They were just love marks. Jace had gotten enthusiastic–for a change.
Still feeling a bit rough, she took a cab to Barrett’s headquarters for the monthly meeting. Her father had stepped back into his role as chairman after a heart scare earlier in the year, so Seth would only be here today to attend the meeting, no doubt with Brandon’s proxy in his pocket since Bran was still on his honeymoon with Lucy. Stacey twisted her wedding and engagement rings. Maybe she could talk to her new sister-in-law about the bruises. Never one to have close girlfriends, Stacey suddenly found herself in need of some female advice, but the newlyweds wouldn’t be back for another week.
“Good morning,” Seth greeted her as she stepped off the elevator. He arched one thick, golden brow over keen eyes so similar to her own. “You feeling all right?”
Stacey closed hers for a moment and sighed. “I had a little too much to drink. Does it show?”
“No. It’s just I know you pretty well. Problems?”
“No, in fact I’d say the opposite.”
Seth smiled. “Glad to hear it. Tessa mentioned you seemed somewhat stressed at the wedding, but we had to leave before she could talk to you, so she could nurse the baby.” Taking her hand, he tucked it through his arm and walked with her toward the boardroom. “Mother thought you might be pregnant.”
“If you’re asking me, Seth, the answer’s no. If you want to know if we’re considering it, then the answer’s yes.”
His gaze was searching as he patted her hand. She was surprised when he didn’t greet her comment with assurances about how great that was.
“I ran into Jace at the club. He introduced me to your houseguest.”
“Justin’s staying with us while his condo’s being renovated,” she felt for some reason like she needed to explain. The whole time, an image of him sitting next to her in the hot tub burned its way through her brain.
“Mmm. Jace said the two of them were close friends. Had you ever met him before?” Seth’s questions seemed casual, putting her on instant alert. Seth never asked anything just to make conversation. He was perfectly content to be silent if he was in a good mood, or growl like the lion he resembled if he wasn’t.
“No. Justin said he’d been handling his family’s holdings in Australia, so he wasn’t here during our engagement or for the wedding.” She absently twisted her rings with her thumb.
Seth smiled and touched her cheek. “You know you can talk to me if you have any problems, Stace. That’s what big brothers are for. Next to knights in shining armor, we’re the number one dragon slayers.”
She laughed, feeling lighter than she had in a couple of weeks. “I love you, Seth.”
“Same here, kiddo.”
Stacey sat next to him during the board meeting, trying hard to concentrate on the treasurer’s report, but it seemed to her the comptroller droned on and on. She began to feel a bit like Charlie Brown listening to his teacher. Everything became a series of blah, blah, blah.
Along with everyone else, she voted her approval of her father’s return to actively run the company, and Seth’s resignation as acting CEO. She knew her brother was anxious to get himself and his family back to their home on the coast, back to the paper he’d had to leave in the hands of his small, but capable staff. She enjoyed the excitement of her interior decorating and design business, but sometimes she thought she’d prefer the quiet of a house along the bay, someplace where she could let her hair down and find out for once who Stacey Barlow-Barrett was.
* * * *
Jason started in surprise when Justin walked into his office, carefully shutting and locking the door behind him. He was even more surprised when he walked right around the desk, pulled Jace to his feet and kissed him. He responded, as he always did, but eventually pulled back enough to ask, “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve found a doc in New York who will see you over the weekend.”
Jace shook his head. “It’s no use, Justin. Come on.”
Justin knelt in front of him. “Give it a shot, Jace. What can it hurt? It would give you a chance to have your own child.”
“I’m supposed to go sailing with Stacey.”
“Tell her something came up. This guy’s a male fertility specialist. He’s doing me a favor because he’s a friend of the family. You owe me this, Justin. You know I’m willing to help if I have to, but this might make it unnecessary. Please.”
Justin’s hands were moving along his thighs, making it difficult for him to think, making his heart pound with desire. How much easier would everything be if he could manage to look his family in the eye and admit the love of his life wasn’t Stacey Barlow-Barrett? It wasn’t any woman. It was Justin Worthington and it had been ever since they’d first seen each other at summer camp when they were teenagers.
* * * *
Mason congratulated himself as he drove to his house nestled beside a quiet cove. He had gone an entire week without seeing Stacey. Oh, she’d been inside the gallery a time or two, but Mason had made sure he was occupied elsewhere–like in his office with the door closed–and had managed to avoid her.
Now he was going to enjoy the weekend. He’d spend the night in his house, then sail the dinghy around to the marina tomorrow morning. From there he’d take his big boat out. Maybe spend the night anchored in some isolated cove. He sighed in anticipation of the relaxation. He’d never sailed a day in his life until he went to Harvard, then in looking for a job that would allow him to earn some spending money, he’d landed a spot helping to crew for a weekend sailor. As soon as he’d seen the wind in the sails and felt the roll of the deck beneath his feet, he’d been hooked. It had taken some time to get his own boat, but he’d built his way up just like he had with his business, buying a smaller craft in need of restoration that he’d eventually sold for larger and larger vessels.
At the last minute, Mason changed his mind about the house and decided he’d head straight for the boat. Recalling how he’d gotten started sailing had increased his longing to simply do it. After a stop to stock groceries, he hit the marina right at dusk. As he made his second trip from his car to the boat, he glanced over at the next row of slips to the boat he knew belonged to Stacey. A light was on. Was she there with her husband? Somehow, he doubted it. He’d heard through Lucy and Brandon that Winchester wasn’t keen on sailing, although he did enjoy fishing, so apparently it wasn’t a seasickness issue.
So was she there alone? Feeling pathetically like a stalker, he sat on deck with a beer in one hand, watching her boat. A short time later, the light went out, and it was only Stacey who appeared on deck. She hopped off the boat, her long legs left bare by her shorts, striding toward the marina office, ice bucket in hand. Oh yeah. Now he had an excuse, and by God he would take it. After spending time trying to avoid her, Mason was determined to run into her here where there was no one else they knew, no prying eyes to watch. No husband to be the excuse not to talk to him.
He wanted answers. After nearly two years, he wanted to know what had made her turn from what they had to the jackass she’d married. He prayed to God it had been more than a pedigree dangled in front of her. Hell, he’d have more respect for her if she told him she’d married Winchester for his money.
He nearly changed his mind when he saw her turn from the ice machine. Her shoulders were slumped, as if she had admitted defeat or simply caved in. Before he could say anything, she spotted him standing a few feet away. The evening breeze lifted her hair, which hung loose for once, the tips just brushing the swells of her breasts. It was like watching a set change at a theater production. The narrow shoulders squared, the chin lifted, and her expression cloaked itself in the same haughtiness he’d seen the first day they’d met. But this time was different. This time, Mason knew there was a passionate woman underneath her brittle veneer, a woman who right now was in pain.
“Stacey,