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“All in good time, princess.”
He slings his arm along the back of the chair, and his fingers brush against the skin on my neck, causing ripples of desire to pass through me.
Then he says in his husky drawl, “Tell me about your family.”
“What have they got to do with this?”
I am curious but not annoyed, and he smiles softly. “Humor me.”
I shrug. “Okay. It’s pretty unexciting, though. We live in Washington where mom is a successful attorney, and my father runs a freight company. They met at university and have been together ever since. I was born and eighteen months later, they had Rafferty. We live a normal life, brunch on weekends and family dinners. Nothing wild, just well, as I said, normal.”
“Tell me about your extended family.”
His tone is conversational, but I detect the meaning behind his words and my heart starts beating a little faster.
“Mom has a sister, Aunt Rosie, who married an insurance broker in Maine. They live in Portland, and we visit with them once a month. Dad has a brother, Lucas Stevenson. He’s married with a son, my only cousin, but we don’t see him very much, or my aunt actually.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know, really. Aunt Mary is heavily into charity work and is always busy. My uncle visits more, I guess because he’s close to my father.”
“Your uncle is Judge Stevenson.”
He says it so casually I almost miss the warning flag and then reality hits me. Shade wants something on my uncle, the one man who could keep him from jail and he is using me to get something on him.
I turn and gaze at him with suspicion.
“So, that’s your plan.”
“Tell me. I’m aching to know.” He seems almost amused, and I pull away and say angrily, “You want to use me to get something on my uncle so he will keep you out of jail. Is that it? I’m right, aren’t I?”
“Good guess, but no, princess. I already have your father exactly where I want him.”
“My father?” I’m surprised. “I thought we were talking about my uncle.”
I don’t like the sudden dark gleam of excitement that sparks in his eye as he blows my world apart with one devastating sentence.
“No, Allegra. I’m talking about your real father, who also happens to be your father’s brother, Judge Lucas Stevenson.”
“You’re lying.” I can barely get the words out as his words strike a direct hit.
“I’m not.” He says it so casually, as if we are just passing the time of day. Not ripping my world apart.
He carries on brutally destroying my safe and secure life.
“Your mother has been having an affair with Lucas Stevenson since she met your father. He doesn’t know, by the way.” He shakes his head in disgust.
“Both you and your brother are Lucas’s because your father’s medical records threw up an interesting fact that he has a low sperm count. There’s also the fact both your blood type matches Lucas’s, who has a rare one.”
“But that’s just hereditary. It runs in families and Lucas is family, my father’s brother.”
I really don’t believe a word he is saying, and Shade sighs and reaches for a folder on the table.
“I can tell you don’t believe me, so I apologize in advance for this, but you leave me no choice.”
As he hands me the folder, I take it with trembling fingers. “What’s this?”
“Open it and see.”
