Double Trouble: A Menage Romance (11 page)

Oh, no.
She clicked on the picture and almost dropped the phone.
Everything is ruined.

T
his can’t be happening
. Jess tucked herself into a corner of the kitchen and pried open her laptop. The guys were still passed out down the hall and they needed to stay that way.

She clicked on the link Wendy had been hammering her email and phone with for the past two hours.
Oh, God
. It was worse than she realized.

The headline splashed across the screen in garish neon yellow:
Billionaire Brothers Back to Their Old Tricks!

Right below it, a grainy photo of two men and one woman all tangled up together. From the angle of their jaws to the deep purple of her dress, there was no mistaking it: the tabloid had a photo of Gage, Jess, and Holt doing very naughty things.

She stared at Holt’s lips on her neck and Gage’s hand on her hip for so long, everything blurred into a sea of bad decisions. How had she been so careless?

The photo had been taken with a telephoto lens through the door to the reception hall. Jess closed her eyes and remembered the moment. Right before they tumbled into the New York night and the waiting limo. She’d been talking, trying to get them to listen.

But one press of Gage’s body against her and Jess gave up. She let them carry her away into this other world. A place where she was free to love and desire and satisfy her wants without a second thought.

She shifted on the bar stool just remembering it. Last night might have been the best sex of her life, but it meant nothing if the media descended like vultures. She ran a search for her name.

So far not a mention.

The tabloids hadn’t connected the dots all the way back to her, but they would. It was only a matter of time. Jess hung her head. She knew it was too good to be true.

Every minute she spent with the MacIntosh brothers has been borrowed time and now real life was calling.

Literally.

The phone’s ring jolted her out of the train wreck and she answered without thinking. “Hello?”

“Tell me it’s not true. Tell me that’s not you in that photo.”

Jess rubbed her temples. “Hi, Harvey. Good morning to you, too.” It was as good as an admission.

“Oh, Jess. How could you?”

“I didn’t plan it, if that’s what you’re wondering. It just sort of happened.”

“They are your assignment.” The disappointment in his voice was plain. “I expected more from you.”

“I’m sorry, Harvey.” Her boss was silent for too long. Jess sat up straighter on the stool. “It won’t impact my reporting, you know that.”

“This isn’t easy for me, Jess. You should have been a top-line reporter.”

“What does that mean?”

Harvey sighed. She could see him now, leaned back in his desk chair, shirt collar open, tie tugged to the side. His silence only meant one thing. “I’m sorry, Jess.”

“No, Harvey, listen. You don’t have to do this. I told you, I can be impartial. If you don’t want me associated with the piece, I understand, just let me hand what I’ve done over to someone else.”

“It’s not that simple.”

Panic percolated in her gut. She’d never known how much the job meant until that moment. “Please, Harvey. Give me another chance.”

“This isn’t about you, Jessica. It’s about the Network’s reputation. NNT can’t be seen as a puppet for its new owners. We are a serious news organization. If I don’t let you go, we’ll lose all credibility.”

She swallowed down the rising bile. Her throat burned. “You’re firing me?”

“I don’t have a choice. Not after this.”

Jess tallied up her savings and expenses in her head. “Do I get any sort of grace period?”

“It’s effective immediately.”

“Severance?”

“I’m afraid not.”

Oh my God.
Jess had barely enough money in the bank to last a month. If Harvey fired her, what would she do? It’s not like another job would fall out of the sky. No one would take her on now. “You can’t do this, Harvey. I need my job. I’ve got rent payments. I need time to regroup and find something new.”

“You brought this on yourself, Jessica. I’m only doing what I have to do. I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re not.” She hung up on Harvey and tossed her phone on the counter. It slid across the marble and straight into Gage’s waiting hand.

He glanced at the screen, still full of texts from Wendy. Regret lined his forehead and marred his handsome face.

She was a mistake. A lapse in judgment. An error to be corrected.

“Give me my phone.”

He ran his finger over the screen. “Who were you talking to?”

“My boss. I’ve been fired.”

