Privacy sounded fantastic to me, but I couldn’t bear the tormented look on Lucas’s face at the doctor’s request. I’d pulled the rug out from under him with my announcement, and it wouldn’t be fair of me to make him wait in another room so soon afterward.
“It’s okay,” I sighed. “He can stay.”
“If you’re sure?” Dr. Morgan’s tone was doubtful, but I appreciated him giving me another out if I wanted to take it. Lucas didn’t welcome it, though.
“You heard Jade,” he growled, prowling over to me, taking my hand in his and squeezing tightly.
Lucas turned towards me as soon as we heard the sound of the front door closing. “The baby’s mine?”
I wanted to scream and cry at the very thought of him suspecting it was someone else’s, but I couldn’t blame him for the question. It wasn’t even an accusation, he was merely asking for confirmation of what I had hinted to when the doctor was present. “Yes.”
His gaze dropped to my stomach and I swore I saw triumph in his eyes, which made no sense at all considering his opinion of me. “Okay, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In a way, you being pregnant simplifies things,” he mumbled to himself, pacing the length of the room.
“How is my pregnancy simple?”
Instead of answering, he shocked me speechless by striding over to me and lifting me up in his arms. He swiftly made his way through the house, up the stairs and into his bedroom, placing me gently on the mattress. Then he quickly stripped out of his clothes, only leaving his boxers, and climbed in next to me.
I was about to object, my lips ready to form the words, when he stopped to place a soft kiss on my belly. The gesture was so darn sweet, I all but melted into the mattress. By the time he settled himself on the pillows with me in his arms, I was a strange combination of an emotional mess and a beyond horny as heck woman.
“Your pregnancy means I don’t need to fight this thing between us anymore.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, considering we’d spent a grand total of five days together over the last six weeks and had slept together all but one of those days—today. Based on the fact that I was lying on his bed next to him in only his boxers, it was pretty safe to assume we were about to keep the streak alive. “I think your definition of fighting our chemistry and mine are very different. And I don’t understand why you’ve felt the need in the first place.”
His arms tightened around me. “The circumstances surrounding our first meeting were suspicious.”
“An artist meeting a gallery owner in their place of business is not suspicious.”
“It is if she looks like you and agrees to spend the weekend in a hotel with me without so much as a single word in protest.”
“You’re the one who suggested it,” I grumbled. “What did you want me to do? Say no?”
His eyes lit with humor. “I’m not sure it would have mattered if you’d said no. I would have just found a way to get you to say yes at some point.”
“So you don’t still think I tried to sleep my way into a show at your gallery?” I asked, placing a finger over his lips while I hurried to finish what I wanted to say. “A show I didn’t need any help in getting all by myself at another well-respected gallery, mind you. My art stands on its own, and even if it didn’t, I’m not about to prostitute myself to anyone for anything.”
He jolted, his eyes lighting with a possessive gleam, as though I’d just issued a challenge. “Damn straight you’re not. Nobody gets to touch you but me.”
“Am I to presume this means you won’t go around assuming I’m giving some poor, unsuspecting guy a blow job if I need to puke and his trash can is the conveniently nearby?”
He ducked his head and I swore I saw a sweep of red tinting his cheeks. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled.
“Could you repeat that? I’m pretty sure I didn’t hear you right,” I teased.
“I’m sorry,” he repeated more firmly this time, his head jerking up so he stared directly into my eyes. “I should have let you explain before storming out of the hotel room six weeks ago, and I shouldn’t have accused you of what I did in the lawyer’s office.”
Holy heck, he’d apologized. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t jerk his chain a little more. “How do I know you don’t think I’m just a call-girl for your exclusive use?”
“Because the only payment you’ve taken is all the orgasms I’ve given you.” His hand drifted down to my belly. “And my baby.” Then he went about showing me exactly how he’d give me those orgasms, stripping my clothes from my body and taking the time to cup each of my breasts, rolling the nipples between his fingertips. He trailed kisses down my chest until he reached my breasts. His tongue flicked against one of my nipples before he sucked it into his mouth. Releasing it with a loud pop, he switched his attention to the other side.
