One & Only You

  NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

  TABATHA VARGO

  & SENNA DANIELS

  ONE & ONLY YOU

  Copyright © 2019 by Tabatha Vargo/Senna Daniels

  All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America.

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events or real people used are fictitious. Other names, characters, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  One & Only You/ Tabatha Vargo/Senna Daniels

  Cover Art by Perfect Pear Creative Covers

  Editing Services Provided by Editing4Indies

  I’m walking down the aisle toward the man I’ve loved almost all my life. He’s wearing a black tux and a sexy grin. His sable eyes devour me, making promises of a honeymoon I’ll never forget.

  Everything is beautiful. It’s the moment I’ve always dreamed of. It’s almost perfect, except Wyatt James isn’t my groom, and this isn’t my wedding.

  It’s my identical twin sister’s.

  We’ve been switching places all of our lives, but I never thought she’d take it this far. And once I say I do, there’s no going back.

  “There are two things in life for which we are never truly prepared: twins.”

  ― Josh Billings

  ~For Stephanie.

  You know why.

  Thank you.

  1

  ADDISON BANKS

  “I, Wyatt Alexander James, take you, Allison Leigh Banks, to be my wedded wife …”

  I was going to be sick. Either that or I was going to faint right there in front of Wyatt and the pastor. In front of everyone, nearly every person I had ever known in my entire life, assembled in St. Matthew’s Church in what was being called the wedding of the year.

  Hundreds of people sat in the pews with their eyes locked on Wyatt and me in rapt fascination as we exchanged our vows. Everyone was engrossed in the wedding of Allison Banks and Wyatt James.

  The problem was, I wasn’t Allison Banks.

  I was the bride’s identical twin sister, Addison Banks, or Addy as my family liked to call me, and I was completely insane for going along with such a ridiculous scheme.

  I wasn’t my brazen and ballsy sister, Allison. I was me, the shyest person in the free world, and I was seconds away from losing my breakfast. Right there at the altar of the statuesque, historic church, I was going to blow chunks in front of the world.

  My mind shifted back to the moment I had agreed to the deception, and again, my stomach roiled with nausea.

  “Switch places with me, Addy?”

  “What? Are you crazy?”

  “No. I’m being serious. I can’t marry Wyatt.”

  “You’re just nervous, Allison. It’s normal to be nervous on your wedding day.”

  She rolled her eyes. “When have you ever known me to be nervous about anything? I’m not doing it.”

  “But you have to. What about Dad?”

  She tossed her hands in the air, aggravation clear in her perfectly mascaraed eyes. “Why is it up to me to save him? Why can’t you do it?”

  My mouth popped open, and my heart hurt for our father. “Maybe because Wyatt asked you to marry him?”

  “I can’t do this, Addy,” she repeated. “I’m in love with someone else.”

  I couldn’t believe she was saying these things to me now. At the church. On the day of her wedding.

  “You’re not serious?”

  She nodded. “I am. It’s not fair. I want to be with the man I love.”

  “But, Allison, what about Dad’s care? We can’t afford it without Wyatt.”

  She moved closer and grabbed my wrists. Her nails dug into my skin, and I hissed and tugged them away.

  “Then you do it. Switch places with me and marry Wyatt.”

  So there I was. Doing precisely what Allison wanted me to do.

  I fixed my eyes on the peekaboo pearl-dotted heels Allison had chosen for her wedding. They were a bit big on my feet, and I could barely walk in them, considering I was more of a comfortable flats kind of girl.

  Beyond the shoes I was wearing were the intricate swirls of the marble flooring beneath my feet. The swirls of blue and gray marble were blurry since I was going without my glasses. Allison had said it was okay for me to wear them with my bridesmaid dress, but I was no longer a bridesmaid, I was the bride. If people knew one thing about Allison, it was that she wouldn’t have been caught dead wearing glasses.

  I blinked away the blur to keep myself from getting even dizzier. A few fluffs of dust swam in the candlelight and the afternoon light flowing through the stained-glass windows of the church in shades of blues and reds. And the overly sweet scents of the blood red rose bushes mixed with baby’s breath assaulted my senses, adding to my nausea.

  I swallowed, my throat dry and scratchy. A dribble of nervous sweat slid between my shoulders, making me long to reach behind me and scratch my bare back.

  I should have been a bridesmaid tucked away on the side, blending in with the other bridesmaids. Instead, I was standing here with Wyatt in front of a pre-lit arch wrapped in silvery deco mesh and even more roses.

  I was lying in the house of the Lord. I could practically feel his disapproving glare upon me. Just thinking it sped up my heart rate, and I sucked in a loud gasp of air as panic shook me.

  Calm.

  I needed to stay calm.

  But how was that even possible when I was playing a part in the biggest deception ever?

  Even then, after minutes in front of the crowd, I was still expecting someone to call bullshit on our façade, but no one said anything. It seemed things were going off without a problem. Just as Allison had predicted, the guests and our families were seeing exactly what they wanted to see, accepting me as Allison when I’d presented myself in my sister’s expensive wedding gown. No one questioned our identity, not even our mother.

