Brazen (Brazen #1)(62)

When she finally pulled away, there were tears in both their eyes.

“Please understand, Zane. I can’t stay here. Not when…not when he’s here. It wouldn’t be fair to any of us.”

“I love you, Jaz. I’m not letting you go so easily.”

She tried to smile, but she faltered. She sucked in her breath, determined not to break down. “Give me time, Zane. I need some time to figure this all out. I love you so much. I’ve made such a mess of things, and now I have to straighten it out.”

Zane slid his hand down her hair and then over her cheek. “I’m not giving up on us. You take your time. You think about what it is you want, what you need. And then I’m coming for you, Jaz.”

He pulled her to him in a long, breathless kiss. So much sadness welled between them. It was tender, heartbreaking, a goodbye that neither of them wanted to say.

Cody cleared his throat. “I’m ready when you are Jasmine. I’ve loaded your stuff into the truck. Take as long as you need. I’ll wait for you outside.”

Jasmine pulled away from Zane’s lips and laid her forehead on his chest. Her fingers dug into his waist, and she held on for dear life. Never had she thought she’d be leaving like this.

“I love you,” she whispered.

Zane held her close and kissed the top of her head. “I know you’re hurting right now, Jaz. And that you need time to get over your hurt. But know that I love you. I’ll always love you.”

She closed her eyes, pressed her forehead a little closer into his chest, and then she pushed away, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

“I should go. I don’t want to keep him waiting,” she croaked.

Carmen and Zane walked with her outside and watched as Cody ushered her into his truck. As they began to pull away, Jasmine gave a half-hearted wave as she saw Zane pull Carmen into a hug.

All the way down the winding driveway of the ranch, she stared out the back window. Her home. Her one safe place. So beautiful. So full of love and warmth. She was leaving, and she’d probably never be back.

Her nose stung, and she swallowed back tears even as they gathered in her eyes, making her beloved landscape swim in her vision. As she let her gaze pan out from the ranch, there on a hillside, silhouetted by the early morning sun, was a huge buck. Old Man. He stood staring at her as she stared at him, and then he turned and bolted away, disappearing over the next rise.

She bowed her head and cried.

Chapter Thirty-Two

“You look like one screwed-up mother f**ker.”

Seth scowled and looked up as J.T. sat beside him at the bar. “Gee thanks, I needed that.”

J.T. shrugged. “That’s what friends are for.” He sat down and motioned to the bartender for a beer. He glanced sideways at Seth. “So how’s Jasmine?”

Seth closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead with his hand. “Gone.”

“Gone? What the hell? Where’s she gone?”

“She went to stay with her brother,” Seth said bleakly.

He opened his eyes to see J.T. staring at him, an odd expression on his face. “Why did she go?”

Seth looked straight ahead again. “Because I didn’t ask her to stay.”

“Uh huh. Any particular reason you didn’t ask her to stay?”

“She loves Zane.”

“Uh huh.”

“Zane loves her.”

“Yeah.”

“She says she loves me.”

Seth waited but all he got from J.T. was silence. He turned to stare at his friend but found only bland disinterest on his face.

“You don’t think that’s f**ked up?”

J.T. shrugged again, a gesture that was fast getting on Seth’s nerves. “I don’t figure it’s any of my business.”

Seth blew out his breath in frustration. Beside him J.T. continued to sip at his beer, but then nothing much bothered J.T. A more laid-back bastard you wouldn’t find. The minutes ticked by and then out of the blue, “Do you love her?”

Seth turned sharply. “It’s not that simple.”

“Yeah, man, it is,” J.T. said calmly. “Do you love her?”

Seth felt his composure start to crack. “I’ve always loved her.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“I think you must have been dropped on your head too many times as a baby,” Seth muttered. “The problem is self-evident. I’m in love with a woman who also loves my brother and who wants…us both.”

“And you don’t want to share her.”

The answer should have come immediately, but he sat there, the words difficult to form. “I’m not sure I can.”

“So you’re not vehemently opposed in theory.”

“You sound way too rational about this,” Seth said in irritation.

J.T. shrugged yet again. “One of us has to be. It seems pretty simple in my book. You love her. She loves you. I’m assuming Zane doesn’t have a problem because I don’t see him here drowning his sorrows in cheap-ass beer. You’ve probably both had sex with her.”

Seth glared at J.T. “And just how the f**k would you know that?”

“Dude, I’m the one who lent her the handcuffs. I doubt she would have had to fight Zane much to get him into her bed. That only leaves you.”