The Blackstone Heir

Two

Twenty-four hours later, Jacob finally stopped seething enough to confront KC. When he’d imagined what it would be like to find out he was going to be a parent, he’d pictured being across the table from his wife at an intimate dinner or seated next to each other in a doctor’s office. Instead, the most gorgeous woman in the world had made him a father—and failed to mention it for twelve months.

The numbness had melted into rage, keeping Jacob awake long into the night. He went over the figures time and again. They hadn’t spoken for seven months—he was ashamed that he could remember it to the day. He didn’t have a lot of experience, but he’d guess the baby to be three to four months old. So how long had she known she was pregnant before she left? Two months? Three? Either way, they’d definitely been together when she found out. And those curls proved the baby to be a Blackstone heir.

He knew better than to see her before he calmed down. He couldn’t be responsible for his actions while struggling with the deepest emotions he’d ever known. Control was his drug of choice—being out of control was something he preferred to keep well hidden. So he waited until he had his reactions under lock and key, and then he got in the car and drove.

KC lived a little outside town in a tiny house. Though there were other houses around, it wasn’t really a subdivision. More of a series of dwellings that had sprung up over time as family members and friends and even acquaintances bought land and started building. The result was individual, with plenty of space and large trees. Ideal starter homes. Just imagining the possibilities ignited his anger once more.

He knew she’d be there—familiarity with her schedule gave him an advantage.

Sure enough, the door opened before he even knocked. She didn’t speak, but simply turned back into the house, leaving him to follow. His gaze tracked her, cataloging every inch as she walked to the far end of the living room. Yeah, that body had changed, all right.

If he’d known what he was looking for, he’d have noticed right away. He’d been too busy searching for a connection in her eyes. But drinking in the whole package in jeans and a tank top, he saw the more dramatic curve from her waist to her hips, the added fullness in her breasts and a touch of softness in her jawline.

He’d thought nothing could make her more beautiful, but somehow having his baby had. And he hadn’t been allowed to be a part of it.

Irritation with his attraction only ramped up his intensity. Carefully shuttering every window to his soul, he faced off with her in true Blackstone fashion.

He jerked his head in the direction of the driveway. “Someone else here?” he asked, referring to the car parked behind hers. So help him, if there was a man living here, he just might explode. Had she moved on that quickly? Had she let another man care for Jacob’s child?

“Mom,” she said quietly, slightly dampening his fuse. “She’s in the nursery with Carter.”

His throat almost closed. “Carter, huh?”

“Yes. Jake Carter.”

Jake. Her nickname for Jacob—spoken with laughter, with intensity, with passion. It seemed more personal to name the baby that than to give him Jacob’s last name.

“So you admit that he’s mine?”

“Of course,” she said, as if it made perfect sense under the circumstances. How could anything she’d done make perfect sense?

He stalked closer. “Why would you do this, KC? Was I really so horrible to you that you refused to let me be a part of—this?”

“That was never the issue, Jacob—”

“Then what was?” A really deep breath helped him lower his voice. It kept rising without his permission. Control. He needed control. “What was the issue, KC? Because I can’t imagine one big enough that you told yourself it was okay to deceive me. To keep my son a secret from me.”

Her arms crossed over her ribs, pushing those delectable breasts higher in the tank top. Something he shouldn’t notice right now. At all.

“I did not deceive you. I never lied. I was going to tell you. I just hadn’t figured out how.”

“So he’s three months old?”

“Yes, a week ago.”

“So at any time in the past twelve months you could have picked up the phone. Or hell, just answered the phone when I called.”

“I was afraid to. Going away just seemed the safest thing until I was sure what to do.”

Jacob was surprised by the low rumble of his voice. “Safe? How? What the hell would safety have to do with it? I would never hurt you.”

