Читать книгу Broken Heart - Laura Browning - Страница 5

Chapter 2

In the week since leaving the wedding, Mason had retreated to his office no less than three times to avoid dealing with Stacey. His assistant could handle her. Left to him, he’d tell her to find another gallery, but his clientele and hers overlapped to such an extent it was impossible. And truth be told, he often had to recommend her, because she was a damn good interior decorator.

He’d just made the absolute dumbass move of getting involved. What had started out as incendiary sex had morphed into something more for him. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for Stacey. While he had found a vibrantly passionate woman beneath the buttoned-down blueblood exterior, when push came to shove, she’d fallen right in line with whatever life plan had been laid out for her from birth on. The right man with the right pedigree had produced a ring, popped the question and she had accepted.

God knew, when it came to pedigrees, Mason Hatch was nothing more than a mongrel who’d been rescued, bathed and groomed. He might not be on the streets anymore, but it was where his roots were.

And right now, seeing her bring in Justin Worthington to look over their inventory had nearly sent him straight back to the hard-talking, hard-hitting years of his youth. Mason wanted nothing more than to pound his fist in Justin’s golden good looks. A glance at his watch told him he couldn’t hide out any longer. He had a lunch meeting with an artist whose work could be an asset to the gallery based on what he’d seen. If he didn’t leave now, he’d be late. His gaze narrowed on the proprietary hand Justin placed at the base of Stacey’s back, as if he’d already moved in on those marriage vows she’d tried to tell Mason she held so sacred. His stomach turned in disgust. Apparently putting hands on Stacey was permissible if the family tree dated back to seventeenth-century America.

Whatever. Mason couldn’t accurately trace his family history to more than a barely remembered mother. He’d always suspected the name Hatch was an invention of some smartass social worker to imply something about his origins.

Stacey glanced over from the painting she was showing Justin as Mason stepped from the staircase into the front hall. He nodded to her, his gaze dropping for an instant to the hand Justin rested right at the top of her butt. It surprised him when she blushed.

“Justin,” she said, drawing the other man’s attention. “This is Mason Hatch, the gallery owner.”

It was all he could do to stifle the growl that instinctively rose to his lips, but he shook the other man’s hand. “I hope you’re finding everything you need?”

“Yes, thank you, Hatch.” Justin’s tone set his nerves on edge, so similar to the one Stacey had used the first time she met him.

Mason switched his narrowed gaze to Stacey. “How’s your husband, Stacey?”

“Busy.” There was something in the shift of her eyes that made his nerves jangle. Not his business. Whatever problems she had, she’d chosen. He looked once more at the tall blond with her. “Nice to have met you, Worthington. Will you be here long?”

“Permanently, I hope.”

Mason smiled. “So is Stacey helping you decorate?” Maybe he was simply a client.

Was Worthington’s smile a bit smug? “We’re not quite to the finishing touches, though she is making a few suggestions. My condo’s under renovation right now. Stacey and Jace have graciously allowed me to move in with them temporarily.”

Mason’s glance flew back to Stacey. Now she did shift uneasily. “How…cozy.” Mason smirked–on purpose. He glanced at his watch. “I hope you’ll excuse me. I’m on my way out to a lunch meeting.”

* * * *

“You’ve slept with him, haven’t you?”

Justin’s quietly worded question hit the silence following Mason’s departure as loudly as if he’d screamed it. Stacey stepped away from her husband’s friend, her hand fluttering to her throat. “Wh-what did you say?”

Justin’s smiled widened, showing off the dimple in his cheek. “Hatch. You’ve had sex with him. He gives off the testosterone of one very possessive male.”

Stacey clutched her purse in front of her. “I don’t think this is something open for discussion, Justin.”

He shrugged. “Whatever. Jace has never been a very possessive man. I doubt it would bother him.”

She felt like she had to provide some explanation. What if Justin said something? “We…went out a couple of times before Jace and I got engaged.”

“It’s okay, Stacey.” His tone was reassuring. “I’m sorry. None of my business. It just seemed odd. The guy was throwing off real vibes like he was ready to mark his territory or something, like some common cur. “

She smoothed a hand over her sleek hair. “I can assure you there’s nothing between us. It ended when Jace and I got engaged.”

