“Now isn’t the best time,” Ryan commented tightly. Jenna pulled back, staring down at her hands. Ryan handed her a tissue and she blew her nose.
She leaned close to Ryan, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder, and murmured something Jake couldn’t hear. He hated the easy intimacy they shared.
“I really don’t think it’s a good idea, Jenna. Not right now,” Ryan responded. She murmured something more. “Are you sure?”
She nodded, staring down at her hands again. “Just give me a minute.” She pulled another tissue from the box on the table beside her and wiped her eyes, then took a few calming breaths. Finally, she glanced toward Jake. When her gaze hit his, she quavered a little and it ricocheted away, but slowly she brought it back.
“Jake, I’d like to talk to you, too.”
“Thank you Jenna.” He smiled reassuringly, despite the twisting of his stomach at the way she looked at him. Like a complete stranger.
Ryan leaned in close to her and whispered in her ear. She glanced up at him sharply.
“But I don’t think—“
He leaned in and whispered some more. She nodded. Ryan stood up and strode to the door, giving Jake a warning glance on the way by. Cindy patted Jake on the arm, then followed Ryan out the door and closed it behind her with a gentle thump.
Jake stepped toward the couch, noticing the look of panic on her face as he approached. He held out his hand. “Hi, my name’s Jake. I ‘m Ryan’s twin brother.” She stared at his hand, as though afraid to touch it. Finally, she reached out her own hand, tentatively, and laid it in his. He shook hands with her, gently but firmly. “How do you do?” he asked.
“I’ve been better.”
He sat down beside her, folding his hands between his knees. Now that he had his audience with her, he didn’t know what to say.
Why not run off with me and get married?
seemed totally out of the question.
“So, you’re going to marry my brother tomorrow.”
“That was the plan,” she agreed.
Why had she said “was?” Could it be she was reconsidering?
Could it be she loved him more than Ryan? His heart filled with hope, then crashed as he asked himself if he could really run off with his brother’s bride.
“Look, I need to know something.” She glanced up at him, then fiddled with her fingers. “That kiss . . . in the ballroom just now . . . Was that the first time?”
“The first time? What do you mean?”
“Did I. . . when I kissed you like that, did I just catch you by surprise? Did you just sort of get caught up in it?” “So let me get this straight. You think it’s possible that we met for the first time this evening and when you kissed me—mistaking me for Ryan, of course—that I joined into that red-hot kiss, even though I knew you were my sister-in-law-to-be and thus totally off-limits?”
She glanced up at him hopefully.
“No, Jenna. This was not the first time. I met you over two months ago, in this hotel, when you led me up to my room and made love with me. Though back then I thought your name was Aurora. A fascinating woman very much into sexual fantasies.”
Her face turned bright red.
He was still a little ticked that she would suggest such a thing, so he decided to turn the tables on her. “Okay, now tell me something. Be honest. Did you really mistake me for Ryan that night we met or were you actually looking for a stranger to fulfill your fantasy? Did finding your brother’s twin become a thrill for you, so much so that you orchestrated our whole affair knowing I wouldn’t jeopardize my relationship with my brother over a woman?” She flinched at the word “affair,” but her head lifted in indignation.
“Of course not. I wouldn’t do such a thing.”
“Well, neither would I.”
Her indignation drained away. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that.” Her tiny fists “clenched in her lap. “I just want it not to be true.”
“But it is true, Jenna,” he said gently. “Our meeting in the lobby yesterday and our first meeting, where you wanted me to fulfill your fantasy of having sex with a stranger. And the elevator.”
“The elevator,” she wailed. She dropped her face into her palms. “Oh God, this is so embarrassing. I don’t even know you.”
His lips turned up in a half-smile. “That was rather the point, wasn’t it?”
She looked close to tears again. He rested his hand on her shoulder and his heart clenched when she stiffened under his touch.
“Look, Jenna, it happened. There’s nothing we can do about it now. And as much as I hate it, you ‘re going to marry my brother tomorrow.”
He felt a stabbing pain through his chest, but as much as it hurt, he couldn’t stand in the way of his brother’s happiness. After all, when Jenna had said she loved him, she’d been saying it to Ryan. The tightness in his chest threatened to topple him over, but instead he smiled.
