Stepbrother's Gift (33 page)

James' features were soft and full of love. This wasn't even his child, yet he was looking at her like she was the most precious thing in the entire world. If I didn't know better, I might have even assumed that Eva was his by the protective way he held her.

“It's strange,” he murmured. “I can see Ryan in her. She has his eyes, but none of the violence in them. They're the same shape, but there's love in hers.”

I didn't know it was possible for my heart to melt more than it already was. If I hadn't already been head over heels in love with James, I would have fallen right then. There was no way not to love him when he was looking at that baby like she was the best thing in the entire world.

I could have looked at them all day, but then my phone started to ring. I had turned it off to anyone but preferred contacts since the news came out, so the fact that it was coming through meant that it was important. I tore my eyes away from James and looked at the caller ID.

Tessa.

I stared at the phone for a long minute. It stopped ringing. I knew I should call her back, but I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to have this conversation with her.

The phone started to ring again. She wasn't giving up on me so easily. I let out a sigh. She'd just keep calling until I picked up.

“This is Allie,” I said, dreading whatever Tessa had to say next.

“I saw the papers. We need to talk.”

“I know, but right now isn't a good time,” I said, keeping my voice low so I wouldn't wake the baby. James took her to the couch and laid down, putting her on his chest. It was so paternal and sweet, I wanted to take their picture and hang it in my heart forever.

“No shit,” Tessa replied. “But I need to talk to you. There's something you need to know.”

“He's not the father of Audrey's baby, okay? Will you please stop with that?” I hissed into the phone. “Today is not the day to bring that up.”

Tessa stayed quiet. “It's not about Audrey. It's about me. And James. It's something you should have known a long time ago. Please?”

I sighed. There was so much regret in her voice that I wanted to say yes. Tessa was my best friend. We'd been through everything together. Over on the couch, James was just watching TV, the baby on his chest rising and falling with his even breaths.

“You have one minute. Go.”

“Thank you, Allie.” She let out a short breath, as if mentally preparing herself for what was coming next. “James took my virginity.”

I nearly dropped the phone. “What?!”

James glared at me from his spot on the couch, the baby wiggling against him and almost waking up from me yelling into the phone.

“James took my virginity,” she repeated.

“I heard you right the first time.” I sank into a chair and stared over at James. I tried not to imagine him and Tessa going at it, especially since he was smiling at the baby on his chest. “How? Why?”

“I went to a party at the beginning of our freshman year and had a couple of drinks. He didn't take advantage of me, if that's what you're thinking,” she quickly added. “Anyway, I thought he was my prince charming that night. A senior paying attention to me. We went upstairs and one thing led to another...”

“You don't need to go into detail about that part,” I quickly interjected.

“I thought I was in love.” She sighed and I could just see her in my head, fidgeting with a strand of her dark hair and looking guilty. “But, then he never called me back.”

“He did that to a lot of girls,” I said slowly.

“Yeah, but I didn't think it was going to happen to me. I thought I was in love,” she scoffed. “I thought he'd at least give me the time of day, but he refused to even acknowledge my presence for the rest of the year. It was humiliating.”

“I'm sorry, Tessa.” The antagonism between her and James suddenly made so much more sense now. I had often wondered why James ignored her whenever he walked into a room and she was there. Now I knew. It also explained why she would say he was hot one minute, but then hate on him the next second. It even made sense as to why she was so hung up on the idea of James being the father of Audrey's baby. After her experience, she must think that he was a real love 'em and leave 'em kind of guy.

All the pieces came together perfectly. James had been a real jerk in high school. He was an ass and a player, and I had no doubt that Tessa's story was true. I'd heard similar stories from plenty of other girls throughout the years. There was a good reason why all his ex's hated him.

“I just don't want that to happen to you,” Tessa said after a moment. “You're my friend, and I just don't want you to get hurt.”

