I sighed in frustration, my feet itching to pace. Checking Jade’s breathing, the soft, even rhythm told me she was sleeping peacefully, so I slipped out of bed. As quietly as possible, I dressed and went down to my office. I didn’t do well with chaos, I never had. Plans, lists, organization, these were what kept my life on track.
Sitting down at the large, cherry wood desk, I took a minute to remember all the days I’d wandered in here as a kid. My dad would be hard at work on his computer, or leaning back in his chair reading, with a cigar in his hand. Whatever he was doing, he would stop and smile, beckoning me toward him. He’d ask about my day, or give me a little something to do. I always felt welcome. There were many times when I would simply sit on the couch across from him and watch him work. I was so in awe of him, so proud of him.
Maybe, maybe, he knew more about Di than I’d realized. Or, maybe she was exactly what I assumed and I was only wrong about Jade. I was more comfortable with option B, I didn’t like being wrong.
Firing up the computer, I spent a couple of hours researching and making a list for my assistant. I wanted the house to be the best environment for Jade and our baby. I instructed him to hire a chef familiar with what pregnant women should and shouldn’t eat, a delivery of vitamins and supplements Jade should (according to my research) be taking, a company to come in and baby-proof the house, a live-in pre-natal nurse, and an upgraded security system. The list continued to grow, so I told him to delegate some of it out. I also called my attorney and had him draw up a non-disclosure for the new employees. I always required one to be signed, but it was even more necessary considering the precarious state of our relationship.
Feeling accomplished, and much more in control, I shut off my computer and stretched. My stomach rumbled and I checked my watch, it was almost six. I’d let Jade sleep for a little more than three hours, but I was sure she’d be hungry soon. She and the baby needed to eat.
I was reaching for my phone when it started ringing.
“St. James,” I answered gruffly, annoyed at being interrupted when all I wanted to do was feed Jade and take her back to bed.
“Lucas, my boy!” I stifled an irritated sigh at the sound of Charles Finlay, one of, if not the most stuffy and self-righteous ass on the board of my company.
“What can I do for you, Finlay?” I asked, valiantly attempting to sound professional instead of sulky.
“We’re having a get-together at the L’étang tomorrow night. I know it’s late notice, but I’m hoping you’ll join us. We want to introduce you to some of our clients.”
Fuck. This was a golden opportunity to get to know the heads of the companies I would be trying to convince to stay with mine when I booted out the ‘Good Ole’ Boys Club.’ I really needed to attend, but I didn’t want to leave Jade.
“I’m not sure if I can—“
“Make sure you bring a date. We’ll see you at nine,” he interrupted, as though I hadn’t begun to decline, then promptly hung up.
My hand gripped the phone hard, my knuckles turning white. I needed to go since his request for me to bring a date was actually a semi-politely worded demand. These men liked their own kind and showing up younger, richer, single, and without a date would do nothing to bridge the already wide gap between us professionally. Some of them would be bringing their wives, but many of them would be with a girlfriend or, more likely, their current mistress. Conservative family men, my ass. It’s all about appearances with them, and a mistress is much less fodder for the tabloids than being in a relationship with your step-sibling. Although, to be fair, not all of them were such hypocrites.
I certainly couldn’t take Jade and I wasn’t about to take another woman. Damn it! I was about to toss my cell at the wall when I heard a soft knock. I looked up to see Jade lounging in the open doorway. She looked tousled and sleepy in one of my t-shirts, fucking adorable. Seeing her there, wearing my clothes, made the possessiveness I felt for her jump up about ten notches.
“Hey,” she greeted softly, “Everything alright?”
I smiled tightly, as tension built in my muscles. “Sure. Are you hungry?”
Her eyes lit up and she smiled brightly. “Starved.”
I laughed and crooked a finger at her before patting my lap. She rolled her eyes, but padded over and curled up in my arms.
My hand began rubbing circles on her back and I kissed the top of her head. “What would you like to eat?”
