Opal Carew

by Twin Fantasies

  He took her hand and held her palm to his lips.

  “What else could I do? I didn’t want to lose you.” He placed his hand under her chin and brought her gaze to his. “Jenna. Marry me tomorrow. Pretend none of this ever happened. Pretend the baby is mine. Walk down the aisle with me and become Mrs. Ryan Leigh.”

  Moisture pooled in her eyes, then flooded over and trickled slowly down her cheeks.

  She shook her head back and forth as though on ball bearings and brought her hand to her mouth.

  “No,” she said weakly. She stroked his cheek. “I can’t. I have to have time to think about this. I have to have time to talk to Jake, to see what he wants to do. It’s his baby, too.”

  Ryan’s mouth compressed. “Damn it, I know it’s his baby. Don’t you think that’s tearing me up inside?”

  She drew back, startled at his sharp tone, her hands falling into fists in her lap.

  The hard lines of his expression softened.

  “I’m sorry, baby.” He stroked her cheek tenderly. “Look, Jake can still be involved with the baby. He can visit whenever he wants. When the child is older he or she can visit him for vacations. If Jake wants to be involved at all.”

  “Of course I want to be involved. Do you guys remember I’m still in the room?”

  Ryan glared at Jake, now sitting in one of the chairs across from the couch.

  “Why are you still here?” Ryan challenged.

  “I have a right to be here.”

  “The hell you do. You’ve caused enough trouble as it is.”

  “Stop it,” Jenna pleaded. “Please.” She rested her hand on Ryan’s sleeve. “Ryan, I’m sorry. I can’t marry you tomorrow. I need time to work all this out. We all do.”

  Ryan turned back to her, a tender expression on his face. “I don’t have anything to work out. I want to marry you no matter whose child you’re carrying.” The warmth of his words curled through her. He leaned closer. “Jenna, I love you.”

  She placed her hand on his arm.

  “Then you should be willing to wait for me. To let me make whatever decisions I have to for me and the baby. And the baby’s father.”

  His face tightened until she thought it might crack.

  “Damn it, Jenna. I don’t mean to be harsh, but you were just a fling to Jake. A stranger he had sex with. It’s not like Jake wants to marry you. Right, Jake?”

  Silence followed his outburst.

  Ryan and Jenna both turned to look at Jake.

  “Right, Jake?” Ryan prompted tightly.

  Jake leaned forward, his hands linked between his spread knees.

  “Ryan,” he said quietly, “I think you should listen to the lady and give her some time.”

  The blood drained from Ryan’s face, leaving him absolutely white.

  CINDY HOVERED IN the corridor as Ryan and Jake led Jenna out the door. Cindy put her arm protectively around Jenna’s shoulders.

  “I’m going to take you home, honey. Don’t worry about the party. I explained to everyone that you aren’t feeling well.”

  “Mom’s going to be worried.”

  “I told her it was a headache. With the stress you’ve been under organizing the wedding, and the embarrassment of kissing Ryan’s brother and all, she understood.”

  Jenna nodded and allowed Cindy to lead her to the elevator. Cindy pushed the Down button to go to the parking garage. The men hovered beside them.

  “I’ll walk you to the car,” Ryan said.

  “No, you two stay here. She needs some space.” Cindy pushed the Up button for the two men. “And anyway, Ryan, you need to get to that party and see to your guests.”

  Jake stepped closer toward Jenna. “Okay, then I’ll—”

  “No, you go talk to your parents while Ryan talks to the other guests.”

  An elevator arrived with a ding. The doors slid open and Cindy led Jenna inside.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow, Jenna, and we’ll talk,” Ryan called after them.

  “We’ll all talk,” Jake added.

  As the door closed, Cindy watched as the two men stared at each other, their arms folded as they waited for the next elevator.

  JAKE SLAMMED HIS hand on the receiver and ripped it from its cradle to stop the incessant buzzing.

  The digits on the clock read 10:54. Oh, man, he’d had a few too many drinks last night and now his head ached like crazy.