Gage didn’t respond. His finger traced the outline of her phone’s screen again and again.

Was he mad at her? Himself? Did he ever care at all?

Jess couldn’t just sit there and stare at him. If Gage wasn’t going to say something,
anything
, she had to go.

In a rush, she stood up and snatched the phone from his hand. She needed time to figure things out. Alone. They all did.

* * *

T
he sinking feeling
surfaced when Gage had first opened his eyes that morning. Something was wrong.

He sat up in bed, sunlight filtering through the gauzy curtains and landing on the empty space where Jess had been. He had never intended to go that far.

But then his lips were on hers and Holt was all over her and they fell into the abyss of sex and desire that swallowed them whole. Every time he saw her, its force pulled at him, beckoning him closer.

Gage knew from the beginning the threesome was hopeless, but that hadn’t stopped him. The futility of it all hadn’t dragged him back from the edge. Instead, he’d gone ahead and jumped with both feet into the dark.

Now his heart was as tangled up as his bed sheets and his father’s company was about to slip through his fingers because of a woman.
Again
.

Gage slammed his fist on the counter.

“Whoa. What’s got your panties in a bunch?”

“Haven’t you seen the news?”

Holt rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “Not the first thing I like to hit in the morning, no.” He stumbled over to the coffee pot and fished a mug from the cabinet above his head.

To think, Jess had brought them back together. Too bad she would only tear them apart.

“What’s going on?”

“You should read it yourself.”

“That good, huh?” Holt sipped his coffee and dug his phone out of his pocket. He swiped it open and took another sip.

It didn’t take more than a second for him to spit the liquid back in his cup. “Shit, Gage. Why didn’t you wake me?” His eyes held more than enough alarm for both of them. Thank God Gage was the sensible brother.

“I didn’t see the point. The damage is done.”

“It can’t be. We have to be able to cover.” Holt typed a few frantic words into his phone and scrolled. “They’ve only got one photo and it’s terrible quality. I can’t even find Jessica’s name anywhere.”

“They’ll print it soon.”

“We can get to the tabloids first.”

Gage wanted to believe in his younger brother, but they had been down this road before. He rubbed the top of his head, the short bristles of his hair poking his palm on every pass.

Gage's mind was at war. Part of him wanted to say fuck it and run to Jess’s bedroom and scoop her up in his arms. Let MacIntosh Hotels go. The other part clung to the memory of his dying father and his promise. How could he disappoint the man again?

He cursed under his breath. They had to try. “Can you get started on the media? I’ll head into the office and see what we can do with the shareholders.”

Holt nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

Gage wasn’t sure their best would be enough.

* * *

E
verything was falling apart
. She’d lost her job. Gage wouldn’t even look at her. Holt was probably downing an entire bottle of bourbon and pacing.

All because Jess didn’t stay professional. All because she let the MacIntosh brothers get to her, just like any other woman in their sights. God, she was such a fool.

A weak, pathetic fool. She waited until the ding of the elevator and the resulting silence confirmed she was alone before creeping back out into the kitchen. With the shit storm of tabloid gossip just gearing up for the day, Gage and Holt would be gone for hours.

An empty apartment gave her a chance to clear her head and figure everything out. She could come up with a plan and next steps.

If only her heart wouldn’t get in the way. Jess thought about the night before. Holt beneath her, Gage behind her. Her body throbbed at the memories, but she shoved everything back.

Had it only been a fling—a pure, physical fantasy—she would regroup and be fine. But Gage was more than a stern businessman with laser focus. He was kind in small moments. Open and vulnerable when they were alone.

And Holt. Beneath the bravado and charisma, he was just a good man looking for love.

They had given parts of their real selves to her and she’d given them her heart. Love didn’t turn off because of bad press. The brothers would see that. After the shock wore off, they would figure out a way to have it all.

She believed in them.

After a few hours of planning and plotting and texting with Wendy, Jess sat down on the floor of the guest room. She couldn’t avoid the siren’s call any longer. She flipped open her laptop and searched her name.

