And Dillon seemed hell-bent on rewriting history, a history where he came out the victim instead of one of the people who’d had a hand in Isabel’s death.
“Stop thinking about her,” Vince warned in weary tone as if he only knew Nolan was stuck in the past because he was replaying a nightmare reel as well. “Nothing we do or say will bring her back.”
“Yeah. I know. Are we making the same mistake? Penny isn’t like Isabel but she’s fragile, too.”
“We’re not making the same mistake,” Vince assured him. “Penny knew the stakes when she signed on the dotted line. We never played with her heart, ever. We can’t say the same for Isabel.”
Nolan nodded but still felt like shit. “We need to woo Penny. She’s been through a lot and it’s our faults. We can’t punish her for what happened.”
“She’s in love with Dillon,” Vince said. “What do we do about that?”
Nolan winced. “Do you think it’s love?”
“Did you see how cozy they were playing house? It might not have been real for Dillon but it sure as well was for her. She’s totally in love with him.”
“Damn, you’re right.” Nolan hadn’t wanted to admit it but he’d seen the glow in Penny’s expression right before Dillon had revealed his true nature and she’d been near blissful. It’d been the first time he’d seen her like that and he was certain she’d never looked that way with either of them. The realization twinged a bit but Nolan wasn’t ready to concede defeat just yet. He sat up and a slow smile spread across his face. “The answer to our problem is simple.”
“Yeah?” Vince retorted dryly. “Lay it on me.”
“We need to remind Penny what she loved about us. At one time, she was our girl. It’s time we remind her why.”
Vince returned his brother’s smile as he warmed to the idea. “Are we talking wine and dine, pamper her like a princess and then fuck her raw?” Nolan’s grin was answer enough and Vince’s bad mood began to dissipate. “Hell yeah. I’m on board with that plan. When do we start?”
Nolan fished his phone from his trousers and dialed a florist. “We start now.” He waited a minute and then said to the awaiting florist. “I’d like two dozen fire and ice roses delivered, please. Put on the card, ‘To our darling Penny…all is forgiven…’
Nolan disconnected the call and he and Vince shared a laugh as they jumped from their chairs to prepare for the most epic of all rebounds.
#
When the doorbell rang Penny nearly skittered out of her skin as her hand fluttered to her chest to calm her wildly beating heart. Good God. Her first thought was Dillon and she hated herself for the hopeful leap in her pulse that followed. Stop it, Penny. He’s not coming back for you.
When the florist stood with the most brilliant, breath-taking array of red and white variegated roses, she couldn’t speak for a moment and simply gestured to the table. The florist smiled and placed the flowers on the table, saying, “Someone thinks you’re special. These are very hard to come by. And very expensive,” she added with a wink.
Penny nodded but she couldn’t get her throat to work. Could the flowers be from Dillon? Flowers didn’t seem his style but then, she didn’t really know his true style as he’d likely been playing a part the whole time he’d been with her. Tears stung her eyes fresh and she ripped open the card, half-hoping they were from Dillon so she could shred the card into a million pieces. But when she read that the exquisite flowers were from Vince and Nolan, she broke down completely. Damn it, why couldn’t Dillon care? She sobbed into her arms, not sure what to do with herself when she felt so completely lost and alone. Dillon didn’t want her. Plain and simple. But the twins were trying to make amends. She lifted her head and wiped her nose to stare at the blood-red and stark-white blend of roses. Just like the twins to send the very best. She plucked a single rose from the vase and inhaled its sweet scent. Papa, what should I do? She had no right to seek the wisdom of her Papa when she knew full well what he would’ve thought of her arrangement with the twins but she missed his firm voice advising her, helping her choose from right or wrong. It was all wrong but the pleasure was sinful, she sighed unhappily. She was a slave to her body’s needs now that the Buchanans had awakened that sleeping part of her. She deserved punishment for how she’d grievously betrayed the twins when they’d been so good to her. Vince was the best at exacting the most mind-blowing pleasure from carefully orchestrated pain. Nolan’s touch was sweet and more giving. She refused to remember how Dillon’s touch had made her forget that anyone else had ever known her body but the memory singed her thoughts.
“Strip for me, Penny.”
Penny squeezed her eyes shut at the recollection of Dillon’s bold instruction but she could still see the burn in his gaze that heated her insides with one smoldering glance. Her thighs trembled in memory, her core melted and ran with sweet liquid, and she knew that if Dillon were to show up this very second, she’d shamefully allow him to fuck her again and again. God, when did she become so weak? She’d never known what she’d been missing back in the days when she’d been the forgotten, chubby accountant at Buchanan Enterprises because she could count the number of dates she’d been asked out on with her hand. Her papa had warned her to guard her treasure — well, she’d guarded it so well, men had stopped looking. Until the Buchanan brothers that is.
She sighed. Dillon wasn’t coming back to her. Was it possible to go back to the way it was with the twins? They’d forgiven her but would there always be this terrible thing between them? Squatting like a fat, ugly toad making its presence known with a guttural croak each time they tried to forget and move on? Could they truly forgive her for allowing their hated older brother not only get inside her body, but her head?
And heart.
Penny groaned and pushed herself away from the table and those gorgeous roses that she didn’t deserve. She didn’t know what to think any more and she didn’t want to feel either. She wanted to drift into a black sea of nothingness and remain there until Dillon Buchanan was a distant memory.
If only that were possible.
#
“Dillon? Did you hear what I just said?”
Dillon’s attention snapped to the lawyer he’d hired to set his affairs back to rights after his brothers had tried to wipe him from his granddad’s will and forced himself to get back to the business at hand. He’d been thinking of Penny again and how he wished he’d handled things a little differently, possibly less hurtful to her. The point had been to screw with his brothers, not necessarily hurt Penny. Once he’d fucked her, he’d accomplished his objective but he hadn’t really considered the collateral damage.