A Brother's Honor (Grangers) - By Brenda Jackson Page 0,38

laid-back. Although it wasn’t obvious, she could tell he was sizing her up both physically, because he was a man, and then mentally, because he was curious about her. His preoccupation appeared more with the latter than the former.

Dalton, however, was another story. The flirty look in his eyes and the buttery smile told her everything. All three men were impeccably dressed, but this one’s suit had a designer touch. There was no doubt in her mind that he was a man used to getting whatever he wanted easily and he would try his moves on her. He jauntily tilted his head to the side and openly checked her out as his gaze roamed up and down her. His lips were full and sensual when he said, “I wish I had met you first.”

She smiled back. “It would not have mattered if you had. I’m here for business reasons and not entertainment purposes. It will behoove you to remember that.”

Jace stood on the sidelines, bracing himself for his brother’s response. Shana had put Dalton in his place and rightfully so, but he knew his baby brother. Dalton assumed that coming on to every woman was his birthright.

The beginning of a smile touched Dalton’s lips even after being put in his place, albeit in a diplomatic way. He wasn’t mad at her, just even more intrigued. And Dalton wasn’t stupid. Jace could claim indifference all he wanted, but there was an interest there, and Dalton would willingly bet it was on both sides. He had picked up on something he recognized as strong sexual tension between them. And it amused Dalton that Jace and Shana were evidently fighting it. He inwardly chuckled, thinking it was their fight and not his. But he didn’t have a problem shaking things up a bit. If he had to be stuck here in this city for a while, he didn’t have anything better to do.

“Are you sure that’s what you want?” he asked, taking a closer step.

She took one also and looked dead into his eyes. “Positive.”

Dalton’s smile deepened. She was as tough as she was hot, and he hoped like hell that Jace could handle her. He took a step back. “Then I concede.”

“You, Dalton Granger, have no choice.”

Dalton threw back his head and laughed, and it felt good to do so. He had awakened that morning pissed at the world in general, mainly because he preferred being anywhere other than Sutton Hills. Shana was a bright spot in his morning.

Vidal arrived, and Jace introduced him to Shana. She thanked Vidal for the recommendation that had brought her to Granger Aeronautics. “No problem,” Vidal said, smiling. “On occasion, Jerome Haler and I play golf, and he couldn’t stop singing your praises about how you were able to pull his company out of that slump. He said it would take a miracle, and in the end, you were it.”

“Thank you,” Shana said, smiling.

“Now that introductions are out of the way,” Jace said, “Shana and I will be going over a few things before our meeting this morning, and you’re invited to stay,” he said to his brothers and Vidal.

Jace thought that would be Caden’s and Dalton’s cue to quickly skip out, but to his surprise, both chose to remain. Caden wore a serious expression, but Dalton’s lips twitched as if he were amused by something. Shana took the chair in front of Jace’s desk. Over the next twenty minutes, she went over the items she would be requesting from each executive and department head and why. “Your company is paying each of these individuals a good salary to do their jobs, and I want to make sure they are doing so as efficiently as possible.”

“I have no problem with that, and they shouldn’t, either,” Jace said, checking his watch and then standing. He tightened his tie before reaching over to get his jacket to slide it on. “It’s about time for our meeting,” he said, gathering up the papers on his desk.

As much as she didn’t want to, Shana felt a stirring in her stomach when Jace had eased his jacket over massive shoulders rippling with virility. Then, of all things, her heart began pounding furiously in her chest. She knew what was bothering her, and it irritated her immensely that she wasn’t practicing what she had preached a couple of hours ago.

She drew in a deep breath while thinking that, okay, she had weakened and broken down her defenses this once, but it wouldn’t