Read Online In His Brother's Place by Elizabeth Lane - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elizabeth Lane
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cheap piece of trash!”
Angie froze as she realized the woman was talking about her.
“Keep your voice down, Whitney.” Jordan spoke in a calming tone. “Angie has nothing to do with this. I’m trying to do the right thing by my brother’s son. That’s all.”
“Ha! I heard the way you defended her to that lawyer. I was afraid you were going to punch him. That little chiquita is reeling you in, just like she did your brother!”
“That’s enough.” Jordan’s voice had dropped to a growl. “I’d advise you to go now before we say things we’ll both regret.”
“Fine! I’m going, and I won’t be back. But you’re a blind fool, Jordan. That girl will destroy you, just like she destroyed Justin!”
With those parting words, Whitney stormed into the hall, slamming the bedroom door behind her. Angie shrank into the shadows as the blonde woman charged past her and out the front door. Seconds later the roar of an engine and the squeal of tires faded into silence.
Angie hardly knew what to think as she processed everything she’d overheard. She knew that Jordan was attracted to her—that much had been perfectly clear. But the blonde woman had implied that it went much further than that—that he cared for her, that he defended her, that she truly mattered to him above and beyond her role as Lucas’s mother. Was it true?
Did it matter? She’d already decided that they couldn’t be together. The past was too much of an obstacle to overcome. Jordan would never be able to fully forgive her for what happened to Justin. And now she’d ruined things for him with his girlfriend, too.
Stumbling in tear-blinded haste, Angie started up the stairs.
“Angie?”
She turned. Jordan was standing below her, his face pale in the reflected light from the front porch. “You heard that?”
She nodded, wishing she could shrink to ant size and crawl under the nearest rug. “I never meant to. I’d fallen asleep in the den, and I was on my way back to my room.” She faked an unconvincing laugh. “Maybe we can pretend it was just a bad dream I had.”
“Come down here.” His voice sent a quiver through her body. Angie willed herself to move toward him. Pretending, she sensed, was no longer an option.
* * *
They stood face-to-face at the foot of the stairs. Even in the darkness Jordan could see the glimmer of tears in her eyes.
“This is all my fault,” she whispered. “I should never have come here.”
“None of what you heard was your fault. Whitney and I were headed for a breakup. It was just a matter of getting it over with.”
“But the awful things she said—that I’d destroy you like I destroyed Justin...”
Jordan fought the impulse to crush her in his arms. “You didn’t destroy Justin, Angie. You’re not the one who brought down that plane.”
“But I could’ve broken up with him. I would never have taken your money, Jordan, but I could have ended the relationship, anyway—told him that I didn’t want to come between him and his family.” Her voice broke. “I’d have done anything to save him!”
“You couldn’t have known what would happen. Neither of us could’ve known.” Jordan felt the cold knife of guilt twisting in his gut. They had both loved Justin. But Angie wasn’t the one who’d let Justin down. For that, he had no one to blame but himself.
Angie’s tears had spilled over, leaving silvery trails down her cheeks. Jordan felt a lump of pain break loose inside him. With a half-muttered curse, he gathered her close. Right now he needed her, and something told him she needed him, too.
She nestled against him like a child seeking comfort after a bad dream. Her light, musky fragrance was the one he remembered from that New Year’s Eve in his car—the night that had changed everything. Bittersweet memories rushed over him as he breathed her into his senses—recalling the taste of that ripe plum mouth, her warm breasts molding to his hand, the satiny smoothness of her
Angie froze as she realized the woman was talking about her.
“Keep your voice down, Whitney.” Jordan spoke in a calming tone. “Angie has nothing to do with this. I’m trying to do the right thing by my brother’s son. That’s all.”
“Ha! I heard the way you defended her to that lawyer. I was afraid you were going to punch him. That little chiquita is reeling you in, just like she did your brother!”
“That’s enough.” Jordan’s voice had dropped to a growl. “I’d advise you to go now before we say things we’ll both regret.”
“Fine! I’m going, and I won’t be back. But you’re a blind fool, Jordan. That girl will destroy you, just like she destroyed Justin!”
With those parting words, Whitney stormed into the hall, slamming the bedroom door behind her. Angie shrank into the shadows as the blonde woman charged past her and out the front door. Seconds later the roar of an engine and the squeal of tires faded into silence.
Angie hardly knew what to think as she processed everything she’d overheard. She knew that Jordan was attracted to her—that much had been perfectly clear. But the blonde woman had implied that it went much further than that—that he cared for her, that he defended her, that she truly mattered to him above and beyond her role as Lucas’s mother. Was it true?
Did it matter? She’d already decided that they couldn’t be together. The past was too much of an obstacle to overcome. Jordan would never be able to fully forgive her for what happened to Justin. And now she’d ruined things for him with his girlfriend, too.
Stumbling in tear-blinded haste, Angie started up the stairs.
“Angie?”
She turned. Jordan was standing below her, his face pale in the reflected light from the front porch. “You heard that?”
She nodded, wishing she could shrink to ant size and crawl under the nearest rug. “I never meant to. I’d fallen asleep in the den, and I was on my way back to my room.” She faked an unconvincing laugh. “Maybe we can pretend it was just a bad dream I had.”
“Come down here.” His voice sent a quiver through her body. Angie willed herself to move toward him. Pretending, she sensed, was no longer an option.
* * *
They stood face-to-face at the foot of the stairs. Even in the darkness Jordan could see the glimmer of tears in her eyes.
“This is all my fault,” she whispered. “I should never have come here.”
“None of what you heard was your fault. Whitney and I were headed for a breakup. It was just a matter of getting it over with.”
“But the awful things she said—that I’d destroy you like I destroyed Justin...”
Jordan fought the impulse to crush her in his arms. “You didn’t destroy Justin, Angie. You’re not the one who brought down that plane.”
“But I could’ve broken up with him. I would never have taken your money, Jordan, but I could have ended the relationship, anyway—told him that I didn’t want to come between him and his family.” Her voice broke. “I’d have done anything to save him!”
“You couldn’t have known what would happen. Neither of us could’ve known.” Jordan felt the cold knife of guilt twisting in his gut. They had both loved Justin. But Angie wasn’t the one who’d let Justin down. For that, he had no one to blame but himself.
Angie’s tears had spilled over, leaving silvery trails down her cheeks. Jordan felt a lump of pain break loose inside him. With a half-muttered curse, he gathered her close. Right now he needed her, and something told him she needed him, too.
She nestled against him like a child seeking comfort after a bad dream. Her light, musky fragrance was the one he remembered from that New Year’s Eve in his car—the night that had changed everything. Bittersweet memories rushed over him as he breathed her into his senses—recalling the taste of that ripe plum mouth, her warm breasts molding to his hand, the satiny smoothness of her
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