Authors: Brenda Jackson
Was it her imagination or had the Owenses suddenly gone unusually quiet? Harold Owens seemed to study a speck on his tie, and Helen said nothing as she stared into her glass of wine.
She found their actions very odd and was about to restate her question when she felt heat at her back. She knew Caden was less than a few feet away. Was that the reason the Owenses were acting strange? Shiloh thought there was more to it than that, because they were looking over her shoulder and appeared surprised to see Caden approaching.
“Good evening, Shiloh. Mr. and Mrs. Owens.”
Caden’s deep, husky voice caressed her skin when he came to stand beside her. He then reached out his hand to the Owenses. “Good seeing you again. It’s been years.”
A smile spread across Helen’s lips. “Why, Caden Granger. You’ve grown into a very handsome man, and I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things about you and that saxophone of yours.” She paused a moment and then added, “And it seems you still get all the girls.”
Caden chuckled. “I think you have me mixed up with my brother Dalton.”
“And how are your brothers?” Harold asked as if he genuinely wanted to know. “We heard about that kidnapping incident with Jace a few weeks ago. That was awful, and to think the mastermind was someone you thought could be trusted.”
“But isn’t that how it usually is?” Shiloh asked, not looking at Caden. “The people you trust the most are the ones who will cause you the most pain.” Not waiting for anyone’s reply, she said, “If all of you will excuse me, I need to mingle with my guests.”
She walked off and could actually feel Caden’s stare in the center of her back.
Eighteen
“I
s there a reason he’s still here?” Sedrick asked his sister.
Shiloh didn’t have to glance around to know whom her brother was referring to. Although the party had wound down and most of the people had left, Caden was among the handful that remained.
She lifted her chin. “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask him?”
Her brother frowned. “I think I will.”
Cassie shot an arm out to detain Sedrick. “Really, Sedrick, is that necessary? Maybe you need to let Shiloh handle her own business.”
He removed Cassie’s hand from his arm. “And maybe you need to attend to your own business.”
Shiloh saw the hurt flash in Cassie’s eyes before she walked off. She spoke up and said, “Cassie’s right. Caden is my business, Sedrick, and I’ll handle him. And did you have to be so rude to Cassie just now? What in the world is wrong with you? You haven’t been yourself since you arrived here tonight. I think you owe Cassie an apology.”
He frowned. “Just like you claim Caden is your business, Cassie is mine. You handle yours, and I’ll handle mine.” He then walked off.
Shiloh drew in a deep breath. What in the world was wrong with Sedrick? He’d arrived in a surly mood, and it had gotten worse after he’d spent some time with the Greenes.
Tonight, Shiloh hadn’t been able to help but notice that all the influential families who had ostracized Caden and his brothers years ago had been falling all over themselves tonight, smiling, shaking his hand and asking for his autograph.
Except for the Greenes.
It seemed they had deliberately avoided him. Why? Even when Ivan had arrived, he’d appeared to be put out to see Caden here. The man who wanted to be mayor had made his rounds, shaking hands with almost everyone present, except for Caden. Shiloh wondered whether Caden had noticed the Greenes’ avoidance of him tonight. Knowing Caden the way she did, Shiloh knew that if he had noticed, he probably didn’t care.
“Time for us to call it a night,” Valerie said, coming up behind her and interrupting her thoughts.
Whenever Valerie came into town alone she stayed with Shiloh, but whenever Jack came with her, Valerie preferred staying at the Fairgate, a hotel known for its romantic setting. The hotel was built so each and every room had a beautiful view of the mountains. On top of that, each hotel room was really a large suite with a fireplace and huge garden tub.
“Thanks for staying as long as you did,” she said, giving Valerie a hug. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”
“Hmm, it seems that some of us plan to stay even longer.”
Shiloh knew she was referring to Caden. Obviously, Sedrick hadn’t been the only one to notice.
“Yes, I saw you over there mingling with the enemy,” Shiloh said, looking pointedly at her friend.
Valerie chuckled. “Caden might be your enemy, but he isn’t mine. I admit I was a little put out with him about the way he’d been treating you. But that was before you told me what your father had done. I still don’t agree with the things Caden might have done and said, but now I understand why he did them. That was pretty low of your father. To think a father would go to that extreme to keep a man away from his daughter only makes me wonder why.”
“I know why,” Shiloh said, putting down her wineglass and glancing across the room to where Caden was talking to Jack. “Dad disliked the Grangers. For some reason, my parents, especially my father, seemed to take Sylvia Granger’s murder personally. Not only did they want Sheppard Granger to pay for that sin, but they wanted his sons to pay for it, as well.”