“I really appreciate that, Tessa.” I looked over at James. He was smiling down at the beautiful baby on his chest with such softness and sweetness in his eyes that my heart ached. I touched my own belly, knowing that soon he would be looking that way at our child. “He won't hurt me, though.”

“I hope you're right.” I heard her take a deep breath. “Anyway, when I saw that in the paper this morning, I thought you should know. I feel like we've been keeping a lot of secrets from one another.”

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. I had been keeping what James and I were doing a secret. I was keeping the baby a secret. I thought about telling her about the pregnancy, but decided not to. At least not right now, not today.

“Tessa, I'd love to meet up with you tomorrow,” I said instead of telling her everything. “I'm in town, but James is making a statement tonight and I have to get ready for it. Can I see you tomorrow? I'll tell you everything then.”

I held my breath waiting for her answer. Tomorrow, I could tell her that James and I were a couple because it would be out in the public. Today, until the statement went out, that information was still covered under the non-disclosure agreement I had signed. I didn't think that James would really hold me to it, but I didn't want to jeopardize his trust in me either.

“Okay,” she said after a moment. “I just wanted to get his off my chest. Thank you for not being mad.”

I laughed. It would be pretty petty of me to be angry at her for sleeping with my brother four years ago. I could even understand why she hadn't told me. She, more than anyone, knew that I had the hots for James. How awkward must it have been for her to keep that secret for that long?

“I'm glad we're friends, Tessa.” I meant it too. “I have a feeling that I'm going to need friends soon.”

“We'll always be friends, Allie,” Tessa assured me. “I'll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay. See you later.”

I slowly brought the phone down from my ear and stared at Tessa's picture. I certainly hadn't seen that coming. I looked over at James and shook my head. He was making silly faces at the baby. I loved him with all my heart, even if he had slept with my best friend years ago.

I looked down at my watch and groaned. It was time to get ready. It was time for James to make a statement for the press.

We were about to go public.

“Y
ou look great,” James said, kissing my cheek.

“I don't feel great,” I replied, glancing down at myself one last time. I wore a black, high-waisted pencil skirt and a flowing, light blue chiffon blouse. I looked professional, even if I felt like I was going to be sick. I wasn't entirely sure it was all just nerves. Being pregnant didn't exactly sit well with my stomach.

“Fake it then,” James advised me. He did a once over my body, his eyes dilating slightly and he licked his lips. “Because you look sexy as hell.”

“Maybe you just like that I'm carrying your baby,” I teased. I definitely liked when he looked at me like that. Hungry. Powerful. Possessive.

He moved over to me, looming over me and looking down at me like he might gobble me up in one bite. “Fuck yes, I do.” I shivered and he grinned before stepping back.

“Hold on. Your tie is crooked.” I reached up and straightened it. The motion felt familiar and right. Like this was how we were supposed to be.

I smoothed the silk tie down his chest, making sure it hung straight. He put his hands over mine and brought them to his lips.

“This is going to be fine,” he promised. “I'll take care of you.”

I looked up into his green eyes and knew he meant it. He would never let me down. He would never let our baby down. I nodded, feeling a little more confident. He took my hand in his and we walked out of the hotel room and downstairs to where the reporters were waiting.

***

I
'd never seen so many people in my life wanting to get a picture of me. As soon as James and I stepped into the conference room, flashbulbs went off in a strobe like pattern. The world moved in bits and pieces, jumping from one flash of light to the next. James walked through it like it was nothing.

I followed, holding onto his hand like a life line to the podium. As we approached, he gave me one last squeeze before stepping up to the microphone. I stood behind him, folding my hands together in front of me and doing my best to smile and not look like I was about to puke.

“Thank you all for coming,” James started. “I'm sure you all have some questions, which I will answer after my statement.”

More flashes went off and every reporter in the room held up their recording device. James smiled as if this were nothing more than a room full of friends. I envied his easy confidence as he grinned at the cameras pointed right at him and charmed who ever was on the other side.

