“‘One of’?”
“First, tell me why you are here.”
It was his turn to take that deep breath and slowly release it from his uncooperative lungs.
“Because all I could think about was you,” he admittedly truthfully, knowing tonight he had to set pride aside and be straightforward with her. “I wanted to be sure you made it home okay after you felt bad, so I followed you. I just wanted to be sure you made it okay, so I drove on past and just kept driving and driving. This evening was running through my mind and I just kept coming back to the fact that I’ve missed you.”
“You said that earlier,” she reminded him. “Why come here to say it again?”
“Because I felt like things were left wrong between us when I dropped you at your car. As if, instead of settling anything, we’d just muddied the water even more.”
She flexed her fingers at her sides, curled them tightly into her fists. “You’re here to clear the water?”
“I’m here because I couldn’t stay away.” Which was the truth, whether he wanted to admit it or not. He reached for her then stopped himself. “I want you, Brielle. The fact that you have a child doesn’t change that.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “Not really. Even now, I just want to take you into my arms and kiss you until you forget every man you’ve ever been with other than me. Until my name is the only one leaving your lips.”
* * *
Brielle hadn’t been prepared for this conversation. Not tonight. Sure, she’d imagined it hundreds of times in her mind, but never quite this way.
She closed her eyes, searching for the right words. Whatever words she chose, her life was going to be changed for ever. Once she told Ross about Justice their relationship would be changed for ever.
Not that she thought he’d want marriage, not now. Just as well, she’d never marry a man just because of a child.
If she’d learned nothing else from her mother’s mistakes, she’d learned that lesson. Twice her mother had gotten pregnant by men who hadn’t been her husband. Both times the men had married her “for the baby’s sake”. Both times the marriages had been dismal failures because, really, how could a marriage be a success when it wasn’t based on love and knowing that person was the one?
Her mother, a sad, bitter, and lonely woman, had died during Brielle’s senior year of high school.
“Does the turmoil on your face mean you’re struggling because you want me too?” He sounded hopeful. “Tell me you want me to touch you as much as I want to touch you.”
Part of her was still startled that Ross was admitting he wanted her. Then again, physical attraction wasn’t enough. If it was, she’d be doing a lot more than telling him she wanted his touch. She’d be touching and kissing and dragging him into her bedroom.
Curling her fingers into her palms, she sighed, walked into her living room and sat on her sofa. “Touching isn’t a good idea for a zillion reasons and that isn’t what I need to talk to you about.”
Joining her on the sofa, he regarded her for seconds that seemed to drag out much longer. “I could give you a zillion reasons why touching is a very good idea, but we’ll do this your way. What is it you want to talk to me about?”
“Justice.”
“What is it about Justice—” his face pinched as he said the name “—that you want to talk about?”
“Like I told you before, he’s my whole world. I’d do anything to protect him.”
He nodded. “I wouldn’t expect less from you, Brielle. I’ve no doubt that you really are a great mother. Surely you don’t think I’d do anything to interfere with your relationship with your son?”
Despite her current stress level, his praise pleased her. “No, I don’t think you would interfere with my relationship with Justice.” Or did she? “At least, I hope you won’t.” But the reality was that Ross would interfere with her relationship with her son. Just his very presence in their lives would shake up their whole world. “The thing is, well, Justice is—”
“Mommy?”
Both Brielle and Ross turned toward the sound as Justice padded into the living room in his superhero pajamas, well-loved stuffed frog in his hand. Why the kid had latched onto the long, skinny, stuffed frog she wasn’t sure, but Ribbets was his favorite must-have sleeping companion.
“I need a drink of water,” Justice continued, rubbing his sleep-swollen eyes then staring directly at Ross. “Who is that man?”
Your daddy.
The only man I’ve ever loved.
The man I’m trying to confess a five-year-old secret to.
“This is Dr. Ross Lane. He works at the hospital with Mommy and he’s...” She searched for the right description of Ross for their son since she wouldn’t be using any of her previous thoughts. “He’s a friend of Uncle Vann’s. They went to school together when they were in college.”