“Mmmmm...I could really go for a nice, juicy, steak.”
The little moan had my cock digging into her round little ass. One more moan like that and I could not be held responsible for my actions.
Steak? Her food choice broke into my thoughts. Maybe... No, what a stupid idea.
“Have you ever been to L’étang?” I asked, then immediately wanted to kick myself. Shut the fuck up, St. James.
“The steakhouse?” Her voice was incredulous as she leaned back to stare at me. “It’s like one thousand dollars a plate!”
I chuckled and shook my head. “Exaggerate much?”
She smiled and shrugged.
Ask her what she wants to order in. “I have a last minute work thing there tomorrow night. Want to go with me?” What the actual fuck, man? I almost winced at the voice screaming at me in my head. Yeah, that was stupid.
She hadn’t returned to her spot tucked into my chest. Her head was still up and she was studying me.
“As your date?” she asked cautiously.
Tread carefully. “Well, no. I can’t have you as my date.”
Her green eyes began to cloud with a dark emotion. Way to go, now get your foot out of your mouth.
I went on quickly, “Obviously, I’m not going to take any date. If I did, it would, of course, be you. I can’t go alone, though, not with this crowd anyway.”
Her face warned me of an impending storm, a riot of feelings I couldn’t quite nail down.
She raised an eyebrow. “So, you want to take me, but you can’t?”
Ah. No wonder, I wasn’t being very clear. I smiled, certain she’d be happy when I explained I’d still be taking her with me. “I wouldn’t have invited you if I didn’t intend to take you, sweetheart. You’ll accompany me as my step-sister. A sibling is always an acceptable substitute for a date.”
The dark emotions in her eyes turned into a full-blown black cloud and she jumped off my lap. Rounding on me, she slammed her fists onto her hips. Let’s be clear, I was doing my very best to pay attention, but when her large tits were bouncing at eye level because she was breathing heavy, it was impossible for me to keep from drifting to thoughts of sex. I was a man. She’s got fucking amazing tits. Not my fault. Case closed.
Apparently, Jade was not aware of this ruling because she snapped her fingers in front of my eyes and yelled, “My eyes are up here, jackass.”
I dragged my gaze up to her fiery green one, blazing with hurt and anger. I reared back a little at the intensity.
“You want to take me, the woman who is pregnant with your baby, to a work function and introduce me as your step-sister?” she shrilled.
Shifting uncomfortably, I grumbled, “Well, when you say it like that.”
“How would you say it, Lucas?”
I sighed, “I want to be with you, Jade. Out in the open. This dinner gets us one step closer to making that possible. It would be better if I took a date, but I can get away with bringing my new-found family member.”
She was still fuming, so I smiled and gently grasped her wrist, bringing her back to my lap. She reluctantly obliged and I wrapped my arms around her.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Will you please come with me?”
Chapter 9
Jade
I shouldn’t have let Lucas off the hook so easily. I was a strong woman, one who’d proven she was able to stand on her own two feet. Yet, I crumbled anytime it came to him. Self-control was a thing of the past whenever I was near him. It had been from the first moment we’d met. Clothes flew off my body at t
he drop of a hat and yes seemed to be the only word I was capable of saying. He’d practically called me a gold-digger and I let him take me on a desk without a single word of apology. Then he told me I couldn’t go to his elegant business dinner as his date, even though we’d spent an amazing afternoon together after learning I was pregnant with his baby. My response should have been heck no, but instead I’d said yes, gone out the next day, bought a fancy dress, and got my hair, makeup and nails done.
I’d wanted to look my best, even if I was only attending the dinner as Lucas’s step-sister and not his date. Judging by the look on his face as I walked down the stairs, it was well worth all the effort. Before my foot hit the bottom step, he was moving towards me.
“Are you sure you want to have dinner out with my boring board members instead of a night home alone with me?” His question was said in a teasing tone, but the intense look in his eyes was anything but a joke. The way his fingers gripped my hips as he pulled me closer made me think he might toss me over his shoulder and carry me up to his bedroom. When I was flush against him, the feel of his hardened length told me exactly how we’d end up spending the night if I said I wanted to stay home.