“
T
hose aren’t news reports
! They’re tabloid fodder!" He slammed his fist on the desk. It was becoming a common occurrence.

“Whatever you prefer to call them, sir. But they are having an impact."

Damn it.
Gage wished he could punch Nicky Gordon instead of the burled walnut. It only took a few hours for Jess’s name to come out. Nicky had been a busy little gossip bee. Now all the tabloids were on the hunt.

This would ruin their relationship before it even had a chance.

Gage paused. A relationship…

When he opened his eyes in the morning, he looked for Jess's sleeping body in the bed. When he walked in the door, he hoped she would be there, waiting for him.

His partnership with Holt had even improved. The bickering and in-fighting, the revolving jealousy door, all of it—gone because of Jess. He needed to speak to his brother, alone.

Gage turned to Wilson, the Vice President in charge of the takeover. “Leave. We have matters to discuss.”

“Yes, sir.”

As soon as the door shut, Gage focused on Holt. “This is a serious problem.”

“No shit.”

“I take it your tabloid offensive didn’t work.”

“Obviously.”

“Any new ideas?”

Holt exhaled. “None that will work.”

Once again, they were on the same page. “Do you regret it?”

Holt glanced up. “What? Hiring Jess?”

“No. Our relationship with her.”

His brother stayed silent for a few moments. “I should.”

“But you don’t?”

“No.” Holt walked over to the windows and looked down on the city. “Not a single minute.”

“Even if it means losing the Hotel chain?”

Holt didn’t turn around. “We’re going to have to choose. Her or the business.”

Gage had reached the same conclusion. “What would your choice be?”

“Not one you would like.”

Gage didn't press. It was an impossible choice. Their father’s legacy or the woman he’d come to…
Shit
. He didn’t need to know Holt’s answer. Imagining life without Jess... A nightmare.

One idea had come to him. A way to distance themselves from Jess and possibly save the vote. But it wouldn’t be easy or pleasant. He moistened his lips. “What if we did something… drastic?”

His brother turned to face him. Stress creased his brow. “Like what?”

“A counter-attack in the press. If we set the record straight and showed that Jess means nothing to us, then Gordon’s tactics would have no weight.”

“You mean lie.”

Yes
. “Present a different version of the facts. The boring ones.” Gage wished there was another way. “If we paint Jessica as a woman the MacIntosh brothers would never want…”

“Then no one would put stock in the rumors.”

“Exactly.”

Holt frowned. “It will crush her.”

“We can explain before she sees the tabloids. She’s a smart woman, Holt. Jess will understand.”

“If we lose her over this—"

Gage cut him off. “We won’t.”

* * *

N
ausea was
a weak descriptor for the roil of Holt’s gut. Guilt was a nasty meal.

As soon as Gage suggested they do their own smear campaign on Jess, he’d balked. The woman had been nothing short of spectacular.

Kind and unassuming. Open and honest. Not to mention glorious in bed… And on the counter, the couch, the back of the limo.

Sure, they’d gotten a bit careless, but two weeks with Jess and even Gage had changed. His older brother had lost the harsh edge about him. Jess had softened his sharp corners and made Gage likable again.

Holt had been able to concentrate on the job for the first time in forever. Who knew a woman could give him focus? None of his other conquests had been more than a fleeting distraction.

But Jessica Woodson was so much more. And now they had crucified her in the media. It sickened him.

He pulled up to the Winchester’s entrance and hopped out of the car. He had intended to be home before the tabloids got hold of the leaked gossip, but a million details to do with the takeover held him up.

The first articles were already online. He hoped to God she hadn’t seen them.

He rushed into the private entry and hit the elevator button with uncharacteristic impatience. Why did they always take forever in moments like this?

At last, it arrived and he hustled onto it, hitting the close button over and over until the doors sealed him inside.

Come on. Come on.
The elevator opened onto their foyer and he rushed inside.

“Jess? Jess are you in here? We need to talk.”

Silence.

Holt rushed through the apartment, ducking his head inside every room until he stopped outside her bedroom. The door was closed. He knocked.

