You can’t plan your life that way, and he knew it. What was that quote of John Lennon’s? Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. That about summed it up. Lucas had planned to live his life alone. To never get entangled in the silky webs of love and marriage. To avoid any relationship that even looked remotely long-term.
And that had worked out well for him.
Until Rose.
Lucas had spent the past two weeks fighting every instinct he had that demanded he go to her. Hold her. Kiss her. No other woman had ever made him want her so much—even out of bed. Rose challenged him, laughed with him, argued with him and stood up to him, willing to go toe-to-toe with him, even when he was right, damn it.
And he missed her more than he would have thought possible.
Suddenly irritated with not just himself, but also his interfering brothers, Lucas pushed up from his chair. “I don’t need an intervention or whatever the hell this is.”
“Oh, hell yes, you do,” Sean said with a grin. “You’re a pain in the ass to be around, Lucas. More so even than usual.”
He gave him a snide smile. “Thanks.”
“You’re in love with her.”
Lucas gaped at Rafe. “I am not.”
Sean laughed, and Lucas shifted his glare to him.
“Yes, you are,” Rafe said amiably. “Think I don’t recognize the signs? Wasn’t so long ago that I was doing with Katie exactly what you’re doing now with Rose. And I’m here to tell you that hiding from it or ignoring it won’t make those feelings disappear.”
“It’s worth a shot,” Lucas mumbled.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Rafe told him. “You think you’re miserable now? Wait another month or two. Or a year. You’ll still be torn up in knots over Rose and torturing yourself uselessly. Face it,” he added with a smile, “when a King falls for a woman, he stays fallen. There’s no escape.”
“Damn, that sounds terrifying,” Sean said, to no one in particular.
Rafe ignored him and focused his gaze directly on Lucas. “A smart man wouldn’t want to escape.”
Was he smart? Lucas wondered. Or was Rafe reading too much into this? Seeing love where only need existed? What the hell did Lucas know about love? He had never felt it before. How could he be sure that was what he was feeling now? Need and desire were so twisted up inside him, he wasn’t sure of anything anymore.
Which was damned lowering to admit, even to himself.
Meeting his brother’s stoic stare took every ounce of willpower Lucas had in him. Rafe saw too much. Knew too much. And Lucas couldn’t hide the truth any longer. Not from Rafe. Not from himself.
This aching, gaping hole inside him was what was left after he carved Rose out of his life. And if he didn’t get her back, the emptiness would eventually swallow him. He’d be forced to live a half life, always wondering what might have been.
“If you want my advice,” Rafe said a second later, “and even if you don’t…go see Rose. Do some groveling. Get her back while you still have the chance.”
Sean snorted. “Lucas? Apologize?”
“If he’s got half a brain,” Rafe said, still staring into Lucas’s eyes, “then yeah.”
Thankfully, he was spared having to reply when the doorbell rang. He left his brothers arguing over whether or not Lucas had half a brain and stomped through the house to the front door. He didn’t bother to look outside first to see who it was. He was too damned grateful for the timely interruption.
If he had looked, he might have had time to duck.
As it was, Dave Clancy’s punch caught him squarely on the jaw and staggered Lucas back several steps.
Seeing stars, Lucas cupped his jaw and shouted, “What the hell?”
“You son of a bitch.” Dave stalked toward him, ready to deliver another blow when Rafe and Sean came running down the hall.
“What’s going on?” Rafe demanded.
Sean was already moving to Lucas’s side, presenting a united King front.
Dave’s furious gaze never shifted from Lucas. “He knows what’s going on. Ask him.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Lucas glared at him. “I opened the door, you hit me. End of story.”
“You didn’t see that coming?” Sean muttered.
Lucas shot him a murderous look before turning back to Dave. “What are you doing here? And why the hell did you slug me?”
“Rose is pregnant.”
Three little words, dropped into the room, and it was as if a bomb had gone off.
Sean gave a low whistle.
Rafe grumbled something under his breath.
Dave looked like he wanted to go another round.
And Lucas had never been so happy about anything in his life. Dave’s news had hit Lucas harder than the man’s fist had. His mind raced. Rose. Pregnant. He was going to be a father. And something else. He was going to be a husband.
That word settled into him and to his surprise didn’t rattle him much at all. Finally, he had a reason to marry Rose. To make sure she married him. He would accept nothing less.
Despite the pain in his jaw, he grinned.
Dave saw it and frowned. “You think this is funny?”
“Hell, no,” Lucas told him, rubbing the ache in his jaw again. “Nothing funny at all about this. But it’s the best news I’ve ever had.”
“I think he’s got a concussion,” Sean murmured.
“No,” Rafe said, smiling, “I think he just figured out what he really wants.”
“Damn straight,” Lucas told him, then looked at Dave again. Rose’s brother. They would all be family soon, he told himself, and made a point to ease the protective streak Dave was displaying. “Look. You and I, we straightened a few things out between us, right?”
“Yeah…”
“And I told you then that I started the affair with Rose as a way of getting some payback on you.”
Dave nodded and didn’t look real happy with that reminder.
“Things changed,” Lucas said simply. “Rose is…everything to me.” God, it felt good to admit it. To say out loud what his heart and soul had been trying to tell him for weeks. “I’m going to get her to marry me, Dave. As fast as I can.”
The other man studied him for a long moment before finally nodding his head in acceptance. “She won’t be easy to convince. She doesn’t take orders from anyone anymore.”