Jemma bit down lightly on her bottom lip, then said softly, ‘I missed you too. A million times I wanted to call you up and tell you how frightened and alone I felt. But—’ She sighed, unable to explain.
‘But you could not because you did not think I cared enough,’ he finished for her.
She shook her head. ‘No,’ she denied. ‘I knew you cared, Leon. I never, ever doubted that you cared for me. But caring was not enough—not with a baby coming and you being so very against marriage. It wouldn’t have been fair on you, would it?’
‘And was it fair on you,’ he posed, ‘that you should have to cope alone?’
She shrugged. ‘That business with Cassie and Josh obsessed me. I just couldn’t see you reacting any differently than he had.’
‘Did you do it deliberately?’ he asked.
‘No!’ she denied, her eyes jerking up to clash angrily with his. ‘How could you think I would do such a thing?’
‘I did not,’ he denied. ‘I just asked the question, that’s all. And you answered it.’ He gave a ‘that’s the end of that’ shrug.
‘You believe me—just like that?’ she choked.
His eyes, sombre beneath their lazy lids, held on to hers. ‘Did you not know?’ he mocked her gently. ‘I would believe you if you told me the world was square. You are the most honest person I know, agape mou.’
‘Oh,’ she said, and for some stupid reason felt tears press at her eyes again.
‘Don’t.’ Sighing, he pulled her to him, curving his body protectively around her. ‘Don’t cry,’ he commanded. ‘God, you have no idea what it does to me to see you unhappy! Of course I know you did not deliberately set me up!’ he scolded. ‘I can do simple arithmetic too, you know! And, even if you had done it deliberately,’ he then added wryly, ‘I would not have cared less. My life is incomplete without you, my darling,’ he murmured softly, coming to lean over her so that she could see the sincerity burning in his eyes. ‘I learned that in New York.’ He kissed her gently. ‘Here I am complete.’ He kissed her again. ‘With you—anywhere with you.’ Another kiss, soft and lingering. ‘You,’ he murmured. ‘You—you—you.’