Justin smiled. “I’ve embarrassed you. I’m sorry. Let me take you to lunch so I can make amends.”

Stacey wanted to refuse, but she couldn’t find a decent way to do so. In the past week, Justin seemed to be right there whenever she turned around, whether they were at the house or somewhere else. Last night, she’d heard the two men laughing in Jason’s study long after she had gone to bed. Ever since Justin moved in, her husband seemed to have forgotten the whole discussion of starting a family. Now Stacey was stuck in the middle of Justin knowing something her husband didn’t, and her almost inbred need to be a good hostess. It left no room to graciously avoid lunch. “That’s kind of you, Justin. Thank you.”

As they sat at a secluded table in a quiet corner of a restaurant in Georgetown, Stacey tried to hide her surprise when Justin took her hand. “I don’t want there to be any awkwardness between us. Jace and I are such close friends. We’ve known each other since we were kids. I want you to be a part of our friendship too.”

She opened the menu, using it as an excuse to slide her hand free from his. Truthfully, though, she had little appetite. Knowing she needed to respond in some way, she smiled. “I’m glad you two are so close. Jace humors me and comes sailing with me, but I know his heart’s not really in it. He’d rather be…”

“Fishing.” Justin grinned. “We’ve been trout fishing on my parents’ ranch, even taken a few trips to Canada. He’s got enough sixth sense when it comes to finding fish, he could be a river guide.”

Stacey laughed, once again relaxing. It was difficult to imagine the always buttoned up Jason Winchester roughing it in the wilds out west. Maybe she was being too hard on Justin. He did seem to be good for Jace. Her husband had been so much more relaxed this week. Maybe that would translate into their bedroom too. Stacey could only hope.

“You never did explain where you were that you couldn’t get back for the wedding. You and Jace are so close, it’s difficult to imagine you wouldn’t have been his choice for best man, and I’m sure he would have been more than willing to fly you back–that is, if you weren’t in the middle of a war zone.”

Justin chuckled. “Not exactly. I was working on my family’s land holdings in Australia. They’re running cattle there as well as here. Jace did call me, but there was no way I could get back. You two had already set the date, so.” He shrugged.

Stacey patted his hand. “It’s okay. I understand how that is. Barrett Newspapers has always been the same way for my father and my brothers. Well, not Seth anymore, but Brandon stays busy. He managed to carve out time for a honeymoon, but I know he’ll have to hit the ground running once they get back.”

The waiter stopped at their table and took their orders. When all she ordered was a salad, Justin raised his brows. Once the waiter departed he looked at her, green eyes serious. “Shouldn’t you be eating more if you and Jace plan to get pregnant?”

Stacey’s hand rattled against her water glass. “He told you that?”

Justin laughed. “Well, yeah. He seemed pretty open about it. Is it a big secret?”

She recovered with a smile after she sipped from her water. “No. I guess not. It’s just I hadn’t even had the chance to mention it to my family.” She waved her hand. “Never mind. I’m being silly.”

Justin ran his fingers along the weave of the tablecloth. “Please don’t take offense, Stacey. It just seems, with me in the house, I might be cramping your style. If you’d like, I could go out this evening…grab dinner and a movie some place and give you and Jace some alone time.”

It was incredibly thoughtful, not something she would have ever given a guy credit for imagining, certainly not based on the knowledge of her own three brothers. “Thank you, Justin. That’s kind of you.”

He caught her hand and squeezed gently. “No problem.”

* * * *

Jace’s cell chirped with Justin’s ringtone. A client had just left and he had an hour before the next one arrived. Relaxing back in his chair, he twisted toward the window and watched the traffic roll past on the street below. Warmth filled him. Justin had always been able to do that.

“What’s up?”

“I finished lunch with your wife.”

“Did everything go okay? Does it seem like she likes you?” Jace knew some of his anxiety was bleeding through, but this was so important. He heard Justin sigh on the other end of the line.

“Jace, things don’t have to be this way. You know what it’s like with me on the ranch. It could be the same way for you. Come out. We could have a life together. You could let Stacey go.”

