Just One Night

by Carly Phillips

  Aurora opened the bound menu and scanned the page, her eyes widening before slamming the book closed.

  Linc shot Jordan a concerned glance, and she gave him a slight shrug.

  “Aurora? What are you having?” he asked.

  She swallowed hard. “Umm, just a glass of orange juice. I’m not really hungry.”

  “But you told me in the car you were starving.”

  Jordan cleared her throat. “Well, I am hungry and I can’t decide what I want. If I order pancakes and scrambled eggs, will you share them with me?” she asked Aurora.

  His sister’s eyes lit up. “Are you sure?”

  “Definitely.” Jordan shut the menu. “Linc? What are you having?”

  “A vegetable omelet and bacon,” he said, wondering what he’d missed.

  “I’ll be right back,” Aurora said, rising from her seat and heading toward what looked like the restrooms in the back.

  Linc glanced at Jordan. “Can you explain?”

  She nodded. “The prices on the menu freaked her out, and she didn’t want to order anything.”

  He narrowed his gaze, his stomach churning at the possibility Jordan was right. “How did you know what was wrong?”

  A soft smile lifted her lips and she leaned forward. “Because I remember the first time you insisted I come with you for lunch to some fancy place you usually went with your family. I took one look at the menu and said I just wanted French fries.”

  He stilled, recalling the day clearly. “I believed you,” he said, horrified by his privilege and ignorance.

  “You had no reason not to.”

  He shook his head, suddenly understanding so much more about Jordan’s take on his life and their different upbringings.

  “At least now I have an idea about what to look out for with Aurora. I don’t ever want her feeling uncomfortable.” As he met her stare, regret filled him. “I never wanted you to feel that way either.”

  She reached out and curled her fingers around his hand. “You can’t control everything, Linc. No matter how much you want to. Or how much money you have. As for Aurora, some things are going to take time.”

  He let out a frustrated groan, but before he could reply, Aurora returned to the table and they enjoyed their time together. They took a walk down the beach and talked before Linc returned her home.

  The rest of the week passed quickly, including the football game. Braden had managed tickets for Linc, Jordan, and Aurora, and they’d all had fun. Eventually Aurora agreed to come to New York with them. She understood how much easier her life would be around family and people determined to help her both emotionally and financially. As much as she loved the Prescotts and Willow, Aurora had a deep-seated need for family.

  Another plus, Aurora and Jordan had formed a fast bond, and Linc was glad Aurora would have someone she already knew and liked to rely on once in New York. But what was good for Aurora wasn’t helpful to Linc. Having Aurora to focus on meant Jordan was able to avoid dealing with him and their relationship.

  And he had no idea what to do about it.

  Chapter Five

  Linc, Jordan and Aurora headed to board the private jet for the trip to New York. Linc had to admit he was ready to go home. He had work to catch up with, the upcoming deal to close, and now his sister to get settled.

  “Wow! Look at this!” Aurora followed Jordan and Linc onto the plane, awe filling her expression as she entered. “This is really overwhelming.”

  Jordan smiled. “You’ll get used to it one day. For now, though, let’s take a seat.”

  The women settled in beside each other, talking about everything and nothing, but their chatter told Linc coming down here to find his sister had been the right thing to do.

  “Linc? Where am I going to stay?” Aurora asked as he sat in his seat across from them.

  “With me at least until we figure out a better, more permanent solution,” he said.

  He hadn’t been able to make plans for her before arriving in Florida since he hadn’t known if she’d return with him. He intended to talk to his mother about Aurora moving into the family estate.

  “Do you have room?” Aurora asked.

  He nodded. “I have two bedrooms and we’ll sort things out.” Soon, because she was very pregnant, he thought.

  The flight attendant came over and checked them all. No one wanted something to drink, so she walked away.

  He pulled his laptop from his briefcase. As he opened the top, his cell phone rang. He glanced at the screen and saw his CEO Brian Connelly’s name.

  “Hello,” he said as the flight attendant shut the door to the plane. “Brian?”

