Yasmin saw the end of each day as bittersweet. Since the weekend getaway with Dane, she’d spoken by phone, texted, or video chatted when she was unable to see him as part of her daily routine. The more time they shared, the more that she learned about him. Although he was a private person, she understood his reticence considering how public was his father’s life and how invasive the media could be against any boundaries he’d tried to maintain. But as the sun set and disappeared below the horizon, its exit marked the finality of another day moving her closer to the end of her trip.

Pulling out and departing matched the initial game plan because no accommodation had been made for falling in love. Hard to fathom when she’d never taken that wide leap to want someone more than anything short of water and air. She’d never cared to have a significant other. Now the possibility nudged at with its demand for attention.

She closed her laptop and stretched her arms. The final report on the private property economic outlook just hit her email inbox. After she got a bite to eat, she’d review the numbers. By early afternoon, she could pull in a few financial analysts from her company to break down the numbers. Until now, she hadn’t been sure how to proceed whether to link up with Bellaire, her choice over the offensive Mainard, or go it alone, but maybe she’d create a presentation of the scenarios for her brother and father to review. Winning them over was the priority.

As for Dane, she didn’t know how to extricate from a sticky situation. The very idea twisted her gut in knots. How on earth would she pull off? Removing herself from Dane’s life never guaranteed that the effort wouldn’t hurt. She had embedded into his personal life and she drew comfort in his space.

“Do you want me to grab lunch for you?” Sheera asked.

“Thanks. Then I could continue working.” Yasmin stared at the empty page for her proposal. All morning she had started the process of writing down ideas about how to make clear what she wanted on behalf of her father. So far nothing came to mind. Or rather, anything that did pop up, her doubts quickly zapped it out of the air with rebuttals.

Yasmin looked up and noticed Sheera texting. “Did you have plans?”

“I’m meeting your sister.”

“Then go ahead. Enjoy! We can catch up later.” Yasmin shooed her out of the suite. “I’ll get lunch. I need to get out of here and clear my head, anyway.”

Committed to getting her own lunch, Yasmin had to figure out where to go. Picking a direction, she walked until the right cuisine grabbed her.

The beautiful weather bathed her face and bare arms. She inhaled and let the essence of Monaco invade her system. She’d miss all of this because after inserting the Mariman brand, she wasn’t returning.

The determination made her heart hollow. A new and foreign sensation that she didn’t know how to cure. Hopefully, over time, she’d regain her balance. Then she’d never allow herself to fall into that pit again.

By the time she’d found the right spot for lunch, her wanderings had taken her near the pier to a favorite café that served fish tacos among the other delicious options. She entered the busy establishment and scanned the small indoor space for available seats. Everyone looked hunkered in with their meals. The few seats just in front of the restaurant were also occupied and she didn’t relish having the birds eyeing her food, as she ate.

“Hi, Yasmin … right?”

She nodded at the stranger with the vivid blue eyes.

“Damien.” He answered her curiosity with a smile. “Laurent.”

“Ah… Dane’s brother.”

He nodded. “I saw you enter. Took a minute for my brain to work.”

“How did you know it was me?”

“Dane told me about you. Internet did the rest.” He grinned with such warmth that Yasmin responded with a smile. “I’m with my fiancé, Anna. Would you like to join us?”

“Oh no, I was just going to get something and head right back.”

“Please, lunch shouldn’t be gobbled up. That’s not healthy.” He pointed toward the rear of the dining area. “I’m sure Anna would like to meet the woman who has Dane all a-flutter.”

Yasmin blushed at Damien’s misread of what was happening with his brother. The heated flush continued to sting her cheeks under his perceptive gaze.

He waved at his fiancé who answered his wave with a broad smile. “I promise you’ll be reenergized from hanging out with us.” This time he laughed hard at his own wit obviously not needing her or Anna to join him.

“Okay, lead the way.” Yasmin followed his expert winding through the tight room with its randomly placed cluster of tables.

She had to admit to being impressed with Damien’s kindness to include her in his lunch date. His reputation as the bad boy Laurent didn’t fit, at least not so far. His charm was definitely his asset. She could see how it might be used to sway friends and more so his enemies. Although he shared the same distinctive blue-eyed trait with Dane, she didn’t immediately spot any further resemblance. Dane’s face had a certain ruggedness, while Damien’s was more slender and gently sloped into a stunning handsome visage.

Damien’s height and length offered him a towering presence over most people in a room. While Dane had the healthy bulk of muscle and wasn’t fashion conscious, his older brother was a lean machine that dressed impeccably despite the casual look. Everything about him looked effortless. She wondered if Dane ever wore his hair a few inches longer if the natural waves would take hold of his hair like Damien’s.

