“He’s a dictator,” Briony corrected. “Don’t try to soft-soap it for me. You should hear the man throwing out orders left and right.”
Ken smirked. “At least now he can order you around instead of me. I owe you for that.”
“Don’t count on it. I’m betting he has plenty for both of us.”
“You have no idea.”
There was a short silence, a little awkward in spite of the fact that both of them were trying. Briony took a deep breath and forced a smile. “What are you working on today? Can I help?”
“I’m tiling one of the bathrooms. As you may have noticed, only a few rooms are actually finished. We’ve been taking our time and trying to get each room exactly how we want it. Jack wants to start on the second bedroom in his wing so by the time you have the baby, the room will be ready for it.”
Briony shook her head. “Don’t go to a lot of trouble and expense. I’ll be able to protect the baby after it’s born. It’s just now, when they come at me, I worry they’ll hurt the baby, and as I get bigger, I’ll probably get slower. I’m not asking Jack to take on the responsibility forever.”
“Is Jack the baby’s father or not?” Ken asked, his gray eyes darkening, reminding Briony of thunderclouds.
“Jack’s definitely the father, but I can understand why you’d ask. I’m not trying to trap him, Ken.” Briony felt dark color creeping up her skin.
“I asked because you don’t seem to understand my brother. He’ll never walk away from you or the baby. You’re in his life now. It won’t always be pleasant or easy, but he’ll protect both of you with his life. He’ll make certain you have everything you could ever need-or want-because that’s the kind of man he is.”
“I know he’s honorable,” she conceded. She couldn’t very well blurt out she wanted more than sex from Jack. She wanted to be loved. She wanted him to love her child, not just feel responsible. Of course Jack would take care of them. His code of honor dictated that he give them his best-but his code wasn’t his heart.
Ken tapped the table with his finger, a small rhythm that told her volumes. She studied his face, the gentleness there, the concern, the flicker of unease.
“Jack is… different-extraordinary, but different. It would take a very special woman to live with those differences,” Ken said.
“You admire him.”
“I know him.” He leaned back in his chair, legs sprawled out in front of him. “Most people don’t. You’ll be living here a long time, Briony. My advice is to get to know him.”
It was heartbreaking to stare into the man’s ravaged face when he looked so like Jack. Not broken, not unbending-just accepting, as if he took whatever fate threw at him in stride and lived the best he could. That was Jack-and it was apparently his brother too. Briony ducked her head to keep those piercing eyes from reading her expression. She felt at home here. It made no sense, but these men, this house-all of it felt right to her.
Restless, she stood up and crossed to the window. “Is the yard really booby-trapped? I’d like to be able to walk around outside. It’s so beautiful.”
She heard the chair scrape. No footsteps. For such stocky men, the Norton twins walked softly, but she caught his scent as he neared her-almost the same as Jack’s, but with that strange, subtle difference. His hand came over her shoulder with a piece of paper in it.
“My orders,” he said.
She took the paper and read the words scrawled in a masculine hand across the sheet. She spun around to face him. “He made you get rid of them all?” For some reason the vise gripping her heart so hard began to ease.
“Every last one, which, I might point out, he insisted we put there in the first place, the jackass. He dragged my butt out of bed at four-thirty this morning to do it too.” He grinned at her. “I’m usually much better looking, but he robbed me of my beauty sleep.”
Briony burst out laughing. “I slept in. It’s almost noon.”
“Little slacker. You just didn’t want me to put you to work.” He winked at her. “Now that I’m thinking about it, can you cook? Because my brother leaves a bit to be desired in that department.”
Briony instinctively turned her head. Ken had known all along, but she didn’t feel him until his scent reached her. Jack. She breathed his name in her mind. Soft. Intimate. Before she could think, before she could stop.
Jack. That soft sigh of his name was enough. Walking in, hearing the laughter, the easy banter between Ken and Briony had nearly stopped his heart. Jack. The sound of his name brushing along the walls of her mind, almost as if she cherished him, gave him peace, made him a part of that laughter, brought him into a secret world of true intimacy between a man and a woman-one he’d never experienced.
She looked up to meet his gaze, and her face lit up, a welcoming smile curving her mouth, lighting her eyes. “Hey you.” It slipped out before she could stop it, and gave away instantly her growing feelings for him.
He walked across the room, arms filled with packages, straight to her, leaning close to brush a kiss along the corner of her mouth. “Has Ken been taking care of you?”
“Yes. He’s been wonderful. What in the world is all this stuff? I thought you were getting a few clothes.” She tried to cover the rush of excitement, of pleasure, at seeing him; the embarrassment she felt for her behavior the night before.
Jack frowned. “I should have sent Ken. The salesladies kept adding things to the list. I don’t know what half of it is. You have an appointment with the doctor this afternoon, and I have vitamins you’re supposed to be taking.” He dumped the packages on the kitchen table, frowning as she rescued her coffee cup. “Ken. Didn’t I tell you that she shouldn’t have caffeine?” He held his hand out for the cup.
Briony bared her teeth at him. “Back away from my coffee if you want to live.”
“I heard it wasn’t good for you.”
“You heard wrong.” She put both hands around the cup and gave him her most fierce look. “Don’t make me hurt you, Jack. If you touch this coffee cup, you’re going to lose some fingers.”
“Ouch.” Ken grinned at his brother. “The woman isn’t going to put up with your shit for a minute.”
“Ken,” Jack cautioned. “We’re going to have a baby in the house-clean up your language.” He couldn’t stop looking her. She was dressed in his shirt and drawstring pants, barefoot, hair rumpled, and she looked so damned sexy he wanted to eat her up.