A Brother's Honor

by Brenda Jackson

  Jace leaned back in his chair. What his brother said explained a lot of things. Now he knew...and understood. He checked his watch. He hadn’t had lunch yet because he was hoping to get a chance to talk to Shana. “Have you eaten lunch yet?”

  “No. Dalton and I were leaving to grab something at McQueen’s. We’ve both agreed there has been too much action for us these last two days. Yesterday it was the FBI, and today it was Eve. I don’t want any shockers tomorrow.”

  Jace stood and reached for his jacket. “Neither do I. And I think I’ll join you guys for lunch.”

  * * *

  Eve came down the escalator, smiling as she glanced around. Jace knew her taste and had put her in a gorgeous hotel for a week. And her suite was simply to die for. She knew he was paying a lot for her comfort and wouldn’t be doing so if he didn’t still care about her well-being. He hadn’t been happy to see her, but she planned on changing that.

  When it came to men, she knew how to work them. And she intended to work Jace. No doubt he would put up some resistance, but once she got him in bed and showed him what he was missing, he would come around. And if a baby was what he wanted, she would give him one. The thought of gaining a few pounds didn’t bother her like it once did. Besides, she would have Sutton Hills, and he would get the kid he’d always wanted. And the first thing she would do was fire that heifer Hannah. That old hag would never take care of a baby of hers.

  Her thoughts shifted back to Jace. He had looked good sitting behind that desk, which is where she’d always wanted him to be. Of course, he would be upset with her when she didn’t leave in a week, but Jace was a man of honor and would not kick her out of this hotel like he threatened to do. Besides, Jace had been a free man for close to three years now. If he’d wanted to replace her, he would have done so, which meant he still loved her, whether he admitted it or not. She hadn’t been the first woman ever to get an abortion, and she wouldn’t be the last. So he needed to get over it.

  She frowned when she saw two women walking toward the gift shop. She recognized one immediately. Shana Bradford. Regardless of what Jace had said, Eve had picked up on vibes. More from the woman than from Jace, who’d been too busy frowning at her. Maybe it was time she and Ms. Bradford had a private talk just in case she had any crazy thoughts of getting her hands on Jace.

  Moving across the hotel lobby, she watched as the women entered the gift shop and moved toward the section of the store that sold toiletries. Eve followed, deciding it was time for that talk.

  * * *

  “Here we are,” Jules said, smiling. “Take your pick.”

  Shana studied all the packages. There were so many different brands. At first, she’d thought Jules was out of her mind at the thought that she could be pregnant. But then it hit her that she was a week late. So much had been happening that it had slipped her mind.

  “Any one will do,” she said, snatching one off the shelf.

  “When will you find out?” Jules asked excitedly.

  Shana frowned. She wished Jules wouldn’t be so giddy at the possibility. “I don’t know. Sometime today.”

  “Call me when you find out, no matter which way it goes. And if you are pregnant, will you tell Jace?”

  Shana swallowed. She didn’t want to think that far ahead. “Just let me find out one way or another, Jules. I’m probably just coming down with a cold or something.”

  “We’ll see.” Her sister then glanced at her watch. “Come on. I’ll drop you back off at Granger. I have a two o’clock appointment, and I don’t want to be late.”

  Jules grabbed Shana’s arm and dragged her to the cash register, where Shana paid for her purchase. Then they hurriedly left the gift shop. Neither saw the woman who’d been standing in the next aisle deliberately eavesdropping.

  Eve drew in a deep breath as she came out of her moment of shock. There was a chance that Shana Bradford could be pregnant with Jace’s child! Anger filled every part of her body. If the woman thought she would get her clutches on Jace, then she had another thought coming.

  Eve put her hand to her forehead as she felt a tension headache coming on. She needed to keep her cool. She needed to think.

  “May I help you, miss?”

  She glanced up at the store clerk, a matronly older woman who was eyeing her as if she thought Eve was a shoplifter or something.

  The thought pissed Eve off. “No, you can’t help me, so get out of my damn face.”

  Eve left the gift shop and headed for the bank of elevators. She needed to go back up to her hotel room and come up with a plan.

  * * *

  “Is Jace out of his meeting?” Shana asked Brandy when she returned from lunch.

  “Yes, but he left for lunch with his brothers a half hour ago. He indicated he would be returning in an hour since he has a three o’clock meeting.”

  Shana glanced at her watch. “Okay.” She headed to her office. Once inside, she pulled the bag with the pregnancy kit out of her purse. Rubbing her hand over her stomach as she sat down behind her desk, she wondered whether Jules could be right. Was she pregnant?

  And if so, would she tell Jace?

  Of course you’ll tell him, her mind argued. He has a right to know. But the one thing she would not do is allow him to feel obligated in any way. She was financially able to raise a child on her own without depending on any man. However, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t expect him to do right by his child.

  But then, the other side of her mind reasoned, it’s a child he didn’t ask for and you don’t know if he even wants a family. He asked, and you assured him you were on the pill and therefore protected. He might think it was entrapment.

  The thought of him believing such a thing sent chills down her body.

