Trading Places: The Billionaire Swap, #2

By Sierra Rose

This is book 2. 

Claire isn't very happy when she learns about the twin swap. Hurt and upset, she tells Evan to leave. It was always hard for her to trust a man. She gave Evan her heart and all her trust which he shattered into a million pieces. Can Evan win back her love?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dark Shadows Publishing
• Release date: Apr 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386214007

Book preview

Chapter 1

CLAIRE LOOKED AT HIM. At the man who already knew her better than anyone else in such a short amount of time. The man who had made her believe in fairy tales and happy endings again. The man who had carried her because her feet hurt and who’d made love to her under the clear sky out at Diablo Lake. She felt like he was a stranger. He had her heart and at the same time, he was completely alien to her. It sickened her. She wanted to double over, arms around her stomach as if to protect herself from a blow.

This is why she protected her heart at all costs. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get over this kind of hurt.

It hurt so damn bad. Her heart was aching from this betrayal she felt. It was hard to look at him, to know that everything between them was a lie. She tried to hold back the tears. She didn’t want him to see her crying. It’d just make her feel weak and defeated. So it was best to try to remain strong and not break down. It’s obvious that he didn’t care about hurting her and breaking her heart. She could never trust him, and she hated that. He had proven to her without a doubt that he was untrustworthy.

She had known his past. She knew who she was hopping in bed with. Did she think she could change him? You can’t change a man like that. But he seemed so damn sincere, so damn sweet. She was sure it wasn’t an act. She could tell by the way he looked into her eyes, by the way he made love to her like she was his entire universe.

A tear slid down her cheek. She couldn’t hold it back no matter how hard she tried. Emotion just took over as her heart bled on the floor. 

I’m not the man you think I am, he said.

Probably not. Because no one could be as perfect as you turned out to be. I should’ve listened to my first instinct and avoided you, but, no. You were gorgeous and seductive, and so I went home with you, and then time after time I let you get closer until I couldn’t imagine a life without you. So why the fuck wouldn’t you turn out to be married or a felon or a damn spy? Because that is exactly my luck, that’s why.

What secrets was he hiding from her?

Then who are you? she managed to whisper. She couldn’t get her voice any louder.

The sadness in his voice was so heavy. Who do you think I am?

She wiped the tear from her cheek. You’re obviously a man in trouble; a man in the witness protection program.

He shook his head. No.

She let out a trembling sigh. She was sure that had to be the reason. But it wasn’t. She pondered some more. An FBI agent deep undercover? Who’s probably married?

No.

Her mind was boggled. What other answer could there possibly be? Then who the fuck are you?

She didn’t mean for it to come out so blunt, so cold, but she was out of patience and her frustration took over. She was distraught and felt helpless. Still...she could be a little nicer.

My name is Evan Banner. I’m a corporate executive from New York.

Not a construction worker?

I’m afraid not.

Why are you pretending to be a construction worker? And why are you pretending to be Jason? Because I know Jason is a real person. I researched him in depth. And why do you look like him? I mean you look exactly like him! None of this makes any sense. I’m so confused.

Jason Lance is my twin brother. He paused and looked at her as if he expected fire to shoot from her eyes.

Her jaw dropped. You’re a twin? Jason’s twin brother?

Yes.

No wonder you look just like him!

We’re identical twins.

She took a moment to let the info sink in. Jason had a twin? What the hell? She never knew that! And she had done a ton of research on Jason Lance. A brother never showed up. As far as she knew he had no siblings. How could she have missed that?

Chapter 2

HOW COME A BROTHER never showed up in my search? she asked.

Because it wasn’t public knowledge. I just recently found out myself. And we switched identities.

They swapped lives? Like some kind of Lifetime or Hallmark movie? Why would two adults swap lives? Why? For possibly what reason? She was puzzled.

Oh. Nice. A twin swap....and a fake name. I’ve been given fake phone numbers in a club before but this is worse, I think. I mean, I knew when I went home with you the other night that I was basically having a one-night stand with a guy I barely knew, but I took for granted that you gave me your real name. Her voice sounded rueful, worldly, not quite as small and insignificant as she felt just now.

I took a vacation. I came out to Seattle to meet my twin brother. We were adopted as infants, and we just met a few weeks ago.

She glanced around suspiciously. Wait. Am I on some hidden life swap game show?

No.

