Page 3 of Two Hearts' Subterfuge

“If I lived here in Crystal Rock, I’d definitely take you up on that, Rene,” Aylin said.

“How old are you, Aylin?” Camille asked.

“I’ll be seventeen in a few months.”

Camille shook her head, staring at Aylin intently. “You’ve grown up in front of our very eyes and we didn’t even see it. We’ve missed out on a lot because of all the family drama during these past ten years. Haven’t we? Somehow, you’ve transformed into a beautiful woman.”

Sheepish, Aylin rolled her eyes. “There’ve been way too many terrible things happening.”

“I agree. Hopefully, the worst is over now,” Camille reached for her hand, squeezing it.

Aylin glanced at herself in the mirror as she pinned a few of the wedding gown’s seams a little more tightly. If anything, she’d tried to downplay her looks because of her family connections, after her half-brother Ash had nearly succeeded in destroying their family. Despite the recessive gene allowing her to be lucky enough to inherit the deep blue eyes she shared with her father, Joseph Broussard, she looked a lot like her brother Ashton with her straight black hair and slanted eyes.

Her looks and Turkish heritage were a definite reminder of the evil existing in their family bloodline despite the fact that it was Ash’s deceased father—her mother’s first husband—who had connections to ISIS.

Chapter One

Eighteen-year-old Ben Loughlin halted near the display windows located across from the parking lot of the Dragonfly Pointe Inn.

Warming up before taking his daily run along the nature walk surrounding Crystal Rock Lake, he inhaled a deep breath, bending down and touching his toes before stretching back out on the sidewalk to loosen up. Snow was in the forecast for tonight so he might not be able to get out during the next few days.

Besides, the Inn would be hosting several events since it was only three days before Christmas. Ben would be expected to patrol the all-day charity auction taking place tomorrow, which benefited both the Crystal Rock Wounded Warrior Home along with Crystal Visions, the school and vocational center for both children and adults with disabilities.

Ben stared with satisfaction at the display windows that opened up the rear of the Inn. A few years earlier, Ben had suggested to his dad, the owner of the Inn, that it seemed like a wasted opportunity for the contents of the various shops not to be visible from the parking lot. After parking, every single guest of the inn passed by on the sidewalk to enter the lobby toregister and check in. Ben had wondered why Dad hadn’t taken advantage of the opportunity for the shop owners to display their goods more effectively.

Two weeks later, Dad had handed over various sets of plans he’d had drawn up, asking Ben to go over them to check out the merits of each. And two months after that, display windows had been inserted within the entire rear wall of the Inn.

Despite the numerous Christmas lights and fresh greens decorating the exterior of the Inn and the surrounding porch, the colorful light spilling from the windows filled with holiday displays gave the Inn a more festive glow.

And from what Dad had been told, the window displays were what guests first noticed when they arrived at the Inn.

After thanks from the numerous merchants who’d benefited from the strategically placed windows, Dad had included an invitation for Ben to attend the Inn’s weekly management meetings.

Knowing that Ben would more than likely take charge of Dad’s multi-billion-dollar business empire someday, possibly along with his younger sister Lara, no one in management complained. Dad didn’t hire or promote managers that were unable to work well with others. Besides, not only was Ben uncompensated for taking the time to attend the meetings to add his input, but he’d also worked his way up through the chain working numerous jobs at the Inn through his teenage years. No job had been beneath him as far as he was concerned.

In fact, he’d kind of liked mingling, since not many people knew who he was. What he’d always had to be wary about was women. He didn’t like to admit that he’d been played once as a sophomore in high school. After accidentally overhearing a conversation with the girl he’d been dating, Ben had been hurt when he’d realized that she’d only been going out with him because of who he was, even though a friend had tried to warnhim. Sure, he’d continued to date after that, but only on a casual basis. He had the future to think about, so there was no use mucking things up by getting involved with anyone anyway.

But as Ben stood back up after stretching, he happened to glance through the display window.

And froze.

Ben was pretty sure that he’d never seen a girl as beautiful as the one he was staring at now in his entire life. Her face was oval, lightly tanned, with slanted exotic eyes framed by dark lush lashes. With pursed lips, she appeared totally engrossed in whatever she was doing as she turned away from the window. Held back with a decorative enamel clip at her neck, silky black hair hung down to her waist.

Ben swallowed because the rest of her seemed to be equally beautiful. Dressed stylishly, she was wearing a peacock patterned blouse with jeans that hung low at her waist tucked into fleece lined boots.

Suddenly, her eyes met his through the window, and she blinked.

Momentarily stunned by her gaze, Ben was instantly captivated. She had the deepest blue eyes that he’d ever seen.

But when he realized that he must have been staring, he gave her a sheepish smile.

When she smiled back distractedly before returning to whatever she’d been doing, his heart flipped over in his chest.

Ben sighed as he turned away, feeling slightly shaken. Who was she, he wondered, following the nature walk around the Inn to the lakefront. Although he’d been preoccupied, his brain finally registered in on the fact that she’d had a small pair of scissors in one hand with some kind of lacy fabric in the other, while a woman wearing a bridal gown had been standing before her.

She must have been a new employee of Rene’s, he decided. He wasn’t sure, of course, but she seemed to be around the same age as he was.

Although he’d sworn off women, maybe he’d make an exception this time around during the holidays, he decided, smiling widely as he began his run.

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