Chapter 1 "I'm almost there..." I gasped between heavy breaths. "Damn. I'm so close." "Good," I purred in his ear. "Be a good boy and come for me." His hand tightened around my waist. He thrust harder into me, deeper, until the pleasure grew into something unstoppable. My fingernails dug into his back as I trembled beneath him, my back arched, waves of ecstasy rolling through every fiber of my body. Sparks shot up my spine. For a moment, the world shrank to nothing but heat and release. "God, you're incredible," he murmured, his face buried in my tousled hair. He pulled out and dropped down beside me. Our heavy breathing filled the quiet hotel room. For a long while we lay there tangled in the pillows. A soft laugh escaped me, and he joined in, a deep, warm sound. That was when the familiar feeling of contentment began to spread through my chest. "That was..." I began. "...incredible?" he finished for me. He propped himself up on one elbow and looked down at me with a lazy smile that made my heart stumble. I traced his jawline with my fingertips. After years of searching, I had finally found him. William Gates. The man who had once saved my life. Now I was lying here in his arms, exactly where I belonged. A warm, bright feeling of joy welled up inside me. "You can take a picture if you want," he teased. He twisted a strand of my hair around his finger, kissed my cheek, and then slid out of bed. "Maybe I will," I replied. My eyes followed the strong lines of his back and the firm curve of his backside. New desire stirred in me. But when my gaze reached his right shoulder, everything inside me froze. The skin was smooth. Completely flawless. The warm feeling vanished on the spot. An icy emptiness spread through my stomach. I slowly sat up, blinking in shock. This couldn't be. I remembered that dark scar so clearly from our night together. I had traced it with my fingers in the dark. This man had nothing there. "So?" he asked, turning to me with a raised eyebrow. "Shall I freshen up and make breakfast? Or shall I have you for breakfast again and call room service instead?" At first I said nothing. My thoughts were racing. He looked exactly like William. He felt like him. But that missing mark changed everything. This was not William Gates. The truth hit me like a blow. I had tracked him down, climbed into his bed, and given myself to the wrong man. Nausea rose in me. How could I not have noticed sooner? How could I be so careless after all those years of waiting? I forced out a light laugh and slid out of bed. "I don't think I'll stay for breakfast. I have a long day ahead of me." I kept my voice steady as I gathered my clothes from the floor. "But this was exactly the wake-up call I needed." I dressed as fast as I could. He was faster. His arms wrapped around me from behind and pulled me back against his chest. His breath brushed my neck. I felt him growing hard again. "Stay a little longer," he whispered. "I'll take care of your work." On any other day the offer might have tempted me. Today it made my skin prickle with guilt and regret. I slipped out of his grip and gave him my most seductive smile. "Maybe you'll see me again. Who knows?" "Or you could come over for dinner," he said, stepping closer as I finished dressing. "I make fantastic pasta Alfredo." I grabbed my bag. "We'll see." He grinned and ran a hand through his hair. That smile looked so much like William's that my heart ached. I reached the door but paused with my hand on the frame. I needed answers. I turned and looked him in the eye. "By the way... after all this, I never actually learned your name." "After you picked me up in the hotel bar and drove me out of my mind?" He laughed. I managed an embarrassed smile. "Yes." "I already know yours, Miss Jennifer Morrison." My heart dropped. "And yours is?" "Wilson," he answered smoothly. "Wilson Gates." Gates. The same last name. They looked far too much alike for it to be a coincidence. He had to be William's brother. Or his twin. "I guess I'll see you around, Wilson Gates." The lie came easily to my lips. I slipped out before he could say anything more. My legs carried me hastily to the elevator and on to my car in the hotel parking lot. The moment I sat behind the wheel, the full reality crashed down on me. I pressed my forehead against the steering wheel and groaned. "How could you sleep with the wrong guy, Jennifer?" I stayed like that for several long minutes. Then I took my phone and ran a few quick searches. The truth stared back at me: Wilson Gates was William's identical twin brother. William had been abroad for months, closing a major deal for the family business. Wilson had been here in Chicago the whole time. Nobody knew when William would return. I started the engine, ready to drive away from this disaster. Before I could pull out, my phone chimed. It's Wilson. Just wanted to make sure you have my number, Princess. See you soon. I stared at the message. My thumb hovered over the screen. One part of me wanted to delete it and pretend last night had never happened. Another part knew this mistake wouldn't simply disappear. Not when Wilson Gates was already reaching out. And not when William could return at any moment. I laid the phone face down on the passenger seat and drove out of the parking lot. One reckless night had just complicated everything I had worked toward for years. Forgetting it was not going to be easy.