“That’s a lot of hatred, Shiloh. Have you ever wondered why?”
When Shiloh didn’t say anything, Valerie pressed on. “Samuel Timmons is dead, yet you’re still letting him win. He always wanted you and Caden apart, and he’s getting just what he wanted.” Changing the subject, she said, “Good night, Shiloh. Jack and I fly out early in the morning. I’ll call you sometime tomorrow to let you know we made it back home safely.”
Shiloh watched as Valerie crossed the room to where Jack and Caden stood. She slid her arm into Jack’s, leaning up to kiss Caden on the cheek before pulling Jack toward the exit.
It was then that Caden glanced over at her. She had deliberately avoided him all night, and the one time he had approached her when she’d been chatting with the Owenses, she had walked off. Later, Nannette had approached her, putting her on the spot by insisting that she consider Caden for this year’s entertainment at the ball. Shiloh agreed he would be a huge draw, but the thought of working with him on any project was too much for her to think about.
She glanced around and realized that everyone had left—everyone except her, Caden and the catering staff. When had Sedrick and Cassie left? She was surprised her brother hadn’t hung around long enough to make sure Caden wasn’t the last one to leave. Her brother’s behavior tonight was now more confusing than ever.
She drew in a steady breath when Caden began walking toward her. She wished he didn’t look so darned good. His appearance had definitely been appreciated by some and resented by a few. Her thoughts shifted again to the Greenes, but not for long as Caden came to a stop in front of her.
“You had a nice turnout, Shiloh.”
She tilted her head back to look up at him. “Why did you come here tonight, Caden?”
He held her stare, shoving his hands into his pockets. “And why wouldn’t I come?”
“You know the answer to that and, frankly, I don’t want to go over it again.”
A smile touched his lips. “Good because, frankly, I don’t want you to go over it again, either. I know how you feel.”
She shook her head. “No, you don’t. If you did, you wouldn’t be here.”
He took a step closer. “Because I do know how you feel. That’s why I am here.”
She frowned, thinking what he said didn’t make sense. “Everyone has left. The party is over, so you can leave now.”
“Before I go, there’s something I’d like to ask you about.”
“What?”
“Not here.” The caterers were breaking things down, and they were in the way. She had a feeling that whatever he wanted to ask her he wanted to ask in private. A part of her knew she should tell him that he didn’t have a right to ask her anything, but another part of her was curious about what he wanted to know. Besides, there was something she needed to ask him, as well. Something Valerie now had her pondering.
“Fine. We can talk privately out in the courtyard.”
* * *
Caden followed Shiloh as she opened the French doors. He ducked under the top of the door and walked out onto a brick courtyard. He’d noticed people coming and going into this space during most of the evening but hadn’t ventured out himself.
It was the first week in September, and already the night air was growing cool. Caden figured that in a couple of weeks, most people would be wearing their winter clothes. He watched as Shiloh led him toward one of the patio sofas, covered in cushions. She slipped off her shoes and then sat down, curling her bare feet beneath her.
“Now, what is your question? Because I have one of my own,” she said, looking over at him.
He was so taken by how she appeared at that moment, sitting there with the reflections from the lanterns making her look even more beautiful. He almost forgot she was talking. But he did catch the tail end of what she’d said. “You have a question for me, as well?”
“Yes. Please go ahead, and then I’ll ask mine,” she said, leaning back in the seat.
He took a chair across from her. “First, I’d like to state that I have a reason for asking you this, so please don’t get all bent out of shape.”
Her gaze bored into him. “I won’t make any promises. What is it that you want to know?”
He paused a moment and then asked, “Is there or has there ever been something going on between you and Ivan Greene?”
Shiloh stared at Caden, certain she had misunderstood his question. But when it was obvious she had not, anger ignited her entire body. She immediately sat up, and her feet hit the brick floor with a thump. “You have a lot of nerve asking me something like that. The answer is no, but if I had been involved with him, it would be none of your business.”
“I had a reason for asking you that.”
Shiloh thought he had better have a damned good reason. “And what would that be?”
Caden leaned back in his chair. “Tonight, for whatever reason, I felt deep animosity coming from not only Ivan but also his parents. And I can think of no other reason for it other than perhaps he has feelings for you and he sees me as a threat.”
“Rest assured, Ivan Greene is not interested in me. Besides, he’s almost fourteen years older than I am.”
