“I’ll give her another bottle in an hour or two. Thanks.”
As Mrs. Hill disappeared around the corner, he settled Isabella more closely to his chest. He felt her body, warm and fragile in his arms, her tiny hands pushing against him in protest, her cries—quieter now—slowed and softened. The weight of her against his chest seemed to melt something deep inside of him. He felt as though his chest had opened up and she’d slipped right inside of his heart. Like her body had melted into his, become a physical part of him that he’d be unable to function without.
He’d felt that same way the first time he’d fed her and felt her fall asleep in his arms. That first time he’d acknowledged that he was her father.
The sensation—the emotions—were no different for knowing that he wasn’t her father. To him, father or uncle felt exactly the same.
He’d still do anything to protect her. Anything to keep her safe and let her know she was loved. To his heart, it didn’t matter one bit that she wasn’t actually his daughter.
Automatically, he slipped into the slow, rhythmic waltz that had calmed her previously. As her cries slowed and she nuzzled his chest with her tear-dampened face, a realization rocked through him.
This must be how Lucy felt about her.
It didn’t matter that she wasn’t her mother. The love and devotion was there, regardless. It hardly mattered who her parents actually where.
Isabella stared up at him from under her tear-spiked lashes. And as he stared back into her blue-gray eyes, he knew just how Lucy felt. He’d do anything to protect this child. Lying? Yep. Even to someone he cared about, if he thought Isabella’s health and happiness were at stake.
And then it hit him. The real reason he hadn’t yet told Derek he was a father. Dex hadn’t decided completely that he was going to tell him.
He had to tell Derek, of course, but until he did, the possibility of not doing so still lingered in the back of his mind.
But Lucy was certainly right. Derek wasn’t prepared for this. Dex would have to work hard to whip his brother into fatherly shape.
“Don’t worry,” he murmured to Izzie. “I won’t let him screw up too badly.”
In response, Izzie merely snuffled and stared up at him. She blinked slowly and he saw a question in her eyes.
“What do you mean, ‘What about Lucy?’”
Isabella blinked again, the last of her cries dying out.
“You don’t expect me to just forgive her, do you?”
If he didn’t know better, he’d have sworn she rolled her eyes at him.
He flicked off the lights in the kitchen and waltzed his way toward the back door as he felt her beginning to relax against him.
Despite his teasing tone with Izzie, Lucy’s betrayal still sat heavily on him. But what had she done that he wouldn’t have?
She had put Izzie’s needs before everything else. Before her own needs. Before his.
All his life he’d resented the fact that his parents hadn’t done the same. Could he really blame Lucy for acting exactly in the manner he’d want the mother of his children to act?
As he let himself into the guesthouse, he felt Izzie sigh against his chest, her breath warm and moist at the open collar of his shirt.
“Yeah. I guess you’re right.”
He crossed to the trash can, popped open the lid and stared at the copy of Tom Sawyer lonely in the bottom of the can. He reached in, flicked the bottle cap aside, and pulled the book out.
Eighteen
S he’d been summoned to Messina Diamonds. Via her lawyer, no less.
If Dex Messina wants to talk to you without lawyers present, it would be wise to attend, her own lawyer had said. Down the road, if this case goes to trial, you want it to look like you did everything in your power to settle this amicably.As she circled the block for the third time looking for a parking spot, Lucy contemplated what an odd word choice that was. Amicably. In the spirit of friendliness.
But things between her and Dex had never been friendly. Tender, passionate, fraught with emotion, yes. Friendly? No.
And at this point, she couldn’t imagine anything either of them could say or do that would change things between them.
It all came down to this. She’d lied to him and deceived him. And he’d never be able to forgive her for that. It didn’t seem to matter to him that she’d fallen in love with him in the process. Or that he’d lied to her as well, in his own way.
They’d both made mistakes, she rationalized as she rode in the elevator. Too bad she was the only one interested in overcoming their differences. That—she supposed—was what she got for falling in love with such a stubborn man.
At least she could face him having finally talked to Jewel. After all this time, Jewel had returned Lucy’s phone calls. It turned out that Isabella’s conception had occurred much as Lucy had imagined it. After sleeping with Derek and being fired by him, she’d set out to seduce Dex on a vengeful whim. She’d let Lucy believe he was the father all those months because it was easier than explaining the truth. Just as dumping Isabella on Derek and Dex’s doorstep had been easier than facing either man.
