The Barrington Brothers: When Opposites Attract... / Single Man Meets Single Mom / Carrying the Lost Heir's Child

Nine

How the hell did he cope with this bombshell? He’d never been in this situation before and honestly had no idea how to react, let alone what to say.

Had he said the right thing?

Running a hand down his face, Grant stared out his patio door toward the pasture, where a few horses grazed off in the distance.

For the sake of his career, here he was, in a world he’d sworn off, finding himself drowning in a woman he wanted just sex from, only to find out she was a virgin.

Grant laughed at the irony that was now his life. The damn film hadn’t even started yet, and he was sinking deeper and deeper into worlds that threatened to leave him weak and vulnerable. Way to stay in control of the game.

He glanced at his watch, noted it was time to head to the stables, and sighed. No matter his personal feelings—and he couldn’t deny there were very personal feelings involved now—he had to remain on task and get the job done. This was still his livelihood, still his reputation on the line if he wanted to move on up in the movie industry.

As he headed out the door, his cell phone rang. After shutting the door behind him, Grant stepped off the narrow porch.

“Hey, Bronson,” he said.

“I hope you’re sitting down, man. I’ve got news for you.”

Freezing in his tracks, Grant gripped the phone. “Good news or bad news?”

“Beyond good. Marty Russo has been in contact with me and Anthony. He’s willing to back your production company if this film takes off like we think it will.”

“Are you kidding me?” Grant asked, suddenly seeing his dream spiraling closer toward reality.

On the other end of the connection, Bronson Dane laughed. “Not at all. If this movie is a hit like we all believe it will be, Russo Entertainment wants you to come on board and branch out with your own company.”

Grant could hardly believe this. He’d been a director for years, had worked his ass off to get to the point of producing, and now, before his production debut, he might already have a chance at starting his own company?

He’d been fortunate in the past several years to have some major deals, which set his name on the film map. But his own company would take his career to a whole new level.

“Man, that’s great,” Grant said. “I don’t even know what to say.”

“You deserve it,” Bronson replied. “Marty was going to call, but I wanted to be the one to tell you. I’m sure he’ll be calling you later today.”

Grant had worked with the man several times. Being the CEO of Russo Entertainment, Marty often had a direct hand in the company’s films, and was a very hands-on guy. Grant respected the hell out of him and had every intention of not letting him down.

“Anthony and I are wrapping up at Churchill Downs today. Between there, New York and Maryland, we’ve covered the main tracks and have some amazing areas for scenes. We should be arriving at the end of next week.”

Grant continued walking his path again as he and Bronson discussed the church, cemetery and other local places that had meaningful ties to Damon Barrington’s past.

By the time he disconnected the call, he was beaming. The sun had risen, the spring day was beautiful and promised to be warm, and he had the chance of a lifetime right within his reach.

But his smile faded and fear set in when he saw Cassie running alongside the fence and Tessa on a horse, barreling faster than he’d ever seen seen her go.

Fear flooded him, and he had to force himself not to overreact. Another time, another woman flashed in his mind and nausea threatened to overtake him.

Especially when Tessa kept pulling back on the reins and yelling, alarm lacing her voice.

Grant ran to the fence, having no clue how he could help or even what the hell had happened.

The horse seemed to reduce his speed, barely, but then reared up, after which everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Tessa screamed, slicing a new layer of dread straight through Grant. When she fell off the back of the horse, he leaped over the fence, not giving a damn about anything but getting to her.

He crouched down beside her as she was rolling onto her back, gasping—whether in pain or because the wind had been knocked out of her, he didn’t know.

“Tessa, honey.” He ran his hands gently over her, praying for no broken bones, no broken skin. “Talk to me. Are you hurt?”

She groaned and tried to sit up, but he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Just lie here for a minute,” he told her.

“Macduff...where...” Tessa continued to try to catch her breath as she searched the track. “Is he okay?”