  Then again, who in their right mind would think twins would swap places and finagle someone into marrying the wrong person?

  My hand trembled in Wyatt’s, his hold firm and warm against my icy skin. I had barely looked at him. I couldn’t look up at him because I was sure the look on my face would give me away — no doubt about it.

  I was too nervous to see his face, but I was aware of him as he towered in front of me. Dark and beautiful, powerful and utterly stunning in his black tux. I didn’t need my glasses to know he looked beyond amazing.

  His grasp tightened, and my fingers shook.

  Did he suspect?

  Oh, my God. What if he did?

  Would he say something right here in front of everyone?

  Or would he wait until we were alone and demand we have the marriage annulled?

  Either way, how would I explain the situation?

  I had sworn many years before that I would never trade places with Allison again. It always created unnecessary problems for me. Nothing ever fell back on Allison, which was why she was always willing to swap for me to take a test for her or do some other terrible thing she didn’t want to go through with, but this … this was different. This was a huge commitment. A life-changing event that could potentially ruin many lives.

  Again, my fingers shook at the thought of us getting caught.

  “Are you okay?” Wyatt whispered for my ears only.

  His deep voice soothed me and sent chills down my spine the way it always had. He always had that effect on me.

  I nodded and braved a smile at him.

  Allison had reneged on her engagement, an action that showed how genuinely selfish she was. But while she could only focus on herself and her happiness, I knew there was a much bigger reason for her to marry Wyatt.

  His money and our father.

  I turned my attention to the front pew where my mother and father sat and reminded myself why I had allowed Allison to put me in such a deceitful position. Just thinking about it made my stomach lurch once again.

  Looking down at my dad as he sat—fragile and broken as cancer wrecked his body at that very moment—I knew I had to set my insecurities aside and do what mattered.

  Unlike the man in front of me, my family wasn’t well off. We had nearly lost our home to the doctor bills. Wyatt and his family were wealthy, so Allison was all for marrying him when he had asked.

  That was six months ago, and not surprisingly, she had met and fallen in love with a new guy since then. My sister fell in love as often as most people changed their undies. But this time was different. There was no walking away from a wedding that had cost tens of thousands or a booked honeymoon to Bora Bora. But most importantly, there was no walking away from the shared checking account that possibly housed the money that would pay for our father’s treatments.

  That might not have meant much to Allison, but it did to me. Our father was everything to me. He was the only person in the world who treated me as Allison’s equal, and I couldn’t bear the thought of losing him.

  It was such a screwed-up situation. But I would do anything for my father.

  The fact was, I was marrying a man for the wrong reasons, and I was doing so as my twin, but I was also marrying the man I had been in love with since I was a little girl. I knew the first time I laid eyes on him he was all I would ever want,
and I had continued to love him, aching and unrequited, even after I found out he and my sister were dating.

  I had spent that day crying in my room, sure my heart was breaking inside my chest, but I had pulled through and smiled happily for my sister, even knowing she didn’t deserve him.

  I loved Wyatt.

  I would have married him no matter what, but Allison was the one he had chosen, and Allison was supposed to marry him and ensure our father’s doctor bills would be covered, but that wasn’t the case.

  So here I was, marrying the man I loved for all the wrong reasons and sick to death knowing he was only marrying me because he thought I was my sister. My knees shook with weakness every time he said the name Allison because I wished it was my name he was making his vows to.

  Wyatt was everything my dreams were made of, and the wedding was beautiful. I hadn’t chosen the colors or the flowers, but it was gorgeous just the same. And with the exception of the black bridesmaid dresses instead of lavender and red roses instead of lilies, it was everything I ever dreamed it would be.

  The way he held my hand, caressing the top of my fingers with his thumb when I trembled. The way he looked at me as he said his vows.

  It was perfection.

  Almost.

  If it wasn’t for one massive detail.

  I wasn’t Allison.

  I was Addison.

  And even though I was standing in her place, wearing the wedding gown she had chosen, I knew I could never be Allison.

  She was brazen and bold—outspoken and flirty—a social butterfly who could bring any man to his knees. She had even managed to snag Wyatt, the most eligible bachelor in Huntsville.

  That wasn’t me at all.

  I was more likely to be caught with my glasses on hiding behind a book. I tended to stutter when I was nervous and was more like a caterpillar instead of a butterfly. Timidity ruled my life, and I had never been kissed, much less flirted with by men. I could never be as cavalier with my affections as my twin sister was.

  I knew for a fact Allison had already been with several men, excluding the love of my life, Wyatt. Why she had made him wait when she had given herself so freely to everyone else was beyond me, but I gave up trying to understand my sister years ago.

  The point was, I wasn’t as experienced as she was.

  I wasn’t experienced at all.

  Even thinking of touching a man or a man touching me made my nerves go into overdrive, which was why I had no idea what I was going to do when it was time to run away to Bora Bora for our honeymoon and consummate our marriage.