On Jewel’s part, there had been many tears and a lot of posturing, but she’d never acknowledged that abandoning Isabella was wrong. Lucy had ended the conversation more frustrated with her sister than ever. She could only hope that her impending conversation with Dex would go better.
Within mere minutes of walking into the building, she was being shown into Dex’s office. It was empty when the secretary left Lucy alone in it. She stood in the middle of the room for a moment, feeling awkward before propping her hands on her h*ps and glaring at the empty room.
“Typical,” she muttered aloud before crossing to his desk and nosing around unrepentantly.
She stared down at the meticulously organized desk, looking for some clue as to why he’d asked her here today. A laptop sat on one wing of the desk at a ninety-degree angle from an empty in-box. On the corner of the otherwise blank blotter sat a small familiar jewelry box. It looked lonely there on the desk. As if Dex had set it there the evening she’d returned the ring to him.
“Typical,” she muttered a second time. Apparently Dex had just left the ring in his office all this time, not even bothering to put it someplace safe.
By the time she heard the door open and close behind her, she was feeling even more disgruntled than she had when she’d first received his summons.
She turned to face him, but her words got momentarily caught in her throat at the sight of him.
“You don’t look happy to be here,” he observed.
As always, he was dressed impeccably in a navy suit. The crisp white of his dress shirt accented his tan. However, his eyes were lined with exhaustion and his hair looked as if he’d been running his hands through it.
She felt a pang of sympathy for him before repressing the urge to cross the room and rub the tension from his shoulders. Yeah, he’d certainly appreciate that, wouldn’t he?
“How should I look? There’s not much to be happy about in this situation.”
“No. I don’t suppose there is.”
“And frankly, I can’t even imagine why you’d want to see me again. The last time I was here was hardly a successful meeting.”
He ignored her comment as if she hadn’t even spoken. Which was a bit disappointing, because she was really curious why he’d wanted to see her.
“I received a letter from your lawyer the other day.”
“That can’t be unexpected. I told you I would try to get partial custody of Isabella.”
And she refused to feel the least bit guilty for it, either.
He crossed to his desk and pulled a single sheet of paper from the drawer.
“What surprised me was that it came to me. Instead of Derek.”
“Oh.” She hadn’t even considered to whom her lawyer would send the letter. It hadn’t occurred to her to ask.
“Did you think I’d be more sympathetic to your cause?”
“I wouldn’t dream of presuming that.”
“But—” Again he continued as if she hadn’t spoken, though his voice had softened a bit. “I suppose I am.”
She blinked in surprise but could think of no response.
“I’ve given it a great deal of thought. Once Derek finds out Isabella is his and once he learns about your role in all of this, he’s unlikely to so much as give you a chance to explain, let alone to be a part of Isabella’s life. I may be unforgiving, but Derek is the control junkie in the family. He’ll approach raising Isabella like a business venture and he’ll see you as a rival. He’ll do everything in his considerable power to guarantee you never even see her again.”
Listening to Dex’s description of Derek, Lucy felt her knees wobble, forcing her to drop to the chair opposite Dex’s desk.
“I hope this isn’t your idea of a pep talk.”
Of course, he hadn’t told her anything she didn’t already know. Yet somehow hearing him say it made the threat seem all the more real.
“The way I see it, you have only one option.” He rounded the desk and came to stand in front of her, hip propped on the edge of his desk, long legs stretched out in front of him.
Once again his sexual charisma slammed into her. Reminding her that more than her relationship with her niece was at stake here. Her heart was in danger, as well.
Though in danger of what, she couldn’t really say. He’d already broken her heart, rejected her when she was at her most vulnerable. What more damage could he do?
Bolstered by that thought, she stood, crossed her arms over her chest and faced him head-on. “And what option is that?”
“Marry me.”
She laughed outright. A sharp bark of laughter full of incredulity, but not humor. “You’re asking me to marry you? Again?”
“Yes.”
“What, third time’s the charm? You can’t be serious.”
“I am.” He propelled himself away from the desk and took a single step, closing the distance between them. “The third time will be the charm, only if I can do it right this time. Marry me, Lucy. Not because it’s the right thing for Isabella but because it’s the right thing for me.”