“I know that, Jacob, but it wasn’t—”

The emotional roller coaster of the night caught up with him, pushing him past reasonable thought. “Know what? It doesn’t matter. Fact is, you deprived me of three months of knowing my—son,” he choked out. “Not a note, a card or a call. Hell, not even a text. By the way, I’m pregnant. That’s all it would have taken, KC, but you didn’t even have the decency to do that.”

He’d made himself available, chased after her like a dog with no sense, and this was what he got for it.

He came even closer until he loomed over her petite frame. “So now, I’ll have what I want.”

He wished her deep breath didn’t draw his gaze downward. The low-level buzz of desire beneath his anger made him want to curse. He should not be attracted to a woman who could betray him. But he couldn’t help it.

“Jake, please let me explain.”

He refused to look in those turbulent eyes again. “Too late. No talking. No thinking. Now I will act.”

She straightened, bracing her spine, which was just as well.

“Carter will come home.”

Her jaw clenched. “He is home.”

“My home.” Some sick part of him took pleasure in the panic creeping over her features. “He’s a Blackstone. He should be with his family.”

She swallowed hard. “Jacob, please don’t do this.”

“Mark my words, KC. I will make you regret what you’ve done. I promise.”

* * *

As soon as he’d stormed out of her house, KC began to dread the moment Jacob would act on his threat. The longer she waited, the more her stomach hurt.

She knew she’d made a bad choice, but given the circumstances, she thought she’d done the best she could. Waiting until James Blackstone was dead to tell Jacob about Carter had seemed like the safest option for protecting her baby, along with her family. In the absence of a reliable husband or father, her mother had given her all to raising and providing for KC and her brother. KC had felt that pull of loyalties every day that she’d been away, but in the end, she’d chosen to take care of the women who had raised her. Her mother and grandmother would have no defense against James Blackstone if he’d retaliated by taking away their livelihood on a whim.

But Jacob didn’t believe her, because he was acting on emotion, not facts.

How did she get him to listen to those facts now? She knew James’s lawyer, Canton, could work all kinds of voodoo if he wanted. Was Jacob even now making arrangements to take her baby from her? The thought shook her deeper than any of the rest. Not just for the typical mommy reason: being away from her child for more than a day was more than she could handle right now. But Jacob was essentially an unknown as a parent.

Would he expose their child to the same rejection and abandonment she’d been subjected to as a child? In her experience, fathers didn’t know the meaning of commitment. But she’d been luckier than her brother. Her father had hung around until she was eight. Her older brother had never really known his.

After stewing for the rest of the morning, she decided she couldn’t wait for Jacob to make the first move. Jacob wasn’t answering his cell, which scared her all the more. When she called Blackstone Manor directly, the old butler answered. She’d spoken to Nolen a few times before when she’d called to talk to her friend Christina, who’d married Jacob’s brother. Nolen was helpful, telling her that Jacob had said something about going to Booties ʼn’ Bunting.

Panic and anger had surged in KC’s gut. Booties ʼn’ Bunting was the only exclusive baby boutique in town. Jacob had the money to do all the things she couldn’t. She’d bought all her baby furniture and clothes at Walmart. He’d have designer diapers and the best furniture, not to mention the best lawyer when it came down to a fight.

She’d made the mistake; now it was up to her to ensure that it didn’t turn into a brawl.

KC’s stomach twisted into knots as she drove across Black Hills. Whipping her little Honda into Booties ʼn’ Bunting’s parking lot, she jumped out of the car and plowed down the sidewalk, not letting herself remember just how little she belonged in the boutique district, much less in a store selling fifty-dollar baby onesies. Jacob’s Tahoe parked out front confirmed that he was here. No doubt arming himself with everything he needed to take her child away.

She let herself in with her head held high and tracked down her prey, standing next to the most gorgeous crib she’d ever seen.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Jacob faced her with surprise lightening his face. For a split second, KC saw the man she’d wanted more than anything. Then a mocking grin slid across his lips.

“Could you give us a minute, please?” Jacob asked the saleswoman. Until that moment, KC hadn’t even noticed her on the other side of the crib. The woman turned quietly and walked to the back of the store before Jacob continued, “What does it look like, KC? I’m outfitting the nursery at Blackstone Manor.”