“Anna, I was right. It was Yasmin,” Damien exclaimed in a booming voice before they were properly at the table.

“Pleasure to meet you.”

Yasmin shook her hand. Anna was sheer grace and charm.

“Likewise.”

Anna signaled a passing waiter. “One more with our party, please.”

The waiter nodded and quickly returned with an extra place setting.

Yasmin took the seat that Damien had pulled out for her. She felt embarrassed by their eager attention. “I only came for fish tacos.”

“So did we. Everyone raves about it on Facebook.” Anna patted her hand and the reassuring smile did manage to quell the nervous jitters in Yasmin’s stomach.

Once the additional order was given to the waiter, Damien turned his bright gaze on her. “Let me apologize in advance that your meal comes with a lot of questions. I’m kind of nosy.” He was obviously used to his smile knocking down any resistance.

“I can attest to his weakness.” Anna held up her hand. “Sorry.”

“Sure. You ask a few questions and I’ll get to ask a few questions.” Yasmin tried to sound self-assured. But Damien and Anna were so welcoming that her bravado couldn’t get traction against her doubts.

“Deal.” He grinned like an eager kid about to get his prize.

The line of questioning was delayed for the arrival of the tacos accompanied with a side of saffron rice. Delicious smelling strands of the tasty meal curled toward her nose activating a mouth-watering reaction. There was a joint moment of silence as they all enjoyed the first few bites of their meals.

“Didn’t realize I was so hungry,” Yasmin said after finally taking a pause between bites.

“It is good, isn’t it? I love coming here whenever I’m in Monaco.” Anna’s beauty radiated with an appealing freshness. No wonder the woman could add model to her list of accomplishments.

“You’re here often?” Yasmin wanted to hear the details about their long-distance relationship. Although there was no way that she and Dane would still see each other after she’d taken things to the next level, she wanted to hear someone else’s happy romantic story.

Anna responded, “For now, we’re going back and forth between Monaco and Italy. When we’ve decided on a wedding date, then we’ll have to figure out long-term logistics.”

“Not sweating any of the details. I can work from anywhere. And I’m supportive of Anna’s goals with her career.” Damien may have the air of indulgence, but clearly, he didn’t treat Anna like a toss away item.

“Sounds like both of you have it all figured out.”

“Yes, we do.” Anna reached over and held Damien’s hand. She adored him and he did the same with her.

“You might make me a believer,” she said, cringing at the wistful note. “Took some doing on my part to get my head in the right place.” Damien wore his sheepishness with the same charm.

“He can’t take all the credit. I did my part to almost wrecking it all.” A look of regret dimmed Anna’s exuberance.

“But at the end, it worked.” Yasmin didn’t want the mood to descend into memories of hurt and pain.

“And since I’m a convert to romance and all its goodness, I want the same for Dallon when he’s ready.” Damien paused and the charming smile disappeared for a few seconds as a frown worried his forehead. “You see, Dallon’s girlfriend died not long ago. An illness snatched her away too early.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. What a loss.” Yasmin only had the car ride from the nightclub to the hotel in Dallon’s company. But from the short time together, he seemed like a genuinely nice man.

“He’s slowly recovering. Some days are better than others, I suspect.” Suddenly Damien took her hand and clasped it warmly between his. “And then there’s Dane. If I read you both correctly and I am astute in matters of the heart—”

Anna snorted, but a small smile hovered into view.

“Ignore the peanut gallery. As I was saying, my gut for these things suspects that you both have found the right person in each other.” He released her hand and sat back. “Don’t let his aversion to his emotions scare you off. There’s a heart under that muscle-bound physique.”

“Not that I’m calling doubt to your diagnosis, but we’re strictly on the ground floor of the friendship level. Since I’ll be leaving Monaco soon for the next adventure, the current logistics to our friendship works.” She stopped talking afraid that she’d make quite a defensive speech that wouldn’t convince Damien. It damn well didn’t sway her.

“I have to echo Damien’s take. I’ve never seen Dane so happy. The man could be a little intense.” Anna wiggled her eyebrows. “Lately, he’s been all smiles. Not only does he look relax, but he also has this buoyant air about him that he rarely shows.” She looked over at Damien for his confirming nod.

“Laurent Holdings is his baby. It’s our father’s business, but Dane nurtures it like it’s his. Frankly, he needs a distraction, someone to jolt him back to the reality that there is more to life than planning world domination,” Damien explained.