“I'm sure you've all seen the news today, or you wouldn't be here. I'm dating my stepsister.” James paused, waiting for the room to start breathing again. “Now, I'm sure to some of you, that statement is a bit crazy, but I'd like to take this chance to explain.”

Every reporter held their recorders up a little higher.

“Allie and I didn't grow up together. We don't have the same parents. The only thing that links us is that my mother and her father fell in love while we were in high school.” He smiled around the room. I didn't know how he did it. I was shaking in my shoes. “Now, I'm sure you can imagine how two hormonal, non-related teenagers felt about being under the same roof and being asked not to act on those hormones.”

A chuckle of laughter went through the room.

“We did our best to stay apart. We tried for four years to tell ourselves that these feelings were just hormones. That we weren't feeling something real.” He looked around the room, making eye contact with each and every reporter. “Now, after four years, we've realized that that isn't going to work. We're not teenagers anymore. We're adults. And those feelings only got stronger.”

He turned and held out his hand for me. I took it without hesitation. His green eyes pulled me into him, stronger than any magnet.

“There are those who might say this is wrong,” he said, turning back to the podium. “What's wrong about it? We're in love. We plan on getting married. How are we any different than any other couple our age?”

My heart stalled and warmth spread out behind my breast bone.
We plan on getting married.
In my heart, I wanted that, but I had never had the guts to even think it. It was always something too far away and impossible to even dream of. My imaginary futures with James had never gotten that far. But now that I heard him say it, I wanted it. I wanted it more than anything.

“As adults, our parents no longer define us. I run a billion-dollar corporation. My mother has no say in it. Allie is earning her degree, yet her father isn't the one dictating her classes. So, I ask you, why should their marriage define us? Their marriage is for them, not for us. I can honestly say that if we had been given the choice five years ago on who they should marry, we both would have chosen someone different.”

I smiled. I liked Nancy, but there was no way I would have ever set her up on a date with my dad. There was no way I would have chosen to make James my stepbrother.

“But we didn't get that choice. We respected it, because we love our parents and want them to be happy, but it was not our choice. We don't get to chose who we love. We just love them.” James turned and looked at me, his eyes sincere and bright. “And I love Allie.”

I beamed at him. More flashes went off as we gazed lovingly into one another's eyes. They were eating the presentation of reluctant lovers up with a spoon. This was going as planned. All that was left now was the question and answer part, which unfortunately the part that made me nervous.

James turned back to the crowd, my hand tightly wrapped up in his. “Now, I'll be happy to answer a couple of questions.”

Every reporter in the room's hand shot up.

Audrey stepped out from the side of the room. I hadn't even noticed her there, but she was dressed professionally. She pointed to a man in a dark suit.

“Do you have any idea who leaked the photos and why they would do such a thing?”

“That's an excellent question,” James said. “I am having it looked into. Right now, we believe it was a disgruntled employee. As to the why, I don't wish to speculate, but these kinds of photos and stories are very lucrative. Next question.”

More hands. Again, Audrey picked one out.

“How long has this relationship been going on?”

James squeezed my hand. “Over a month. We wanted to continue to keep it quiet, as I'm sure you can appreciate. Unfortunately, this employee betrayed not only my trust but all common decency. We hadn't even told our parents yet when the news broke. Next question.”

Audrey stepped out, carefully searching the crowd before selecting a reporter. I had a sneaking suspicion that she had pre-screened many of these questions, yet for all intents and purposes, it looked like a real question and answer session. I was impressed with her abilities so far.

“How are your parents taking the news?”

James looked sadly down at the podium. “I don't know yet. We had wanted to tell them ourselves. I'm sure they've always suspected we had feelings for one another, but they didn't know that we had started dating. Unfortunately, they found out this morning reading the news paper just like everybody else. With all the publicity surrounding us, we haven't had a chance to sit down with them and have a discussion like every other couple would. That chance was stolen from us.”