Broken Heart. Laura Browning

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