“You’re scaring me,” he told her honestly.

She nodded, swallowed, then looked back at him. “I’m so sorry, Alec.”

“What?” He took a reflexive step forward, but she shrank back.

“Spit it out, Charlotte,” he demanded. Nothing could be worse than standing here wondering what had put that look in her eyes. And nothing could be worse than getting signals that his help wasn’t welcome.

“I’m-” She took a breath. “I’m pregnant.”

Alec felt as though he’d been punched squarely in the gut. How could she…? When did she…?

“Who?” The question burst out of him with absolutely no eloquence whatsoever.

Her eyes squinted down. “Who what?”

“Who’s the father?” He wasn’t going to rail. He wasn’t going to judge. She was a grown woman when she arrived on his doorstep. He hated that she had a past, but she did.

Her face contorted with anger. “How can you even ask?”

“You think it’s none of my business?” Okay, now he was starting to judge. And now he was starting to get angry. He couldn’t help it. The thought of another man’s hands on Charlotte made him want to break something.

“You, you idiot. You’re the father!”

Alec jerked back. “How-”

“The usual way.” Her hands curled into fists by her sides.

“But it’s only been-”

“Three weeks. Nearly three weeks.”

“The first time?” Not bloody likely.

Her voice went hard. “I’d say so.”

“We used a condom,” he pointed out.

“We did.”

There was a loud buzzing in his ears. She couldn’t be lying. DNA tests were too easy to come by these days. She’d actually gotten herself pregnant. With his willing participation.

Here he’d thought she was different. He’d thought she was honest.

“What?” He sneered. “Did you poke holes in it?”

She blanched, but he honestly wanted to know how she’d pulled it off.

Many women had tried to trap him many different ways. He’d let his guard down with Charlotte. A mistake, obviously. But she’d seemed different, genuine, uninterested in his money. He’d been certain it was safe to enjoy a fling. But now he could almost hear his late father’s admonition in his ears.

Across from him, Charlotte appeared speechless.

“What’s your explanation?” he pressed.

And then they started. The big, shimmering crocodile tears he’d seen a hundred times. Next would be the protestations of innocence, the near-Oscar-quality denial that she’d been involved in any kind of plot whatsoever to get her hands on his money.

Damn.

He felt so hollow this time.

The betrayal was so much worse when he wasn’t prepared.

“No explanation?” he asked.

“An accident,” she managed in a halting rasp. “I didn’t mean-”

“Yeah. An accidental pregnancy. Oldest trick in the book.”

She shook her head.

“I guess I’ll see you in court.” He shook his head, turning for the door.

“Alec.” His name seemed torn from her soul.

But he didn’t turn back. As he made for the door, fury bubbled up inside him, both at her and at himself. He’d been a fool, and it was going to cost his family big-time.

It was all Charlotte could do to say upright. Her legs were wobbling and her broken heart was shooting pain to every corner of her being.

She’d expected to Alec to be angry.

She certainly hadn’t expected him to declare his love and propose marriage. Although a small corner of her soul had hoped for that. But she hadn’t expected his accusations. And she’d been completely unprepared for his cruelty.

She gripped the corner of a Mercedes. She had to walk out of here. There were a hundred people making a movie on the front lawn. Somehow, she had to hold her head up and make her way back to her room.

There, she’d pack. Hopefully, she wouldn’t see anyone before she could call a taxi and make it to the airport. Home to Monte Allegro. She’d explain to her grandfather, quit her job and disappear. There was absolutely no way she’d be meeting Alec in court or anywhere else.

He could take his money and choke on it.

She heard a sound. Then Raine and Cece appeared. They rushed to her side.

“Oh, dear,” said Cece.

“Bad?” asked Raine.

Charlotte nodded, valiantly fighting her tears. “I have to get back to my room. He thinks I got pregnant on purpose.”

Both women gasped.

Raine growled. “I am going to-”

“No!” Charlotte grabbed Raine’s arm. “Please don’t say anything to him! Just let me leave. All I want to do is go home.”

Raine searched Charlotte’s expression for a long moment. Then she nodded. “You should go home. Take care of yourself. I’ll ream my brother out later.”

Alec couldn’t get Charlotte’s image out of his head, her tears, her confusion, her vulnerability. Obviously, she’d been certain her plan would work. Just as obviously, he couldn’t let it. Even if he had been plagued with second thoughts for the past two hours.

He brought his fist down hard on the desktop.

He couldn’t marry a woman who’d set him up, no matter how much he wished it could work between them. And what kind of a fool was he for even considering it?

Suddenly, his office door burst open. He spun around, ready to shout. Not even Kiefer and Raine walked in on him without knocking.

It was Jack, and before Alec could react to the shock, Jack drew back his fist.

Alec’s first reaction was to duck the punch. But he forced himself to hold his ground, taking the shot straight to his jaw.

He grunted at the pain, which felt strangely good. Setup or not, he’d slept with Jack’s sister and made her pregnant, and he deserved the other man’s anger.

Jack stepped back, shaking out his hand, blue eyes near black with anger. “You son of a bitch,” he spat.

“Yeah,” Alec agreed, staring levelly into Jack’s eyes.

“We’ll see you in court.”

Alec shook his head. “You won’t have to. Your niece or nephew will have everything they could ever possibly need.”

Jack snorted. “Except for a father.” Then he turned for the door, and a pain worse than a cracked jaw shot through Alec.

His child would have a fractured family. Just like Charlotte. Damn.

He hated this.

He hated every single thing about it.

“Do me a favor,” he called to Jack.

Jack halted. After a moment, he turned, looking ready to throw another punch.

“Tell her you decked me for it.”

Jack’s brow furrowed. “Why?”

