Just One Night

by Carly Phillips

  Dash laughed. “I should have figured out you two would end up together years ago.”

  Linc raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think it’s something permanent?” He couldn’t even get her to commit to the word relationship, let alone something long-term.

  “Well, if any one of us was going to settle down, excluding Chloe, it’d be you. You’re the stable one. The one who worries about the rest of us more like a parent,” Dash said.

  “Because we didn’t have a father who gave a shit,” Xander helpfully added. “Besides, I saw how you looked at Jordan holding Aurora’s baby.”

  Linc froze. “What?”

  “You were mesmerized by the sight, and I actually thought, he’s next.” Xander grinned, pleased with his observation.

  Dash’s head swung back and forth between them, the conversation clearly fascinating for him.

  Not so much for Linc and he swallowed hard. Yes, he’d reacted to seeing Jordan with the infant, and he’d been shocked by the heavy feeling in his chest. “I have … complicated feelings about kids.”

  Xander raised his eyebrows. “Yeah? Why?”

  “You grew up in our house. Heard Mom crying over Dad. Parents can really screw up a kid’s head. Being a father is a lot of responsibility. And I already made sure you three ended up okay,” he said wryly.

  Dash shot him a grin. “I did my best to make life hard,” he said.

  “Hanging out in bars when you were sixteen so you could sing? Yeah, I worried,” Linc admitted.

  They all might be close in age, but Linc was the oldest and had always felt the burden of responsibility his father hadn’t taken on.

  Not wanting to continue this discussion, because kids were way ahead of where his head was now, he rose from his seat. “We haven’t even figured out how to be together. Jordan’s so skittish she might as well be running away. So quit talking about babies,” he muttered, and suddenly he was ready for his brothers to go home.

  Chapter Ten

  Linc arrived at Beck’s place of business and went through the same routine as last time before he was escorted back to talk to him. Although he planned to have the money he owed wired today around the same time as this meeting, Linc wanted one last conversation with the man.

  He knocked and walked in, coming face-to-face with his one-time friend. “Beck.”

  “I was just notified you wired the money.” Beck rose from his seat behind the desk. “Guess we’re in business.”

  Linc inclined his head. “Apparently we are. But you didn’t succeed in grabbing a part of my company. Despite using an older man’s weakness to try and do it.” Linc wouldn’t come out and admit to his father’s illness, but Beck had to have realized something wasn’t right when Kenneth Kingston had put up a piece of the family company as collateral in the deal.

  Beck shrugged. “You win some, you lose some. But for your information, I had nothing to do with your father’s choices.”

  Not about to let him off the hook easily, Linc stepped toward him. “You could have given me a heads-up and chose not to. You also dragged out the information for your own enjoyment. Can’t say I appreciate either choice.”

  Beck shrugged. “And I can’t say I care.”

  “Great.” Linc refrained from rolling his eyes. “With that settled, keep Brian, my CEO, updated on anything having to do with this deal. I don’t want to be blindsided again.”

  Better to let Brian deal with the actual purchase and subsequent renovations and leasing. Linc and Beck might kill one another if they had to work together directly. And since it was Beck who was involved, Linc wouldn’t turn it over to someone more junior. To be safe, he wanted someone he trusted implicitly handling it.

  “Whatever you say.” Beck took his seat again, obviously finished with the conversation, which was fine with Linc.

  “Let’s try and stay out of each other’s orbit from now on,” Linc said before turning and walking out, letting the door slam behind him this time.

  * * *

  Jordan worked all morning without a break because she’d promised Aurora they could go shopping for post-maternity clothes.

  Melly had done so much for her, furnishing the baby’s room, supplementing accessories and clothes that she didn’t get at the shower. But when it came to her own wardrobe, Aurora wanted someone closer to her own age to join her. Aurora was coming to the office to meet up with Jordan and Chloe for a girls’ afternoon.

