Page 45 of His Own Heaven

Mary snorted. “Surely this girl doesn’t think he actuallylovedJane?” she said, one brow raised in a you-must-be-joking gesture.

“Nothing like that,” Scott continued. “According to Rachel, before Jane came along, the most she and Sam had ever scored from one con was about fifteen thousand dollars. Obviously, Jane was worth considerably more than that. If I had to guess, I’d say Sam got greedy and didn’t want to share. Figured now he’d hit the big time, he didn’t need Rachel any more and ditched her.”

“How the hell is that Janie’s fault?” Oliver demanded.

Scott shook his head. “Ollie, I’ve been a cop for twenty years and I still don’t understand half the things criminals do. She’s been caught, and she can’t hurt Jane anymore. Focus on that.”

“Mr Bennett?” a large man in dark blue scrubs called out from the ER doors.

“Yes?” Toby, Charlie, Rafe, Oliver, and their father all answered at once.

“Ah… MrRafaelBennett?” the nurse clarified. “You can see Miss Melville now.”

Toby watched his brother and Mary disappear into the hospital and rubbed at his chest, at the persistent ache over his heart. He felt so empty in that moment.

So alone.

He’d never loved anyone as deeply as Rafe loved Jane, had never known that level of devotion to another human being who wasn’t related to him.

Then an image of a certain blonde with whisky-coloured eyes and legs for days burst through the gloom around his heart and he ached for a whole other reason.

Lucy had been everything he’d never known he’d wanted in a woman, and everything he had. She was sweet and clever and funny and beautifully submissive, but she was also strong and independent and fierce. And she’d been his. For a whole weekend, he’d known how it felt to care for someone so deeply he thought he’d never get her out of his system. And then he’d lost her.

Because… rules.

And because he’d been an arse.

Charlie gripped Toby’s shoulder. “All joking aside, call her,” he said quietly. “You deserve to be happy, and Lucy gave you that. Don’t wait, little brother. Call her. Tonight.”

Toby shook his head. “You heard her this afternoon when we dropped her off,” he replied, surprised by the gruffness of his voice. “She made her views about dating the boss very clear.”

“All I heard was a woman protecting herself from hurt. She doesn’t know it yet, but you’d never hurt her. Not intentionally.”

A small smile tugged at the corners of Toby’s mouth. “Well, no more than she begged for, anyway.”

Charlie laughed and shook his head. “If Lucy being a masochist isn’t a sign from the universe that you’re meant to call her, then I don’t know what is.”

“Who’s Lucy?”

“It’s impolite to eavesdrop,liebchen,” Wolf said, sliding his arms around Abby’s waist as they joined the twins.

“Our future sister-in-law,” Charlie told her, grinning, “if he can manage not to fuck it up.”

Abby’s eyes grew to the size of saucers. “Seriously? You sly dog.”

“Easy, kiddo. I’m not even dating her yet. It’s….” His mouth twisted. “Complicated.”

“Oh for pity’s sake, why do all the men in this family have to make everything so damn complicated?”

“Why do you assume it’s me at fault and not her?”

Abby cocked one brow and smiled indulgently. “You’re adorable.”

He grimaced. “Shut up.”

“But seriously, who is she?”

Charlie laughed again. “His new office manager.”

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