  “Yeah, what is it?”

  “Jake?” a feminine voice said. Not Jenna’s.

  “Who is this?”

  “This is Cindy. Jenna’s friend.”

  Jake shot straight up, the sheets tangling around his legs.

  “What is it? Is Jenna okay?”

  “Yeah, she’s fine. I spent the night with her last night. I . . . uh . . . I’d like to talk to you, though. About all the stuff that’s happened. Would you meet me for lunch?”

  “Sure. Not at the hotel, though. The place is crawling with friends and family.”

  He grabbed his watch from the bedside table and pushed his hand through the metal band, then snapped the clasp closed.

  “Okay. Do you know the Blue Moon restaurant over on Nepean Street near Bank? Most out-of-towners will stay near the hotel or over in the market area.”

  He grabbed the pen and notepad from the drawer in the bedside table and jotted down the information.

  “I’ll find it. How about one o’clock so we miss the lunch rush?”

  “Okay, I’ll see you there.”

  At five to one Jake arrived at the bistro-style restaurant with small round tables, wrought-iron chairs, and lots of plants. He ordered a coffee, which arrived five minutes later just as Cindy stepped in the door.

  “You found it okay, I see.”

  She asked a passing waitress for a soft drink then glanced at the menu. A different waitress brought Cindy’s drink, then Jake and Cindy ordered sandwiches.

  “Jake, I don’t want you to misconstrue what I’m going to say here. I’m not taking sides, or rooting for one of you over the other. I’m here to help Jenna.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Does Jenna need help?”

  “She needs to make a big decision that will affect the rest of her life, and her baby’s, not to mention you and Ryan. She wants to make the best decision for everyone. You may be the baby’s father, but Ryan loves her.”

  “I love her, too.” He sipped his coffee.

  She leaned forward, her clasped hands resting on the table. “Really? Or are you just saying that because of the baby?”

  He pushed his coffee cup aside and leaned toward her. “I fell in love with her that first night. I didn’t realize it until later, but it was love alright.”

  She narrowed her eyes skeptically. “And you’re sure it wasn’t just because she slept with you?”

  “Are you kidding? That’s the perfect situation for most men. A woman who wants one night of wild sex, then never to see you again. No strings, no heartache. As Aurora, she made it clear it was a one-night thing—all part of her fantasy.”

  “Maybe you wanted her because you couldn’t have her.”

  “Cindy, you know Jenna. You know how easy she is to love. Believe me when I say I want to spend my life with her.”

  Cindy nodded. “But you’re holding back because you have trouble with the idea of taking your brother’s bride.”

  He gripped the edge of the table. “No kidding.”

  She propped her chin on her hand. “Okay, then. There are some things you should know.”

  CHAPTER 10

  JAKE PACED BACK and forth across his hotel suite, waiting for his brother to arrive, still seething from the revelations Cindy had shared with him. When the knock came, he swung open the door.

  “There are a few things you neglected to tell me the other night about you and Jenna.”

  Ryan sent his brother an impassive glance as he closed the door behind him.

  “Like what?”

  “Like the fact that as of the night I met Jenna,
your relationship with her was over.”

  Ryan crossed to the bar fridge and pulled out a tiny bottle of scotch.

  “Did Jenna tell you that?” He flipped over one of the glasses on the counter and plucked several ice cubes from the bucket Jake had filled about an hour ago. The cubes clinked as they tumbled into the glass.

  “Is it true?” Jake demanded.

  “No.” Ryan poured the amber liquid over the cubes. They cracked loudly.

  “Don’t lie to me, Ryan.” Jake leaned back against the dresser and stared at his brother.

  Ryan met Jake’s gaze squarely.

  “I’m not lying.” Ryan’s voice remained calm and steady.

  “She was going to break up with you.” Jake crossed his arms.

