"Judge me?" she asked incredulously. "You are the two that need to be judge."
"Which you have done," Paul pointed out. "We are aware that you have a varied attraction to both of us, which is what we want."
She shook her head. "I can't be a part of this," she insisted, feeling the turmoil of her emotions burning like a hole in her chest.
"Is it because of me, Shane?" Andrew asked coldly. "Do you deny a dying man's wish because you can't stand me?"
Biting her lip, she met those light green eyes. "I never said I couldn't stand you. You frustrate me."
"Shane," Paul insisted, trying to coax her out of her present dilemma.
"You've put us in a quandary, Shane Keaton," Andrew said, sitting back with his poker face on. "We've told you a secret we haven't told anyone in decades. You want to back out on the deal because you feel you won't be able to deal with me. What would it take, Shane?"
His eyes narrowed in disgust and Shane knew he was proposing to bribe her. Not wanting to back down, she said the first large amount of money she could think of. "Fifty thousand." It had been the amount Aunt Bethany had suggested and the only amount that had been in the forefront of her head.
Andrew leaned forward. "That's all it would take?" he asked.
"Don't do this, Shane," Paul insisted.
"Hush, brother," Andrew ordered. "She's on my end of the table now. This is business."
"And you're all about business, aren't you, Andrew?" she asked miffed with her own disgust.
"Very much so, Shane Keaton."
"Then that's all it would take," she sneered.
He pulled out his checkbook and promptly wrote a check for the amount she stated. Shane wanted to smack him. Or more she really wanted to smack herself. She could at least have called out something to make him think twice. This was probably pocket change for him.
Handing her the check, he stated, "You are a woman of your word, Shane." He wasn't asking this.
She snatched the check, verified everything and dropped it in her purse. "Excuse me," she said and promptly walked out the room to the bathroom she had passed earlier. She was feeling this huge urge to throw up and needed to get out of the room as soon as possible.
***
Paul glared angrily at Andrew, who knocked down a shot of straight vodka like it was a glass of lemonade. "Bribing her was not part of our deal, Drew," he said.
"She was going to refuse, Paul. We're running out of time."
"Don't you think I know that?!" Paul seethed. "Don't you think I can see that I don't have much time in order to get everything done. You don't need money all the time in order to get your way."
"She was not going to go through with it!" Andrew said angrily more upset at himself than Paul. He was not use to dealing with women and just knew how to change their minds to his way of thinking. Paul was the cajoler, the seducer, not him. But with Paul’s time getting shorter and the need to bond with Shane desperately on a faster pace than a usual courtship, Andrew felt frustrated by her reaction once she knew who the “brother” was.
Paul huffed impatiently, "That's your problem, Andrew. You don't think outside the box when it comes to women. A little more coaxing and a little more seduction would have had her right in our hands. You could have ruined days of work with her. You need to trust me when I say it will work."
"We don't have time to play these stupid games."
"I'll be the judge of how much time we have, brother. We do have the time and even if we didn't we will make the time for her, and you will play the games as long as it needs to be played. She’s worth it. Do I make myself clear?"
Andrew glowered at Paul, who didn't waver in his own fierce stare. Conceding, Andrew sat back wishing he had another drink. "Fine, do what you have to, but I'll be surprise if she actually goes along with it without getting sick again."
"If you don't trust she'll do the right thing, why didn't you just follow her out of here to see if she would run away?" Paul sneered.
"Because I know she'll come back eventually." He nodded to her seat. "She left her purse."
Paul stood up and huffed angrily at his brother's arrogance hoping she would return soon.
***
Desperately wanting to throw cold water on her face, she stared in the mirror at herself for the longest time.
No she hadn’t thrown up once she got to the private second floor restroom. There was no one else in there, which worked out well for her because she knew her eyes were wide from trying not to cry and the adrenaline rushing through her veins from fear and anxiety.
There was no doubt in her mind she looked half crazy once she came to the realization that Andrew was the brother. And that was before they even said anything, but she had been praying Paul would say maybe Andrew had come to visit and someone else was due to arrive any minute.
That had not happened.
And now she had to calm herself down.
Closing her eyes, she cleared her mind. She wanted to do this for Paul. Deep in her heart, although she had known Paul for just a short time, she wanted to help him, because there was the attraction they had, they way he could make her feel and the opportunity to be free of the Meadows with the protection of a husband.
Yet, knowing that in turn it meant sharing her body and life with Andrew, made it all seem... horrible. It was as if she would be viewed as some two timing whore.
'You can do this,' she told herself; yet she didn't believe a word she was saying.
***
When Shane entered the room, Paul approached her hesitantly with a look filled with concerned in those beautiful midnight blue eyes of his. Soft music played in the background and she noticed the lights were slightly dimmed for a more romantic atmosphere. Now that she had time to breathe and think, she was able to look around the room.
Decorated with a sort of Nineteenth Century flair, the room was deceptively meant for a very enjoyable private dinner experience.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly
She nodded, but this was a lie. Allowing him to help her take off her wrap, she noticed the look of excitement in his eyes. Glancing at Andrew, she could tell what she wore instantly pleased the both of them. This made her feel a lot better. She liked the feeling of control she had over these brothers.
