Chapter 1

1

This is the prequel to The Unwanted Wife by L. Steele

Skylar

"It’s your birthday and you’re hiding in your room?"

I look up from the romance novel I’m reading, to see my brother leaning a shoulder against the doorway to my room.

"I’m not hiding." I mark the page in my book and slip it under my pillow. As discreetly as possible. Or so I hoped. Except my brother, who’s a Marine—and therefore, more sharp-eyed than any ordinary human—spots it.

"Is that one of your romance novels? The ones with burly men and the curvy women on the cover?" he asks with interest.

"It doesn’t have any man or woman on the sleeve." I hold it up for him to take a peek at the cover then lower it quickly.

"Huh, those are flowers on the front." He seems confused.

And he’s right. It does happen to be a romance, only it has a discreet cover, so I can read my spicy books in public and not worry about people getting all judgmental about it. Not that my brother is judgmental, but he does tease me about my reading tastes. I’ve tried telling him romance is to me what video games are to him. It gives me a high to see the male and female main characters go through the emotionally gut-wrenching journey and find an HEA, and when I finish one book, I want my next fix right away. But only another romance reader would understand how important romance novels are to your mental health.

I can weather any loneliness, any teenage angst, any insecurities if I know I can end the night by reading a romance novel until I fell asleep. Of course, there are days I can’t sleep until I’ve completed the book I picked up, but it's worth the bleary-eyed book hangover I have the next day.

"It still is a romance, isn’t it?" My brother’s frown deepens. "Only, it doesn’t look like one."

Bingo. Mission accomplished. Also, I need to get his mind of this topic and onto something else.

"When are you headed back?" The words pop out. But then my heart sinks and I realize I should have cast around for some other topic. "Do you think this will be your last mission?"

I’m not surprised when he shakes his head. "No Skye, I don’t think so. I have a ways to go before I retire from the Marines." He comes into the room and takes a seat on the bed next to me. "I’m sorry, I’ve had to spend so much time away from you and Mom. Sometimes—" His throat moves as he swallows. "Sometimes, I wonder if I made the right decision enrolling in the Marines."

"Of course, you did." I sit up and take his hand in mine. "I can’t see you doing anything else in your life."

"But I ended up leaving you and Mom alone."

"We’re good at taking care of each other," I say brightly. I miss my brother terribly, but I don’t want him to realize that. "When you decided to join the Marines, I was so proud of you." That’s putting it mildly. I adore him and look up to him. "What you’re doing is so selfless, so amazing. You put your life on the line so Mom and I, and all my friends, and all other citizens of this country can be safe. I wouldn’t be sleeping soundly at night if it weren’t for you, Ben.

My brother’s features soften. "You have a way with words, you know that? "

"Don't forget, a way with baking, too." I smirk.

"That too." He reaches out ruffle my hair like I’m still ten.

“Hey!” I pull away. “Don’t mess up my hairdo. It took me ages to curl it.”

“I forget that you’re all grown up,” he looks at me with such brotherly love in his eyes, that emotions clog my throat.

I was only three when Ben left to join the Royal Marines. He's fifteen years older than me. And after my father passed away, he stepped into the role of surrogate father. The benefits he's received since joining the Marines meant he was able to take care of us. But he also did it because he's a true patriot. When I was a little older, I learned from my mother that he’d always wanted to join the forces.

"I’m so happy you got to follow your dream. Truly. And I can’t think of you doing anything else,” I murmur.

"You mean, you can’t imagine me wearing a tie and riding the tube to work every day, and then staying at a desk working on presentations all day?" He mimes typing on a keyboard, and I laugh.

"Nope, definitely not. You’re a Marine. You need to be out on missions, saving people’s lives and rescuing damsels in distress."

"More like spending days camped out in old buildings while I wait for the enemy to make a move, but yeah, I take your point." He rubs his hand through his hair. "Nathan, though? He’d be equally at home on the field as a Marine or at a desk lording over the employees in his grandfather’s office."

"Is that right?" A funny little flutter ripples inside my belly. Nathan Davenport is Ben’s best friend and a fellow Marine.

The two met at Royal Marines Commando training and have been inseparable ever since. A lot of times, between tours, Ben would come home with Nathan. I hero worship my brother, but Nathan? He’s the man of my dreams. I fell for him the first time I saw him.

Not that I’d let my older brother get a whiff of it. And not that Nathan saw me that way. He barely noticed me at all.

When I finally worked up my courage to approach him, I dressed up and tried to seem grown up, but he looked right past me. That was two years ago. Looking back, I understand. I was still a teenager, but my pride was bruised. So, I mostly avoided him after that because I couldn’t bear to see him dismiss me as "just a kid."