  Jordan had taken off the day after the baby shower, as Linc had offered and she’d returned the next day. For the most part, she was feeling better except for an occasional bout of light-headedness and nausea. She assumed she had a lingering virus, or as a migraine person, she attributed the symptoms to her condition and went about her days.

  She looked forward to shopping with the two girls today, and by the time Aurora arrived, Jordan was ready to go.

  The young woman walked up to Jordan’s desk, an excited smile on her face. “Did you hear the cool news?”

  Jordan shook her head. “What’s up?”

  “Dash and the band are performing at a special charity event this Saturday night and we’re all going! Melly asked the nanny her friend’s daughter used if she could babysit for Leah and she said yes.” She vibrated with excitement and Jordan was thrilled for her.

  “That’s amazing. I know you’ll have fun.” Jordan smiled. “Now how about I call Chloe and we get going?”

  “You’re going, too! I spoke to Linc on the way here, and he said you would both be there.” Aurora bounced on the balls of her feet.

  “Oh!”

  “Sorry,” Linc said, as he came up behind his sister. “Everything came together for Dash and the band this morning, but I was tied up with an appointment and didn’t get a chance to tell you. But we’re going on Saturday night.” He walked past her, stopping outside his office door.

  What was with this we stuff, anyway? “It sounds like a family event to me.”

  Jordan glanced at Aurora, who was watching them with interest.

  “Aurora, honey, why don’t you go find Chloe? I’ll be with you in a few minutes. I want to talk to your brother.” Jordan pushed herself up from her seat.

  “Oh. Sure.” Aurora spun and headed to the other side of the office where Chloe worked. She’d been here before and had learned who sat where.

  Once she was gone, Jordan walked around her desk, put a hand on Linc’s back, and prodded him toward his office. Once inside, she shut the door behind them.

  “If you wanted alone time, all you had to do was say so,” he said with that sexy grin she couldn’t resist.

  When she’d taken the day off from work, he’d had a nearby delicatessen send chicken soup and sandwiches over for her to eat. He’d wanted to come by, but she needed sleep, not to mention distance, and he’d agreed to let her rest. And on her return, he’d been on his best behavior, not pushing their relationship, and she’d been grateful for the reprieve.

  “What’s going on?” She set her hands on her hips and cocked her head to one side.

  “Tell me you don’t want to see The Original Kings in person?”

  “Of course I do, but–”

  He shrugged. “No buts. We’re going. And Jordan? Now that you’ve had a week to recuperate and you feel better, after the concert, we’re going to talk about us. We’ve danced around what this is long enough.” He gestured between them.

  She drew a deep breath and mentally acknowledged the need for them to have that conversation. The time had come. Her pulling back and giving in only to pull away again was giving them both whiplash.

  Maybe what she needed to do was let their relationship happen and run its course, which she believed it would. Probably not for her, because she’d become emotionally invested. In truth, she already was. But she would go into this knowing they didn’t have a future, and she’d eventually have to nurse a broken heart.

  Still, if she made it clear to him she understood the parameters, sex only, when things ended, they
could go back to the way things had been before.

  Decision made, she hoped she could handle it. Meeting his gaze, she nodded. “Okay. We’ll talk.”

  He raised his eyebrows, surprise etching his features. “Good.”

  He looked like he wanted to say more, to ask her questions, but he’d said they’d discuss things on Saturday night, and she wasn’t going to do it in the office. “Well, I need to go meet up with Chloe and Aurora. You’re okay by yourself this afternoon?” she asked.

  He grinned. “I’ll be fine. Are you coming back to the office today?” he asked.

  “Doubtful. I think we’ll be out till after five. Chloe has shopping plans.” She used a quote gesture with her fingers.

  His sister had laid out a day, beginning with lunch and keeping them hopping from store to store.

  He laughed at her description. “Got it.”

  She turned to leave, and he hooked an arm around her waist, pulling her against him and, before she could react, sealing his lips over hers.

  She’d missed this and returned the kiss, opening her mouth for him and letting his tongue swirl inside. He nipped her lower lip and licked the sting, the hint of pain causing her to moan and inch closer. Her sex clenched and need pulsed through her body, making her wish they weren’t in the office.

