A Man's Promise

by Brenda Jackson

  “Will you do it for me? I made a promise...we all did, that we would watch each other’s backs. If anything were to happen to you and I felt I could have prevented it, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. If you think the whole idea is far-fetched, then let Jules prove you right.”

  Caden didn’t say anything as he picked up a pen and rolled it back and forth between the palms of his hands. He thought about how he’d felt when he’d learned Jace had been kidnapped. All he could think about was that he had let his brother down by not watching out for him. Not protecting each other like they’d promised their father and grandfather they would. He knew exactly how Jace would feel if anything were to happen to him. He’d been down that road already and didn’t wish it on either of his brothers.

  “Okay, I’ll talk to Shana’s sister. I’ll answer her questions. And when she discovers I’m right, you owe me a damned case of Scotch.”

  Relief ran through Jace. “And I’ll be glad to buy it for you,” he said, standing up. “I’ll make arrangements for Jules to meet with you this week. The sooner, the better. And she’ll probably want to talk to Shiloh.”

  Caden tossed his pen on the desk. “Fine. I’ll let Shiloh know.”

  * * *

  Jules sealed the envelope containing documents that finalized the paperwork on her last case, thinking this was the story of her life. One case after another. At least her sister had found true love. She couldn’t help but smile, feeling pretty happy about it. After all, she would be an aunt in nine months or less. Definitely less.

  She tossed her pen on her desk, leaned back in her chair and gazed out the window. For some reason, she was feeling edgy, hot—and her feminine urges were kicking in. Damn, when was the last time she’d been fucked? She frowned, thinking that sounded rather vulgar and needed to be rephrased. Okay, then, when was the last time she’d had sex?

  Thinking of it as making love was totally out of the question. Who did that these days...except for Jace and Shana and a few more happily married people out there—people like her dad. She rolled her eyes. Christ! Who wanted to think of the possibility of her parent getting some when she wasn’t?

  Standing, she went over to the coffeepot and poured herself a cup. It was after lunch already and she’d skipped it, as well as breakfast. That meant she’d have to eat something nourishing at dinner. She needed to feed her body.

  She needed to take care of something else with her body, too, and it was beginning to speak loud and clear, demanding that its needs be fulfilled. She thought about her life again and decided she needed something to shake her up. Her personal life had become boring, and she didn’t see any improvement ahead. She had no man, and her battery-operated toy was getting damned worn-out.

  She went back to her desk, thinking that she might be getting back into another case—as a favor to her soon-to-be brother-in-law. Hopefully, Shana was wrong about what she thought had happened Saturday night. That would be quick to prove, and her involvement would be over. Then what? She wouldn’t take any cases that would require traveling until after the holidays. That meant she had the rest of this month, then October, November and December to continue to be bored.

  She took a sip of her coffee, thinking that the only real excitement she’d had recently had been last month with the man she’d run into at the club. He’d been a cutie. Hot with a capital H. Fine with a capital F...in italics and bold. He had crossed her mind a number of times since that night, and she would even admit he had crept into her dreams a time or two.

  Yes, he was handsome, and damn it, he’d known it. He could have had his pick of any woman at the club that night. But she had given him the brush-off. Served his ass right for thinking he was all that and a bag of chips...even if he had been.

  She wasn’t crazy. The man had wanted sex that night. She had seen it in his eyes, had read it on his lips, even without speaking the words. Hell, he had horny written all over him...just the way she had it scribbled all over her right now.

  Jules took another sip of her coffee. Manning, who worked as her administrative assistant, had left already for a doctor’s appointment. With little to do, she had told him not to worry about coming back today since she would be leaving early herself.

  The phone on her desk rang, and she saw who it was. Smiling, she answered. “Hello, Dad.”

  * * *

  “Would you like to explain why Caden Granger was sneaking out of your place this morning before seven o’clock?”

  Shiloh glanced up from the stack of papers on her desk to see Sedrick standing in the doorway of her office.

  She studied her brother and noticed two things. He was wearing his white medical coat, which meant he was probably on his lunch hour, and second, he was frowning. She released a deep sigh. Her weekend had been too beautiful for her to let Sedrick or anyone else try to blemish it.

  Shiloh leaned back in her chair. “What were you doing around here that time of morning?”

  “The road was closed on Fifth and MacConnie, and I figured I’d make better time detouring through downtown. Imagine my surprise when I was sitting at the traffic light and saw Caden sneaking out of your place.”

  “Caden was not sneaking out. I invited him to stay the night.”

  Sedrick’s frown deepened. “That’s a switch from Saturday night. If I recall, you were acting as if you couldn’t stand the sight of him.”

  “Yes, I guess it was a switch, since he spent Saturday night with me, as well.”

  Her brother just stared at her. She could feel his anger and couldn’t understand the reason for it. “Would you like to explain how that happened?” he asked.

  “I will, but not because I feel that I have to, Sedrick. I’m an adult, and I make my own decisions about my life.”

  He came into the office, closing the door behind him. “True, and I think I’ve always treated you as an adult, Shiloh...except for those times you showed up at my place crying your eyes out like a child because of how shabbily Caden had treated you.”