The truth is, I wanted to wait until I was grown up and wow him. And even if I wasn't expecting him today, I'm ready. I'm an adult, and now is the time. I'm not a kid anymore. I will wow him. He's gonna notice me this time.

"Is he… Is Nathan coming by?" I clear my throat.

Hearing his name come from my lips turns my thighs to jelly. I hope it doesn’t seem obvious that I've fallen asleep many nights whispering his name to myself. Or that I filled the pages of my diary by practicing writing Skylar Davenport. It feels right.

"It’s your eighteenth birthday party. I told him I wouldn’t listen to any of his excuses."

"E-excuses?" My heart sinks. "He…he didn’t want to come?"

"He had a meeting with his grandfather earlier today." Ben shrugs. "Arthur—that’s his grandfather—is pressurizing him to work with the Davenport Group when he’s between missions.”

"The Davenport Group?" I frown.

"Arthur, founded it. It’s a multi-billion-dollar business with interests in almost every continent."

"Wow." That’s news to me. But then, I've been careful not to speak about Nathan with my brother for the past few years. It was too painful to talk about him, knowing he didn’t even notice me.

But I turn eighteen today. The gloves are off. Now, anything I learn about Nathan, I can use to my advantage in convincing him I'm the one for him. "I had no idea he came from such a wealthy background.”

"He doesn’t. In fact, his only connection with his father’s side of the family was his paternal grandmother paying his mother a stipend until he turned eighteen.”

“Oh?” I incline my head, hungry for this chance to learn everything I can about my crush while disguising my eagerness from my brother.

I must succeed, for Ben goes on: “His mother died some years ago, and after his paternal grandmother passed away, his grandfather Arthur found about him and contacted him. He claims he never knew about him and his mother.”

That sounds complicated. "What does Nathan think about all this?” I frown.

“He feels his grandfather wronged him and his mother.”

"How’s that?”

Ben’s expression grows serious. "His family life hasn’t been easy. His paternal grandmother discovered his mother was pregnant and paid her to leave his father.”

I gasp.

He nods. "He never knew his father, who’s also dead now. Arthur, however, wants to reintroduce him to his brothers."

"Sounds like Arthur is quite a character," I murmur.

Ben half laughs. "From what Nathan's tells me, Arthur’s a cantankerous old man, but he's also manipulative. He’s very proud of the Davenport name and of the Davenport Group of companies he founded. He wants Nathan to join the board of directors and, perhaps, one day, become CEO of a group company."

"And what does Nathan think about it?" I ask in a casual tone.

Ben’s brow furrows. “Nathan has his own ideas about that.” A small smile plays around his lips, as if he knows something else that Nathan’s told him but is not at liberty to reveal. “He doesn't think it’s time yet. Like me, he feels he has a role to play with the Marines and that his job there isn’t done yet." Ben’s phone buzzes, and he pulls it out.

He chuckles. "Speak of the devil, and he appears."

My heart slams into my ribcage. "You mean, N-Nathan?"

I rub my suddenly damp hands over my dress. I glance down at myself. I bought a new outfit and new shoes. And I spent ages teasing my hair into waves, in an effort to look alluring. I invited my friends here to celebrate my birthday, for the first time. I normally prefer to spend my birthday reading and, maybe, having dinner with my mother.

But this isn’t just any birthday. I'm finally an adult. And Ben managed to get leave to be home. As did, apparently, Nathan. He insisted I invite my friends so we could celebrate properly. I couldn't say no.

I jump up to my feet and straighten my dress. "Oh gosh, I look terrible." I wring my hands.

Ben looks up from his phone and gives me a once over. "You look beautiful." His eyebrows knit. "Are you wearing makeup? Since when did you start wearing make-up?"

"Since I was sixteen?" I roll my eyes.

I had laid on the eyeliner thicker than usual and used a different shade of lipstick I bought for today. And yes, I'm wearing foundation, in an attempt to look more mature.

"You look great, Skye; though, isn’t that dress too short?"

I throw up my hands. "It’s meant to be above my knees. That’s the latest trend.” I might not have too many friends but I’m up to date on what girls my age are wearing thanks to my being on social media sites.

"Hmm." He doesn’t look very convinced.

Thankfully, the doorbell rings. Ben’s features light up, "I better go let Nathan in; he’s at the door."

Ben pivots and leaves.

Instantly, I turn and rush to my mirror. I refresh my lipstick, dab some perfume at my wrists, then square my shoulders. "Watch out, Nathan Davenport. I’m not letting you evade me today."

With a last glance, I head to the door. I pull it open, then walk down the stairs. I hear the sound of male voices and, reaching the landing, cross it toward the living room. My steps slow. I come to a stop just inside the room and see him.