“To some women, age doesn’t mean anything. It definitely doesn’t seem to matter to Nannette Gaither.”
“Well, it does to me. And as far as the Greenes’ animosity toward you, I have no answers. If I recall, Michael Greene worked for your father’s company at one time, didn’t he?”
“Yes, and Dad fired him. I never knew the reason why, but it happened a few months before my mother’s death.”
“Do you think he’s holding a grudge from that time?”
Caden shrugged. “I don’t know why he would. After leaving Granger, he started his own business and became highly successful. I think he would consider his departure from Granger Aeronautics a good move and not the opposite.”
Caden didn’t say anything for a moment and then added, “Maybe I imagined things tonight.”
“No, you didn’t,” Shiloh said. “I picked up on their coolness to you myself and wondered the reason for it. With Ivan running for mayor, you would think he would be friendly to as many people as he could. I don’t know why the Greenes snubbed you tonight, but it has nothing to do with me. I barely know Ivan Greene...although if you remember, Sedrick and Ivan’s sister Kerrie dated seriously back in high school.”
Caden nodded. “Yes, I do recall that.” Since returning to Charlottesville, he was beginning to remember a lot from his childhood. Some good, and some bad. “Now, what is your question?” he asked.
Shiloh met his gaze. “Do you have any idea why my parents started hating yours? Dad went to a lot of trouble to keep us apart and, before now, I never wondered what motivated him. I just accepted it as his way. Now I want to know why.”
Nineteen
C
aden held Shiloh’s eyes. Her question was one he’d been pondering himself lately. All he had to do was remember that packet he’d received in his hotel room in Vegas, and how carefully Samuel Timmons had manipulated things in his favor, using distorted photographs to plant doubt in Caden’s mind over Shiloh’s love and loyalty. Only hatred could drive a person to that extreme.
“I honestly don’t know, Shiloh. I’ve been thinking about my father’s trial a lot. Things were fine, and then one day Granddad picked us up from school and broke the news that our mother was dead and Dad had been charged with killing her.”
He paused a moment and then said, “And that’s when the ugliness began. I remember wanting to talk to you then. I called your house, as usual, and your dad answered the phone. Instead of the kindness he’d always displayed to me, he showed me another side. A bitter, hateful and vicious side. He told me never to call his house again, and he also said he would not have his children associating with the kids of a murderer. It was as if he’d already decided my dad was guilty.”
She nodded. “And things got worse from there,” she said. “After giving us orders never to be friends with you and your brothers again, he began drinking heavily. I thought it was guilt because of the way he had begun treating you, but I don’t think that was the case. Drinking just made him even more hateful toward your family. Because of his threats, Sedrick and I did what he told us to do, although I would go out of my way, whenever I could, to let you know I would always be there for you.”
Caden remembered that. The smiles. The notes. The cards.
“Years later, my father used my convalescence to keep us apart, to play his hand, knowing if he played it right, you would believe it. And you did.”
“Yes,” Caden admitted ashamedly. “I did.”
Hearing him admit to that brought back memories of all the pain she’d endured. Both the physical pain of the accident and the emotional pain of his rejection when he’d believed the worst about her.
She quickly stood. “You’ve asked your question and I’ve asked mine, but it seems we still don’t have answers.”
He stood, as well. “No, we don’t. Honestly, I don’t give a damn about the way the Greenes feel about me. Their behavior tonight has only made me curious. And in terms of your father’s hatred of my family, I think the only person who could shed some light on everything is your mother. Maybe you should ask her.”
Shiloh inwardly shuddered at the thought. “I’d rather not.”
Caden studied her for a moment, looking beyond the resentment in her features to the happy-go-lucky woman she’d always been. “You’re going to have to learn how to forgive, Shiloh,” he said softly.
She lifted her chin. “Why? You think that will give you a way back into my life?”
Caden took a step toward her, closing the distance between them. “Something you simply refuse to acknowledge, Shiloh, is that I am already back in your life. In fact, I never truly left. Even when you wanted to hate me, you couldn’t. There has always been a you and a me, even when there wasn’t supposed to be. I’ve made you a promise that I intend to keep. One day, you’ll believe how sorry I am for all I did and accept that we all make mistakes. I love you and only you. Those other women were just a physical way to purge my pain. You are the only woman I can and will ever love.”
Shiloh broke eye contact with Caden. The intensity of the gaze boring into her nearly took her breath away. His words had been so profound that it stirred things within her that she hadn’t wanted to feel. But still...
“I need time, Caden.”
“No. You need
me.