  She stood and began pacing. She was probably getting worked up over nothing. Chances were she was fine and that there was a reason she was late and felt nauseated this morning. She would clear things up when she got home and took that test. When it showed it was a false scare, she would drink a glass of wine, shower and go to bed.

  She smiled, thinking that sounded like a good plan.

  Shana turned at the brisk knock on her door. Before she could call out for the person to come in, Jace opened the door and closed it behind him and locked it. He then braced against the door and stared at her. “I wanted to see you earlier, but I had a meeting.”

  “I know,” she said softly, knowing at that moment how much she loved him. “You’re seeing me now.”

  A smile fanned across his face. “I am, aren’t I?”

  He strode across the room, and when he reached her, he pulled her into his arms and captured her mouth in his. And it was a kiss that had her feeling weak in the knees from how expertly his tongue was mating with hers, long and greedily.

  Her body slid effortlessly closer to his, and he tightened his hold while deepening the kiss. The heat from his body was burning up her senses, stoking her hunger for him and surging her into a mist of desire so thick she couldn’t think logically.

  So she didn’t.

  All she wanted to think about and concentrate on were the sensations this kiss was making her feel and how easily her body was responding. Her hands couldn’t stay still, and she reached up and caressed the side of his face where their mouths were joined and stroked his warm, smooth skin. She loved him. God, she loved him, and whether or not he loved her back, she never wanted to lose this. Being the woman he wanted.

  Moments later, he broke off the kiss and whispered against her moist lips, “I needed that.” He refused to release her from his arms.

  She smiled up at him. “So did I. What about your father? Did you get a chance to talk to him?”

  He nodded. “Yes.” He then told her what was said.

  She didn’t say anything for a minute and then asked, “What do you think your dad meant by saying your mother could have been involved in something?”

  “I don’t know, baby, but I intend to find out.”

  Baby. Sh
e wondered if it was a slip of the tongue and whether he even realized he’d said it.

  He glanced at his watch. “I have a three o’clock meeting, so I need to go. What are you doing later tonight? Around seven?”

  She thought of the pregnancy kit and pushed it out of her mind. “Nothing.”

  “May I drop by?”

  “Yes.”

  He smiled and brushed a kiss across her lips. “Okay, I’ll see you then.”

  She wanted to let it go and couldn’t. He hadn’t brought up his ex-wife, so she decided to do so. “And how is Eve?”

  He turned around before reaching the door and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Right now, Eve’s situation is rather complicated. She needed a place to stay for a week, and I’m helping her out.”

  Shana fought the disappointment that settled around her heart. “A week?”

  “Yes. I’ve put her up in a hotel.”

  He’d put his ex-wife up in a hotel? “That’s very generous of you.”

  “Yes, it is.” He then walked back over to Shana. Pulling her into his arms, he brushed a kiss across her lips. “I’m involved with you now. Don’t worry about Eve.”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  She watched as he walked back to the door, unlocked it and then walked out of her office. He hadn’t wanted her to worry about Eve. Was it because the woman meant nothing to him anymore? He certainly hadn’t acted as if he was glad to see her this morning.

  Deciding she would do what he asked and not worry about Eve Granger, Shana moved back to her desk, looking forward to tonight.

  * * *

  Eve glanced at her watch. If she called now, she probably could reach Jace before he left the office. She didn’t know what plans he had for tonight, but she intended to change them.

  Picking up her cell phone, she called his number and smiled when he answered. “What do you want, Eve?”

  Not exactly the greeting she’d hoped for, but she would deal with it. “I’m lonely, Jace. There’s nothing to do stuck here at this hotel.”

  “And I should care why?”

  She rolled her eyes. Determined not to be deterred, she said, “Because we once meant something to each other. We—”

  “The key word was once, Eve. Don’t know why you’re calling me when there are taxis surrounding the hotel. If you’re lonely, get in one and go someplace. There’s a movie theater within walking distance.”

  “You want me to walk someplace?”

  “No, I prefer that you get on a plane and return to California.”

  Eve dropped down on the bed, stunned. Did he really mean that? Could he really hold a grudge this long because of the abortion? In that case, it was a good thing he didn’t know the whole truth surrounding it.

  “You hate me that much, Jace?” she asked, and for the first time, she realized carrying out her plan might not be as easy as she thought.

  Jace rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. Jesus! He didn’t need this. Eve hadn’t done anything but cause him pain since he’d known her. Why was he even wasting his time talking to her when he needed to be on his way someplace else?

  “Look, Eve, I don’t hate you. I just don’t have any feelings one way or the other. What you did hurt me, killed something inside of me. You destroyed something that was part of me.”

  “Damn it, Jace, it was my body!”

  “And it was my child!” He drew in a deep breath. “Look, I have somewhere to go. Goodbye.”

  “Wait! When will I see you?”

  Jace shook his head. The woman just didn’t get it. “There’s no reason for you to see me, Eve. You needed a place to stay for a week, and I made sure you got one. But please don’t think you can take advantage of my kindness. Goodbye.” He then clicked off the phone.