Oh, no, he wasn’t. “You don’t need any of this stuff, Jacob, because Carter is not coming to live with you.”

“And what makes you say that?”

“This isn’t just about you, Jake. You need to think about what’s best for Carter.”

“I am. I have the means to provide my son with everything he needs. Unlike you.”

Hurt streaked through her, but she pushed it deep down under her growing anger. “Really? Can you give him love? Can you comfort him? Can you guide him? Or are you planning on using your money to turn that job over to a nanny so you can go about your perfectly planned days?”

His narrowed eyes should have had her shaking, but she refused to back down. Her son’s future was at stake. She didn’t want to hurt Jacob, but how else could she get through to him? “One thing I can say with certainty is that I can provide him those things. You, I’m not so sure about.”

Not waiting to give him a chance to outthink her, she pushed forward. Crowding into Jacob’s space, she said, “You want Carter to come live with you? I understand why you would. I don’t blame you for that.” Her breath caught for a moment. “And I don’t blame you for not trusting me, but I’m not turning my son over to just anyone.”

“Oh, you don’t have to turn him over,” Jacob said, his voice deepening as if he had gravel in his throat. “You can come, too. I’m sure I could find a...use...for you.”

Strike number two. How many body shots did he plan to take? Because she sure didn’t need the reminder that Jacob had wanted her for sex and only sex.

She wasn’t sure how long she stood there with wide eyes before he looked away. But he wasn’t backing down. “The fact is, you’ve had Carter to yourself for three months. Your time just ran out.”

She’d guessed Jacob was a formidable businessman. But when he turned that laser-sharp stare on her, it sliced through what little armor she had and put every inner doubt on display.

“Jacob, I understand your anger,” she said, trying to slow her panic with a deep breath. “I made a horrible miscalculation. So I want to do my part to make this work. But no lawyers. No fighting. You want Carter to be a part of your life? Prove it to me.” Please, please, let this work.

“What do I need to prove? We knew each other for over a year. You know everything you need to know about me.”

“I know everything about certain parts of you.” If he wanted the truth, she could comply. “I know you’re halfway decent in bed.” That whopper of an understatement almost choked her. “How good you are at picking up girls on planes. That you enjoy being with me at home but don’t want to be seen in public with me. That I’m good enough for sex but not allowed into any other part of your life. None of that tells me a damn thing about what kind of father you are.”

“So you want me to prove I can change diapers?” His shocked expression would be a thing to savor later when she stopped being so afraid of him that she might wet her pants.

“I want to know that you’re more than a sexual being, Jacob. Show me what kind of man you truly are. Can I trust your word? Can I believe you when you say you aren’t bad-mouthing me to my child behind my back? Can I trust you to teach him morals and work ethic and decency? Because I won’t let my child become a chip off James Blackstone’s block.”

Jacob stepped closer, literally towering over her. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Arching her neck to stare at him wasn’t comfortable, but she wasn’t going to concede with even a single step backward. “Since you didn’t know about Carter, I’m going to guess and say you didn’t know your grandfather came to see me right before he died.”

“Aiden would have told me.”

“Did Aiden know? He wasn’t there.”

“Who was?”

“That lawyer guy.”

“Canton?”

“That’s the one. They came to the house one morning. I’d only known I was pregnant for a week.”

“How could he possibly know about that?”

KC shook her head. “I’m not sure. But he did know how long we’d been seeing each other. I wouldn’t put it past either of them to spy on me somehow.”

Jacob’s Adam’s apple shifted in his throat. KC was sorry to have to deliver her news.

“James knew you were pregnant with my child.” The deadness in his voice reverberated through her. She’d often wondered how a man like his grandfather could have had a child. What kind of family did you create with manipulation and fear? No wonder Aiden Blackstone had run far, far away when he was younger.

