasingly.

  “Well, it was my first time. I’ll get better.”

  “You can’t get any worse.”

  Zoey scooped up a spoonful of ice cream and held it up, facing him as if she had a weapon. “Are you sure you don’t want to retract that statement?”

  Bennett laughed. “Be careful, young lady. I believe I saw a can of whipped cream in your refrigerator earlier.”

  “You wouldn’t.” Zoey’s eyes widened, as though she considered what to do.

  He got up, walked over, opened the door, and took out the can. When he returned to the table, he sat it in the middle of them. “Your call, sweetheart. But you best know, I’m even better with whipped cream than I am with bowling balls.”

  Slowly Zoey put her spoon back into the sundae container.

  “I thought so,” Bennett said confidently.

  He knew right away she’d taken that as a challenge. Zoey quickly grabbed her spoon again and flipped it toward him, causing ice cream to fly across the table and land on his left cheek. She didn’t wait for him to grab the can of whipped cream because she got it first with her free hand. Feverishly shaking it, she removed the cap. Stepping away from the table, looking him square in the eyes, Zoey giggled and said, “Maybe you should stick to bowling.” Her laughter filled the room as she held the loaded can pointed in his direction.

  Bennett didn’t even try to wipe the ice cream off his cheek. He knew it was about to get very messy. She wanted to play, and he was game. In fact, he’d hoped she would take the bait when he put it on the table. He got up from his chair and started to walk toward her. “Okay, Zoey. Give me the can.” He used a serious tone, but there was nothing serious about the situation.

  She backed away. “Don’t you take another step. If you do, I’m going to—”

  Bennett closed the distance between them so quickly she couldn’t get away. But that didn’t stop her from trying to get a shot of whipped cream off at him. As she held on tightly, pressing the nozzle, he pushed her hand up. Instead of hitting its mark it went shooting up in the air and came down on both of them.

  “You were saying?” Bennett asked.

  “Look at what you did. I’m a mess,” Zoey said as she wiped whipped cream from her hair.

  “Me? The evidence is still in your hand, not mine.”

  She stepped back, and he saw her looking at the can. “You’re right. What was I thinking?”

  “That you could win. You should’ve known better tha—”

  Before he could reach her again, she took the can and opened fire directly at him. This time she hit her mark, covering him with the sticky cream. She tried to outrun him, but his reach was too much for her. Grabbing her with one hand he pulled her into his arms, her feet no longer on the floor, so she couldn’t escape.

  Damn, she’s beautiful. Bennett knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t stop himself. Tasting her lips at the party was for her guests’ sake, but ever since he’d wanted to enjoy them for his own pleasure. He brushed his cream-soaked cheek against her dry one. Some of the contents made its way to the corner of her mouth.

  Bennett pulled her closer and claimed her lips hungrily. He was always in control, yet he felt as though he had lost all of it. This was a need like he’d never experienced before. This wasn’t about Zoey. It was about him.

  He’d intended to stop the madness, but when she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her, passion consumed him. His tongue traced her lips until she opened to him. The sweetness of the cream mixed with the sweetness of her was delicious. There was nothing tender about the way he was kissing her. He was behaving like a teenage boy who couldn’t hold back. Although he was enjoying it and his body wanted her, he needed to slow down. He wasn’t about to take her in the kitchen, yet he knew if he didn’t stop, she’d let him.

  Pulling his lips away from hers, he said, “Zoey, I don’t want—”

  “Me either. This can’t happen.”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  Zoey pulled her arms from around his neck and tried to push against his chest. “It doesn’t matter what you meant. The fact remains the same. We can’t do this.”

  Their moment was over, and he knew it. Zoey had shut down like she had when they’d been talking last night. Bennett wasn’t sure if that was a good thing. If they continued and ended up having sex, what effect would that have on her? He knew he could make her feel amazing physically, but what about her heart? Was he only going to hurt her more by sleeping with her?

  Bennett let her slide out of his arms so her feet were once again on the floor. “You’re right. We can’t do this right now. But mark my words, Zoey, this isn’t over.”

  He grabbed a napkin off the table, wiped his face, and left her standing alone in the kitchen. Saying anything more would only cause her to retreat further. And staying there would only risk him pulling her back into his arms to show her there was nothing to fear with him. Both would be a mistake.

  Chapter Seven

  Bennett had things to keep his mind occupied, but that didn’t mean he’d stopped thinking about the look on Zoey’s face when he’d walked out. If he’d thought there could have been any other way, he would’ve stayed. Causing her more pain than she already had was going to kill him. If it meant he had to walk away from the job without completing it, he’d do it for her sake. It’ll be the first job I don’t finish, but some things are more important than a perfect track record.