  According to Cindy, that’s what she and Jenna had been talking about when he’d first seen her standing outside the banquet room that night. That’s why she’d looked so unhappy. His inconsiderate brother had been neglecting her, just like he’d neglected every other woman with whom he’d had a romantic relationship. As far as Jake was concerned, if Ryan was too stupid to understand what he had with Jenna, he didn’t deserve to keep her.

  “Was is the key word. She didn’t break up with me.” Ryan sat on the arm of the couch and sipped his drink.

  “Yeah, because she thought I was you. The fact that she met me that night saved your butt. If I hadn’t shown up, you two wouldn’t still be together today.”

  “You seem to have missed something, brother.” Ryan twirled his glass, staring at the swirling liquid. “We aren’t exactly together. That fact is also thanks to you.”

  “Don’t try to sidetrack me. She was going to break up with you, wasn’t she?”

  Ryan sighed. “Yes.” He set his glass on the coffee table, then walked to the window and stared out at the view.

  “Because you were neglecting her.” Jake strolled to the couch and grabbed his drink from the end table. He took a gulp, the rye burning as it slid down his throat.

  “I wasn’t spending as much time with her as I should have.”

  “You were neglecting her.”

  Ryan turned to face Jake again. “Fine. So what?” He strolled back to pick up his drink. “That’s all changed now.”

  “Right. And how much have you been with her over the past three weeks? Paris for two weeks. Before that a trip to Toronto for several days. And her pregnant and pulling together a wedding alone.”

  “I was trying to get loose ends tied up specifically so I could delegate more work to my staff and spend more time with her. Is that all?”

  “No. What about the fact that you didn’t ask her to marry you until after you knew she was pregnant.”

  Ryan froze.

  “So?”

  “So maybe you never would have asked her if she hadn’t gotten pregnant.”

  Ryan’s jaw tightened. “It wasn’t even my baby.”

  “Great, so you were being noble. That doesn’t mean you love her.” Jake settled onto the couch.

  For the first time in this conversation, Ryan showed a hint of anger, his nostrils flaring and eyes turning dark and stormy.

  “Don’t question my love for Jenna.”

  Jake leaned forward. “You love her so much you were willing to cheat and lie to get her.”

  “What are you talking about?” Ryan glared at Jake.

  “I’m talking about the fact that you told Jenna not to tell me about the baby. Were you going to hide it from me forever? Raise it as your own? It’s not like anyone would ask questions if it looked like me.”

  “She was under a lot of stress.” Ryan paced back and forth. “I didn’t want to complicate things.”

  “So you would have told me later?”

  Ryan had the good grace to look guilty.

  “I didn’t think so. Listen, if you really love her, you’ll help her make the right decision for her. You’ll let her get all the information she needs.”

  Ryan halted. “Meaning?”

  “She already knows you. She’s been dating you for over a year. She knows what it’s like to be with you every day. You need to give her the same chance to get to know me, to know what it’s like to be with me every day. Then she can make an informed decision.”

  Ryan’s eyes narrowed. “What exactly are you suggesting?”

  “I’m suggesting she come and stay with me for a few months in Montreal. Without you. That way she and I can get to know each other.”

  “I’d be crazy to agree to that,” Ryan growled, his fists clenched at his sides.

  “Yeah, crazy in love. She’ll count that in your favor.”

  RYAN RAKED HIS hand through his hair as he drove along Highway 417 on his way to Jenna’s place. What the hell had happened? Yesterday, he’d been anticipating his wedding to the woman he loved, expecting to watch her walk down the aisle in a long, white dress today—his wedding day—but everything had fallen apart.

  Because of Jake.

  Now he had to sit still while Jake invited Jenna to stay with him for a month. At least Ryan had negotiated his brother down from his original proposal of several months. Knowing Jenna, she would agree. She would want to give Jake, the father of her baby—Ryan’s gut clenched at that thought—every chance. She would go to Montreal and Jake would have her all to himself for an entire month, influencing her, convincing her he was the better man for her.

  Oh, God, Ryan just might lose her.