  But for a brief moment, she let herself go. She wrapped her arms around him and indulged. The kiss was wet and hot, everything she dreamed about when she thought of Linc. Until a knock sounded on the door.

  Before they could fully pull apart, Chloe walked in, Aurora bumping into her as she came to a sudden halt. “Oh, shit. Sorry!” Chloe exclaimed.

  Jordan’s face flamed and she buried her face in Linc’s chest.

  “Ever hear of knocking?” Linc’s arm wrapped tighter around her.

  “It’s an office, not a bedroom,” Chloe shot back, sister arguing with her brother. “But I am sorry, Jordan.”

  Jordan pulled herself together and stepped away. “It’s fine. We shouldn’t have been…” She cut off her explanation and shook her head. “Are you ready to go?” she asked the women.

  “We are.” Chloe stepped back, and Aurora, who had already inched out of the doorway, waited for them by Jordan’s desk.

  Jordan glanced at Linc and spoke quietly, so only he could hear. “I know you don’t want anyone to think of you behaving like your father. We shouldn’t have been making out in the office,” she said, taking partial responsibility even though he’d started it.

  He strode over and placed his hands on her shoulders. “My father cheated on my mother. I’m with someone I care about. Totally different. Now go have a good time and stop finding reasons to worry.”

  She nodded, managed a smile, and headed out for the day.

  * * *

  At lunch, Chloe and Aurora chatted while they ate. Jordan, suddenly dizzy and nauseous, picked at her salad. They’d been talking about the stores they planned on checking out first, but Jordan had tuned them out. The minute the waitress placed the Cobb salad in front of her, bacon bits and the strong smell of cheese had her stomach churning.

  “Jordan? Are you okay?” Chloe’s voice calling her name caught her attention, and she shook her head to clear her mind. “Yes, sorry. What were you saying?”

  Both women looked at her with concern.

  “You haven’t eaten anything, and you spaced out for most of our conversation,” Aurora said. “What’s wrong?”

  Jordan sighed. “I haven’t been feeling great. I think it’s a silent migraine.” She’d read up on them earlier today, wondering if she needed to make an appointment with a neurologist. Usually her migraines were painful with throbbing in her head. This was different. All the other symptoms without the pain.

  “What’s a silent migraine?” Chloe asked, taking a sip of her club soda, her engagement ring twinkling as the sun in the window bounced off the large diamond. “I’ve never heard of one.”

  “I actually had to look it up myself, but since I get painful migraines and what I’ve been feeling has similar symptoms, like nausea and light-headedness and a general blah feeling without the head pain, there’s a good chance that’s all it is.” She shrugged and took a small sip of her own club soda, hoping it would help settle her stomach.

  Aurora leaned in closer. “Nausea, huh?”

  “Yep.”

  “And you’re light-headed?” she repeated.

  “Again, yep.”

  The young woman narrowed her eyes. “Very tired?

  Jordan thought about how she’d been feeling. “Well, yes.”

  Aurora glanced at Chloe, whose eyes opened wide. Something silent had passed between them.

  “Do your boobs hurt?” Aurora asked bluntly.

  “What?” Jordan asked loudly, caught herself, and moderated her tone. “I’m sorry. What are you asking me?”

  Aurora grinned. “Jordan, could you be pregnant?”

  Her words caught Jordan mid-swallow, and she swallowed wrong and began to choke on the bubbles in her drink. “What?” She was beginning to sound like a broken record. “Pregnant? I don’t think so!”

  And how could she even talk about this with Linc’s sisters?

  Chloe clasped her hands in front of her, looking shaken but not at all upset. “Okay, so based on what I saw at the shower and today, I’m assuming you and Linc are together.”

  “Yes. And he’s your brother and we don’t need to talk about it. But I know we always used protection. Now subject closed. End … of.” Jordan sliced her hand through the air.

  But the word pregnant lingered between them.