  “That was when he thought I had wronged him.”

  “Doesn’t matter what he thought. I still comforted you as a big brother would his kid sister.”

  Shiloh didn’t say anything. She remembered those times. There had been only two—the night Caden had had her thrown out of his concert and last month, when she had gone to Sutton Hills to see him and he had refused to listen to her.

  “So how did he get to you? How did he get you to change your mind about moving on in your life without him?”

  Shiloh walked over to the window and stared out. It was a beautiful day, but nothing could be as beautiful as the weekend she had shared with Caden. A weekend that could have ended in tragedy.

  She turned back to Sedrick to find him staring at her. “To be honest, Sedrick, it wasn’t anything Caden did. It was something that almost happened.”

  She saw the look of confusion on his face. “And what almost happened?”

  Shiloh swallowed deeply, remembering. “Caden came close to being killed Saturday night.”

  * * *

  Sedrick went stock-still, looking as thunderstruck as she’d felt that night. “What do you mean, he came close to being killed Saturday night? When I left your party, he was still here, and he seemed pretty damned fine to me.”

  She went back to her chair to sit down. “It was after you left. After everyone left and he was leaving. A drunk driver lost control of his car and almost ran him down.”

  “Is this what he told you?”

  “No, that is what I saw with my own eyes, Sedrick. If a Good Samaritan hadn’t knocked him out of the way, he would have been killed.” Her voice was breaking, and there was no help for it. Talking about it made her remember every little detail.

  “What Good Samaritan?”

  “We don’t know really. Some guy was walking by and saw what was about to happen. However, instead of going into a panic and screaming like I did, he went into action and pushed Caden out of danger.”

&n
bsp; Sedrick didn’t say anything for a moment, but Shiloh could tell what she was saying was now sinking in. “The guy who saved him... Is he all right? What about Caden?”

  She nodded. “They’re both fine. Bruised up but fine.”

  “Did anyone call the police? Did the car stop? If not, did anyone get a tag number?”

  “No to all three. Things happened so quickly, and there was no need to call the police when we had no information to give them.”

  Sedrick didn’t say anything for a minute, and then he came and plopped down on the chair across from Shiloh’s desk. “I don’t like the sound of this,” he said angrily. “You’re upset about what happened, and I can understand that. But there’s something else you might want to consider about what happened.”

  Shiloh lifted a brow. “What?”

  “That the entire damned thing was staged.”

  She stared at her brother, and his expression clearly said he honestly considered that a likelihood. “That’s not possible.”

  “And why not? If he wanted to play on your sympathy, then what better way to do it? It definitely got him a night in your bed.”

  Shiloh leaned over her desk, releasing an angry breath. “It was not staged, Sedrick. I saw the entire thing. There was no way for that driver to know when Caden would be leaving my party. It happened just like I told you, whether you choose to believe it or not. Caden could have lost his life Saturday night.”

  “Well, forgive me if I have trouble believing it. It worked in his favor too damned well to suit me.”

  Shiloh stared at her brother, not understanding this hostile attitude he had toward Caden. It hadn’t been there two weeks ago. She could clearly recall him telling her all he wanted was her happiness, and at one time he’d acted as if he’d wanted her and Caden to get back together. What had happened? She then recalled something she had noticed at her party Saturday night.

  “Are the Greenes the reason you’ve suddenly developed this dislike for Caden?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I saw you hanging with them at the party. And it was pretty obvious they were acting rather badly toward Caden. He noticed it, as well.”

  Sedrick’s gaze hardened. “Trust me, they couldn’t care less what he noticed.”

  She again heard the venom in his voice. “Why? Why do they dislike Caden so much? And why has their dislike now spread to you?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sedrick said, standing. “I have to get back to work.” Then, without saying anything else, he walked out of her office.

  Twenty-Nine

  Dalton parked his car across from the tall building where the J. B. Sweet Investigative Agency was located. It was in a newly developed area of Charlottesville located near other businesses such as clothing stores, restaurants and various types of home-design stores. The landscaping was nice, and the building’s modern architecture featured steel and glass.

  Entering the building, he went to the receptionist’s desk. “May I help you?” she asked.

  He returned the woman’s smile. “Yes, I’m looking for the J. B. Sweet Investigative Agency.”

  “It’s on the tenth floor. The elevators are to your right.”

  “Thanks.”

  Dalton’s heart rate kicked up a beat and his pulse increased as he walked toward the elevator. What the hell was wrong with him? She was just another woman he wanted in his bed. No biggie.

  He stepped on the elevator, wondering who in hell he was trying to fool. This was a big deal. He’d spent his money and his time; he had passed many sleepless nights and had suffered through countless dreams about her. What other woman had put him through that kind of shit?

  As the elevator door swooshed shut behind him, he pressed the button for the tenth floor while thinking about what had driven him to this point. He knew the answer without having to think about it. From the moment she had walked into the nightclub that night, he had wanted her. Pure and simple. And she’d been determined to make everything complicated.