Fury bubbled within Grant. Was she seriously more worried about this horse than her own welfare?

Because she wasn’t going to relax until she knew about the animal, Grant glanced back and saw Cassie managing just fine, along with the new groom. They’d taken control of the horse and were leading him into the stables.

“He’s fine,” Grant told her. “Cassie has him.”

Tessa’s shoulders relaxed into the dirt and her eyes closed as she exhaled a shallow breath. The color had left her face and her arm was draped across her ribs.

“I need to know what hurts, so I can tell the squad.” He pulled out his phone and barely hit the 9 before she put her hand over his.

“No, I’m fine.” Her eyes locked on to his. “Don’t fuss with calling anyone.”

“Like hell I’m not, Tessa.”

Bad memories played through his mind like a horror movie...only it had been real life. Internal injuries were by far even more terrifying. He’d done a somewhat good job of keeping these two worlds—caring for Tessa, and her lifestyle—apart. But the two had just collided and blown up in his face.

“You’re white as a ghost, Grant. Are you okay?”

He ran a hand down his face and nodded. “I’m fine. But you’re going to get checked out. Internal injuries may not make their appearance known until it’s too late.”

“Grant—”

“You can either ride in an ambulance or I’m taking you, but this is not up for debate.”

Tessa flinched at his raised voice.

“Is she okay?” Cassie asked, squatting down next to them.

“She’s stubborn,” Grant hissed, coming to his feet. “Talk some sense into her while I call for the medics.”

While he did so, he at least heard Cassie taking his side. No way in hell would he allow Tessa to ignore what had just happened. And knowing her, she’d probably get right back on the damn horse and go another round.

After his call was placed, he returned to Tessa, who was now sitting up with Cassie’s arm supporting her.

“They’re on their way,” he told them.

“I hate to leave her, but I need to tell Nash she’s going to the hospital, and I need to go find Dad.”

“Who’s Nash?” Grant asked.

“The new groom,” Tessa told him. “Go, Cass, I’m fine.”

Cassie shot Grant a look, but he nodded, giving her the silent go-ahead. There was no way he would be leaving Tessa’s side.

“I’m sure Dad will be at the hospital as soon as I let him know,” Cassie said.

“That’s fine. I’ve got my cell, so he can call me, too.”

As soon as the squad arrived and loaded Tessa—carefully, as per Grant’s demands—he went to get his rental car to follow. As much as he wanted to ride with her, he needed his vehicle, because when they left, he sure as hell would be the one bringing her back.

* * *

“This is all really silly,” Tessa complained as Grant eased his car into the drive, passing beneath the arched sign for the estate. “I can stay at my house just fine, Slick.”

“We already went over this. You can stay at your house with me or at my house with me. Since you only huffed when I gave you your options, I decided we’d stay here so your dad and sister are closer.”

Tessa rolled her eyes as he parked in front of the cottage. “I only live one property over.”

He turned, offered her that killer smile complete with dimples and said, “Yes, but there are several acres separating the two. Your father and I agreed this was best.”

“My father probably has no clue you have the hots for his daughter, either,” she mumbled.

Grant barked a laugh and came around to help her out. She wasn’t some invalid. She’d fallen off Macduff because she’d not been paying attention, and the once-abused horse was still skittish.

Cassie had bought the horse from an auction, and they all knew he’d been mistreated. But Cassie was a softy for any animal, especially ones not properly cared for. Tessa was confident she could keep him under control...and she had, until she’d seen Grant walking toward the stables, phone to his ear and wearing the most brilliant smile. He’d stolen her breath, and she’d lost her concentration. Macduff was nervous, anyway, but the accident was totally her fault.

Grant slid his arm around her as she started to climb from the car. “Really, I can walk,” she protested. “I won’t fall over.”

“The doctor said you had a concussion, and you admitted you were dizzy.” He tightened his grip. “You’re not going down on my watch.”