  He couldn’t resist looking through her file one more time. It was like looking at a report about a stranger instead of the person he knew to be Zoey. If he weren’t holding a photo of her, he’d say they had the wrong woman. But it was all there in black and white. No matter how many times he read it, something didn’t add up. Or is it that I don’t want to see it? Have I gotten so involved, I can’t be impartial? If that’s the case, I’m the wrong person to do this job.

  As he questioned himself, his cell phone rang.

  “What do you got for me, Vinchi?”

  “You better sit down,” Jon said.

  “It’s DNA results, how fucking bad can it be?” Bennett had dealt with life-and-death situations most of his life. A test result was as clear-cut as they come. He’d find out right now if she was adopted or not. Then he’d move forward and locate her mother and possibly her father. The only problem he could foresee was if they were deceased.

  “I’m just delivering the results. I can’t tell you their names.”

  Their names? Was she adopted? “You mean her mother’s name.”

  “So you’d think. However, the results aren’t as you might expect.”

  He had no time or inclination to play games. Bennett knew the samples were clean, so the findings should’ve been easy. They were adopted, or they weren’t. He only used Jon because he was the one with the best contacts and understood how confidential this was. “Just tell me what the fuck you found.” His patience was gone.

  “All six share the same father.”

  Not adopted? Great. He’s right. The same father isn’t honestly what I expected. With all the secrecy around their mother, I would’ve bet they were adopted. “Okay. What else did you find?”

  “They all have different mothers.”

  Six different mothers? “What the hell! Ar
e you sure? I mean this family might not know who their mother is, but you’re telling me they don’t even know they aren’t looking for one woman, but looking for six?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying. We can break it down even further, but it’ll take a bit more time. Based on the DNA, we might be able to pinpoint where the mothers are from.”

  “I think you were right. I should’ve sat down. This is a fucked-up mess.”

  “You didn’t label the cigars, but we can tell they are from five different men. The glass was a woman, so at least, she will stand out. If you can obtain another DNA sample from each male and send it to me, I can have them broken down so you can have the information for each of them.”

  Zoey had willingly provided him a DNA sample and if needed, he knew she would again. Bennett never thought he’d need to track which cigar belonged to each brother. He was only hired to find her mother. When he sent the samples to Jon, he was only trying to confirm if they were adopted or not. At no time had he thought there were other options to consider.

  He knew he should just focus on the one he was hired to find. Yet this was a family. If he found her mother, it would eventually come out that she wasn’t the mother of her brothers. To do this so they’d all get closure, he’d need to find them all.

  This just got a lot more difficult. He knew he needed to get the DNA for Jon. How exactly he was going to pull that off was beyond him. Looks like I’m going to have to do some one-on-one visits with the family. Great.

  “I need clean samples and clearly labeled. If you’re not willing to provide the names, then you need some way of tracking which belongs to whom.”

  Bennett had figured as much and was already devising what action was needed next. “It’s going to take me a few days to collect them. Can you use the DNA you have to start the process?”

  “That’s the plan. I’m not sure if we’re even looking at one geographical location or not. When I agreed to help you with this, there were some details you forgot to mention. This job might be easier if you tell me who we’re dealing with.”

  “I gave you what I knew. And the majority of this family isn’t aware of what we’re doing.”

  “That’s illegal,” Jon stated flatly.

  “Then let’s not get caught. Besides, they’re not the go-to-the-police type.” However, they do handle anyone who crosses them in their own way. Also, not legal.

  “I’ll get you what I can, but let’s keep my name out of it.”

  “Deal.”

  “Whoever this family is, you might want to prepare them. If they don’t know any of this, it’s going to come as one hell of a shock.”

  “Until I have all the facts, this stays between us.”

  “No matter what we find, it still might not be something they want to know.”

  Six different mothers. Shit. There is no way Zoey is expecting something like this. How on earth did they not know who their mother was? How could they not know they come from different mothers? And what kind of bastard does that to his children? Denied them knowledge of where they came from, and left them without a mother figure in their life. He’d always been close to his mom. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet.”

  “Bennett, I’m only doing this as a favor to Trent. We can stop this now. Hell, I’d suggest stopping. There are times the answer isn’t worth the price.”

  “Money’s no concern.”

  “That’s not the price I’m talking about. This family won’t ever be the same if they find out. I can get you the information. I suggest thinking long and hard before you tell any of them.”

  Jon was right. He’d seen a difference in the family over the last two years. The first time he was hired by Brice, the family barely spoke to each other. Now they stood together all on the same side, even if it was because of him. The progress they’d made could disappear for good if they knew what he’d just learned. Right now, he’d gather the facts only. Her brothers might be prepared for such a revelation, but he knew Zoey was fragile. She was stronger than she gave herself credit for, but she had things buried deep within her that she hadn’t dealt with. This truth might be the one thing that breaks her. Bennett wasn’t about to be the one to do that to her. He’d find her mother, but whether or not he told her about it was still undecided.