So you thought it would be, what? Fun? To pretend you’re him? she said coldly. Act wild and crazy, and sow your wild oats? How did you even think up this crazy idea?

It was his idea. He’s wild and crazy, and I’m more on the serious side, a workaholic. He thought it would be like a vacation for me. That I could chill out here and enjoy life, that work wouldn’t be able to track me down here. He was confident that if I spent two weeks here, that I would see the benefit in rest and relaxation, and try to incorporate that into my busy, hectic life.

She tried to keep her voice steady but it was hard. This was such an emotional blow. This isn’t like you guys swapped so he could take a test for you. You guys actually swapped lives!

He sighed. We both hated our lives and wanted to see what it was like to live a different life for two weeks. I didn’t think anybody would get hurt. I thought it was innocent. I was just supposed to enjoy life instead of working so much. Go bike riding, go for a walk, enjoy the Seattle views, sleep in, read a book.

You could’ve just said Jason went on vacation, and that you were his twin brother who was house sitting.

And would you have believed that if I had answered the door and told you that?

She sighed. No. I would’ve thought you were Jason. And that you were too much of a chicken shit to admit your true identity. Especially when no twin brother is on public record.

Exactly. You and that husband wouldn’t have believed me.

We wouldn’t have. She sighed. It was him I took the video of, right?

Yes.

So you took a beating for your brother?

He shook his head yes.

So loyal to your twin. Now it makes sense. You felt bad for the guy who punched you. So it’s why you paid his bail and didn’t press charges?

Yes. The first time I saw you was when you came to the apartment to keep Mr. Hampton from beating me to a pulp. I had just come to stay in Jason’s apartment, and he’d gone East to take a vacation as well.

As you. As Ethan.

Evan.

Gee, sorry, you changed your fucking name so much that I’m having trouble keeping it straight, she snapped to cover the catch in her voice.

I came out here to see what he was like, what his life was like. I assumed since we were twins, that we were a lot more alike than we were different. Despite the fact that I had a lot of advantages he didn’t.

The Latin. The French. And the vocabulary, and all the—the rich boy stuff where you slipped up.

Right. I knew you were suspicious and I didn’t try to hide it as well as I could because, well, I wanted you to know the real me. I didn’t come out here to impose on people and pretend to be someone I’m not. I swear to you that wasn’t the plan. I wasn’t supposed to meet a girlfriend. I wanted to try living a simpler life. He wanted to try living an easier one where money wasn’t a problem. I felt like I owed him that, for one thing, but I also, really desperately wanted there to be a kinship, some kind of brotherly secret between us. When he suggested—no, when I agreed to, because this isn’t his fault, it’s mine.

You weren’t looking for love?

Like I said, when I agreed to swap lives, I wasn’t looking to complicate his life, and I wasn’t looking for a relationship. Dating was last on my list. If I’d ever dreamed you were out there, that there was a Claire someplace in Seattle for me, I swear I wouldn’t have come for you as a construction worker whose electricity had been turned off. I’d have been bringing you roses and diamonds and taking you to dance at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower. I would have given you everything in the world but especially the truth! he broke off, dropped his head onto her knee. There’s never been anyone like you, nothing like this for me. Ever. And I hate myself for this stupid stunt I pulled and how I lied to you about my name and my job.

Winston is not even yours. She sighed. It’s why he growled at you when I first met you. He didn’t know you from Adam.

No, Winston isn’t my dog. But I wish he was. I wish—I wish I had Jason’s life, if that’s who you want. I wish I had told you the truth, but the truth is, I would never have met you if not for this switch. If he hadn’t slept with Mrs. Hampton, and you hadn’t tried to protect him from your client, I wouldn’t have met you and danced with you, and brought you home. So I regret the lying, but I don’t regret doing all of it because that’s how I found you.

Well, that makes one of us. Because I regret it all to hell, she said, pushing his head off her lap. And I don’t believe in fate!

Please, Claire. Hate me, hit me, whatever you have to do, but you have to forgive me. Just let me be with you, he said. I’ll do anything. Because I can’t bear a day without you in it.

Anything? There isn’t anything you can do to fix this. Don’t you see that? I bought your stupid lies and dropped my panties for you, and now I’m an idiot who screwed some stranger— she broke off with a sob. She couldn’t believe he’d done this to her. She blinked back tears furiously. But