Chapter 2 It had taken an entire bottle of bourbon to numb the memory of what I had done, and even after that, Wilson Gates refused to leave me alone. Over the past few days he had pursued me with an endless flood of messages that popped up on my phone at the worst possible moments and dragged me back into a reality I was desperately trying to escape. I winced as another notification appeared on my screen while I sat behind my desk, surrounded by files that had been waiting for my attention since morning. That made fifteen messages. Blocking him hadn't worked. I had figured that out after the first three attempts. Wilson simply got himself another number and carried on as if nothing had happened, which was both impressive and unbelievably annoying. The situation was almost ridiculous if I thought about it too long. For years I had wished for William Gates to notice me, for years I had wondered whether I would ever see the man who had saved my life again, and somehow I had managed to get his twin brother obsessed with me instead. Excellent work, Jennifer. Sighing, I picked up my phone and read the latest message. It's been days already, Jennifer. I don't know what I did to make you ignore me, but I can make it right. Come to dinner with my family tonight. I'm inviting you. I promise I won't bore you. For several seconds I stared at the screen before putting the phone back on the desk. A mountain of work still awaited me, and the headache brewing behind my eyes made it increasingly impossible to concentrate. Coffee was probably the only thing standing between me and falling asleep at my desk, so I pushed back my chair and headed for the cafeteria, hoping two strong cups would be enough to get me through the rest of the afternoon. I had barely reached the coffee machine when a familiar voice stopped me. "Have you heard the news yet, Jennifer? Your little crush is back in Chicago." Slowly I turned and saw my best friend Elena Brooks in front of me, watching me with shining eyes and the mischievous smile she always wore when she had found out something she knew would embarrass me. When I didn't react right away, she nudged my arm and pulled an exaggerated pout. "Come on. I thought you'd be happy about it." "And who exactly is supposed to be my crush this time?" I asked, trying to sound uninterested as I poured coffee into my cup. Elena rolled her eyes. She knew exactly who she was talking about. She knew my entire history with William Gates, including the details I sometimes wished I had never told another soul. For years she had listened whenever I talked about him, had accompanied me on my search for information about him, and had never missed an opportunity to remind me that I had apparently fallen in love with a man whose full name I hadn't even known when he saved my life. "Who else?" she asked. "William Gates." My hand froze around the cup. Elena's smile immediately grew wider. "William Gates is back in Chicago." For a moment I honestly thought I had misheard. Beside me the coffee machine kept humming while people walked past us carrying their lunches and talking about perfectly ordinary things, but suddenly everything felt far away. My thoughts had stopped at those four simple words. William Gates is back. "There's the reaction I was waiting for," Elena said with a satisfied grin. "So what's the plan? You've wanted to see him again for years. You're not seriously going to stand here and pretend you don't care." "I don't know what I'm going to do," I admitted quietly, although my thoughts were already racing faster than I could control. Seven years had passed since I fell into the icy waters of the Chicago River that night and, for one terrible moment, believed I was going to die. I could still remember how the darkness of the water closed around me, the burning in my lungs as I desperately gasped for air, and the sudden appearance of a stranger who had pulled me back to the surface. I remembered his face and his voice. And I remembered the dark mole on his shoulder. For years that memory had followed me everywhere. I had searched for the man who saved me, desperately hoping to thank him and perhaps to understand why he had vanished before I could even learn his name. When I finally found out who he was, it had felt almost impossible to believe. William Gates. And now he was back. Suddenly an idea formed in my head as Wilson's message echoed through my thoughts again. Dinner with my family tonight. My fingers tightened around my coffee cup. It was risky. I knew that. Wilson was already interested in me, far more than I liked, and accepting an invitation to meet his family would almost certainly make him believe there was something between us. But if William was back in Chicago, there was a chance he would be there. A very small chance. But it was more than I'd had yesterday. "Jennifer?" The first time, I barely heard