Okay, so a bit of her was thrilled at the fact he wanted to care for her, but she seriously could’ve taken care of herself. Did he think she was sharing his bed tonight? Surely that wasn’t a reason behind his insistence to keep her at his place.

Once inside the cottage, Grant gave her no option but to sit on the sofa with her feet propped up. Her protests were completely ignored as he removed her boots.

“Now, what can I get you to eat? You haven’t had dinner.”

Tessa hadn’t given food a thought. “What do you have? Just something light. I’m still queasy.”

“I’m pretty sure there are some cans of soup in the cabinet.”

Laying her head against the back of the sofa, she nodded. “That will be fine. Any flavor, I’m not too picky.”

Even as tired as she was, she couldn’t close her eyes. Watching Grant bustle around the kitchen, getting her dinner ready, really hit her hard. Aaron had never taken this much care of her. He’d never tried to put her needs first. Of course, hindsight was a real eye-opener, because the man had been only out for himself to begin with.

But there was something special about Grant. He obviously loved his family, which was a huge indicator that he was a nurturer. The fact he was so easy to talk to also proved to her that he wasn’t the self-centered city slicker she’d first thought him to be.

When he brought her dinner on a tray, Tessa smiled. “You’re so good to me, Slick. I could get used to this.”

He took a seat on the coffee table across from her and smiled. “I could get used to you lying on my couch watching me.”

After taking a few mouthfuls of chicken soup, she glanced back over at him and sighed. His eyelids were heavy, his hair all messed from running his fingers through it. Normally he looked so polished, the picture of perfection. Now he looked...exhausted.

“I’m sorry, Grant.”

“What for?”

“This. Being a burden, scaring you.”

He blinked and eased forward, cupping her face with one strong, warm hand. “You could never be a burden to me, Tessa. If I didn’t want you here I could’ve taken you to the main house, to Cassie’s or back to your own home. I want you here so I can watch over you, and I want you here because something is building between us and I refuse to ignore it.”

Inching forward, Grant placed his lips softly on hers. “As for scaring me, if you ever do that again I’m going to hack into your computer and delete all your saved spreadsheets.”

Tessa laughed, reaching over to smack his shoulder. “You wouldn’t dare.”

He eased back with a half grin. “Maybe not, but when you fell...there are no words, but I’ll never forget that feeling.”

He glanced aside, almost as if he was trying to compose himself. Had he truly been that scared, that worried for her? This wasn’t the first time she’d seen the stark fear in his eyes when it came to horses. That first day they’d met he’d acted concerned for her safety.

“Hey,” she said, waiting for him to turn back to her. “I’ve been riding since I got out of diapers, Slick. That wasn’t my first fall and it won’t be my last. Yes, it sucks, but sometimes it just happens.”

Raking a hand down his face, Grant sighed and came to his feet. “Why don’t you finish your dinner, and I’ll go find you some more comfortable clothes to sleep in.”

“What about you?” she asked. “You haven’t had dinner.”

“Honestly, my nerves are shot. I couldn’t eat if I wanted to.”

With that revelation, he walked away. Obviously, her fall had torn him up in ways she never would’ve imagined. When she’d been lying on the ground and he’d been at her side, his face had been so pale, his eyes so wide as he’d tried to take in her entire body at once, assessing the damage.

At the E.R., he’d been forceful and matter-of-fact with the staff, almost demanding that she stay overnight for observation. The doctor had assured Grant that since she’d never lost consciousness, she would be fine to go home as long as someone watched her.

So here she was, being watched by a man who made her tingle with a simple touch, who kissed her as if she was the only desirable woman in the world, and who had her rethinking her reasons for remaining innocent.

This should be an interesting night.

Ten

“Melanie!”

Fear consumed him, bile rose in his throat as the scene before him unfolded.

Screams filled the evening, the thundering of hooves seemed to be in surround sound, and all Grant could do was look on as his twin sister held on to the out-of-control mare.

Their parents and the trainer all shouted commands, running after them, but Grant, still atop his own horse, could only stare from behind.