Alec inhaled, taking a moment to make sure he said it right. “Because Charlotte doesn’t believe you love her. She’s been waiting twenty-one years for you to start acting like a big brother.”

Ten

Charlotte stared at the pile of designer clothes on the bed. Half of her wanted to forget Alec ever existed. The other half wanted to cling to every scrap of a memory.

She ran her fingertips over the gold, beaded dress she’d worn the first time they made love. Then she lifted the strap of the evening gown she’d worn to the Royal Ballet. Alec had booked the director’s box, and their seats were second only to the royal family.

They’d eaten dinner overlooking the Thames, danced to an orchestra, then laughed their way through sweet treats in their bedroom at the Ritz. Alec was convinced she’d fallen in love with his lifestyle. Truth was, she’d fallen in love with Alec. She’d wear rags and live in a hut if it proved it to him.

She heard the bedroom door open, but she didn’t bother turning around. It would be Raine, back with a bigger suitcase. But it didn’t matter. Charlotte had pretty much decided to leave the clothes behind.

The bed creaked, and she realized it was Jack sitting down beside her.

She hurriedly swiped her cheeks, pasting a smile on her face. “Leaving a little early,” she said, gesturing to the scattered clothes. “Raine’s out looking for a bigger-”

Jack’s strong arm curled around her shoulders. “Oh, Charlotte.”

Charlotte gasped out a sob.

Jack’s other arm went around her, and he pulled her close, rocking her against his broad chest. “Cece told me. I am so sorry.”

Charlotte shook her head, embarrassed by the fresh tears. “It’s okay.” She sucked a painful breath into her burning chest. “I knew…It wouldn’t…” She gave up trying to talk.

Silence rose between them.

“I have loved you,” Jack finally said, emotion thick in his voice, “every second of every day since they took you away from me.”

Charlotte stilled.

“You were my baby sister. I thought they’d bring you back. I thought he’d-” Jack struggled with a breath. “I thought he’d come to his senses. I mean, how could anybody not love you?”

Charlotte clung to her brother, pressing her cheek against his chest while he stroked her hair. Her chest burned even more painfully. “I love you, Jack.”

“I’ll always love you, Charlotte. I’m here. For anything, everything. Whatever you need. I’m here, and Cece’s here, too. And Theo. Theo will be the best cousin ever.”

Charlotte nodded, a small sigh of relief coming through her wall of pain.

“I punched him out,” said Jack.

Charlotte drew back.

“I punched Alec out. He doesn’t mess with my baby sister and get away with it.”

“Is he okay?”

Jack frowned. “Not ‘thanks, big brother’?”

“Oh, yes. Thanks, big brother. But is he okay?”

Jack closed his eyes for a long second. “Uh-oh.”

“What?” Not that everything wasn’t colossally wrong at the moment.

“You’re in love with him.”

Charlotte couldn’t admit it. But Jack obviously saw it in her eyes.

“Of course you’re in love with him.” Jack nodded. “Why else would you make love with him.”

“I knew it was temporary,” said Charlotte.

“But you fell for him anyway.”

Charlotte closed her eyes. “Yes,” she admitted quietly.

“I know how that goes,” said Jack in a sympathetic tone. “When I realized I loved Cece-”

“It’s not the same thing,” Charlotte quickly pointed out.

“Are you sure?”

“Oh, I am sure.” She nodded, voice shaking with conviction. Alec Montcalm didn’t fall in love with anybody. He was honest and up-front, and he meant every syllable when he told a woman it was temporary.

“What can I do?” asked Jack.

“You can be an uncle.”

He gave her another hug, and it felt good. Despite the fact that her world was falling apart, it felt so good to hug her brother again.

“I’m only a phone call away,” he told her.

Charlotte glanced around. “I think I’m just going to leave. I don’t need these clothes. What I need is to set up a life for a baby.”

“California is nice,” said Jack. “You don’t have to be right in L.A. to be close by.”

Charlotte managed a smile. “Thanks for that. I have to talk to the ambassador first. But I really will give it some thought.” There were definitely worse places in the world than California.

Alec needed to get away, and Tokyo seemed like it might just be far enough.

He had to get Charlotte out of his head. He had to stop thinking about his baby. And he had to purge the ridiculous idea that his being in love with Charlotte, and Charlotte being in love with his money, was a recipe for happily ever after. It wasn’t, and it never would be.

In the driveway, he tossed his briefcase onto the passenger seat of the Lamborghini. Then he opened the driver’s door and dropped down on the seat, slamming the door and stuffing the key into the ignition.

He’d check in with Kiefer and Raine while the jet refueled in New Delhi.

“You were right,” came Jack’s mild voice as he appeared in Alec’s rearview mirror. “She didn’t know I loved her.” He brought his hand down on the top of the Lamborghini’s door, and rounded on Alec. “But after that, your theory fell way apart.”

Alec didn’t get the point. But he waited for Jack to explain.

Jack placed his other hand on the door and leaned in. “She would have given anything for it to be you who said it instead of me.”

“Said what?” Alec reached for the ignition key.

“That you loved her.”

Alec scoffed. That statement made absolutely no sense. “It’s the money,” he reminded Jack.

Jack’s eyes narrowed. “Would you repeat that?”

Hell, yes. Alec would repeat it as many times as Jack liked. “Charlotte and every other woman I’ve ever dated are in love with my money. M-O-N-E-Y. To get it, they’re willing to put up with me.”

Jack suddenly looked as if he might laugh. “You actually believe that? You actually think it’s the money?”

Alec didn’t bother answering this time.

“Charlotte doesn’t need your money,” said Jack. “The family has money.”

“Charlotte’s not involved in Hudson Pictures.” Alec knew that for a fact. Even if she hadn’t told him herself, Kiefer had researched the corporation before letting them anywhere near Château Montcalm.