Elena. "Jennifer!" I blinked and turned to her. The amusement had vanished from her face and been replaced by concern. "Are you okay? You've been staring at your coffee for almost a minute." "I'm fine," I said quickly. Then, against my will, a smile slowly appeared on my lips. "Actually, I'm better than fine." Elena immediately narrowed her eyes. "Jennifer Morrison, what are you planning?" "Nothing." I said it too fast, too sharply, and Elena knew it. Before she could question me further, I turned and hurried back to my office. "Jennifer!" she called after me. "I'll talk to you later, Elena!" The moment I reached my desk, I grabbed my phone. Dinner with your family sounds great. Send me the name of the restaurant and the time. I'll be there. For several seconds I stared at the message before finally pressing Send. Almost immediately I regretted it. What on earth was I doing? Wilson would definitely misread my intentions, and I was using his interest in me just to get closer to his brother. The guilt lasted about three minutes. Then my phone vibrated. Great. You don't need to drive yourself. I'll send you a driver. Only the best for my princess. I physically winced at that nickname. Princess. I had known the man for less than a week. But if I had to endure his ridiculous flirting for one evening to get the chance to see William again, I would survive it. The rest of the afternoon passed painfully slowly. By the time I finally returned home, I had changed my outfit three times before settling on a black halter-neck evening dress that hugged my body perfectly. My honey-colored curls fell softly over my shoulders, and I paired the dress with the most beautiful gold jewelry I owned, hoping it would make me look more confident than I actually felt. The Gates family was one of the most powerful families in Chicago. They were billionaires and moved in a world completely different from mine, and although I had built a respectable career as a corporate lawyer, I couldn't pretend that I moved through their circles with ease. Tonight, however, I had to make a good impression. Especially if William was going to be there. The doorbell rang before I could check my reflection for the fifth time. My ride had arrived. I grabbed my handbag and went downstairs, where a luxury car was already waiting in front of my building. The driver opened the door for me, and I sat down in the back seat, trying unsuccessfully throughout the entire ride to calm the nervous feeling tightening in my stomach. When the car finally stopped in front of one of Chicago's most exclusive restaurants, I took a deep breath and got out. The Velvet Fork. The moment I entered the restaurant, my eyes found Wilson. He stood near the entrance in a perfectly tailored black suit, and the confident grin on his face widened as soon as he saw me. He waved away an employee who was about to approach him and came over to me himself. "So you've finally decided to stop ignoring me." "I accepted a dinner invitation, Wilson. Don't start planning our wedding yet." He laughed as if I had said something especially cute. Without a word, he held out his hand to me. I hesitated before placing mine in it. Wilson raised my hand to his lips and pressed a warm kiss to the back of it. "You look beautiful." "Thank you." I let him lead me to the private table at the back of the restaurant, although my nervousness grew with every step. Two pairs of eyes immediately turned to me. Evelyn and Harrison Gates. The people who had built the Gates empire into what it was today. "Mom, Dad," Wilson said, pulling out a chair for me. "This is Jennifer Morrison. The woman I told you about." "It's a pleasure to meet you both," I said politely as I sat down. For several uncomfortable seconds they simply looked at me. Then Evelyn smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Jennifer. I must admit, Wilson only told us about you this evening." Harrison leaned back slightly in his chair. His expression was calm but hard to read. "Is there a particular reason why our son suddenly invited a woman he barely knows to a dinner with his family?" I glanced at Wilson. Had he told them what had happened between us? Before I could answer, his hand found mine under the table. "Jennifer and I are together." My eyes widened. "What?" Evelyn's face immediately brightened. "Oh, that's wonderful." "No, actually Wilson and I aren't-" A deep voice suddenly interrupted me. "Who exactly is together with Wilson?" Every muscle in my body froze. My heart stopped. I knew that voice. After seven years, I still knew that voice. Slowly I turned to see who it was. And there he stood. William Gates. The man who had pulled me out of the Chicago River. The man I had searched for for seven years. His gray eyes met mine, and for one breathless moment the whole world around us seemed to disappear. After all these years, I was finally seeing him again.