  Yet to fight Jake on this would mean loosing. Jake would present the idea to her with or without Ryan’s agreement. If Ryan made his feelings clear about not wanting her to go, it would work against him. Jake had pointed out that if Jenna really loved Ryan, a month with Jake wouldn’t change her feelings. Ryan knew, deep down in his soul, that he loved Jenna, and that his love would survive anything.

  Ryan parked in the visitor’s parking of Jenna’s apartment building, then let himself in the front door with the key she’d given him. He rode the elevator to her floor, strolled to her apartment door, then knocked. A moment later, the door was pulled open to reveal her mother’s uncertain face.

  “Oh, hello . . . uh . . . ”

  “I need to see Jenna,” he said.

  She nodded and pulled the door open.

  “Come in.” She turned and called, “Jenna. There’s someone here to see you.”

  Clearly, she wasn’t sure if he was Ryan or Jake.

  Jenna appeared at the kitchen door.

  “Hello, Jenna.”

  “Ryan.” She rushed forward. Discreetly, her mother disappeared down the hall.

  Jenna flung her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest. The feel of her tucked in close as he wrapped his arms around her sent warmth flooding through his system. The warmth of being home. The warmth of being with the one person in the world he loved above all others. His Jenna. He closed his eyes as he soaked up that love.

  “How did you know it was me?” he asked.

  She drew away a fraction, her gaze meeting his. Her fingers stroked across his temple. “Your hair. It’s shorter than your brother’s.”

  “Oh.” Disappointment seeped through him that her only way to tell them apart was as superficial as a hairstyle.

  Her hand stroked down the lapel of his light wool suit jacket.

  “And I helped you pick out this suit.” She lifted his tie, letting it slip through her fingers. “Along with the tie to match.”

  He remembered when they’d gone shopping together that day. Afterward, they’d gone to a small restaurant overlooking the canal and laughed as they’d shared the sunshine, the view, and a great lunch together, savoring the newness of their relationship. That night, they’d made love for the third time ever. His heart ached to think he might never be able to touch her like that again.

  “But mostly your voice,” she continued.

  “My voice?” Everyone said his and Jake voices sounded exactly alike.

  He glanced down at her eyes, dewy with the sheen of unshed tears.
>
  “You mean because Jake called you something else?” Aurora, he thought it was.

  She shook her head. “That has nothing to do with it.” She flattened her hand on his chest and her warmth stirred his heart. “When you say my name, there’s a tenderness and familiarity that just isn’t there when a stranger says it. Your brother is a stranger.”

  She rested her head against his chest and tightened her arms around him. “Oh, Ryan, I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. When he and I . . .” She sighed softly. “I thought it was you . . . acting like a stranger.”

  Acting like a stranger. So she did notice a difference between him and Jake.

  He held her close, stroking the top of her head. “It’s okay, sweetheart,” he murmured.

  He drew her closer, their lips meeting in a tender, loving kiss. He could feel her heart beating next to his, filling him with an indescribable feeling of completeness. This is where she belonged. In his arms. In his life.

  The buzzer rang.

  “That’ll be Jake.”

  She glanced nervously at the door. “Jake? Why is he here?”

  “We have to talk to you about something.”

  JAKE’S HEART TURNED cold as Jenna stood at the door, staring at him like a stranger.

  “Hello, Jake.”

  He hated how stiff his name sounded on her lips. She stepped back to let him in.

  Ryan already stood inside. She stepped to his side, her arm brushing his, an intimate air about them. Jealousy surged through Jake at the easy closeness his brother shared with her. Their year and a half of shared experience and building a loving relationship showed.

  As Jake explained his idea to Jenna, that she stay with him in Montreal for a month to get to know him, she glanced at Ryan, gauging his reaction, looking to him for support.

  Jake didn’t kid himself. It was going to be tough to convince her she belonged with him—probably impossible—but he had to try. He loved her too much. It’s not that he wanted to hurt his brother—Jake would do anything to make this not be what it was—but it wouldn’t be good for any of them if Jenna married the wrong man. As much as Jake loved Jenna, he had to believe she truly loved him, too.