  “Linc, we have a problem.”

  His stomach clenched. “What’s wrong?”

  Jordan stopped talking to Aurora, her gaze swinging to his, concern in her eyes.

  “We had a visitor today,” Brian said. “A lawyer. Apparently right before your father died, he’d gotten himself involved in a deal to purchase land upstate.”

  Linc pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a severe headache coming on. Only close family and top people in the company knew Kenneth had been dealing with early-onset dementia for the last year.

  Difficult even before the diagnosis, his father had refused to step down or stop doing business in his own company. The only choice Linc had was to assign him a babysitter he knew nothing about. Wallace Franklin, as Kenneth’s best friend and the CFO, had been the best suited for the job. He could keep an eye on both his friend and the company’s bottom line.

  Yet somehow, something had slipped past him.

  “Linc?”

  “I’m here,” he said.

  “I hope you’re sitting down for this.”

  At Brian’s words, Linc braced himself.

  “Kenneth signed papers with a secondary partner, and he’s on the hook for big money.” Brian paused and Linc’s pulse picked up as the meaning sunk in.

  “Meaning the company is on the hook. Son of a bitch!” Linc swore worse under his breath.

  Jordan stared at him wide-eyed. Aurora seemed uninterested, busy on her iPhone.

  “I had no idea, Linc, I swear.” Brian’s fear for his own position sounded loud and clear. “But I’m looking into it. The lawyer who came by today said he’d have the papers sent over. He’s stalling telling me who he represents, which tells me it’s going to be a serious problem.”

  “So what was the purpose of the attorney’s visit? To gloat on his client’s behalf?” Linc asked.

  “He wanted us to know the money was coming due. Failure to pay would mean his client would gain a stake in Kingston Enterprises.”

  Linc’s blood pressure rose even higher. “My father put up the company as collateral?”

  Jordan gasped.

  “He implied as much. We’ll have the paperwork soon. Kenneth didn’t leave anything with our lawyers because he was obviously hiding the deal.”

  The pilot announced they were about to take off, and Linc muttered a curse. “Talk to Wallace,” Linc barked into the phone. “Now I need to hang up. I’ll be back in New York in a couple of hours.” He disconnected the call and hoped he didn’t have a stroke midair.

  Jordan leaned forward in her seat as much as her seat belt would allow. “What’s wrong?”

  Linc raised an eyebrow. “Let’s just say if my father weren’t already dead, I’d dig him up and kill him myself.”

  “What?” Aurora let out a squeak and Jordan patted her legs.

  “Business problems. Nothing to worry about.” She turned her gaze back to Linc. “What did he do?”

  Leaning back in his seat, Linc glanced at the ceiling, trying to stay calm. At the same time, he heard the start of the plane’s engines. “Dear old Dad might have destroyed the entire company.”

  Whether or not Kenneth’s actions proved to be severe depended on who his partner was and how reasonable the man would be when it came to getting out of the situation his father had left them in.

  “
Linc, stay calm. We’ll work things out,” Jordan assured him.

  And because she seemed collected, he took his cue from her and did his best to stay the same way.

  * * *

  Linc brought Aurora to his apartment straight from the plane and got her settled in before announcing he needed to go to the office. He hated leaving her on her first day in a new state where she knew no one, and Jordan had offered to stay with her. But Aurora insisted Jordan go with him to deal with his work emergency. Linc agreed but not before calling Chloe to come over and meet her new sister so Aurora wouldn’t be left alone.

  With Aurora taken care of, they headed to the office. Seated in the back of the car with Max driving since he’d picked them up from the airport, Linc filled Jordan in on what Brian, their CEO, had told him.

  “And you have no idea who this man is?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “Given my father’s deteriorating state, I’m not shocked he would do a deal behind my back. The man was a wild card in his healthy days.”

  And things had only gotten worse after Linc came on board and excelled in the business. He had no doubt Kenneth Kingston felt threatened. How far would he have gone to prove himself better than his son?

  “But Wallace was supposed to be on top of things,” Linc said.

