enough time had passed, she said, “Positive.”
Jules didn’t say anything for a second and then, “Positive?”
“Yes, positive.”
Shana held the phone out from her ear when Jules let out an exuberant scream. She couldn’t help smiling herself. The thought that she would be a mother was beginning to grow on her. “Will you calm down, Jules?”
“No, I can’t calm down. I’m going to be an aunt, and I want the entire world to know.”
Shana frowned, deciding it was time to reel her in. “No, you don’t. At least not yet. Promise that you’re going to seal those lips until I say it’s okay to open them.”
“Sure, if that’s what you want.”
“That’s what I want. It is still very early, and I need to decide when would be a good time to tell Jace.”
“So, you plan to tell him?”
“Yes, of course I do. He has a right to know. It doesn’t matter how he feels about it, he has a right to know. How he deals with it afterward is his business.”
“I like the way you think. I’m so glad you’re my big sister. You would make Mama proud.”
Shana smiled, believing so, as well. “Thanks.”
“When will you tell him?”
Shana began nibbling on her bottom lip. “He’ll be here in an hour, but I don’t think tonight is a good time to spring the news. I’ll do so this week, but not tonight.”
A short while later, Shana had taken her shower and slid into a sundress. She returned downstairs when the doorbell rang. It was Jace. Drawing in a deep breath, she went to the door, opened it and took a step back. She saw the bags in his hands.
“You brought dinner,” she said, smiling and leading him to the kitchen.
“Yes, I brought dinner. I haven’t eaten and figured you hadn’t, either.”
He placed the bags on the counter. “I hope you’re in the mood for Chinese.”
“I am.” Now that the nausea had passed, she was in the mood to eat practically anything. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
He then reached out and pulled her into his arms, captured her lips with his and began feasting on her mouth. Moments later, he reluctantly released her lips and stared down at her without saying anything.
She tilted her head and returned his stare. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
Instead of answering, he reached down, took her hands and laced them together with his. “I just realized something.”
She arched a brow. “What?”
He smiled. “I’ll tell you later.”
* * *
Hours later, close to midnight, Jace eased from the bed and glanced back at a sleeping Shana. Tonight had been wonderful. They’d eaten and made love, and he could be wrong, but it seemed something was different about their lovemaking tonight. Just as hot, but it was as if their relationship had taken another turn.
For him it had.
He mentioned earlier that he would tell her why he had stared at her in the kitchen. Luckily for him, she hadn’t brought it up again, because he wasn’t ready to let her know he’d fallen in love with her.
He shook his head while sliding into his pants. Wasn’t it this past weekend he had told her he didn’t believe in true love? At the time, he had been so sure of it, and when he’d seen Eve this morning, her appearance had confirmed it. The bitterness and resentment had all but consumed him, reminded him of why it would be hard for him to fall in love with any woman again. But all it had taken was seeing Shana earlier, kissing her in her office. And then again when he had arrived tonight. She was nothing like Eve. She was not a manipulator. A woman who couldn’t be trusted. A woman who felt entitled.
This was Shana, the woman he loved.
“You’re leaving?”
He glanced over at the bed as he continued buttoning his shirt. “Yes. If I stay, neither of us will get a good night’s sleep.”
A smile curved her lips. “That wouldn’t bother me.”
No, it wouldn’t. Whenever she gave herself to him, it was freely, without reservation. With Eve, she’d always used sex as a way to get whatever she wanted.
He walked back over to the bed and leaned down to drop a kiss on her forehead. “You want me to hum you to sleep again?”
Her eyes lit up. “Would you?”
He chuckled. “My pleasure.” He then eased back in bed and pulled her into his arms.
“Your clothes are going to get wrinkled.”
He glanced down at her a second before getting up again. He stood