“I don’t get you, Jackson.” Dare shook his head. “I thought you cared about her.”

“I love her.”

They both did a double-take, and then they stared for a really long time.

“What?”

“You love her?” Dare asked with a slow grin.

“Damn, neither of you see her as a woman, do you? Don’t look so shocked. I’m not a dunce. Alani’s beautiful and smart and sexy and…of course I love her.” What man wouldn’t?

Trace said, “Well, hallelujah.”

Before they got too carried away, Jackson said, “And for your information, I will marry her—but only if she loves me, too.”

Dare opened his mouth, shut it, then snorted.

Trace rolled his eyes. “You’re insecure? That’s the holdup?”

“I never said that.” But yeah, with her, in this, he sort of was.

“So you’ve told her you love her?”

Not exactly, but she had to know. Right? In every way other than saying the words, he’d shown her how much he cared.

Done with the conversation, Jackson said, “I don’t want to rush her, that’s all. She told me up front how she wanted things to be, so I’m biding my time and letting her have the space she needs. When she’s ready to settle down—”

“I’m ready.”

All three of them swiveled their heads around to see Alani standing in the doorway. She wore another killer sundress that made him want to ravish her. But then, no matter what she wore, he wanted to ravish her.

Usually she wanted him to. That was one of the beauties of having her close at hand 24/7.

Taken off guard, unsure what she’d heard or what she thought about it, Jackson said cautiously, “Hey.”

She licked her lips.

Nervousness? Was her brother pressuring her, too? Jackson sat forward to put Grim on the floor. “I thought you were with the wives and Chris out back.”

Her eyes looked huge as she watched him. Grim went to her and wound around her legs. “I was, but we’re ready to start the grill so…I came in to get you.” Absently, she picked up the cat and started petting him.

His big emerald eyes closed in bliss.

Jackson scowled. “You overheard.” And now she felt on the spot.

She nodded, and without quite looking at him, her face tucked in close to Grim’s neck, she repeated, “I’m ready.”

Afraid he’d misunderstood, Jackson said, “For the grill?”

She shook her head. “To settle down.”

Slowly Jackson came out of his seat. He wanted her to spell it out. “With me? Here?”

A smile twitched her lips. “I love you, too, you know.” She met his gaze. “And I’m ready.”

Damn, but hearing her say it made his blood burn and his pulse race. Blind to everything and everyone else, Jackson started toward her.

She held up a hand.

His heartbeat stalled. Now what?

After a deep breath, she whispered, “I could be pregnant.”

Jackson tripped over his own feet. “What?” Hadn’t seen that one coming. Hadn’t even considered it, since he’d been so careful.

There was a thump, and when he looked back, he found Trace sprawled out in the chair he’d left. Dare stood over him, a wide grin in place.

Dismissing her brother and ignoring her outstretched hand, Jackson closed the gap between them.

His heart felt so big it hurt his chest. Barely able to breathe, much less speak, he whispered, “You’re pregnant?”

“I think so.” Talking fast, Alani explained, “That first night, you didn’t…” Her gaze darted past him to her brother and Dare.

Impatience hummed in Jackson’s veins. He needed to be alone with her. He needed to hear it all.

Pregnant. A baby. His and Alani’s child…

His knees shook.

He turned in a rush. “Out.”

Saluting him, Dare dragged Trace out of the chair. Together, both of them wearing subdued but satisfied grins, they sidled out of the room.

Jackson again set Grim on the floor, then cupped Alani’s face with trembling hands. He searched her eyes. “I didn’t use protection?”

“No.” Her smile wavered with uncertainty. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t even think about…not until Dare mentioned the possibility to me.”

His head swam. “Dare mentioned it?”

“That first day when they came by. You’d been drugged, so he said it was possible you hadn’t even thought of it, and then I couldn’t remember if you had every single time…”

Little by little, that day came back to Jackson. He’d been frantic to reach her, hammered over the fact that he couldn’t remember what had happened, more than anxious to get her alone again so he could figure it all out. “Dare took you into the kitchen.”

She nodded. “I’m late for my period. But I can’t know for sure without a test. And with everything going on, well, I’ve been here and we’ve been having so much fun—”

“You were wondering all this time, but you didn’t say anything to me?” He felt…well, sort of betrayed. But also elated.

She loved him.

She could be carrying his child.

A double whammy.

Going all stiff and affronted, Alani said, “Well, excuse me, but we had killers on our tail and we were moving from one place to the next and—”