Just like I need you. Too much time has been wasted already.”
And with that said, he reached out and pulled her into his arms.
* * *
Shiloh knew she should push him away. She wasn’t ready for this, but when his mouth began feasting on hers, the only thing she could do, the only thing she wanted to do, was enjoy it. The kiss was as natural as snow falling on the mountains in late December and as natural as a hungry man eating for the first time in months.
Caden had a way of kissing that always filled her with feverish intensity, and it was happening now. Her senses were awakening, and her entire body was responding. She could feel the solid hardness of him pressed against her. She could smell his manly aroma filtering through her nostrils. And more than anything, she was loving the pure taste of him.
Why was it always this way with him and with no one else? Why was her body, her mind, her entire being so tuned in to him? His kisses were hot, possessive and intoxicating to the point that she felt weak in the knees.
Then just as suddenly as he had begun kissing her, he stopped. Slowly, he unwrapped his arms from around her and whispered against her damp lips, “I love you, Shiloh. No matter what, always believe that. I’m not going to rush you, but I want you to be sure of me. To be sure of us.”
And then he headed for the wrought-iron gate that led out toward the parking area on the street. Before opening the gate, he turned and said, “You look simply radiant tonight, Shiloh, and you have a nice shop that I know will do well. I’m very proud of you.”
Then he was gone. She moved toward the gate to watch him walk down the brick walkway to the street. The lights that lined the streets shone on him and his muscular form. He walked like a man sure of himself. A man who’d had tough times in his life but who was determined to survive, and he had.
That kiss had been everything she remembered a Caden Granger kiss could be. Four years hadn’t changed the impact he had on her. Again, he had brought up that promise tonight. She of all people knew that Caden didn’t make promises lightly, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to let him back into her life.
Breathing in the cool night air, she felt a chill go through her body, and she wrapped her arms around her sleeveless dress, feeling the change in the weather. She watched Caden cross the street to his car, and she was about to turn around to go back inside when she noticed a car pulling out behind a parked car.
Suddenly the car accelerated and picked up speed. Her breath caught when she saw that the car was headed straight toward Caden. It brought back terrible memories of the night she’d been hit.
She screamed Caden’s name, and he snapped his head around and looked back. The car’s headlights must have blinded him, because instead of getting out of the way, he stood there as if frozen in place.
Then she watched as someone appeared out of nowhere and pushed Caden out of the way, forcing both men to the ground to roll out of the car’s path. The speeding car had come within inches of hitting them both, and the driver had kept on going.
Shiloh began running toward Caden as fast as she could, ignoring the fact that the length of her dress made movement difficult. She almost lost a shoe, but she didn’t care. When she reached the two men sprawled on the ground, the huge hulk of a man who had pushed Caden out of the way was pulling himself up off the ground and hauling Caden up with him. Both were breathing hard as if they’d run a marathon.
“Are the two of you all right?” she asked in a frantic tone when she reached them. The big guy moved aside as she took a good look at Caden. His jacket was ripped, dirt was smeared on his pants, and he was flexing his fingers. He must have fallen on his hand.
She moved toward Caden, and his gaze met hers. She reached for him, and he drew her into his arms. Her body was shaking, trembling, and he tightened his arms around her. She buried her face in his chest, trying to stop her body from quaking.
Breathing deeply a few times to pull herself together, she finally lifted her head and gazed up at him. “You could have been killed,” she said in a quivering voice. “I can’t believe what that driver did. He must have been drunk. I—”
Shiloh never finished, because Caden lowered his mouth and kissed her. At that moment she wasn’t sure who needed it most. When she’d seen that speeding car headed toward him, she had stopped breathing. She suddenly realized how close she’d come to losing him. Had that car hit him, there was no way he would have survived the impact. That realization had her shaking to the core, returning his kiss with all the fiery desire of her own.
The clearing of a throat had them breaking apart to glance at the man whom they’d forgotten all about. The man who had saved Caden’s life by moving quickly and pushing him out the path of the speeding car.
“I take it you’re okay,” the man said, smiling and brushing dirt from his jeans. Like Caden’s, his jacket was ripped, and Shiloh noticed the scrape on the side of his face. He was huge, taller than Caden, and she figured he stood at least six-six. He looked to be in his early thirties and, judging from his physique, she would say that he was definitely into bodybuilding. He was all muscle.
“Yes, I’m fine, thanks to you,” Caden answered. “I never saw that car coming. The man must have had too many drinks and plowed down on the accelerator by mistake.”