  Eve was furious, so much in fact she was tempted to throw the phone against the wall. She slowly pulled herself together and quickly made another call. Her temper exploded as soon as the person answered. “You requested that I come here, and I’m here. And if you don’t want anyone to find out what you’ve been doing, you better come up with another plan. Jace is acting like a shithead, and there’s a chance Shana Bradford is pregnant.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Shana went still, feeling a sense of denial as she stared at the pregnancy test. It was positive, which meant her entire world was now upside down. Instinctively, her hand went to her stomach, and she inhaled a deep breath. She was unsure of a lot of things, but the one thing she knew was that she wanted this baby. She hadn’t prepared for one. Hadn’t given a thought to having children anytime soon. But fate had determined otherwise, and she was in with both feet.

  A short while later, she was sitting on her patio, drinking a glass of springwater instead of the wine she had planned. She glanced at her watch. Jace would be arriving in an hour, and she needed to make decisions. Did she tell him tonight or not?

  She shook her head. No, not tonight. She needed to digest the situation herself for a while. Besides, she needed to know how she would handle it. She wasn’t sure he even liked kids. Not that it mattered if he didn’t. Her decision had been made.

  Deciding it was time to go upstairs and take a shower, she reached for her phone when it rang and wasn’t surprised the caller ID indicated it was Jules.

  “What, Jules?”

  “Hey, don’t ‘what’ me. I want to know if it was a negative or a positive?”

  Shana frowned. She wondered if Jules would be in such a happy mood if the shoe was on the other foot. “Not sure I want to divulge something so personal.”

  “Don’t play with me, Shana. ’Fess up.”

  Shana took a slow sip of her water, deciding to let Jules stew for a minute. When she thought enough time had passed, she said, “Positive.”

  Jules didn’t say anything for a second and then, “Positive?”

  “Yes, positive.”

  Shana held the phone out from her ear when Jules let out an exuberant scream. She couldn’t help smiling herself. The thought that she would be a mother was beginning to grow on her. “Will you calm down, Jules?”

  “No, I can’t calm down. I’m going to be an aunt, and I want the entire world to know.”

  Shana frowned, deciding it was time to reel her in. “No, you don’t. At least not yet. Promise that you’re going to seal those lips until I say it’s okay to open them.”

  “Sure, if that’s what you want.”

  “That’s what I want. It is still very early, and I need to decide when would be a good time to tell Jace.”

  “So, you plan to tell him?”

  “Yes, of course I do. He has a right to know. It doesn’t matter how he feels about it, he has a right to know. How he deals with it afterward is his business.”

  “I like the way you think. I’m so glad you’re my big sister. You would make Mama proud.”

  Shana smiled, believing so, as well. “Thanks.”

  “When will you tell him?”

  Shana began nibbling on her bottom lip. “He’ll be here in an hour, but I don’t think tonight is a good time to spring the news. I’ll do so this week, but not tonight.”

  A short while later, Shana had taken her shower and slid into a sundress. She returned downstairs when the doorbell rang. It was Jace. Drawing in a deep breath, she went to the door, opened it and took a step back. She saw the bags in his hands.

  “You brought dinner,” she said, smiling and leading him to the kitchen.

  “Yes, I brought dinner. I haven’t eaten and figured you hadn’t, either.”

  He placed the bags on the counter. “I hope you’re in the mood for Chinese.”

  “I am.” Now that the nausea had passed, she was in the mood to eat practically anything. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  He then reached out and pulled her into his arms, captured her lips with his and began feasting on her mouth. Moments later, he reluctantly released her lips and stared down at her without saying anything.

 
She tilted her head and returned his stare. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

  Instead of answering, he reached down, took her hands and laced them together with his. “I just realized something.”

  She arched a brow. “What?”

  He smiled. “I’ll tell you later.”

  * * *

  Hours later, close to midnight, Jace eased from the bed and glanced back at a sleeping Shana. Tonight had been wonderful. They’d eaten and made love, and he could be wrong, but it seemed something was different about their lovemaking tonight. Just as hot, but it was as if their relationship had taken another turn.

  For him it had.

  He mentioned earlier that he would tell her why he had stared at her in the kitchen. Luckily for him, she hadn’t brought it up again, because he wasn’t ready to let her know he’d fallen in love with her.

  He shook his head while sliding into his pants. Wasn’t it this past weekend he had told her he didn’t believe in true love? At the time, he had been so sure of it, and when he’d seen Eve this morning, her appearance had confirmed it. The bitterness and resentment had all but consumed him, reminded him of why it would be hard for him to fall in love with any woman again. But all it had taken was seeing Shana earlier, kissing her in her office. And then again when he had arrived tonight. She was nothing like Eve. She was not a manipulator. A woman who couldn’t be trusted. A woman who felt entitled.

  This was Shana, the woman he loved.

  “You’re leaving?”

  He glanced over at the bed as he continued buttoning his shirt. “Yes. If I stay, neither of us will get a good night’s sleep.”

  A smile curved her lips. “That wouldn’t bother me.”

  No, it wouldn’t. Whenever she gave herself to him, it was freely, without reservation. With Eve, she’d always used sex as a way to get whatever she wanted.

  He walked back over to the bed and leaned down to drop a kiss on her forehead. “You want me to hum you to sleep again?”

  Her eyes lit up. “Would you?”