He’d done this. All in the name of a joke and a dare, he’d put Melanie in danger.

The shrill sound coming from his sister jolted him out of his horrified, frozen state, and he kicked his mount into gear and charged after them. He had to do something, had to rectify this somehow. Fear fueled him, while adrenaline blocked out all the possibilities of what might happen if that animal threw her.

He leaned into his horse, kicking his flank once again to move faster.

But it was too late. Melanie’s mare saw Grant’s coming in fast, and bucked, sending Melanie off the back. She landed with a jarring, sickening thud.

As he jumped off his horse and his parents and the trainer gathered around, Grant knew things had gone from bad to worse and hell was opening up to swallow him.

His beautiful, talented, always smiling twin sister wasn’t moving....

Grant jerked up in bed, the sheet twisted around his waist, sweat dampening his forehead, his chest.

Damn. That nightmare hadn’t made an appearance in so long, and he could’ve gone the rest of his life without having that dream.

There wasn’t a day that went by when he didn’t relive that life-altering moment. But the dreams...they were all too real and obviously the penance for his sin.

Grant swung his feet over the side of the bed, yanking the sheet off. He needed fresh air, some water, and he should probably check on Tessa.

Tessa. No doubt the events of today had brought on the nightmare. Because he’d been just as terrified seeing Tessa on the out-of-control stallion and then her fall...

Raking a hand over his face, Grant came to his feet and padded to the kitchen, careful to be quiet as he crept past Tessa’s door. He’d insisted she keep it open in case she needed to call him for anything. She’d fought him a little on the matter, but Grant had refused to back down.

After he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and took a long drink, he set it on the counter, walked toward the patio and opened the door, welcoming the crisp night air. The refreshing breeze cooled his heated skin and calmed him, but that damn nightmare and images of today still rolled over and over in his mind.

Nothing was as nauseating, as horrifying or as crippling as watching someone you cared for caught in a helpless situation, and knowing there wasn’t a damn thing you could do about it.

But unlike Tessa’s situation, Grant had caused his twin’s. His beautiful sister could’ve been killed. Sometimes he wondered if death would’ve been better than being a paraplegic.

“You okay?”

He turned, finding Tessa standing in the shadows. His T-shirt hit her midthigh, leaving beautifully toned legs revealed.

“I’m fine,” he answered, turning back to the starry night, silently willing her to go away.

He couldn’t keep looking at her, not when his emotions were so high and his heart was still in his throat.

And not when he’d just admitted to himself he was starting to care for her more than he thought he would. There was no way he could keep all his emotions separated now. More penance for his sins.

“Sorry if I woke you,” he told her. “I was going to check on you in a minute.”

Bare feet padded along the hardwood floors, and Grant clenched his fists as Tessa came to stand beside him. Her sweet jasmine scent mixed with the cool night air and surrounded him.

He hated how vulnerable he was. Hated how his need for her consumed him.

Turn back. Turn back before I take what I want.

“Want to talk about it?” she asked, her soft voice washing over him.

Sparing her a glance, he shook his head. “You should be in bed.”

“I feel fine,” she insisted, reaching out a delicate hand to grip his bare biceps. “What’s keeping you up?”

Songs of crickets flooded the night, and Grant couldn’t find the words. Right now he couldn’t even think, given his vortex of emotions. Her fall, her nearness...her virginity.

“I guess I’m just still keyed up after today’s excitement.”

“Is that why I heard you cry out in your sleep a few minutes ago?”

Grant jerked around, causing her hand to drop. When she said nothing more, only crossed her arms over her chest, he muttered a curse and raked his fingers through his hair.

“I used to have nightmares,” he admitted, not going into further detail. “I had one tonight. It’s no big deal.”

Bright blue eyes studied him for a moment before she spoke. “They must be a big deal if this is an ongoing thing, Grant. Have you talked to anybody about them?”

