Lucas

I lunged forward and caught Jade right before she hit the ground. My heart was beating out of my chest. I’d worried about her all day, then she finally arrived home and passed out in my arms. I stopped pretending I wasn’t worried.

Scooping her up, I hooked her bags on my fingers and started up the wide staircase, taking the stairs two at a time. At the top, it split into two hallways, one on either side, both open with a railing allowing a view down into the foyer below. I turned down the right hall and without thought, took her into my room and set her gently on the bed, dropping her bags on the dresser. What the fuck kind of a doctor had she seen? He was clearly a quack if he sent her home like this.

Her eyelids started to flutter and I quickly retrieved a damp washcloth from the bathroom to cool her forehead as she came to. I was still vacillating on whether or not I should call nine-one-one when her beautiful green eyes were suddenly staring at me, swimming with fear. She was obviously as worried about her fainting episode as I was.

“Sweetheart. What did the doctor tell you?” I asked softly, keeping my voice low in case her head was bothering her.

She looked around before asking, “Why am I in your room?”

I hadn’t even realized I’d come straight to my bed. “Force of habit,” I lied. I’d brought her in here because it felt natural, like this was where she was supposed to be.

“I’ll take you back to your room.” I started to lift her into my arms again but she pushed my hands away.

“I can walk—“

I grabbed her wrists and held them in front of her with one hand, the other going under her ass to lift her up. “I’ll carry you,” I said firmly, my tone brokering no argument.

She remained silent, which was probably a good thing because if I had to get her to stop talking again, there was a good chance I’d be using my mouth to do it and I wouldn’t be telling her to be quiet.

Once I had her settled, I sat on the bed next to her and her eyebrows rose to her hairline with surprise. “So?” I demanded.

She closed her eyes and sighed. “Could we maybe talk about this when I’m not so woozy? I think I just need to rest for a while.”

I wanted to argue, but the faint purple shadows under her eyes convinced me she needed rest and my inquisition could wait. I brushed some of her hair off of her forehead, resisting the temptation to place a kiss there. “Alright, we’ll talk after you’ve slept for a bit.”

I stood and padded to the door, leaving the room and shutting it quietly behind me. Then I strode purposefully into my bedroom and pulled my cell phone from my pocket, pacing as I put a call into my family doctor. I didn’t care what she said, she was going to be checked out by a physician I knew and trusted.

Hanging up my phone, I dropped it on the dresser and noticed the bags Jade had brought in with her. I picked them up intending to sneak into her room and leave them where she would be able to find them. I must have grabbed the wrong end because the contents of one of the bags slipped out and crashed onto the floor, making a racket despite landing on plush cream carpet. I squatted down and picked up the bottles, only glancing at their labels for a second.

The room started spinning and I lost my balance, my ass hitting the ground hard, the bottle rattling in my hand.

Prenatal Vitamins.

It didn’t take a genius to know what those were for. Was Jade pregnant? With another man’s baby? A slow burn started in my belly and I felt fury building. But another part of me knew it was more likely the baby was mine. Was it? No, we’d worn condoms. Every—oh fuck. I’d gotten carried away and fucked her bare in the shower.

The room stopped spinning, in fact, the world stopped rotating, time halted, and I’m pretty sure even the angels in heaven stopped singing. I’ve never experienced such utter stillness and quiet. All the better to hear the screaming in my head. One part howling with anger and one part a caveman beating on his chest in triumph.

I was torn, still struggling with my belief that she was using me for my money and position as owner of the gallery. Yet, the signs indicating I’d been wrong were piling up. Why hadn’t she asked about the gallery showing?

My mind played over her reactions at the lawyer’s office, once again. Could her shock have been genuine? Then she’d bought groceries and made us dinner, without being asked, or demanding reimbursement. Of course, it’s not like she needs the money anymore, right? She’s gotten exactly what she wanted. I think. I sighed and scratched my head, the whole situation was like a rollercoaster and I couldn’t figure out which way was up.

I emptied her other bag to find books about pregnancy, but looking at them was making me nauseous. I’m aware of the irony. Putting everything back in the bags, I clutched them tight, not ready to let them go, as though if I did, it would cease to be real. Moving my pacing to the front hall, I anxiously waited for the doctor to arrive.

An hour later, I’d worn a hole in the damn floor waiting for Dr. Morgan. I asked him to wait in the informal family room located through another arched doorway near the stairwell, while I checked on Jade. Realizing I was still holding the books and medicine, I dropped the items on a table in the entryway and jogged up the stairs to her room. I knocked softly and listened for any sound indicating she was awake.

I heard shuffling and the door opened revealing a deliciously mussed Jade. Damn, she looked adorable and so fuckable at the same time. She looked a little green and had a hand over her flat stomach. A vision of Jade with her hand resting on a swollen belly flashed before my eyes. She looked beautiful.