“Honey, we’ll just have to put this behind us.”
She shook her head. “It’s not that simple.”
“What do you mean?”
She grabbed a new tissue and blew her nose again, then released a crumpled mass of tissues from her fist onto the table. She took a sip of water, then set the glass down firmly. “I have to tell you something. Ryan asked me not to, he said it would make things too complicated right now . . . but things are already complicated enough, so . . . I have to tell you.” “What is it?”
She drew in a deep breath, then settled her gaze on him, keeping it steady this time. She reached for his hand, clasping it gently. The feel of her fingers in his, the awareness that she’d taken his hand knowing he was Jake, not Ryan, sent wildly erratic emotions storming through him. “Tell me what?”
She squeezed his hand gently.
“Jake, I ‘m pregnant.”
His heart flopped over.
“Oh . . . I see.” He drew his hand from her grasp, instantly missing her warmth, but needing space from her. “Congratulations.” She laid her hand on his sleeve. “No, you don’t understand. When I mistook you for Ryan that first time, when we . . . uh . . . when you and I. . .”
“Lived out your fantasy?” A vague feeling of uneasiness grew within him.
She nodded. “Right. Ryan and I weren’t . . . we hadn’t been . . . intimate in several months.”
He froze.
“My God. Are you trying to tell me . . . ?” His voice trailed off, his thoughts in turmoil, not quite allowing himself to frame the words.
She nodded.
“Yes, Jake.” She stared down at her hands as she wrung them together. “You’re going to be a father.”
A father. Good God. His brother’s fiancee, the woman
Jake loved, was carrying his child. Elation swirled\through him, chased by raging consternation.
He was going to be a father. All else drained away at the wonderful thought that the woman he loved carried his child. He took her hands in his.
“My baby?” A note of awe tinged the words.
Her gaze met his and she nodded.
He grabbed her and hugged her tightly.
“My baby.” His smile split his face from ear to ear. She frowned. “I don’t think you’re fully understanding this situation. I’m supposed to marry your brother tomorrow and he thinks . . .” Her eyes grew wide. “Oh, God.” “He thinks what?”
Her eyes glazed over and she stared into nothingness. “Jenna?” Was she going to faint again? Suddenly, he realized that’s why she’d been fainting, because she was pregnant. “Jenna. Do you want me to get you a drink? Wait, no alcohol. Do you want some water?” He took her hand and squeezed it. “Jenna, can you hear me?”
“What?” Her eyes focused on him.
“Ryan thinks what?”
“Don’t you understand?” She shook her head. “I thought he thought it was his baby. . . Because I thought it was his baby. But he knew it wasn’t his baby all along.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “And that means . . . Oh, God.” She dropped her face to her hands.
“Are you saying he’s known it was my baby right from the beginning?”
“No,” she wailed. “He thought I’d slept with a stranger.”
She moaned. “He actually believed I’d gone out and had a one-night stand with a stranger . . . and got pregnant.” She grabbed Jake’s lapels, scrunching the fabric tightly in her fists. “And he asked me to marry him anyway.” Tears rolled down her cheeks and her voice lowered to a mere whisper. “He must really love me.”
“You got that right.”
Jenna’s gaze darted to the door at the sound of Ryan’s voice. He stood just inside the room, his hands in his pants pockets, his tie hanging loose.
“How long . . .” Jenna took a shaky breath. “How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough to know you’ve figured it all out.” He walked toward her and kneeled by the couch, pushing past Jake. Ryan took her hands in his. “I know you, Jenna. You’re reconsidering the wedding tomorrow. You want to postpone or maybe even cancel. But don’t do it.”
Guilt crept through her. He knew her so well. He kissed her palms, the gentle touch of his lips on her hands sending tender feelings of love quivering through her. She rested her hand on his cheek and stared deep into his eyes. “Ryan, you’re so sweet, so caring. I can’t believe you wanted to marry me believing I’d cheated on you.” Horror washed through her and her hand skittered away from him. “Oh, God, I
did
cheat on you.”
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.