“Like a shrink?” He laughed. “No. I’m fine.”

Her gaze slid over his bare chest, then back up. She might as well have touched him with her soft fingertips because the effect was the same. His body responded, and there was nothing he could do to stop the heavy dose of arousal that kicked into high gear...as if he needed his hormones to bump up a notch.

“You should get back to bed,” he told her, silently begging her to get her barely covered butt out of here before he forgot how delicate and innocent she truly was.

If she only knew the control she held over him...

“I want to help you.” Stepping forward, she slid that delicate hand back up his arm and over the curve of his bare shoulder. “You may not want to talk about the dream, but I can stay up with you so you’re not alone.”

Grant’s control snapped as he grabbed Tessa’s slender shoulders and backed her up two steps to the frame of the patio door. Her eyes widened as she peered up at him.

“It’s best I’m alone right now,” he growled. “I want things I shouldn’t, and my mood isn’t the best. Go to your room, Tessa.”

Her eyes filled with tears as she brought up her hands to cup his face. “You don’t scare me, Grant. Whatever you’re dealing with, I can help.”

“I may not scare you, but right now I sure as hell scare myself.”

Closing the slim gap between them, Grant crushed her lips to his. Her soft hands slipped around to grip the back of his neck, her fingers threading through his hair.

Why didn’t she listen? He wanted her, more than any other woman before. If she’d just gone back to her room... Granted, he’d given her about a minute’s warning, but damn, she was here in his house and barely dressed in the middle of the night. And he had all these emotions whirling around. This was so much more than lust, and it was so much more than sex that he wanted from her.

But damn it, he couldn’t let himself get too personally involved.

Grant tried to deepen the kiss, but she beat him to it. He wanted to apply more pressure, but again she was ahead of him.

Obviously, she wasn’t scared of the desperation in his touch, and she sure as hell wasn’t scared of the warning he’d issued to her.

On one hand he was thrilled she hadn’t gone back to her room, but on the other he worried he wouldn’t be able to stop. The need for her clawed at him, consumed him.

Tearing his mouth from hers, he kissed a path down her throat. Her body arched into his as she groaned, giving him another reason to progress. When his fingers found the hem of the T-shirt, he slid his hands up beneath the cotton, finding soft, smooth skin and satiny panties.

He dipped one fingertip inside the snug elastic, needing more, silently questioning where the boundaries were.

A soft cry came from her lips as Grant lifted his mouth away. Resting his forehead against hers, he ran his fingers over her, nearly falling to his knees when her hips bumped against his hand.

With that silent invitation, he eased into her warmth, taking every bit of passion she was allowing. The fine line of control had snapped the moment she’d come to him, wanting to save him from himself. He couldn’t be saved, but he could give pleasure, and right now that’s all he had in him.

“Grant.”

Her whispered plea had him claiming her mouth once again as his hand continued to pleasure her. She gripped his shoulders and her body jerked.

“Let go, Tessa,” he all but growled against her lips.

And as if she’d been holding on to that same thin line of control, her body stilled against his and she cried out, her fingernails biting into the bare flesh of his shoulders.

With her head thrown back against the door frame, her eyes squeezed tight and her mouth parted, she looked every bit the vixen he knew he could uncover.

When he removed his hand and stepped closer to slide his arms around her, he felt Tessa’s entire body tremble, out of arousal or fear, he wasn’t sure. She was an innocent, and he had her backed against a door frame like a horny teen who couldn’t control himself. And he’d just taken a portion of her passion and used it, technically, to make himself feel better. She’d gotten too close to his hidden shame, and he’d opted to turn the tables, so to speak, and take what he wanted. Okay, not all he wanted, but enough that he knew he was a jerk.

So he stepped back.

Panting, her lips still moist and swollen from his touch, Tessa didn’t look like a virgin, and he wanted her even more. Wanted her in his bed, spread all around him, so he could show her just how good they’d be together. But he also had to be realistic and not just a selfish ass.