“Have you seen the, um, bags I brought home with me?” she asked, breaking me out of my daydream. Her voice was hesitant, but her green eyes were flared with worry. Was she ever intending to tell me? I was becoming rather confused. Why wouldn’t she have announced it right away and demanded I marry her? I couldn’t let her take all of the blame for her condition, but I was shocked she wasn’t trying to use it as leverage to trap me.

It suddenly occurred to me, was it because I was technically her step-brother? Tension wrapped itself around my heart as I considered the possibility she might fight for me to not be a part of my child’s life. No. That wasn’t going to happen. As soon as I could get control away from the current board at work, I’d be marrying her ass if I had to drag her to the courthouse, kicking and screaming. Until then, we’d have to keep it a secret and stay under the radar.

“I left them on the table in the foyer.” I held my hand out to her, “Come, my family doctor, Dr. Morgan, is waiting for you downstairs. I want him to have a look at you.”

Her green eyes grew impossibly wide, “What?” she shrieked. “Bu—but, I already saw a doctor!”

I huffed in annoyance, “Your doctor obviously didn’t know what the fuck they were doing. They sent you home and you fainted. Not to mention, you look as though you’re about to lose your stomach again.”

I took her hand instead of waiting for her to reach for mine and started towing her behind me, intent on getting her to Dr. Morgan.

She tugged weakly, trying to get me to release her, but I disregarded her efforts.

“My doctor is fine. She sent me home with medicine, I just need my pills, not to see another physician.”

We reached the stairs and I immediately started to worry about her fainting again and taking a spill, possibly hurting herself or the baby. I swung her up into my arms, ignoring her when she protested.

“Jade,” I said, my voice a little patronizing. “The sooner you stop arguing and let Dr. Morgan look you over, the sooner I’ll stop harassing you about it.”

Her eyes narrowed and she gave me a glacial stare, until it once again caved under the weight of my stubbornness.

“Fine, but no blood tests or anything invasive. Just a standard checkup,” she finished as I crossed the threshold into the room where Dr. Morgan had set out his instruments.

“She needs a blood test,” I informed Dr. Morgan as I set her down on the overstuffed couch. I threw her a black look when she started to comment and it shut her up.

“And who have we here?” Dr. Morgan smiled at Jade, “Does this beautiful woman belong to you, Lucas?”

“No,” Jade answered before I could even open my mouth. She returned my angry expression with a somewhat sly smile. “I’m his step-sister, Jade.”

I had no clue how to respond. Did I tell the doctor about our history and trust him to keep it a secret? Or did I pretend the baby wasn’t mine and we were simply cohabitating step-siblings? I wanted to shout and punch something. This whole situation was so fucked up.

“Really? I didn’t realize Jonathan’s new wife had a daughter. It’s lovely to meet you.” He smiled and shook her hand. If he weren’t here to examine her, I might have ripped off his appendage for touching her. No one else will ever be caressing her silky skin but me ever again.

“We didn’t know about each other until recently,” she admitted.

“Really? Well, how wonderful you two aren’t left without family.”

His comment made me cringe, much too similar to the words of my father’s will, which put me in this ridiculous spot in the first place.

“Now, what seems to be the problem, my dear?” Dr. Morgan asked as he began taking her blood pressure.

“She’s been nauseous, exhausted, and she fainted earlier,” I growled, glowering at Jade as I started to pace again.

“Any chance you’re pregnant, Jade?”

I waited with baited breath to see how she would answer.

She cleared her throat, “Um.” She glanced at me and Dr. Morgan took notice.

“Lucas, perhaps you should wait in another room.”

Jade smiled triumphantly.

“I need to be here. With our parents gone, I’m her legal guardian. Our parents wanted someone to take care of her.” I grinned back at Jade.

“Puh-lease. I’m twenty-two years old. And even if I wasn’t, nobody would pick you to guard their dog, much less another human being.” Her cheeks brightened with color as we bantered back and forth.

“Now, now, Jade, you mustn’t compare yourself to a puppy, at least you’re house trained.”

She huffed and Dr. Morgan chuckled. “Squabbling like siblings already.”

Our matching gasps of disgust seemed to shock the doctor and his gaze bounced between us like a pinball machine. After a tense moment, he focused back on Jade as he got her arm ready for a blood draw.

“Ugh. Another needle, I think I’m going to be sick again.”

“You know,” I drawled, “You didn’t answer the doctor’s question.”

Jade’s eyes flew to me and I smiled sinisterly. “Any chance you could be pregnant Jade?”

“Yes,” she snapped. “I had a fling with a macho, egotistical, shallow, pompous ass who apparently didn’t know how to use a fucking condom and knocked me up. That’s why the blood test isn’t necessary because my doctor already confirmed it this morning.”

I didn’t know why but hearing her admit it out loud made the whole thing much more real. Holy fuck. I’d gotten Jade pregnant. Mentally banging my head against a wall, I amended the thought. I’d gotten my step-sister pregnant. The board was going to ruin me and send me off to live in Louisiana with all of the other people whose lives sing like a fucking country song.