"Let's dance, Shane," Paul cajoled insistently.
"I don't know how," she admitted shyly. In all her life, she had never danced with a guy before.
Paul gently guided her to a space and pulled her into his body, molding her breast against his chest. She was stiff at first, but after listening to his gentle verbal coaxing she was able to smoothly allow him to guide her around the floor. Once she was comfortable with the rhythm and the simple two-step he had taught her quickly, Paul broached the subject at hand.
"You have every reason to be upset with us, Shane, but I don't want you to think what you're thinking," he said.
Frowning, she asked, "What do you think I'm thinking, Paul?"
"That people will think of you as some kind of two bit whore, who goes from brother to brother. You won't be viewed as such. Nor will Andrew think less of you for being with the both of us."
"And you? Do you mind sharing me?"
He nodded his head sincerely. That intense sensual look beamed in his gorgeous eyes and he licked those lips that she remembered making her body feel so delicious.
She was sexually aroused, but she needed to hear comfort in this whole thing that could become a mess for her personally and then run over and hurt her career.
Paul kept direct and confident eye contact with her as he spoke tenderly. "Andrew and I don't mind at all, Shane. We have an understanding that we’ve come to long before we met you. We’ll always respect and care about you. Your secret will always be safe with us, and because you are keeping our secret, we can do no less for you. No one will ever know what has happened." Paul stroked her neck, shoulder and back sending tingles throughout her body. "Just think, Shane, we will have the pleasure of pleasing you in e
very way possible. We are in your service. You will be in control of us at all times when we are all together. You will have two wealthy, very handsome men at your beck and call." He rubbed his smooth cheek against hers, and whispered in her ear, "We want to make love to you, Shane."
The blood warmed inside of her, as her legs trembled at the excitement of his words.
Chapter 21
Shane was definitely in tuned to Paul's arousing words. He had a way of seducing her verbally without her even knowing and she liked that about him.
"How do you know what he wants?" Shane asked, trying to stick to reason.
Paul didn't need to second guess who she was referring to. "He wants what I want, Shane," he assured her. "He is just as worried as you are about this."
She puckered her dark brown brow. "Why would he be worried about anything?"
"Andrew thinks you won't be very receptive to my idea. He thinks you're like others and won't do it."
Determinedly, she said, "He doesn't know much about women, does he?"
"With our help, he’ll learn to please you beyond your wildest dreams, Shane," Paul whispered the promise in her ear.
The thought was just too tantalizing to Shane's senses.
"We want you to be happy, Shane. We want to give you everything you could eve r dream of," he said.
"But I'm not doing this for the money, Paul. Matter of fact, he can have his money back," she insisted.
"Keep it," Paul asserted. "Put it in Shane's Rainy Day Fund."
"What about at the office? People are going to see something?"
Paul looked doubtful. "They won't suspect a thing. Everyone is aware of Andrew's strict judicious behavior. Why don't we have a seat, Shane?" he cajoled. "We can discuss this further."
Shane allowed him to lead her over to the table and seat her between the two of them. Andrew looked actually uneasy as Paul pressed a button near the table and a door opened. Waiters hurriedly carried in various delicious plates of food and wine.
Paul made comfortable conversation over dinner, keeping Andrew and Shane both relaxed. Shane was told the past and how the brothers were given two different names. Paul was the oldest at thirty-three. He was given his father's name as soon as he was born, but Andrew wasn't given that honor, because their father hated his mother so much. Even after the blood test to prove Andrew was Gerald's son, he still wouldn't give Andrew's mother the right to the Watson's last name.
Yet, the brother's were always close. Although Gerald hated Andrew's mother, Andrew was still allowed to come and see his father at anytime and Gerald loved Andrew very much. Not enough to bequeath him anything, but he nurtured Andrew in the Real Estate business until Andrew knew the business like the back of his hand.
Andrew was a different person around his brother. When Paul teased him about certain things, he actually reacted to the teasing by flushing and even responded with a tale about something to embarrass Paul. Shane enjoyed how they seemed to vie for her attention as they spoke; yet they were so close that they could almost read each other's minds.
She could tell Andrew was comfortable around his brother and now trusted her enough to be his true self. He was charming, teasing, and even more handsome on the inside.
Shane also learned this entire plan was devised by Paul. "I don't understand, Paul. Why is it so important that Andrew keep the business? If your father didn't want him to have it, whether or not his mother was alive or not, I believe Andrew is so good at what he does, he could have just started all over again."
Paul and Andrew looked at each other as if visually fighting to say something. Paul spoke up first.
"I don't think Gerald was in his right mind," Paul admitted.
"So the entire will could be contested?" she asked.
Andrew huffed. "My brother is trying to be polite about the manner. My father was more or less pussy whipped by his new wife.”
Shane blushed at the implication.