I could always wear the dress another night. “Let’s—“
My answer was drowned out by the sound of my growling stomach. The anti-nausea medication was working its magic, and I was starving.
“That sounds like a resounding yes for dinner,” Lucas said with a chuckle.
I grumbled a little as he led me to the car. I hadn’t really gotten a vote, but apparently the sex marathon idea was out and a steak dinner was in. Or maybe I’d get lucky and I could have both. The night was still young after all.
A mere two hours later, I wasn’t as hopeful. Was this night ever going to end? When we arrived at L’étang, Lucas escorted me around the private room and introduced me to everyone as his step-sister. This meant I couldn’t visibly react when several of the women present practically devoured him with their eyes even as they held onto the arms of their own dates. I didn’t object when he got me settled in my seat and then left me there to go talk business with a small group of men huddled in the corner before dinner was served.
The meal was spent with the men discussing business while the women pushed their food around their plates and looked pretty. Except for me. I enjoyed the heck out of my ridiculously expensive steak. After dessert had been served, the men excused themselves for an after-dinner drink at the bar. Lucas gave my hand the briefest of squeezes before joining them. I tried to take comfort in the small gesture and to remind myself that the situation was only temporary, but what I’d really wanted to do was hold tight and make him stay with me. I couldn’t do that and it killed me. What sister would mind if her brother left her side after all?
Oh, just the kind whose step-brother knocked her up, that’s who. I snort giggled into my hand at my own joke, glancing around and hoping I didn’t catch anyone’s attention. It was too much to wish for, though, because a guy was staring at me from across the room. I quickly looked away, my gaze dropping to what was left of my dessert. Not just mine, Lucas’s too since he’d been incredibly sweet and told me to order the chocolate soufflé and he’d gotten the crème brûlée so I didn’t have to choose. He’d barely taken a bite of his dessert before nudging it my way. Although any goodwill he’d earned from the gesture had been used up within the last thirty minutes or so.
Another glance up confirmed that his business colleague was nearing me. Maybe I’d drawn this guy’s attention because I was the only woman eating anything at this shindig. A glance out of the side of my eye told me that wasn’t the right guess. He was striding towards me, the speculative gleam in his eye making me uncomfortable. Did he know about Lucas and me? Was he going to cause trouble for the company? Crap, when was Lucas coming back anyway? I glanced frantically around the room hoping he’d returned from smoking a cigar on the terrace.
“It’s a shame to see a gorgeous woman like you sitting alone.”
Double crap. Still no sign of Lucas. On the plus side, it didn’t look like this guy had come over here for nefarious purposes. He’d come to flirt with Lucas’s step-sister, who was single and most definitely not pregnant with her step-brother’s baby. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and smoothed the skirt of my dress so it covered my thigh since his eyes were locked on the bare skin showing there. On second thought, fixing my dress might not have been my best decision tonight because his gaze moved from my legs to my boobs. They’d always caught guys’ attention since they’d practically appeared overnight in high school. With them being slightly bigger from the pregnancy already, they were even more of a guy magnet. I was also regretting my choice in dress as he claimed Lucas’s chair and stared at my chest.
“You’re Jade, right?”
I cleared my throat, drawing his gaze up to my face. The grin he gave me was unapologetic, and kind of bordering on sleazy. “Yup, that’s me.”
“I’m Charles Montgomery the third.”
He sounded like a pompous ass! One who’d taken hold of my hand and was tracing circles in the palm with one of his fingers.
“I’d like my hand back, please.”
His hold tightened when I tried to tug it away. Better make that an aggressive, arrogant ass.
“And I’d like to keep it,” he murmured. “How about we come to a deal of some kind. I’m sure I can persuade you to my way of thinking.”
“I’m not interested,” I hissed, tugging harder. His hold became painful, making me cringe. “Please,” I whimpered.