“Lucas,” I whimpered. My breasts had always been sensitive, but they were even more so now. I felt the pull of his mouth on my nipple all the way down in my pussy.
“What, sweetheart?” he purred.
“I need to come.”
“I’m going to make you come, Jade. Have patience and know I’ll get you there,” he promised before moving lower and nipping lightly at the skin on my belly. My hips jerked in response, my pussy bumped against his hard length. I felt the heat of his skin through the fabric of his boxers and moaned in need.
Lucas gripped my thighs, holding them open as he bent over my pussy. His breath was hot against my core, his tongue flicking against my clit and dipping lower to slide inside.
“Tastes so damn good,” he murmured against my damp flesh before he started to fuck me with his tongue. One of his hands slid up my thigh and across my belly, moving down again to play with my clit. After a few flicks of his finger, he pinched it and I went off like a rocket. I shuddered beneath him while he licked me through my orgasm.
“Holy crap,” I whispered when I managed to stop panting and was able to speak.
I watched, entranced by the sight of his muscles bunching when Lucas levered up to shove his boxers down. His cock sprang free, long and hard, before he settled himself between my legs.
“I need you, sweetheart, but I’ll try to be as gentle as I can.”
I reached up to rest my palm on his cheek. “Take me however you want, Lucas. You’re not going to hurt the baby.”
My permission seemed to snap the last of his control. He slammed his cock into me with a hard thrust. I was swollen from my climax and my pussy clenched around him as he pulled back out to dive in again.
“Always so damn good,” he groaned.
“The best,” I agreed.
His eyes heated at my words and he pounded into me harder and faster. “Come for me again, Jade. I don’t think I can hold on much longer. Your pussy feels too perfect wrapped around my cock.”
I circled my legs around his waist as he continued to hammer into me. It only took a couple more thrusts before I went over the edge again, taking him with me.
“Damn, Jade,” he muttered. “That was fucking amazing. I don’t know how the hell we’re going to hide what’s between us when all I want to do is take you like this every time I’m near you.”
“Hide?” I repeated, hoping I misunderstood what he’d said because my heart was still pounding loudly.
“We can’t tell anyone,” he replied, his tone matter-of-fact, as though what he was saying was obvious to anyone with a brain.
Say what now? “What do you mean, we can’t tell anyone? Who the heck do you think I’m going to tell? The newspapers? Because I’m not! The only person I want to talk to right now is my best friend, and she sure as heck isn’t going to go blabbing to anyone about my pregnancy.”
“I’m not accusing you of anything, sweetheart.”
“Not yet, anyway,” I muttered, thinking about how quickly he’d turned on me back at the hotel when he assumed I’d been using him to move up in the art world.
“It’s complicated, Jade,” he sighed. “There’s the
company to consider. I need time to finagle some things before anyone can know about us. The board is quite conservative. I’m confident they wouldn’t appreciate the possible scandal associated with their new CEO getting his step-sister pregnant.”
I nodded my head like I understood and offered him a little tilt of my lips which I hoped resembled a smile. Then I yawned widely and rolled away from him, waiting until he couldn’t see my face to allow my tears to stream down my cheeks and onto the pillow. Pregnant and unmarried I could handle. The baby and I being his dirty little secret? Not so much.
Chapter 8
Lucas
I’d fucked Jade hard after she’d already been sick and exhausted all day, so when she turned over, I let her get some sleep. I smoothed a hand down over her silky blonde hair and traced circles on her naked back as I ran scenarios in my head. I needed to move up the timetable and get a new board in place as quickly as possible. I intended to marry Jade in the next couple of weeks, but we’d have to keep it quiet. Something I wasn’t at all happy about, but it was necessary for the moment. However, when my baby was born, both he or she and their mother were going to have my name. And, hiding it from the paparazzi would be near impossible with both Jade’s and my name on the birth certificate.