"She convinced my father to not leave Andrew anything. The only way Andrew could get his hands on the business is through guardianship of my heir. I can't even sign the business over to him," Paul said with a little frustration. "If she finds out I'm dying without an heir, she can easily kick my brother out of the business and take over."
"Why would she do that?" Shane asked.
"She hates my guts from past relations, but does her best not to show it. She’s holding it against me," Andrew answered simply. "Initially she was dating Paul. She decided she wanted the more successful brother, but when I didn't give into what she had to offer, she went after my father to get revenge against me."
"She never liked to take no for an answer," Paul said with a sly smile.
Andrew continued with a toast in the air to agree with his brother's comments. "She would rather see the business suffer rather than to give me anything."
"But like I said, you could accomplish this on your own," Shane pointed out.
"True," Andrew smirked. "I have put away my own nest egg, but I do enjoy running the business my father started. It's something I can remember him by despite his last wishes and animosity toward my mother."
Her outlook on Andrew’s cold cruel demeanor changed. Hs father’s actions could have been unforgivable to any child, yet he still respected his father after death.
Paul added, "And I have no intentions of allowing her to get her hands on the business. She doesn't deserve a dime of the money we've earned for that company and I'd rather go to my grave with a lie on my conscious rather than give her the satisfaction of touching ownership papers of the company."
Shane could see Paul was determined to never let his stepmother take the company and she fully supported his decision even though Shane had no idea who this woman was.
Paul still looked distressed and took her hands in his. "Shane," he said garnishing her full attention. "I think you should know everything. Although my brother feels it will make you uncomfortable to know."
Looking a bit worried, she asked, "I think we've come this far just fine.” There was flutter of apprehension, but she bravely continued, “I feel it would be best if I know everything."
"It's Rachel," Andrew coldly threw out. The look on his face was unemotional as he braced for her reaction.
Shane was speechless for a moment as she searched for the words to ask a question, but thoughts would not become concrete. "She's your stepmother?"
"Unfortunately," Paul answered.
“And the office manager?” she asked to be sure they were speaking about the same woman.
Both men nodded simultaneously.
Narrowing her eyes a bit suspicious, she asked Andrew, "And are you sure you aren't doing this because she broke your heart?"
Andrew snorted in disgust. "As beautiful and talented that she may be, she could never break my heart. It would take a real woman to do that."
"So you must know that she told me about you?" Shane questioned suspiciously.
"I don't doubt it. The woman couldn't keep a secret to save her life," Andrew answered. "But she likes to mix the truth with lies."
To be sure, Shane asked, "This has nothing to do with her comments about your lack of sexual aptitude?"
Paul made this weird chortle out his nose, while Andrew gripped the water glass extra tight.
Speaking for his brother, Paul said, "I will agree, Andrew's sexual sensitivity needs some work, but it's not as bad as she would make it seem." He looked at Andrew with amusement dancing in his eyes. "Plus, you've got to admit, Andrew, after having a man like me, she could have just been a little disappointed."
Andrew looked even more perturbed.
"How do I know you two aren't telling me what I want to hear?" Shane asked, drawing the attention back to herself.
Paul sat back very relaxed. "I have nothing to lie about, Shane. I'm dying. I want an heir and this is the only option without anyone else knowing about it or leaving any paperwork to find.”
Shane believed his sincerity and didn't doubt he
was telling her the truth about everything. Shrugging, she said, "I thought she was forgetting to tell me something."
"I think she has too much time on her hands," Andrew growled.
"Why do you permit her to stay at the office?" Shane questioned.
"Because she's a damn good office manager," Paul said. "My brother raised the bar when he came and she was about the only one that stuck around to meet the challenges he offers. I think she does it to stay close to the business and keep an eye out on what's going on between us. Father left her a nice amount of money and she’s intelligent enough to work for someone else, but she just chose not to."
"I agree," Shane stated. This made a lot more sense as to why Rachel had stayed at the company. True, Andrew was a damn good boss, but Rachel had so much more to offer and would work well in a larger office environment.
Andrew voiced his opinion. "She does a damn good job, because if I get any less, I'll find reason to fire her ass for incompetence and she doesn't want that."
It was obvious the subject of Rachel disturbed Andrew greatly and Shane felt they would all benefit from a change of topic. She wanted to say something to make him feel better, but nothing would come to mind. Through the course of the dinner conversation, she found herself more at ease around him and often thought about how the wish she had made just days ago to have Andrew and Paul was going to come true.
Of course, Paul was aware of his brother's tautness and said softly, "With that in mind, I think it's time."
Shane's heart beat double the rate at what was to come next.
Paul smiled knowingly at his brother and went over to the cart that had been rolled in with extra food on it. At the bottom tray, there was a silver large platter and when he set it on the table in front of Shane, her mouth watered at the sweet smell that tickled her nose.
He pulled his chair right beside her, and sat down. "Have you ever had Gaston's Desire?" he asked.
Shane frowned confused. "I haven't had anything here at all. This is my first time." There was a lot of first that she knew was going to happen tonight. She knew this in her gut and the thought of what was to come excited her even more.
Drawing The Line (Mistaken Identity Series) Page 18