Page 89 of False Evidence
She shifted so he was no longer inside her, but remained straddling his lap. She pressed her forehead to his. “It’s not just me anymore, JT.”
He inhaled deeply, taking in Lex’s scent. “I love Gemma. More than I ever imagined I could love a child.”
“Loving her isn’t enough. You love your niece, don’t you?”
“Sure. But Gemma is different. Because she’s yours.” He knew his mistake the moment he said the word.
She slid from his lap, grabbing the throw blanket and covering her naked body. He took the opportunity to tuck himself back in his pants and button the fly, leaving only the top button undone. He’d rather be stripping completely, but this conversation would go better clothed.
Lex must’ve done the same calculation because she set aside the blanket and pulled the flannel shirt back on. She slipped on her panties, then settled on the couch beside him. “Loving her because she’s mine isn’t enough either. You have to love her so much, you’d do anything for her. Sacrifice anything to protect her. You wouldn’t be simply playing at dad. You’d have tobea dad. You’d have to love her like she’syours.”
Unsaid was the simple truth: Gemma wasn’t his. But he didn’t care about that. “Gemma is absolutely perfect just the way she is. I don’t care that she doesn’t carry my DNA. If that mattered to me, I’d be a hypocritical asshole, wouldn’t I?”
The look on Lex’s face made his gut clench. But then, she had no reason to think he wouldn’t be a hypocritical asshole on this point. He’d been horrible to her on this very topic—getting a vasectomy without telling her, then accusing her of wanting to trap him with pregnancy so she could get his bank account when he’d always known she wanted a child and had never been after his money.
He did not deserve the benefit of the doubt here.
“I couldn’t love Gemma more if she were mine. It’s not her biology that matters. She’s her own special person and the piece you were missing that I wouldn’t give you. I love her for bringing you joy. I love her for her. And I will sacrifice everything to keep you both safe. I would spend my last dime to keep you from prison. I will move overseas with you both if we have to.”
“My daughter isn’t going to live a life on the run for a crime I didn’t commit. No. I need to know that if I go to prison, you’ll be there for her. Raise her as your own daughter. That’s the kind of love I need you to have for her. You’d have to love her even if I’m not part of the package.”
Joe had always told Lee he was his son, that he loved him and would do anything for him. But JT had seen the video—over and over—of what Joseph Talon Sr. had done when his former stepson stepped in front of the gun Joe had pointed at Erica.
Joe would have pulled the trigger. Shot the man he’d helped raise and who loved him like a father.
With an example like that, it was no wonder Lex didn’t trust his newfound parental feelings. The truth was, he’d loved Gemma even before he met her simply for the fact that she was Alexandra’s child. What had surprised him this week was that he could love her for herself.
He cleared his throat. “Can I give you an early Christmas present?”
She glanced toward the pile of presents under the tree. “If it’s jewelry, you’ve already gotten laid.” She huffed out a breath and muttered, “Fuck. I shouldn’t have said that.”
He ran a hand over his face. “No. I deserved that and so much more. We both know how much I liked giving you jewelry back then and why, but I never should have said it at the party like I did. It was unforgivable. I am ashamed and deeply sorry.”
She leaned her head on his shoulder. “If it makes you feel better, it made you look far worse than it did me. I’m fairly certain every person at that table was cheering me on when I left.”
“Hundred percent. The only reason I survived the fallout is I sign all the paychecks. But human resources has a thick file on how uncomfortable I made everyone there. I wouldn’t be surprised if even Lee filed a complaint.”
She smiled. “He’s a good egg.”
“Erica lit into me, and she has yet to forgive—not that I ever expect her to. But I sabotaged more than our relationship that night.”
She ran a finger down his leg, pinching the fabric of his jeans. He remembered this tick of hers. Rubbing cloth between her fingers as she considered her words. “You want to know what I did with all the jewelry you gave me?”
“I assumed you sold it. I hope you got what it was worth.”
She gave him a soft smile. “I got so much more.” Her hand left his thigh and landed on her belly. “I had trouble conceiving even with grade A sperm bank goods and tracking ovulation to the second. I turned to fertility treatment. I spent two years riding that roller coaster. IVF—when one finally gets to that point—isn’t cheap, but it was thankfully a lot less expensive in Switzerland. I sold several pieces of jewelry to pay for treatment. It took three rounds before I was able to carry to term.” She took a deep breath. “So. I have your gifts to thank for my Gemma. My Gem.”
His breath left him in a rush. “Her name. She’s named after the jewels that paid for her conception and birth.”
She took his hand, threading her fingers between his. “I would never give my daughter a spiteful name. I love her with the weight of all the matter in the universe. I enjoyed your gifts. They made me feel pretty, sexy, and loved. The moments we shared with them were special to me. But then, when I was done with them, when they no longer brought me joy, I used them to buy myself the one thing I desperately wanted. I couldn’t have you, but I could have her. I feel incredibly lucky that IVF worked for me. That I could afford it. I know people who’ve had the same struggle without success and who spent their life savings just for the attempt. I’mhappy, JT, and so utterly thankful for your gifts that made her possible. Your gifts also covered a hefty downpayment on my house and financed my yearlong maternity leave. I’d be in a very different financial situation if it weren’t for you.”
His heart pounded as he took in her words. She’d taken the gifts he’d tainted with nasty words and turned them into something unbelievably beautiful.
A baby girl who told knock-knock jokes and had the sweetest giggle he’d ever heard.
He pulled Lex onto his lap again and buried his face in her neck. “Your daughter is amazing, and I’m so glad my gifts gave you her and the financial security you needed.”
The knot that had held his heart in a tight grip for years loosened ever so slightly. He hadn’t been a complete disaster for Lex. More important, if they’d stayed together, she wouldn’t have Gemma, because he never would have changed his mind when it came to children.