Yasmin remembered how Dane talked about Laurent Holdings when they’d first met and how he did have a protective attitude about the business. His thoughts constantly centered around building the brand, making his splash on its history. No doubt when she made her move, he’d protect his company as if preparing for war. Her gut tightened under the stress

Damien continued, “Then you arrived … out of the blue. And within days, he had shifted lanes. Not sure what prompted his change of heart, but I do know that it was around the time of your arrival. When he does talk about you, he looks like a man whose life has shown him great blessings.”

“You’re giving me too much credit.” Yasmin knew better than to fall for their flattery.

“I agree with Damien.” Anna grinned. “Dane may try to be all coy when we ask about you. But when we manage to pry a few sentences from him, I can tell that he’s smitten.”

Yasmin worked hard to diminish any reaction. The only way to ensure that the conversation went no further was to bring the chat to a close.

“Thank you so much for sharing your lunch time with me. Looks like I have to get back to work.” She stood and adjusted her pocket book over her arm.

“I hope we didn’t run you off.” Dane stood with her, but she waved him down.

“Not at all. Have a meeting.” Yasmin offered her hand to Anna. “Nice meeting you.”

“I hope we do get to see each other again.” Anna hugged her with such warmth that Yasmin’s despair deepened.

“I know what.” Damien clapped his hands together. “Why don’t we have them over for dinner? We’ll play cards. Make it a small party.”

“That sounds like the right thing.” Anna also joined in with the celebratory clapping of hands.

Oh no. “Sure … maybe.” Yasmin hurried off before they came up with any other ideas that made her tummy churn with dread of her future betrayal.

On the way back to her suite, she faced the decision that she couldn’t go through with her plan.

Although there was no future with Dane, there was no reason to rip apart what he’d worked so hard to build—Laurent Holdings. Falling in love had a way of shaking up the status quo of her need for revenge. The hunger for retribution had burned and now diminished to a speck.

Her phone rang. It was her father. Immediately her pulse ticked up. For a second, she toyed with the decision not to answer. The more it rang, the more she felt compelled to answer. He rarely called her directly and avoiding him was never a good idea.

“Hello, papa.”

“Where on earth are you?” Her father’s question shot out with the force of a demand.

“Monaco.”

“That’s what the vice president of your business unit said and I basically called him a liar. You see, I couldn’t recall any discussion where you were going to Monaco for business purposes.” It was quite possible that he’d just growled. “No discussion at all,” he reiterated.

“It was a last-minute decision.”

“Why? We have no interest in Monaco,” he declared with no room for her rebuttal.

Yasmin had to survive her father’s irritability. The only way to earn his respect was not to show fear. She responded matter-of-factly, “Short of politics, I figured anywhere in this world is fair game for new business when the opportunities arrive at our doorstep.”

“We have a three-year game plan. We have a five-year game plan. Monaco isn’t on those lists. And you don’t make decisions without your brothers’ approval and especially without my knowledge.”

“Before you judge maybe you should wait for my report.” The possibility of impressing her father with her proposal gradually quelled the impulse to pack up and surrender to her romantic emotions.

Silence hung heavily.

“Fine. You can deliver it tonight.”

“I’m returning in a week.” She’d no idea when she indeed would return. The final date to pull the plug on this had been a floating idea that she didn’t want to nail down. Now her father forced her hand.

“Dear daughter, your report won’t be delayed any longer than tonight after I’ve arrived.”

“You’re coming to Monaco?” Her voice hit a high-pitched squeak. Please let it be that she’d not heard correctly.

“See you in a few hours.” Her father ended the call.

Yasmin took the phone from her ear and stared at the instrument. Maybe he’d call again and wait for her return home. Already the recent lunch soured in her belly. The memory of the pleasantries exchanged with Damien and Anna felt so long ago.

With her father’s ire at the pressure point, her world stood at the brink of spinning out of control. With all her planning and versions of how things would play out, this scenario with her father facing her down wasn’t one where she’d a created solution.

When it came to her father, he wasn’t the man to present him with weak excuses. What was she willing to lose? What was important?

By the time Yasmin entered the hotel suite, she was more frazzled. This showdown with her father couldn’t be a one-person preparation. She called her assistant and her sister. Time to spill the real reason to them for the visit to Monaco.

After they yelled at her, and they were bound to do so, it would be time to unite for a sturdy defense. She still had belief in what she was doing. Her father deserved the opportunity to reclaim what was rightfully his.

But deep down she knew that in the fallout, she’d destroy any chance with Dane not even at the friendship level.