A Brother's Honor (Grangers) - By Brenda Jackson Page 0,91
before you’re acting like uncivilized heathens.”
Dalton and Jace jerked their heads around to find Caden leaning lazily in the doorway. Jace was out of his chair, and Dalton followed suit. “What are you doing here? We weren’t looking for you to get back until next week.”
“I know,” Caden said, smiling and taking a good look at his brothers to see if there were any scars he needed to check out. “But I had a couple of free days and decided I was tired of living out of a hotel room.”
“Why bitch about it now when you’ve been doing it for years?” Dalton countered.
Instead of answering, Caden glanced over at Jace. “Hold me back before I smash his face in.”
“Stand in line. Wait your turn,” Jace said, fighting back a smile. “You want to smash his face, and I prefer kicking his ass.”
“Need I remind the both of you that I’m younger and more physically fit?” Dalton asked. “If anyone is about to get whipped, it’s not going to be me.”
Caden chuckled. “I choose to differ. I suggest we go to the place on the corner, have a few drinks and the both of you can bring me up to date on what’s going on.”
“Sounds like a good plan to me,” Dalton said, moving to grab his jacket.
“Same here,” Jace said, about to leave Dalton’s office to go to his own to grab his jacket.
“Oh, and I forgot to correct you guys on something,” Caden said.
“What?” Dalton asked as he paused, straightening his tie.
Caden smiled and then said, “Neither of you is Hannah’s favorite, because I am. Always have been and always will be.”
* * *
“Working late tonight, I see.”
Shana’s heart skipped at the sound of the deep, throaty voice. She glanced to her side and saw Jace standing in the doorway that connected her office to his. She’d noticed the door a number of times and used to get distracted wondering what he was doing on the other side of it. Until now, neither had opened it.
She had seen him earlier today in a departmental meeting, and she had sat across a table from him trying not to remember how he’d held her in his arms the night before and hummed her to sleep. But every time he would glance over at her, she could actually feel the heat from his eyes.
“But not for too much longer. I thought you had left for today.”
“Caden flew home for a couple of days, and Dalton and I left to spend time with him at McQueen’s. They decided to leave there and go play a game of tennis to prove who is the fittest.”
She leaned back in her chair. “And you decided to come back here?”
“Yes, I decided to come back here. Told them I’d hook up with them later.” He came inside her office and closed the connecting door behind him. “What are you reading?”
“The last report I gave you. Marcel just called. He didn’t provide any details but wants to meet with us Monday, around eleven. Will you be available then? And I think he wants to include your brothers in this meeting.” Even from across the room, the whiff of his cologne had the ability to stir her.
Jace nodded. “Shouldn’t be a problem. Caden will be leaving day after tomorrow, but he’ll be back Sunday night, and I’ll make sure Dalton is here.”
He paused by her side and said in a low, husky tone, “I hope you slept well last night.”
She couldn’t help smiling up at him. “I did, and I have you to thank.”
He nodded as he held her gaze and then said in an even lower voice, “You can thank me by going away with me this weekend.”
She lifted a brow. “Away?”
“Yes. I know a place a few hours away from here. I’m going there this weekend and would love for you to come with me.”
She paused a moment and then asked, “It’s not the beach, is it?”
“No, it’s a cabin in the mountains near Shenandoah. Why?”
“My father is taking a friend to the beach, and I wouldn’t want to run into them.”
“You won’t. We’ll leave early Saturday morning and return late Sunday afternoon. So will you go with me?”
Shana didn’t say anything for a minute, and as she held his gaze, she was exposed to all the desire she saw there. And it was desire she couldn’t combat, because she knew it was a mirror of her own. There was no sense denying it or denying the