Though Jacob had always seemed quite normal, she’d sensed a dark sadness underneath that excellent control of his. What games had James Blackstone played with his grandsons? What terror had he wreaked in their family before he died? Jacob had never even come close to sharing something that personal.

“That’s the only reason I could think of that he would demand I leave town. And never come back.”

Jacob seemed frozen; not a muscle moved. He gripped the crib rail with one hand. The knuckles turned white...and stayed white.

“But you didn’t stay away.”

“No. Once I found out he was dead, I thought the coast would be clear to come home.” That might have been a mistake, too. “But he threatened my family’s business—”

“How?” he asked, his eyes narrowing as if he suspected a lie.

“Jacob,” she said, shaking her head at him, “your grandfather owned half the town. He’d rented us the land Lola’s is on for my entire life but never would allow my mother or grandmother to buy it. I suspect it was so he could use it to his advantage if the opportunity arose.”

She tried to breathe around the anger that rose at the memory. “He threatened to shut down the business. Everything my mother and grandmother own is tied up in Lola’s. Not to mention that their house is on that land, too. So I agreed, and the men left. Then I cashed out some savings and used it to move away.”

Jacob smirked. “Serves him right.”

“When I heard about his death, I thought—well, we all thought—he couldn’t hurt us anymore. I just hadn’t figured out what to do about you yet.”

“And you think this is the answer?”

“It’s the only one I’ve got.” Might as well be honest about that. “Let’s face it, Jacob. You have money and a damn good lawyer. But James didn’t own me, and neither do you. If you want to be part of Carter’s life, stop throwing your weight around and work with me.”

“Who put you in charge? You haven’t exactly proved yourself trustworthy.”

Unease rippled through her body. She knew she’d had good reasons for her choices, but when she looked at it from his point of view... “I’m not denying you access to Carter out of anger or revenge, Jacob. I simply want to know that he’s in good hands. That you’re willing to make a place for a baby in your life. Not hand him over to a well-paid nanny.”

His eyes searched hers. “How can I be sure he’s in good hands with you?”

“I— Well—” Words failed her for a moment.

“Face it, KC. You ran halfway across the country to hide my child from me. I’m not the only one with something to prove. The question is, how?”

Three

Jacob hadn’t felt so out of control since the last time he’d had KC in a bed. Only, anger wasn’t nearly as pleasurable. Still, he used the impetus to propel himself through the door to his brother Aiden’s study at Blackstone Manor, knowing John Canton was there for a meeting.

This morning, Aiden had mentioned an appointment for the lawyer to drop off some paperwork for their grandfather’s will. Canton still had control of the Blackstone inheritance, for now. There were some final hoops to jump through, then Jacob and his brothers would be free of James Blackstone and his minion.

“You bastard,” Jacob growled, absorbing his brother’s shocked look as he passed. But his focus was trained wholly on the lawyer.

The same lawyer who had assisted their grandfather in blackmailing Aiden into marrying Christina, their mother’s nurse, terrorizing them with threats of compromising their mother’s health and care if they didn’t comply.

“I knew you would force two people to get married to suit James’s purposes. Threaten, and bully, and even ruin an entire town on the whim of a dead man. But I seriously thought any decent human being would draw the line at cutting a child completely out of a man’s life.” He let his momentum carry him until he loomed over the smaller man. “Guess I thought wrong.”

From behind the desk, Aiden asked, “Jacob, care to fill me in?”

Canton didn’t even blink...or pretend not to understand what Jacob referred to. “I did as your grandfather ordered.”

“Didn’t you think I should have a say?”

Canton shrugged. “That was not for me to decide.”

With a growl, Jacob reached forward, but arms made of steel were there to stop him. Slowly, Aiden inched him back until there was enough room for him to stand between Jacob and the man he felt like killing.

“I’ve obviously missed something,” Aiden said. “Tell me now.”

From the other side of the barrier Aiden provided, Canton spoke. Brave man. “I believe Jacob is referring to a conversation his grandfather had with Ms. Gatlin.”