The man nodded. “Yes, he must have. My name is Striker, by the way,” he said, offering Caden his hand. “But people call me Lucky Strike.”
Caden chuckled. “Well, Lucky Strike, you definitely brought me luck tonight. Where did you come from? When I was crossing to my car, I swear I didn’t see another soul out tonight.”
“I was taking a walk,” the man said easily. “Right over there,” he said, pointing to the sidewalk shaded by large trees. “I had stopped to make a call on my cell phone, and that’s when I saw that car speeding toward you. I knew I had to move quickly.”
“And you did, thank God. Like I said, you saved my life.”
Just like your dad saved mine,
Lamar “Striker” Jennings thought, gazing at Caden. Yes, this was definitely Shep’s son. He looked just like him. Striker recalled seeing Caden a few times when he had come to visit his dad in prison a few years ago. That was before Shep was transferred to Delvers. He doubted Caden remembered him, and that was a good thing. Otherwise, his cover would have been blown.
“I think you guys had a rough time of it tonight. Would you like coffee or wine or something to eat? I definitely have a lot of everything,” Shiloh said, breaking into Striker’s thoughts. “And you have a bruise on the side of your face, Striker. Please, let me take a look at it.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I need to move on,” Striker said quickly. He was ready to blend back into the darkness from where he’d come. And he needed to report this incident to Roland. Unlike what Granger and the woman thought, that car had intentionally tried to plow Granger down. “I still need to make that phone call, but thanks anyway. Have a good night.” He looked at Caden. “And you, my man, stay safe.” And then he was gone.
Neither Shiloh nor Caden said anything for a minute as they stood there staring at each other. And then Caden reached out and pulled her into his arms, holding her tight before brushing a kiss across her lips. “Does that offer for coffee, wine or food still stand?”
Shiloh nodded and, taking his hand, led him back across the street.
* * *
Dalton entered his condo, placed his jacket across the back of a chair and headed for the refrigerator for a beer. He had gone back to that nightclub again thinking he would run into his mystery lady but no such luck. He shouldn’t get impatient, but he was.
The private investigator he’d hired had explained that he would need to wrap up another case before starting on Dalton’s request, and Dalton had assured the man that that was fine. But what Dalton hadn’t counted on was his nightly dreams of the mystery woman. Damn, even her scent was embedded deep in his head. The woman was messing with his love life—he hadn’t been attracted to another woman since meeting her.
He was about to take another swallow of beer when his cell phone rang. He recognized the ringtone. It was Lady Victoria Bowman calling him from England. Because of the time difference, her day was just getting started while his was winding down.
He smiled, thinking of the relationship he and Victoria shared. They were friends with benefits and had been for a few years. She was twenty years older than he was, but she’d kept up with him in the bedroom. Hell, sometimes it was him keeping up with her. It hadn’t mattered to him that for years he’d been considered Victoria’s boy toy. He had enjoyed her company, and she had enjoyed his...both in and out of the bedroom.
“Victoria, how are you?” he asked, walking out of the kitchen to take a seat on the living-room sofa, stretching his legs out in front of him. It had been weeks since he’d spoken to her.
“I’m fine. I have some news to share with you.”
“And what news is that?”
“I’ve decided to marry Sir Isaac.”
Dalton didn’t say anything for a minute. The last time they’d talked, she’d said Sir Isaac had proposed. He was happy for Victoria. Her first husband had done a job on her, and she deserved better. Dalton believed Sir Isaac would do right by her. And he knew the reason she was calling was because she wanted to do right by him. That meant she was letting Dalton know their stint as occasional lovers was over.
“I’m happy for you, Victoria. I think Sir Isaac is just the man you need.” The man was older, and he was extremely wealthy. The latter meant he would be able to keep Victoria in the lavish lifestyle she was used to.
“I’m going to miss you, Dalton.”
“I’m going to miss you, too. We had some good times, and I will always consider you a special friend,” Dalton said.
“I told Sir Isaac about you, although I didn’t have to. He’s heard about our affairs.”
Dalton chuckled. “I’m sure he has.”
“He has made one stipulation.”
Dalton nodded. “Let me guess. He doesn’t want me messing around with his wife.”
“Do you blame him?”
“No. You should have told him I don’t do wives. When we started our affair, you were free from that asshole you’d been married to, so, technically, you were not anyone’s wife at the time.”
“I told him, but people talk. If we’re seen together they’ll speculate. They’ll start nasty rumors.”
“To hell with them all—but I understand. Sir Isaac does not want our paths to cross.”