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30. Laurie

When Worth's friends arrived to pick him up for their rescue mission, Ben was with them as promised. I felt awkward around him at first, not sure what he had been told about my situation, but he was so open and easy to talk to that I quickly got over my shyness.

"So, Miles told me you're a good friend of Beck's," Ben said once the others had left.

I nodded.

"They're going to find him. You'd be amazed by what they can accomplish and what they can get away with."

"I can't stand the thought that…We have no idea what these cartel men have done to Beck."

"If they want to make a trade, then he will be in good shape."

"Physically maybe, but emotionally, mentally?"

"Worth will find someone to help with that if they need to," Ben assured. "Miles has a very good medical staff and great connections. Tell me how you met Worth. I know it was in Aruba, but that's all."

"Technically, I met him several years ago when he was visiting Beck back when Beck was still in St. Louis."

"Oh, that's interesting."

I laughed. "Yes, Worth's presence was quite startling to a sheltered college sophomore who'd never been far from home and never met a man anywhere close to his class other than Beck."

"Did you and Beck date, or were you just friends?"

"We were never more than friends. I wouldn't have gone from him to his brother, if anyone thinks that."

Ben held up a hand. "I didn't mean it as a criticism. They are both gorgeous."

"It's okay. I'd want to know too." I smiled. "Beck's the type of guy who just decides you're going to be friends and then you are. He chose me and never looked back. He offered to help me so many times, but I didn't want to just take from him."

Ben nodded, seeming to truly understand.

"But from the moment I met Worth, I had a crush on him. I mean, who wouldn't?"

Ben laughed. "I see your point. If I didn't have Miles…well, anyone could appreciate what Worth has to offer."

"Right? The memory of meeting him stuck with me, but I wasn't expecting anything to ever happen between us. When Beck insisted I go to Aruba in his place, he told me his brother was coming, but I figured we'd barely see each other, and then…."

"And then?"

"God, it's so embarrassing."

"Tell me. It'll help us both keep our minds off what our men are doing right now."

"Worth isn't mine."

Ben raised his brows. "I don't think that's how he sees it."

I decided not to argue. "I was napping in a chair in the living area when Worth arrived. I was only wearing a robe and it had slipped open as I slept."

"This does sound intriguing." The smirk on Ben's face made heat rise in my cheeks.

"Worth hadn't listened to any of the messages Beck had left him, so he didn't know I was going to be there. I look a lot different now than when he first met me, so he had no idea who I was."

"What happened?"

"Worth thought I was a gift for him."

Ben's mouth fell open. "Oh my God! That arrogant son of a bitch."

"I guess to him it didn't sound outrageous, so when I realized he thought I was an escort who'd been hired for him by his brother, I didn't tell him who I was. I just let things develop as they did. It's so embarrassing."

"So he thought you were an escort, and you were happy to go along with the idea?"

Now my cheeks were on fire. I pressed my hands against them to try to cool them down.

Ben laughed. "It's all right. I totally get it. You were free for the first time in a really long time. You had a chance for something you wanted, and you took that chance. But what did you think would happen when he found out who you were?"

"I wasn't thinking clearly. I'd had a good amount to drink that day, and I was only half awake. I made a decision, and I knew I'd just have to live with the consequences."

"How did that turn out for you?"

"We were having a really nice time until Beck got mad at him, and now—oh God, I shouldn't be happy. I shouldn't let myself be."

Ben shook his head and laid a hand on my arm. "Things will work out. I know that Worth loves his brother, and Beck loves him. If you two are meant to be together, Beck is going to see that."

"I never believed in ‘meant to be', and now…I don't know. This is all so crazy, but I won't come between the two of them. If Worth has to choose one of us, it's going to be Beck."

"Worth's not going to choose. He doesn't do that. He gets everything he wants."

"Except with his family, and that's why it's so important."

Ben frowned. "What about you? What about your friendship with Beck? That's important too. Beck will want you to be happy. If he sees you've fallen head over heels for Worth, he'll accept it."

"I hope so. I don't think he's upset that I like Worth."

"Like?"

"Okay, that I want to be with Worth."

Ben narrowed his eyes. "I'll accept that, for now."

"I've been through a lot. I don't know what Miles told you, but I had an abusive boyfriend, and I just recently escaped. That's why Beck sent me to Aruba. He knew I needed time to heal, and he also knows Worth isn't looking for a relationship."

"He wasn't looking for a relationship, but then he met you."

"How do you know? It's only been a few days."

"It took Miles one day with me. I thought he was crazy, but you see where we are now."

I smiled. "What was it like falling for Miles Montgomery, the country's most eligible bachelor?"

"You're changing the subject."

"Yes, but I really want to know. I need to know because this is all so much. I really can't get my head around what Worth's life is like."

"I understand that. Believe me I do. Falling for Miles was unbelievable, beyond anything I'd ever dreamed of. I fought it as hard as I could. There were reasons we shouldn't be together. They were very different from yours, but I had the same feeling of needing to push him away. But Miles, as you may have figured out, is not someone who accepts defeat. He pursued me and insisted I was his. Ultimately, I had to admit he was right."

"How did you adjust to all this?" I gestured around the luxurious apartment.

"It took a while to accept that Miles could literally buy anything and take me anywhere I wanted to go."

"And now?"

"I won't say it doesn't still shock me occasionally, but I'm also not going to deny that I love it."

We both laughed. "I can see that."

I glanced at the clock on Worth's living room wall. "How long do you think this is going to take?"

"It's really impossible to say. If everything goes perfectly and they have a chance to get in as soon as they arrive, then it won't be much longer. But they could have to wait hours for the right opportunity. There's just no way to know."

"We won't hear anything from them until then, will we?"

Ben shook his head. "No, it's too dangerous to communicate with us."

"I know I don't want them in any extra danger."

"Waiting is so fucking hard," Ben said.

I nodded. "And you're stuck with me."

"No, I have the great fortune of being with you, because if I were dealing with this alone, I don't think I could stand it. Jay is working, or he'd be over here too. It's hard as hell to wait for them when you know they're in danger."

"How much of this is there going to be?"

"Hopefully they can get this business with the cartel finished once and for all, and then there won't be much more of it, or at least not any more for a very long time."

"I can't stand knowing Worth's in danger, but I also can't stand the thought of letting anyone else go after Beck."

"I know. They're really good at what they do. Trust them."

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