“What?” Aiden looked surprised.

Jacob turned away, relieving his brother of guard duty. At least not looking at his grandfather’s lawyer would help him regain control. In thirty-three years, he’d never experienced this many emotional twists. He didn’t like it. He needed stability. All the more reason to stay away from KC—but that wasn’t an option anymore.

He turned back, focusing on his brother. “I went to see KC Gatlin.”

Aiden gave a short nod. “So it’s true? The baby is yours?”

“He’s three months old.” Jacob felt the need to clarify, now that he had more facts. “I met KC on one of my flights home and...” How did he put this without making it sound as if KC was simply a booty call? “Okay, I was sleeping at her place whenever I came to town.” Why sugarcoat his selfishness?

Aiden’s thick brows went up. “Wow, Jacob. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“Not the time, Aiden.”

“Really? You brought it up.”

Jacob ignored the brotherly razzing and moved on. “The baby is definitely mine.” That shut down his brother’s grin. Real quick. “Dear ol’ Grandpa threatened her until she skipped town, never telling me about it—my son.”

Aiden narrowed his gaze on the lawyer. “How would Grandfather even find out KC was pregnant? Medical records are confidential. Was he rummaging through her trash for a pregnancy test?”

Jacob barely held his control as he waited for the answer.

Canton smirked. “Anything can be had for the right price. Turns out, one of the little nurses at KC’s doctor has a serious cash-flow problem.”

Jacob was rushing forward before he even thought. Only the barricade created by Aiden’s body stopped his attack. His own heavy breathing sounded loud in Jacob’s ears; his heart thudded as he realized the full magnitude of his grandfather’s invasion of privacy. Jacob wanted to do bodily harm all over again.

“Easy,” Aiden murmured against his ear. “Let’s get our questions answered, and then he’ll be gone. Forever this time.”

Silence reigned as Jacob tried to gather the remnants of his self-control. His thoughts whirled, reminding him if he hadn’t come home for good, he might never have found out he was a father. Pulling back, he announced, “It was only by accident I found out that KC had my child.”

Canton spoke again from a safe distance across the room. “Then I don’t understand the issue.”

Jacob rounded on him but didn’t move closer. He didn’t trust himself. “The issue? You tried to separate me from my child.”

“But by your own admission, we didn’t succeed.”

The guy simply didn’t get it. “Would you ever have told me?”

“Your grandfather demanded complete loyalty. And discretion. Of course I wouldn’t have.” His weasel-like face didn’t change expression. “And since Ms. Gatlin moved without contacting you and didn’t come home during the remainder of your grandfather’s lifetime, she’d fulfilled our terms. In which case, there was nothing to tell.”

“I’m glad you think so. I guess that clears your conscience.”

The man didn’t bother to defend himself. “I don’t have a conscience. I have a job.”

“That’s enough,” Aiden interjected. “Canton, we’re done for now. I’ll reschedule with you at your office later and we will finish up the last of the paperwork for Grandfather’s affairs.”

The lawyer was smart enough to take an out when it was given to him. He scurried through the door without so much as a by-your-leave. But his departure ratcheted down Jacob’s anger by a few notches.

“Man, I’ll be glad to see the last of that guy,” Aiden said as he straightened the papers on his desk.

“How much longer?”

Aiden had spent the year dealing with his grandfather’s lawyer after James had blackmailed him into marrying Christina. Luckily, it had all worked out for the best, but the lawyer’s presence was an annoying reminder of their grandfather’s manipulations.

Aiden waved the papers at him. “This is the end of it. The year is almost up and we will be free from it all. Including Canton. I just wish there was a way to punish him for what he’s done rather than be rewarded with the money Grandfather left him.” Aiden settled back into his chair, looking every inch the sophisticated Manhattan art dealer, though he now lived in South Carolina instead of New York. “KC Gatlin, huh? Beautiful, but definitely different from your standard of socialites and fellow businesswomen.”