  And Aurora wasn’t finished. “Nothing is one hundred percent.” She shot Jordan a knowing gaze. “How long have you two been … you know?”

  Chloe’s eyes were wide, but she appeared focused and was listening.

  Jordan swallowed hard. “In Florida. And one more time after that,” she said, squirming in her seat. Not because she couldn’t discuss sex but because these women were too closely related to the man she’d been with.

  “So a little over a month ago.” Aurora was a persistent thing, something Jordan was discovering.

  She nodded. But she couldn’t be pregnant now. She’d gone through that experience before, and early on, which was all she’d had, she’d felt fine. No symptoms until she missed a period. Oh God. She thought about when she’d been due and realized she had skipped her period. With everything going on in her life, she hadn’t even realized it. She began to sweat, the possibility of being pregnant now running through her mind.

  “We passed a pharmacy on the corner. Let’s get the check and you can buy a pregnancy test,” Chloe said. She wiped her mouth with her napkin and gestured for the server.

  Stunned, Jordan nodded, her mind going back to the first time she and Linc had been together. He hadn’t intentionally brought condoms but had found one in his Dopp kit. And it had looked old, like it had been there for a long time. Wincing, she pulled out her wallet to pay.

  A little while later, Jordan had purchased the pregnancy tests, a few because she needed to be certain, and the three women returned to the restaurant, which was attached to the mall. Nobody else was in the lounge or the room with the stalls.

  Chloe and Aurora sat down in chairs in the waiting area while Jordan, panicked and horrified, closed herself in a stall alone, peed on three sticks, and placed them on top of the boxes they’d come in on the floor in front of her.

  And she remained in the private stall, wanting to be as alone as possible.

  And she waited.

  “Any news?” Aurora called out to her.

  She glanced down but her phone and the alarms she’d set hadn’t gone off. “Not yet!”

  She’d bought three different brands. Unfortunately that meant three different time frames before she got all of the results. One minute, three minutes, five minutes.

  Nausea filled her, this time thanks to worry and fear. She’d been down this road before, and the last guy had not taken
the news well. Linc’s father hadn’t taken the news well. It was a wealthy man pattern.

  She and Linc didn’t make sense as a couple, and the rationale for that conclusion hadn’t changed. A pregnancy now would be a nightmare. Sure, Linc wanted them to be together, enjoying sex, having fun. He didn’t want kids. He’d once told her about his fear of subjecting children to parents who tried marriage but didn’t get along, like his had. And Jordan was still certain she didn’t fit into his world.

  So the tests had to be negative. They just had to be, she thought, closing her eyes and praying hard.

  The first alarm went off on her phone. She shut it and glanced down, seeing a dark line. Fuck!

  “Well?” Chloe sounded closer.

  “Give me a minute!” Jordan breathed in and out, and finally the second one went off.

  She knelt down and this time she saw a plus sign. Closing her eyes, she wanted to cry. Not needing the other one, she turned off her last alarm, scooped up the tests, and walked out, tossing them in the trash.

  With Chloe and Aurora surrounding her, she washed her hands, stalling before facing them.

  Finally she spoke. “I’m pregnant.”

  Chloe and Aurora stared at her with wide eyes, clearly stunned.

  Before they could say a word, Jordan continued. “And you cannot tell anyone. I’ll talk to Linc in my own time and in my own way.” They’d planned to be alone after the concert. That gave her a couple of days to come to terms with the situation, and she’d have to find the courage to tell him then.

  “Promise me,” she said, meeting each of Linc’s sisters’ gazes. Could this be more awkward?

  “Yes, of course,” Chloe said, biting her lower lip. “Jordan, I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how you feel. I…” Trailing off, she merely pulled Jordan into a hug.

  Once she released her, Aurora did the same.

  Then Chloe grasped Jordan’s hands. “Linc loves you. Everything is going to be fine.”

  Jordan forced a smile. Love wasn’t a word they’d ever used, and she didn’t kid herself about the future. She’d done this before, and nothing had been fine. She didn’t anticipate things going any better now.