  Jordan frowned. “I’m going to talk to your father’s secretary. If anyone knows what he was up to, it would be Suzanne, and considering you were kind enough to keep her on and give her job security, maybe she’ll open up to me.”

  He glanced at her and once again was struck by how vital she was to both his business and to him personally. “Thank you,” he said in a gruff voice. “Jordan, listen. I know things are awkward after–”

  She held up a hand. “Nope. We’re back to work and everything is fine.”

  In other words, let it go. The problem was, the more he thought about their night together, the less he wanted to pretend they had never happened.

  * * *

  Jordan woke up early Saturday morning with her weekend fully planned.

  Astounding everyone, including Jordan, Linc had asked his mother to let Aurora move into her huge estate. The house had seven bedrooms and plenty of room, not to mention a staff available for every need, but the fact remained, Aurora was Kenneth Kingston’s illegitimate child.

  Yet Melly had agreed. Apparently she was too kind a person to take her husband’s sins out on an innocent woman and her unborn baby.

  Nervous, Aurora begged Jordan to come with her. Although Chloe planned to meet them there, Aurora felt more connected to Jordan, no doubt because they shared an understanding about how they viewed the world around them and because they’d spent a lot of time together in Florida. Chloe was still new to her and Linc wasn’t female.

  Jordan had no problem joining them. When Aurora saw the Kingston Estate, she might very well pass out, and she’d need support.

  Aurora was silent on the way to Linc’s mother’s, her few bags loaded in the trunk of the car with Max driving. Linc was on the phone, his frustration growing because they were no closer to discovering who his father had entered into an agreement with. Wallace was MIA.

  Nobody had been able to get in touch with him, and from the way this partner’s lawyer had dropped the information without details, obviously the man in question was enjoying his silence. Which left Linc worried about who he was as well as the amount of money on the line.

  Max drove down a secluded, tree-lined street, turned left into a hidden driveway, and pulled up to a gate, where he opened the back window and Linc punched in a code.

  “Oh, God.” Aurora’s eyes opened wide. “This isn’t a house, it’s a mansion.”

  Jordan put her hand over the young woman’s knee. “Hey, my mother used to be the main housekeeper here. If I can adjust to it, you can.”

  Aurora whipped her head around in surprise. “You never told me that!”

  “It never came up but I’m not ashamed. It’s how Linc and I met.” The car started up again, and Max drove forward, parking at the top of the driveway, in front of a four-car garage. “But as overwhelming as everything looks, Linc’s mother is a wonderful person. I promise this is all going to work out for you.”

  “I have to go,” Linc said to whoever he was talking to. I’ll talk to you again on Monday.” He disconnected the call and turned to face them. “We’re here.”

  “Obviously.” Jordan smiled at a nervous Aurora. “Okay. Let’s get you moved in.”

  They stepped out of the car just as one of the garage doors opened and Melissa Kingston stepped out, looking as elegant as always, her dark hair reaching her shoulders, subtle but perfect makeup on her face.

  “Mom, hi.” Linc kissed her cheek.

  “Hello, honey.” She turned to Jordan. “It’s been a while. You’re looking well. It’s good to see you again.”

  “You, too,” Jordan murmured.

  Melly’s gaze shifted. “And you must be Aurora. Welcome,” she said warmly.

  Aurora studied Melly, who was a contradiction. On the outside, she was a wealthy socialite, but on the inside, she obviously had a warm heart. The young girl needed to relax enough to see the hidden parts of Linc’s mother.

  “Hi,” Aurora said. “Thank you for your generosity. I know it can’t be easy for you to overlook who I am.”

  Jordan winced.

  “Aurora–” Linc started to speak, but Jordan grabbed his arm, indicating he should let the two women find their footing.

  Melly stepped over to Aurora. “To me you’re a young woman who got a raw deal that wasn’t of your own making. My son likes you and wants you to become part of the family.” She took Aurora’s hand. “So when I say welcome, I mean it. And I can’t wait to have a baby around again. It’s not like my sons are rushing to give me grandbabies,” she said, shooting Linc a pointed look.