  An amazing body, gorgeous legs and a beautiful face. There had been something that had drawn him to her besides being sexy as hell. His libido had been out of control ever since. He hadn’t known why his attraction to her was so strong—she was like a magnet and he a piece of metal. Even now he didn’t know. But one thing he did know was that he wanted her and he intended to have her. Neither his mind nor his body would be at peace until he did.

  He stepped off the elevator and walked down a wide corridor until he came to a door with the name of her business on it in big, bold letters. Opening the door, he entered, stepping into a nice lobby area.

  He heard her voice, the same sexy sound he remembered from that night, and the scent of Amarige floated on the air. There was no doubt in his mind that his mystery woman was seated a few yards away. She was talking to someone on the phone in what was probably her office. The door was open, but he wouldn’t disrupt her phone call. He would wait until she ended the call before letting her know he was there.

  He sat down on one of the comfortable-looking chairs.

  * * *

  “Mr. Granger, there’s a Ms. Timmons here to see you.”

  Caden lifted his face from the stack of papers he was reading and rubbed the bridge of his nose, wondering what the hell Shiloh’s mother wanted. Sandra Timmons had seen him at Shiloh’s party Saturday night and hadn’t even acknowledged his presence. He was beginning to think that, with the exception of Shiloh, her family had mental issues.

  He drew in a deep breath. “Okay, Teresa. Please send her in.”

  Standing, he slid into his jacket and adjusted his tie. The office had been pretty quiet ever since everyone had been told of Brandy’s death. Most had heard the details, and news had spread quickly. Shelton had left the office early, which was probably a good thing. When Caden had passed him in the hall earlier, he’d looked as if he’d still been in a state of shock. Jace had personally made a call to Brandy’s family, conveying the company’s condolences and letting them know that Brandy’s personal belongings at the office would be delivered to them this week. Jace had said that her mother had seemed grateful for the call.

  Caden raised a surprised eyebrow when his office door opened and the person who walked in was not Sandra Timmons but Shiloh. An overwhelming feeling of love and warmth flowed through him, and he walked from behind his desk to meet her.

  “This is a pleasant surprise,” he said. And as soon as Teresa left, closing the door behind her, he pulled Shiloh into his arms and kissed her.

  He heard her purse drop to the floor when she let go of it to wrap her arms around his neck. She tasted like heaven and was a sensual delight in his arms. He had been thinking of her a lot today, and now she was here.

  He finally broke off the kiss, and he watched as she gasped and breathed the word wow.

  “Ditto,” he whispered, not ready to let her go yet. So he stood there and held her, loving the feel of her in his arms. “I don’t know what brought you here, but whatever the reason, I’m grateful,” he said.

  She leaned back and smiled up at him. “I was in my office, standing at the window looking out at this building, which can be seen in the distance, and wondered which one of the offices was yours. So I grabbed my jacket and purse and decided to find out.”

  He forced his gaze away from what he considered a too-sexy mouth to look into her eyes. “I want to officially welcome you to my office and to let you know you’re welcome to visit anytime.”

  Her lips widened into a smile, and the impact touched him. Not in one particular spot but all over. “Come here. Let me show you the view from my window,” he said, taking her hand and leading her over to the window.

  He heard her sharp intake of breath when she stood beside him at the window. “The mountains are beautiful from here. How do you get any work done?”

  He chuckled, tightening her hand in his. “This view isn’t my number one challenge in getting anything done around here,�
�� he said. “That is,” he said, gesturing to the saxophone case in the corner of the room. “I bring it into the office with me on occasion. You wouldn’t believe the number of times during the day I’ve been tempted to take it out and play it.”

  “And you haven’t?”

  “So far, no.”

  “You can play it for me one night.”

  “I intend to.” As far as he was concerned, he owed her a whole damned concert and intended to perform just for her one of these days.

  He led her over to the love seat in his office and sat down with her beside him. “I was going to call you later to see if you wanted to do dinner. There’s something I need to discuss with you.”

  “I’d love to do dinner, and there is something I want to talk to you about as well...which is another reason I’m paying you a visit.”

  Hearing the nervousness in her voice, he asked, “What is it?”

  She nervously nibbled on her bottom lip before saying, “It’s Sedrick. He came to see me today. It appears he was in the area this morning and saw you leave my place.”

  He nodded and tightened his hand on hers. “And that bothers you?”

  “No,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m an adult and can do as I please. But what bothers me is the way he’s handling the whole idea of our getting back together. Just weeks ago, he claimed he wanted me to be happy, even if that meant working things out with you.”

  “And now?”

  “Now he has a horrible attitude, and I don’t know where it came from...although I have an idea.”

  “The Greenes?”

  Her eyes widened. “Yes. How did you know?”

  “A mere guess since I saw him hanging with them at the party Saturday night. I wasn’t aware he was that close to the family.”

  “He’s not. At least he hadn’t been since he and Kerrie broke up ages ago.”

  “He sure seems to be back in tight with them now.”

  “Seems that way, doesn’t it?” she said, shaking her head. “I told him what happened to you on Saturday night, and do you know what he said?”

  “No. What did he say?”