No answer. His stomach dropped.
Please be napping. Doing your nails. Anything.

He pushed the door open and his heart sank.

Jess sat on the floor, laptop open to Page Six, tears streaming down her face.

“Oh baby, it’s not what you think.” He rushed forward, but she shrank away.

“Get away from me.”

“No. I need to explain.” He crouched at her feet and reached for her bare toes.

She tucked them beneath her and looked up through wet lashes. “Homely? You couldn’t come up with a better description than homely? How about average or commonplace or nothing special? I can rattle off a million.”

Holt swallowed. “That’s why you’re in journalism. I just buy and sell real estate.”

She laughed without humor. “I trusted you.”

“Hear me out.”

“No. Obviously, I’ve been living a fantasy these last few weeks. One I’m now completely disabused of thanks to the gossip mags. I had no idea my past was so
unfortunate
. Thanks for that, it was particularly nice.”

Holt cringed. “We don’t mean a word of it, Jess.”

“But you said it.”

“Yes.”

She slammed the lid of her laptop. “I’ve been a fool.”

“No, you haven’t. Please stop and listen.”

“There’s nothing more to say.”

“Yes, there is.” Gage’s voice made both of them turn.

“Ha! So now you’re here, too. Great! So who came up with
pedestrian job that will never amount to anything
? Was that you?”

“We needed to put distance between us, Jessica. Nicky is running a smear campaign, splashing the three of us all over the tabloids. We're losing shareholder approval.”

“How could I forget all those precious votes?” She stood up on shaky legs. “I’ll be out of your life in ten.”

“You’re not leaving.”

Jess snorted. “Don’t get all macho now, Gage. It might have worked a few weeks ago, but it won’t today. You don’t get to say those things about me and pretend it doesn’t matter.”

Gage glanced at him, but Holt had nothing to offer. He understood exactly where Jess was coming from.

“I’m sorry, Jessica. I had hoped we would explain first. I never meant for you to read those articles before we got home.”

She sniffed and peeked at Holt.

“It’s true. Believe me when I say we tried everything else before this.”

Her shoulders slumped and Holt saw an opening. A small one. “We didn’t mean any of it. If we wrote what we really thought…”

Gage chimed in. “Half of the shareholders would have died of heart attacks on the spot.”

She wrapped her arms around her middle. “I don’t believe you.”

“Then believe this.” Gage stepped up to her. “We can’t imagine life without you, Jess.”

“You’re just saying that so I’ll write a good article.”

Holt claimed her other side. “No, we aren’t.” He reached out and wiped at her still-wet cheek. He hated that he’d caused so many tears.

Gage stroked her hair. “I don’t deny that I’m selfish, Jessica. I want it all: my father’s company, Nicky Gordon put in his place, you. We spread the rumors so we can make that happen. We want you to stay. I want you to stay.”

“So do I.” Holt leaned forward and kissed her temple.

“You two are overwhelming.”

“In a good way?”

She didn’t answer. “You should have told me.”

“You’re right and we’re sorry.” He kissed her cheek. “Let us make it up to you.”

“I need time to process—”

Gage grabbed Jess by the shoulders and spun her to face him. “Don’t. Not right now.” He bent down to kiss her, but Jess pushed against his chest.

“Stop it.”

Holt leaned closer. “Jess, please. Let us show you what you mean to us.” He stroked her arm. “Just stay. We’ll make you forget.”

He ran his fingers up and over her collarbone. Her pulse raced beneath his palm. They were so close to winning her over.

“No. I need to go.”

Gage kneeled in front of her and reached for the waistband of her sweats. “Relax, Jess. We’ll take care of you.”

He never saw the roundhouse coming. Gage was on his ass and Holt was ducking a right hook before either had a chance to blink.

In a blur, Jess dashed out from between their bodies, grabbed her laptop, her bag, and ran to the door. “I can’t do this. Not anymore.”

Before Holt said a word, Jess disappeared down the hall. The evaluator dinged and she was gone.