“Now that’s a word I’d like to hear you say, but in a more private setting.” My stomach churned as he leaned in closer. The smell of scotch on his breath was overwhelming. "We both know I’ve got exactly what a girl like you wants in a man. A fat wallet and an even fatter—“
He didn’t get the chance to finish his offensive comment. Lucas had returned and jerked him out of his chair by the collar of his shirt. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Montgomery?”
“Nothing that concerns you, St. James. The girl and I were just coming to an understanding.”
Lucas’s gaze swept me up and down, checking to make sure I was okay. Fury flared in his eyes when he caught sight of me holding my wrist gingerly. I jumped up from my chair when he pulled Charles even closer.
“It looks like Jade wants nothing to do with you or your understanding. So how about you keep your hands off her.”
“Please,” Charles sputtered. “A woman like her wouldn’t be offended by my offer. I was going to be very generous with her.”
“Shut the fuck up before I make you,” Lucas growled.
“Why are you so pissed off?” As crazy as it seemed, Charles looked like he truly didn’t understand Lucas’s anger. “You should be happy to get her off your hands after the way her mother trapped your father into marriage.”
I gasped in outrage at the slight to my mom, the sound reminding both men of my presence.
“You know what? I don’t have time for this shit.” Lucas punctuated his statement with a sharp jab to Charles’s chin, releasing his collar and letting him fall to the ground. Then he reached for me and ushered me out of the room.
Lucas had fully explained his situations and concerns before I completely agreed to attend the dinner. I was pretty sure his plan to lure clients on his own without the help of his current board had been thrown out the window. Practically dragging me from the most expensive restaurant in town while threatening a colleague and punching him in the face probably wasn’t the best way to earn anyone’s business.
Chapter 10
Lucas
I kept a firm grip on Jade’s hand, dragging her away from the lecherous asshole who’d had the nerve to touch what was mine. Glancing behind to make sure I wasn’t going too fast, my eyes once again skimmed over her.
When she had walked down the steps earlier in the evening (informing me it was the only way to make a grand entrance), she’d taken my brea
th away. Her platinum hair was pulled back into a long, straight ponytail, showing off her neck, with sparkling studs in her ears. Her collarbone and shoulders were bare save for the tiny straps of her emerald green dress. The rest of the shimmery fabric molded to her body, those unbelievable curves, making my mouth water. The dress fell to just above her knees, but there was a peeking split on her left side going up higher than I was comfortable with.
I’d managed to keep my trap shut and deal with it, not wanting to spoil what would probably be the only good thing about her evening besides an outrageously expensive steak. It had taken all of my strength to walk out the door instead of sweeping her back upstairs to the bedroom.
After watching these assholes drool over her and being forced to pretend I didn’t care, I was already at a breaking point. But, to walk up to her being propositioned was more than I could take.
Before we reached the front of the restaurant, I’d texted my driver to come and pick us up. Nights like these, I always had a driver so I could drink with my colleagues. However, I’d been doing my best to dazzle Jade and I’d brought her in a stretch limousine. She’d laughed and told me I was being too over the top, but the excited twinkle in her green eyes confirmed I’d made the right choice.
Within minutes of arriving outside, the limo came to a stop at the curb, and we slipped inside. I tugged Jade close to me on the bench seat and picked up the phone to speak with the driver.
“Back to the house.” Jade shifted and her tits pressed against my side, causing my pants to be in serious jeopardy of shredding around the teeth of the zipper. “Take the long way,” I snapped and tossed the phone back into its cradle.
Without wasting any more time, I grasped her small waist and lifted her over my lap, so she was straddling me. Our mouths connected and the temperature in the enclosed space exploded. She tasted like chocolate and caramel, her body was warm and pliant in my arms. Before I lost all sense of logic, my arm flopped around beside me until it found the button for the privacy screen and I heard it whoosh into place.
Baby Steps (Yeah, Baby Book 2) Page 5
