Once Pregnant, Twice Shy (Gage Brothers 3)

“Emerson, we’re talking fifty million for your take alone. That’s almost ten million a month for just marrying her.”

“Why don’t you do it?” he persisted, glaring at Garrett.

Garrett wasn’t going to tell him why.

But he still remembered Kate in his arms on the terrace last night. He’d been so damned excited to have her in his arms. He’d wanted to make love to her again, had been more than ready to physically. He could have moved back so that she wouldn’t notice, and perhaps she hadn’t, but instead he’d remained in place, his every sense attuned to her, to the contact of their bodies—the press of her belly against his erection. He’d wanted to press harder into her, to devour her and break her every resistance until she gave him everything he wanted, and admitted to everything he needed to know. At the same time, he wanted to protect her from everything and everyone.

He hadn’t pushed, but he knew the thought of leaving was killing her. He knew Molly’s wedding had to get to her. Kate was a woman. And she was the older sister, almost like a mother to Molly.

He wanted her. Needed her with a force he’d never needed anyone in his life. Physically, he wanted to be with her again, but it was more. It had always been more with her. She loved him....

But he wasn’t going to tear his guts open in front of Emerson, not even in front of his other brothers, so when silence reigned, Emerson sighed and rose.

“Sit down, Emerson. I’m planning to marry someone else,” Garrett snapped, scowling because he’d had to let the cat out of the bag.

Emerson plopped back down and cocked a brow. “Should I start renting a tux?” he asked, his cockiness reminding Garrett of his younger brother, Julian, somehow.

“Rent it for your own wedding. You won’t be coming to mine.”

“My own wedding is tomorrow and we need this engagement settled. So are you in, or are you out, Emerson?” Julian demanded.

Emerson eyed Julian, then Landon, then Garrett, then Landon again. “There’s only one thing that would ever tempt me to agree to this farce.”

“Name it and it’s yours,” said Landon with his business voice.

“I want the Gage name. I’m as much his son as you are. My mother provided a paternity test, and he refused to acknowledge me. I want it acknowledged today. If I get my rightful name, you have a deal.”

Garrett crossed his arms and eyed Landon, who seemed to be the one most reluctant to grant Emerson’s wish. Garrett wasn’t against it. The Gage brothers had no right to withhold something their own father should have granted his kid in the first place, but they would need to talk to their mother first. She was a just woman, but she might need some time to get used to the idea of a fourth Gage in town.

In a terse but quiet voice, Landon spoke at last. “When you go through with the marriage and quietly walk away from Cassandra without trouble, we’ll amend our former agreement so you can become a Gage.”

Emerson rose to his feet. “I’ll need to get it in writing.”

“Of course,” Landon assured him.

“So do we arrange for them to meet?” Julian queried, rising, too, probably eager to leave to get his other business in order before his wedding and honeymoon.

“Do whatever the hell you want,” Emerson snarled. “Just tell me when and where I get to meet my wife.”

“So, it’s done then,” Landon concluded, still keeping up his cool facade. But once Emerson stalked out of the conference room, Landon sighed wearily and scraped a hand along his face.

“Mother’s going to throw a fit.”

“Let’s not tell her yet. He’s not a Gage until he carries through...and he might fail,” Jules said. Then he swung his full attention to Garrett. “So do you have something to tell us, bro?”

Garrett knew what he was referring to, of course.

It would have been hard for me to love anyone, when my whole life I’ve been in love with you.

She’d killed him with those words. He’d been replaying them in his head all night, dying in his bed, aroused and pained when he relived them. He wanted her by his side. He wanted every inch of her. Now, his chest swelled with emotion as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small blue velvet box. He opened it and extended it so that both his brothers could see the ring nestled at its center.

Julian chuckled and swung his head up with a look of incredulousness. “That ring is obscene, man. I’ve never seen anything as obscene in my life.”

Garrett scowled at him. “Tiffany and Company doesn’t do obscene.”

“But you do.”

Ignoring the jibe, Garrett studied the brilliant rock. It was the whitest, the purest and yes, the biggest he could find in seventy-six hours. An 8.39 carat, D, internally flawless round brilliant, in a solitaire platinum band. And he had every intention of putting it on Kate’s ring finger.