I sighed in frustration, my feet itching to pace. Checking Jade’s breathing, the soft, even rhythm told me she was sleeping peacefully, so I slipped out of bed. As quietly as possible, I dressed and went down to my office. I didn’t do well with chaos, I never had. Plans, lists, organization, these were what kept my life on track.
Sitting down at the large, cherry wood desk, I took a minute to remember all the days I’d wandered in here as a kid. My dad would be hard at work on his computer, or leaning back in his chair reading, with a cigar in his hand. Whatever he was doing, he would stop and smile, beckoning me toward him. He’d ask about my day, or give me a little something to do. I always felt welcome. There were many times when I would simply sit on the couch across from him and watch him work. I was so in awe of him, so proud of him.
Maybe, maybe, he knew more about Di than I’d realized. Or, maybe she was exactly what I assumed and I was only wrong about Jade. I was more comfortable with option B, I didn’t like being wrong.
Firing up the computer, I spent a couple of hours researching and making a list for my assistant. I wanted the house to be the best environment for Jade and our baby. I instructed him to hire a chef familiar with what pregnant women should and shouldn’t eat, a delivery of vitamins and supplements Jade should (according to my research) be taking, a company to come in and baby-proof the house, a live-in pre-natal nurse, and an upgraded security system. The list continued to grow, so I told him to delegate some of it out. I also called my attorney and had him draw up a non-disclosure for the new employees. I always required one to be signed, but it was even more necessary considering the precarious state of our relationship.
Feeling accomplished, and much more in control, I shut off my computer and stretched. My stomach rumbled and I checked my watch, it was almost six. I’d let Jade sleep for a little more than three hours, but I was sure she’d be hungry soon. She and the baby needed to eat.
I was reaching for my phone when it started ringing.
“St. James,” I answered gruffly, annoyed at being interrupted when all I wanted to do was feed Jade and take her back to bed.
“Lucas, my boy!” I stifled an irritated sigh at the sound of Charles Finlay, one of, if not the most stuffy and self-righteous ass on the board of my company.
“What can I do for you, Finlay?” I asked, valiantly attempting to sound professional instead of sulky.
“We’re having a get-together at the L’étang tomorrow night. I know it’s late notice, but I’m hoping you’ll join us. We want to introduce you to some of our clients.”
Fuck. This was a golden opportunity to get to know the heads of the companies I would be trying to convince to stay with mine when I booted out the ‘Good Ole’ Boys Club.’ I really needed to attend, but I didn’t want to leave Jade.
“I’m not sure if I can—“
“Make sure you bring a date. We’ll see you at nine,” he interrupted, as though I hadn’t begun to decline, then promptly hung up.
My hand gripped the phone hard, my knuckles turning white. I needed to go since his request for me to bring a date was actually a semi-politely worded demand. These men liked their own kind and showing up younger, richer, single, and without a date would do nothing to bridge the already wide gap between us professionally. Some of them would be bringing their wives, but many of them would be with a girlfriend or, more likely, their current mistress. Conservative family men, my ass. It’s all about appearances with them, and a mistress is much less fodder for the tabloids than being in a relationship with your step-sibling. Although, to be fair, not all of them were such hypocrites.
I certainly couldn’t take Jade and I wasn’t about to take another woman. Damn it! I was about to toss my cell at the wall when I heard a soft knock. I looked up to see Jade lounging in the open doorway. She looked tousled and sleepy in one of my t-shirts, fucking adorable. Seeing her there, wearing my clothes, made the possessiveness I felt for her jump up about ten notches.
“Hey,” she greeted softly, “Everything alright?”
I smiled tightly, as tension built in my muscles. “Sure. Are you hungry?”
Her eyes lit up and she smiled brightly. “Starved.”