  “Well, Chloe’s getting married, so you can focus on her, too,” Linc said, obviously eager to take the spotlight off of him.

  “Speaking of Chloe, she can’t make it today, but she promised to call you later,” Melly said to Aurora. “Now how about we go inside?”

  Max picked up the bags and followed them in through the garage and the lower level, with Aurora gaping at the enormity of the mansion and the décor. Aurora had bought suitcases in Florida so she could pack her things and bring them to New York. Max placed those in the bedroom Melly had chosen for Aurora to stay in. Then he excused himself and said he’d be waiting when Linc was ready to head back to the city.

  Linc left the women and excused himself to make some calls. The man was constantly working, Jordan thought.

  In the half hour they’d been in Aurora’s new bedroom, it became clear Melly intended to treat Aurora like a daughter, and the young girl relaxed, becoming more like her normal, talkative self.

  It didn’t take long for Melly to realize Aurora was sadly lacking in clothing and to take charge of the situation. She announced they were going shopping.

  “Jordan, come with us please?” Aurora asked, obviously overwhelmed.

  But Aurora needed to get to know Melly, and Melly hadn’t extended the invitation.

  “I can’t,” she told Aurora. “I have laundry and things to catch up on at home. But you have fun! I’ll check in later, okay?”

  Aurora stepped forward and pulled Jordan into an awkward pregnant hug. “You’re the best. You’ve been so good to me.”

  “You make it easy.”

  “I’m going to get my handbag and freshen up. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes,” Melly said, walking out of the room.

  Aurora swept her arms around. “Look at this room! It’s meant for royalty!”

  Taking in the queen-size bed with a gorgeous floral spread in beautiful colors, draperies on the windows and a large television on the wall, a private bathroom and walk-in closet, Jordan had to agree.

  “It’s gorgeous. There’s space for a crib in here, too. Or you can put the baby in the room next door.” Jordan turned t
oward her. “You’re going to have to go shopping for baby supplies. But something tells me Melly is going to want to help,” Jordan said with a grin.

  Aurora sat down on the plush mattress. “She’s really sweet. I think I’ll be happy here, at least until I can figure out my life.”

  With a nod, Jordan joined her. She wasn’t going to pressure her now with questions she already knew Aurora had no answers to. “When Melly gets back, I’m going to go find Linc.”

  “Speaking of Linc, how long have you two been together?” Aurora asked.

  “What?” Jordan whipped her head toward Aurora. “We aren’t together. We’re just friends and I work for him.”

  Aurora raised her eyebrows. “R-i-i-ght.”

  “What? Why wouldn’t you believe me?” Jordan asked.

  Aurora shrugged. “Because you two are close. I’ve been with you both for over a week now, and I see how you look at each other. How you read each other’s mind. Stuff like that.”

  Dipping her head, Jordan closed her eyes and shook her head. “We’re just friends,” she insisted. “Look around you. You’re overwhelmed by this kind of wealth and they’re your family. I don’t belong as anything more than his employee and close friend.”

  “That sounds stupid.” Aurora pushed herself up and stood, bracing a hand on her back, her belly protruding in front of her. “It should be about how you feel, not how much money you have. But I get what you mean. I’m not sure I fit in here, either.”

  Jordan rose. “You will learn to be comfortable,” she assured Aurora. “I promise.”

  “Are you ready?” Melly returned, lipstick touched up and a Chanel handbag on her arm.

  “I’m ready,” Aurora said.

  “You two go on. I’m going to check my messages and then go find Linc. Aurora, I’ll call you tonight.” Jordan smiled and watched them go.

  Ignoring what Aurora had said about her assessment of Jordan and Linc’s relationship, Jordan pulled out her phone, surprised to see a message from a number she didn’t recognize. She hit play and discovered it was Suzanne Ashton, Kenneth Kingston’s secretary. She’d given the woman her phone number in case she remembered anything about the deal Jordan and Linc were looking into. From the urgency of the voicemail, the woman clearly wanted to talk.