Chapter 3 "Who's dating Wilson here?" My heart slammed against my ribs. I knew that voice before I even turned around. It was unmistakable. I pulled my hand from Wilson's grip and looked up. There stood William Gates. His striking gray eyes met mine, and for a moment his expression changed, as if he were trying to work out where he had seen me before. I couldn't look away from him. William licked his lips, then turned to his mother and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. "Hi, Mum." He nodded to Harrison. "Dad." "The whole family is finally together again," Evelyn said warmly and took a sip of her wine. "It's lovely to have both my sons back home." "Anything for you, Mum," William replied. He sat down right next to me. His gaze wandered to me again. "So you're Wilson's girlfriend? That's hard for me to believe." Wilson's grip on my hand had tightened earlier. The animosity between the brothers crackled palpably in the air. I quickly pulled away and gave him an awkward smile. "As I was trying to say earlier: Wilson and I are not a couple." "Aww, and I was hoping someone had finally tamed him," Evelyn murmured. "We're just friends," I clarified, eager to put some distance between us. "Good friends," Wilson added with a wink that turned my stomach. William leaned closer, his head tilted in confusion. "Have we met before? I swear I know your face." "Uh, maybe..." "You've been abroad for years," Wilson cut in. "I doubt you've met her." The urge to slap Wilson right in the face rose quickly in me. I held back. Starting a fight with one of the Gates heirs would only end badly. Instead I stayed silent while the brothers bickered like rivals. "Coming from the man who lied and claimed she was his girlfriend," William shot back. "Why would anyone trust the word of a known playboy?" "At least the ladies enjoy my company," Wilson retorted with a wicked smile. "You, on the other hand, make the public wonder whether you're gay or impotent. Maybe even both." "What did you just say?" A hand slammed onto the table. Evelyn's calm composure vanished instantly and gave way to pure hardness. She smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "We are in public," she warned in a low, dangerous voice. "If I have to endure another scandal because you two can't behave, you will both regret it." Harrison looked at her with obvious pride before turning to his sons. "Listen to your mother." The one-liner had its effect. Both brothers straightened their shoulders and fell silent. "I'm so sorry, dear," Evelyn said, turning to me with a softer expression. "The two of them have always been like this. I hope they're not embarrassing you." "Not at all, ma'am," I answered, still a little intimidated by her authority. Dinner went on. The conversation shifted to business and family matters. I laughed in the right places, but my eyes kept drifting back to William. He was everything I remembered, and more. The real reason I had come tonight. It stayed surprisingly civilized until Wilson refilled my wine glass and rested his arm on the back of my chair. Out of the corner of my eye I saw William's jaw tighten. "So, Jennifer," William said, smoothly cutting into what Evelyn had been saying. "How exactly did you and Wilson meet?" "In a hotel bar," Wilson answered before I could say anything. "She approached me, to be precise." "I did not approach you," I said dryly. "You absolutely did. Not that I minded." Wilson flirted openly. "Wilson," William warned. "What? I'm only telling the truth." "That's enough," Harrison said quietly. Silence fell over the table again. The calm lasted only a moment. William and I reached for the bread basket at the same time. Our hands brushed. We froze. When he didn't pull his hand back right away, heat shot through me. I pulled mine back first and stared at my plate. "You know, I'm absolutely certain I've met you before," William began again, refusing to let it rest. "You really haven't," I insisted. I wanted to tell him the truth, but not here in front of everyone. "You deny it so stubbornly, as if you had something to hide." "Because I'm sure," I replied as annoyance rose in me. "Funny," he said, tilting his head. "That sounds an awful lot like someone protecting a secret." Wilson set his glass down harder than necessary. "Drop it, William. Not everyone needs to be interrogated by you." "I wasn't talking to you." "That doesn't matter. She came here with me," Wilson said, raising his voice. "She just told everyone she's not with you," William shot back. "So what exactly is your point?" "My point is that you've been back in town for five minutes and you're already trying to take what isn't yours." The table turned ice cold. The tension around us became tangible. "Wilson," Evelyn whispered, but he had already gone too far. "I've done nothing tonight but have a conversation," William replied, his jaw tense. "You've been staring at her since you sat down." "I was trying to figure out where I know her from." "You don't know her. She belongs to me." That was the last straw. I slapped my napkin onto the table. "I told you I don't belong to you!" All eyes turned to me. The bickering, the looks, the possessiveness: it was simply too much. It reminded me too much of my own parents' fights. I couldn't stay here a moment longer. "Excuse me, please," I whispered. I pushed my chair back. "Jennifer..." Wilson began, but I ignored him. I turned to Evelyn and Harrison. "Thank you very much for the invitation. Dinner was delicious, but I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow." Evelyn gave me a look of quiet sympathy and nodded. I grabbed my handbag and strode out from behind the partition, through the elegant restaurant and straight out into the cool Chicago night. At last I exhaled deeply. I hailed a taxi, slid inside, and stared out the window as the city lights drifted past. This evening had absolutely not gone as planned. I had come hoping to reconnect with William. Instead I had stumbled into the middle of a bittersweet rivalry between the brothers, and now both of them seemed fixated on me. My phone buzzed in my bag. I took it out. Two new messages were waiting for me. One from Wilson. One from William. The war I had never asked for had already begun