I laughed and crooked a finger at her before patting my lap. She rolled her eyes, but padded over and curled up in my arms.
My hand began rubbing circles on her back and I kissed the top of her head. “What would you like to eat?”
“Mmmmm...I could really go for a nice, juicy, steak.”
The little moan had my cock digging into her round little ass. One more moan like that and I could not be held responsible for my actions.
Steak? Her food choice broke into my thoughts. Maybe... No, what a stupid idea.
“Have you ever been to L’étang?” I asked, then immediately wanted to kick myself. Shut the fuck up, St. James.
“The steakhouse?” Her voice was incredulous as she leaned back to stare at me. “It’s like one thousand dollars a plate!”
I chuckled and shook my head. “Exaggerate much?”
She smiled and shrugged.
Ask her what she wants to order in. “I have a last minute work thing there tomorrow night. Want to go with me?” What the actual fuck, man? I almost winced at the voice screaming at me in my head. Yeah, that was stupid.
She hadn’t returned to her spot tucked into my chest. Her head was still up and she was studying me.
“As your date?” she asked cautiously.
Tread carefully. “Well, no. I can’t have you as my date.”
Her green eyes began to cloud with a dark emotion. Way to go, now get your foot out of your mouth.
I went on quickly, “Obviously, I’m not going to take any date. If I did, it would, of course, be you. I can’t go alone, though, not with this crowd anyway.”
Her face warned me of an impending storm, a riot of feelings I couldn’t quite nail down.
She raised an eyebrow. “So, you want to take me, but you can’t?”
Ah. No wonder, I wasn’t being very clear. I smiled, certain she’d be happy when I explained I’d still be taking her with me. “I wouldn’t have invited you if I didn’t intend to take you, sweetheart. You’ll accompany me as my step-sister. A sibling is always an acceptable substitute for a date.”
The dark emotions in her eyes turned into a full-blown black cloud and she jumped off my lap. Rounding on me, she slammed her fists onto her hips. Let’s be clear, I was doing my very best to pay attention, but when her large tits were bouncing at eye level because she was breathing heavy, it was impossible for me to keep from drifting to thoughts of sex. I was a man. She’s got fucking amazing tits. Not my fault. Case closed.
Apparently, Jade was not aware of this ruling because
she snapped her fingers in front of my eyes and yelled, “My eyes are up here, jackass.”
I dragged my gaze up to her fiery green one, blazing with hurt and anger. I reared back a little at the intensity.
“You want to take me, the woman who is pregnant with your baby, to a work function and introduce me as your step-sister?” she shrilled.
Shifting uncomfortably, I grumbled, “Well, when you say it like that.”
“How would you say it, Lucas?”
I sighed, “I want to be with you, Jade. Out in the open. This dinner gets us one step closer to making that possible. It would be better if I took a date, but I can get away with bringing my new-found family member.”
She was still fuming, so I smiled and gently grasped her wrist, bringing her back to my lap. She reluctantly obliged and I wrapped my arms around her.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Will you please come with me?”
Chapter 9
Jade
I shouldn’t have let Lucas off the hook so easily. I was a strong woman, one who’d proven she was able to stand on her own two feet. Yet, I crumbled anytime it came to him. Self-control was a thing of the past whenever I was near him. It had been from the first moment we’d met. Clothes flew off my body at the drop of a hat and yes seemed to be the only word I was capable of saying. He’d practically called me a gold-digger and I let him take me on a desk without a single word of apology. Then he told me I couldn’t go to his elegant business dinner as his date, even though we’d spent an amazing afternoon together after learning I was pregnant with his baby. My response should have been heck no, but instead I’d said yes, gone out the next day, bought a fancy dress, and got my hair, makeup and nails done.
I’d wanted to look my best, even if I was only attending the dinner as Lucas’s step-sister and not his date. Judging by the look on his face as I walked down the stairs, it was well worth all the effort. Before my foot hit the bottom step, he was moving towards me.
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