  “I need the information as soon as possible. Call me once you have it.”

  “Is there a reason for the urgency?”

  “Yes. The woman has some medical issues. She needs to know her family history. Are you able to pull that from the DNA samples? To see if there is an underlying family gene that could be causing it?”

  “Your requests don’t end, do they?”

  “Nope.”

  “It would be easier if they all had the same mother, but we’ll see what we can find. Do you have a copy of her medical records?”

  “No, I don’t.” Even if he did, he couldn’t hand it over. Jon couldn’t know they were dealing with the Hendersons. If he did, Bennett was positive the help would cease.

  “Give me a couple weeks. And even that is pushing it.”

  “Make it two, Vinchi. You’ll have my second set of samples within a few days.”

  Bennett disconnected the call. This was supposed to be a fucking easy job. Anyone could do it. I should’ve known better. Hell, it’s the Henderson family. Since when is anything easy with them? If I were smart, I’d start preparing to hear the worst.

  He was conflicted for many reasons. Jon’s call blindsided him, his guard was down, and that was a dangerous place to be. Mistakes happen when you’re not focused, when you don’t prepare for the worst-case scenarios. Not going to happen twice.

  Bennett couldn’t let go of the guilt for letting things get too hot and heavy with Zoey earlier. It wasn’t so bad when he thought he’d have an answer for her within the next twenty-four hours and no longer be working for her. That wasn’t going to be the case after all. Even if Jon was able to get him the geographical location for the birth mothers, it was going to take time to find them all. He wasn’t even sure if that was humanly possible. James Henderson wasn’t stupid. If he wanted something buried deep enough, the man had the money and power to do it. If his own children hadn’t been able to find their mother, why the hell did he think he was going to be able to?

  The first thing he needed was to understand why. If he could figure that out, maybe the other pieces would fall in line. They always did if you looked hard enough.

  Why would Henderson go to such extreme measures to make it impossible for his children to know their mothers? And why six different women? Was it on purpose? Or did the guy just not know how to use a condom? It was time to go back to the beginning. Research everything he could on Henderson. Henderson might have hoped the secret went to the grave with him, but nothing is ever that clean, that perfect. I don’t care what it takes. I’m going to get to the bottom of this. If not for Zoey, then just because I’m that fucking curious now.

  There was a knock on his hotel room door. Bennett was expecting only one person. If he was right, the timing couldn’t be any better.

  Bennett never opened a door without checking the peephole first. It was not in his nature to trust. His line of work required him to always look over his shoulder. The enemies of the people who hired him customarily held a grudge against his interference. If they were still alive in the end.

  It looked like at least one thing was going right tonight. He opened the door and greeted Doug. “You made good time, Atwood.”

  “Sounded like you needed me here quickly. And by the look on your face, I think I was right.”

  “Damn, man. I don’t even know where to start.”

  Doug came into the room and tossed his duffel bag on the floor. “Why don’t we start with why you need me here?”

  Bennett wasn’t sure if it’d even sound believable. Yesterday he wanted Doug here so he could help Zoey with her past. Now he was more concerned about what was going to happen to her future if she knew the tr
uth.

  “I’m at a crossroads. For once, I’m not sure what’s the right thing to do.”

  “It sounds like this isn’t just about you.”

  It shouldn’t be about me at all. But somehow I care about her. And that makes this about me too. “I don’t have to remind you that what I’m about to tell you can never leave this room.”

  “I know the drill.”

  “I’ve got this job, which has become very complicated.”

  “The job or the situation with the employer?”

  Bennett laughed. Damn it. I hate that he knows me so fucking well. But then again, that’s exactly why I need him here. My emotions are involved, and if I fuck this up, it could be detrimental to not only Zoey but the entire Henderson family. “I think we’re going to need a drink to get through this conversation.”

  “Since I haven’t had a chance to eat, add a steak dinner to the offer and you’re on.”

  Bennett grabbed his cell phone, put it in his pocket, and they headed out the door. It was going to be a long night. He wasn’t sure if he’d made the right call last night, reaching out to Doug, but after what Jon had just told him, he knew he needed Doug’s help. Doug might not know how to find the information, but he was excellent when it came to deciphering what it all meant.

  The conversation over dinner was kept light and casual, with no mention of the Hendersons, so it didn’t matter if anyone overheard. The Hendersons were a family everyone knew. He wasn’t about to risk it.

  When they returned to the hotel, they spent the remainder of the night looking at all the files Bennett had accumulated on the family. At one time, he believed he had everything he needed. Now it was evident there were some major missing pieces.

  “Bennett, this family has seen a lot of invisible pain; from what I see, the abuse started at a very young age. The boys were driven extremely hard for success; perfection was all that was allowed. No one could live up to that.”