the den and listened to you argue about sharing me. When it got ugly, I stepped into the room to break you up, but neither of you heard me because you grabbed Gray and kissed him. It was a soul-shattering kiss between two men in love, and I couldn’t stand in the way of that.” Restlessly, she shifted. “Since Gray hadn’t been willing to share, I figured the two of you could have your happily ever after, even if I wasn’t a part of it. You know the rest.”
No one spoke when she was done. They didn’t move. They didn’t even breathe.
At long last, Gray cupped her face. “Answer the other question, sweetheart. Why didn’t you tell us?”
Jaycee looked up at his confused face, making an effort to stare into his stunning brown eyes. “For the same reason you wouldn’t give me all of yourself—I was frightened. I couldn’t bear the thought of repeating our family’s mistakes. It was just better for everyone for me to remove myself from the equation.”
* * * *
A shocked silence filled the truck after Jaycee’s heart-wrenching revelation. It was as though no one knew what to say or do. Gray’s chest hurt as he watched tears well in her beautiful blue eyes before spilling over and running down her pale cheeks. He sucked in a long, agonizing breath and held himself back, giving Cade a chance to openly love Jaycee. He was no longer the only man who had a right to care for her.
“Oh, darlin’,” Cade said on a sigh as he lowered Jaycee’s legs to the floorboard and reached for her.
“Let me help you, Cade,” Gray murmured, gently lifting her head from his lap and guiding her into Cade’s big arms.
Jaycee didn’t fight either of them, which said more than words ever could. For someone who hated weakness as much as she did, this was like a neon sign saying Help me. Console me. Love me.
Gray cranked the truck and pulled out on the road as unobtrusively as possible. He drove for miles, alternating between watching the road and the people he loved.
Cade held Jaycee in his arms protectively, rocking her back and forth. He continually kissed her and whispered loving words against her skin that Gray couldn’t hear, but he didn’t mind.
Halfway home, Jaycee fell into a deep sleep and Cade followed not far behind.
Two hours passed before Gray pulled into the driveway. He knew he was going to have to wake Cade but was reluctant. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen that particular look on Cade’s face.
Grabbing a blanket from the backseat, Gray whispered to Cade, touching his shoulder lightly, “We’re home. Let’s attempt to get her in the house without waking her.”
Cade’s green eyes opened sluggishly. The dazed, slumberous look was far too sexy for Gray’s body not to go on full alert. His cock stiffened, wanting things he couldn’t follow through with at the moment.
“Huh?” Cade asked drowsily.
The gravelly sound of his voice didn’t help the ache between Gray’s legs. A sleepy Cade was identical to a sexually sated Cade.
“We need to get her inside,” Gray told Cade as he got out of the truck and walked around to the passenger side, opening the door quietly. “Let’s put her in our room. She needs to rest before tonight because she won’t be getting any sleep for a while. We have years to make up for.”
Cade tucked the red-and-black fleece blanket around Jaycee loosely.
Seeing the protective way Cade held her, the way he touched her sent Gray’s heart into overdrive, and it wasn’t lust driving it. It was the love most people dreamed of, but never felt.
Gray helped Cade out of the truck, trying to keep from jostling Jaycee any more than was necessary, and hustled them inside. Taking two steps at a time, Gray climbed the stairs to their bedroom, wincing every time the boards squeaked. He kept glancing over his shoulder to see if Jaycee showed any signs of life, but she gave no indication at any point that her sleeping was being disturbed.
With a sigh, Gray
No one spoke when she was done. They didn’t move. They didn’t even breathe.
At long last, Gray cupped her face. “Answer the other question, sweetheart. Why didn’t you tell us?”
Jaycee looked up at his confused face, making an effort to stare into his stunning brown eyes. “For the same reason you wouldn’t give me all of yourself—I was frightened. I couldn’t bear the thought of repeating our family’s mistakes. It was just better for everyone for me to remove myself from the equation.”
* * * *
A shocked silence filled the truck after Jaycee’s heart-wrenching revelation. It was as though no one knew what to say or do. Gray’s chest hurt as he watched tears well in her beautiful blue eyes before spilling over and running down her pale cheeks. He sucked in a long, agonizing breath and held himself back, giving Cade a chance to openly love Jaycee. He was no longer the only man who had a right to care for her.
“Oh, darlin’,” Cade said on a sigh as he lowered Jaycee’s legs to the floorboard and reached for her.
“Let me help you, Cade,” Gray murmured, gently lifting her head from his lap and guiding her into Cade’s big arms.
Jaycee didn’t fight either of them, which said more than words ever could. For someone who hated weakness as much as she did, this was like a neon sign saying Help me. Console me. Love me.
Gray cranked the truck and pulled out on the road as unobtrusively as possible. He drove for miles, alternating between watching the road and the people he loved.
Cade held Jaycee in his arms protectively, rocking her back and forth. He continually kissed her and whispered loving words against her skin that Gray couldn’t hear, but he didn’t mind.
Halfway home, Jaycee fell into a deep sleep and Cade followed not far behind.
Two hours passed before Gray pulled into the driveway. He knew he was going to have to wake Cade but was reluctant. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen that particular look on Cade’s face.
Grabbing a blanket from the backseat, Gray whispered to Cade, touching his shoulder lightly, “We’re home. Let’s attempt to get her in the house without waking her.”
Cade’s green eyes opened sluggishly. The dazed, slumberous look was far too sexy for Gray’s body not to go on full alert. His cock stiffened, wanting things he couldn’t follow through with at the moment.
“Huh?” Cade asked drowsily.
The gravelly sound of his voice didn’t help the ache between Gray’s legs. A sleepy Cade was identical to a sexually sated Cade.
“We need to get her inside,” Gray told Cade as he got out of the truck and walked around to the passenger side, opening the door quietly. “Let’s put her in our room. She needs to rest before tonight because she won’t be getting any sleep for a while. We have years to make up for.”
Cade tucked the red-and-black fleece blanket around Jaycee loosely.
Seeing the protective way Cade held her, the way he touched her sent Gray’s heart into overdrive, and it wasn’t lust driving it. It was the love most people dreamed of, but never felt.
Gray helped Cade out of the truck, trying to keep from jostling Jaycee any more than was necessary, and hustled them inside. Taking two steps at a time, Gray climbed the stairs to their bedroom, wincing every time the boards squeaked. He kept glancing over his shoulder to see if Jaycee showed any signs of life, but she gave no indication at any point that her sleeping was being disturbed.
With a sigh, Gray
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