Jace rubbed his temples, the tightness starting again in his neck and shoulders every time he considered his future. “Christ, Justin, you know I can’t do that. My father may be gone, but my mother would have a stroke–literally, I’m afraid. You’re asking the only son of a staunch Catholic family to admit he’s gay? I’m already in agony every time I try to have a normal relationship with Stacey.”

“And you know I will stick by you no matter what, Jason. I love you, man, but this is killing you, and it’s taking a toll on Stacey too. Can’t you see she still loves that other guy?”

Jace ground his teeth. “He’s not right for her.”

“Listen to you. You don’t really want her, yet you don’t want her to have anyone of her own? You’re better than that.”

“I need her, Justin.”

“As your beard? Without her knowledge? It’s not right.”

“I need her to have my baby. If I had at least one child…” Jason sucked in a shaky breath. “I could do it then. I could come out.”

The line was silent for a moment. When Justin spoke again, his tone was resigned. “You know I’ll help you any way I can.”

“Thanks, Justin.” After saying goodbye, Jace shoved his phone back in his pocket and squeezed his eyes shut. He’d made such a mess of everything. He’d panicked and created a situation that seemed to get more and more out of control.

* * * *

“There. What do you think?” Stacey turned to Justin with a smile as she surveyed the dining room table. She had candles set, her best silver and china placed and the lights dimmed.

He leaned against the doorjamb and grinned. “Perfect. Jace will love it.” He stepped forward and kissed her on the cheek. “Good luck, Stacey.” He winked. “I’ll be back later.”

Stacey felt guilty for the resentment she sometimes felt toward Justin. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and a quick hug. “Thank you for the suggestion and the help.”

He waved it away and left the room. A moment later, she heard the front door shut. After checking on a dinner she and Justin had cooked after they’d dismissed the staff for the evening, Stacey hurried upstairs to change. Even here, Justin had surprised her, by suggesting what she wear. While Stacey would have gone for a short, vampy dress, Justin had suggested some silky lounging pajamas instead.

She bathed and perfumed before slipping the pajamas over her bare skin. No bra, no panties. She wanted to make this as easy for Jace as she could. A moment later, she heard the automatic garage door. Racing down the stairs, she waited across from the door he would enter to take his briefcase.

She smiled when he looked a bit confused. She took his case and stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the lips. “Welcome home, darling. Dinner is almost ready. Why don’t I get you a drink, and you can change into something more comfortable.”

“What’s all this?” He held her away from him for a moment and smiled. “Mind you, I’m not complaining.”

“We have the house to ourselves for the evening, so…” She smiled with what she hoped was a seductive look. Shit. She’d never been any good at this.

Jace pulled her into his arms again. “So you’re seducing me?”

She leaned her cheek against his chest. “Is it working?”

“Yes. Pour me a scotch. I’ll get a shower and be right back.”

Stacey was elated. Maybe now they could get things going so she would finally feel like she had a marriage. Although they had been man and wife longer than either of her brothers had been with their spouses, Stacey often felt clueless when it came to her marriage, particularly whenever she and Jace were around the rest of the family. She had done everything her parents had asked, so why was this still so difficult?

But now things were changing, and whether she wanted to admit it or not, Justin Worthington had been a big help. She would have to find some way to say thank you. She reiterated that thought when Jace entered the living room clad only in a pair of sleep pants hanging low on his hips. She couldn’t believe how receptive he was being to her overtures, so different from the times early on in their marriage when she had tried something similar. It was as if he’d become a whole new man ever since Brandon’s wedding. Stacey could only thank her lucky stars.

Dinner went splendidly, Jace even feeding her bites of dessert and leaning in for kisses in between. When they left the table, he grabbed her hand as she headed for the living room.

“Let’s go upstairs, darling,” he murmured.

Yesss! Stacey returned his grip with a soft squeeze.

* * * *

Mason had taken clients to dinner. After dropping the couple at their hotel, he had decided to stop at a bar not far from his penthouse on the way home. Not in the mood for company, he’d found a quiet corner in the back where he could observe people going in and out. It was right after ten when he saw Justin Worthington walk in–alone. He had seen the man several times during the week, each time either in the company of Jason Winchester or Stacey. Did this mean Stacey and her husband were actually spending time together?