  What I was doing was beyond wrong, but I meant every word of my vows. Even if they were my sister’s words scribbled on the tiny piece of paper she had handed me, at least I could say I meant them, but it still hurt knowing what we had wasn’t real … at least not for him.

  It should have been the happiest moment of my life, but instead, my stomach tossed and turned as nausea washed over me. My hands trembled in his once again, and he rubbed the top of my slender fingers with his large thumb, soothing me.

  Everyone on the guest list stared up at us with dreamy eyes as they watched what they thought was a fairy-tale marriage, but what they didn’t know was that my sister, who was standing beside me as maid of honor and wearing my glasses, was the most selfish person on Earth.

  “The rings,” the pastor said.

  I turned to Allison for the simple gold band, and she had the nerve to smile at me.

  It was a blurry smile since I wasn’t wearing my glasses but still a smile just the same.

  The gold band was cold in my palm, and when I held Wyatt’s large hand to slide the ring onto his finger, I trembled even more.

  “With this r-r-ring, I thee w-w-wed,” I stuttered.

  Glancing up, I caught a glimmer of curious puzzlement in his eyes, and I immediately looked away.

  “Are you okay, Allison?” he whispered, holding my cold fingers in his warm grasp.

  Unable to speak again, I nodded and smiled as he placed a matching gold band on my finger.

  “With this ring, I thee wed.” Wyatt’s deep voice vibrated through me.

  As I looked up into his sable eyes, my nerves melted away a bit when he grinned down at me.

  I really did love him, and a part of me was excited to be able to spend time with him, but the logical side of me knew what Allison and I were doing was immoral. I felt sick knowing how I was deceiving him—knowing he hadn’t chosen me. Even though I was infatuated with him and had been for years, he would never have chosen me.

  Once we exchanged rings, I breathed deep, willing myself to remain calm.

  “Let us pray,” the pastor said, lifting his Bible.

  Legs shaking, I bowed my head and closed my eyes. I said my own tiny prayer and hoped God would forgive me for the deception I had agreed to. I was a weak person, weaker than my brave sister, but I was human, and I loved Wyatt and my father with all my heart and soul.

  How could it be so wrong when my words of devotion and love were spoken from the heart?

  The room rumbled with amen when the pastor finished.

  “You may kiss your bride.”

  My lungs seized, and the room around us went still. I barely had time to register what was happening before Wyatt was moving in to kiss me.

  How pathetic was I?

  Marrying a man I loved who didn’t love me.

  And receiving my very first kiss.

  His soft lips brushed against mine, and I sucked in a breath, feeling shivers roll down my spine. His warm breath mingled with mine, and I could almost taste all he was. Shock slammed into me, and my body shook when he pressed his mouth to mine.

  Time stood still at that moment. His lips devoured mine, and I felt my body go limp in his hold. It was everything I had ever dreamed of. The kiss was sheer perfection.

  Warm and smooth.

  Hard and tender.

  He pulled me closer to him, wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing his large, robust body against mine to kiss me harder and claim me as his own. A rushing rumble filled my ears as the blood in my veins quickened, moving through my body like a freight train. I opened a bit for him, allowing him to swoop in and have a taste of me as I relished in his flavor.

  It was over as quickly as it started, and I was left staring into a crowd of standing and cheering guests. Allison shoved the bouquet back into my arms, and I planted a broad smile on my face as Wyatt intertwined our fingers and pulled me down from the altar and along the aisle toward the back of the church.

  I tried to smile at the blurry mass of people as I passed, faint from his kiss and wracked with nerves, but it was hard when I felt sick with guilt. I clung to his hand and let him lead me away from the room full of people, hoping once I wasn’t the center of attention, I would start to feel a bit better.

  Once we cleared the church and were in the quiet hall that ran along the front, Wyatt pulled me to the side and cupped my cheek with his large, warm palm.

  “Are you sure you’re okay? You looked like you were about to faint in there.”

  I nodded, my throat feeling scratchy and thick.

  “I’m fine. Just n-n-nerves.”

  As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew they were a mistake.

  “Since when do you get nervous?” His brow arched, and his lips lifted in a slanted smile.

  Covering his hand with my own, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feel of his warm skin against my face. When I opened them, he was smiling down at me, his eyes illuminated with happiness, and I knew no matter what became of our situation, I would do everything in my power to be an excellent wife to him for as long as we were married.

  “Since I became Mrs. James,” I answered, trying to make light of the situation.

  “Oh, really? Being my wife makes you nervous?”

  He pulled me close, and my body melted into his. Being close to Wyatt was better than I ever imagined it would be.

  “No,” I answered truthfully.

  Being married to him didn’t make me nervous. What made me nervous was the thought of him finding out he had married the wrong twin.

  “How does being my wife make you feel?” he asked, fingering a perfectly curled strand of hair against my cheek.

  “It makes me feel like the luckiest woman in the entire world.”