Brazen (Brazen #1)(58)

Zane ran his hand through her hair, stroking and soothing. “I know, Jaz. I know. He just needs…time.” But Zane didn’t sound convinced of that.

“Make love to me, Zane,” she said against his neck.

And he did. Sweetly, hungrily. Many long moments later, they lay side by side. Exhaustion tugged at her every muscle, but still, she’d wanted, needed this reassurance after Seth’s hasty departure.

Zane moved away as he made to get out of bed. He looked down at her, his expression serious. He touched the side of her cheek with gentle fingers. “Get some sleep, Jaz. You need the rest after yesterday. I’ll be up later to check on you.”

She nodded and turned her face into his palm, nuzzling against his touch. Her eyes were closed before he ever made it to the door.

Zane found Seth standing on the edge of the food plots, staring out into the distance. His stance was stiff, troubled. Zane didn’t waste time on pleasantries or pretending he wasn’t out here to talk to his brother.

He came to stand beside Seth and looked sideways at him.

“You’re hurting her.”

Seth turned his brooding stare on him. “Don’t you think I know that?” He shook his head and returned his gaze to the land. “As much as it’s hurting her, it’s hurting me more. I don’t know that I can share her with anyone. Not even you. I don’t know if I can accept that I can’t make her happy by myself. Provide and care for her alone.”

Zane didn’t say anything for a long moment. Seth’s concerns weren’t anything that hadn’t crossed his own mind more than once.

“I understand,” he finally said, because what else was there to say? Seth would have to make his own decision and in his own time.

“It’s probably too late anyway,” Seth mumbled. “She might hate me after tomorrow.”

Dread niggled at Zane. “What have you done?”

Seth stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Her brother is arriving tomorrow.”

Zane stiffened, an unknown fear skating down his spine. “What the f**k? Seth, you know how she feels about that. Why would you blindside her like that?”

Seth shook his head. “I wasn’t thinking. I was reacting. And now it’s too late. He knows she’s here, and he wants to see her. You and I can’t deny him that.”

“It’s not up to us to deny or allow him anything,” Zane said bluntly. “It should have been Jaz’s decision. Not yours.”

“I know,” Seth said quietly.

“Are you going to tell her?” Zane demanded.

“Tonight.”

Zane looked away. Jaz would be upset. She’d see it as one more way Seth was trying to push her away and by association, he would be damned as well.

“I never tried to come between you and Jasmine,” Seth said. “I knew she loved you, too. I won’t lie and say I wasn’t jealous, but I never tried…”

“I know,” Zane said quietly.

“You don’t mind that the woman you love is f**king another man?” Seth asked in a strangled voice.

Zane was silent for a time. This was too important. Too important to Jaz for him to get hot-headed and f**k it all up.

“It’s not just another man,” he finally said. “It’s you. You love her as much as I do no matter that you might say differently. And she loves us both. How could I ask you to deny your feelings for her?”

He turned and walked back toward his truck. Seth being Seth would need to stew and brood. Zane was too worried about how Jaz would react when she found out her long-lost brother was coming to visit.

Jasmine dressed slowly. Her body was still in a languid state from Seth and Zane making love to her. In truth, all she wanted was to go back to bed and hold those memories close. Both men loving her, touching her, filling her.

She trudged down the stairs and looked around for Carmen. For Seth or Zane. But it was quiet. In the kitchen, she found a note on the fridge from Carmen saying she’d gone grocery shopping and would be back later.

She rummaged around for a snack, but it was tasteless on her lips. She chased it down with water and walked over to the window to look out. Seth and Zane were nowhere to be seen. She set her glass down in the sink when she heard the front doorbell.

With a frown, she turned around to go answer the door. They didn’t get many visitors out this way, though it could be J.T. dropping in. If Seth and Zane weren’t around, he wouldn’t just barge in the house.

She gripped the knob and swung it open, startled to see a man standing on the doorstep, an odd expression on his face. He was handsome, maybe around Seth’s age. His hair was the same dark shade of brown, almost-black that hers was, and when she stared into his eyes, she saw her own looking back at her.

“Jasmine, my God, is it you?” he said in a strained voice.

He started forward, enfolding her stiff figure in his arms. She panicked and broke away, backing into the house as fast as she could go.

She bumped into Zane who wrapped a protective arm around her to steady her.

“Jaz, honey are you okay?”

“Who is he?” she stammered out, pointing toward the door.

Once he saw the man inside the door, he shoved Jasmine behind him.

“Who are you and what the hell are you doing in my house?” Zane demanded as he advanced menacingly.