Mason swirled the bourbon in his glass, his brows drawing together as he tried to force away the image of the two of them. Did she do the same things with Winchester she had done with him? He tossed the bourbon back, nearly choking. Imagining her with her long legs wrapped around her husband and her slender hips undulating against his nearly made Mason crush the glass.

“Would you care for another, sir?”

He wiped the frown from his face. The waitress had done nothing wrong. “Yes, thanks.”

He stared at Worthington. The man was engaged in conversation with another man at the bar. There was something in his manner that made Mason feel ill at ease. It was nothing he could put a name to, which bothered him even more. As he continued to watch the blond, it dawned on him that he resembled Stacey in a lot of ways. Both long-legged and lean, they also shared the same shade of hair. While Worthington’s eyes were green instead of gold, they also had the same angular features.

Whatever.

Mason shivered as he sipped the new bourbon the waitress had dropped at his table. A life on the streets followed by four years of exposure to the opposite end of the spectrum as a scholarship student at Harvard had left him with a very cynical view of society. There were dregs rich and poor, and their economic status had very little to do with the content of their character, to steal a line from a great American. Justin Worthington might not be the dregs, but he and Jace Winchester were hiding who and what they were. He wasn’t sure yet why, but he had a very strong suspicion–one making him half sick. When Worthington left a half-hour later, Mason slapped a couple bills on the table and followed him. From the shadows outside the Winchester brownstone, Mason watched the other man quietly let himself inside. Mason sighed heavily.

Maybe he was being paranoid. Hell, maybe he was turning into some kind of sick Stacey stalker because he sure as shit couldn’t get her out of his head. And now he had to wonder exactly what Justin Worthington was doing staying there.

* * * *

Stacey sat in the hot tub on the back deck, determined to keep the mood going. Jace had made love to her as usual. He had seemed to get satisfaction from their coupling, but she couldn’t say the same. Not that he would know. Stacey had gotten very good at making him think she was climaxing even while her mind detached from what was going on. He had his arm around her shoulders now, so Stacey snuggled a bit closer to his side. He rubbed her shoulder.

“Would you like a drink, darling?”

“Yes,” she murmured, “that would be nice.” He rose from the hot tub, not bothering to wrap a towel around his slender hips. He had a pleasing build, lean, not muscular like Mason, but still handsome.

Stop. Stacey didn’t want to think about Mason right now, but she realized every time her husband made love to her, she fantasized, remembering what it had been like with Mason. It was the only way she could make her “climaxes” realistic. With a sigh, she stared off into the darkness. This wasn’t right. She shouldn’t be thinking about another man, a man she hadn’t been with for nearly two years. There must be something wrong with her. Jace certainly seemed to find their married life satisfying, so what was her problem?

Maybe she should consider seeing a therapist. Her mind cringed from the very idea. A Barlow-Barrett always keeps her private life private. Somehow, Stacey doubted seeing a shrink went along with that particular maxim from her mother.

She looked over at the French doors leading to the deck as she heard Jace return, then quickly sank lower in the hot tub, her eyes widening in shock. Behind her nude husband was Justin Worthington with only a towel tucked around his hips. Stacey’s glance darted from Justin back to Jace. She couldn’t very well ask what the hell was going on.

“Justin just got home, darling,” Jace told her with a smile. “I knew you wouldn’t mind him joining us. After all, we’re all friends, all adults.” There was an underlying tone telling her more clearly than words she was not to contradict him. And of course, how could she anyway? Doing so would create a scene.

Stacey swallowed and tried to smile. She wasn’t a prude by any means, and the bubbles hid a lot. She did, after all, owe Justin for his help. “Of course I don’t mind.” She hoped she didn’t sound as uncertain as she felt. “Please, join us.”

Justin eased in on her other side before stripping the towel from himself and letting it slap onto the deck. Now he was naked too. With her. With her husband on the opposite side–and her in the middle. Stacey swallowed, feeling more than a bit uncomfortable and not liking the situation Jace had forced on her.

“Thank you, Stacey,” Justin murmured. “Did you have a nice evening?”