drawing his name out to two syllables. “It’s one thing for you to keep telling me we’re not exclusive. I accept that. I don’t like it, but I accept it. But to have one of them show up here on my date? That’s just wrong.”
Jesse hadn’t thought the moment through. If she had, she would have realized that a woman answering the door was entirely possible. It had been five years—of course Matt would have moved on. Probably several times.
“I’m not a date,” she said quickly, wishing she’d taken more time with her appearance that morning. All she’d done was shower, slap on moisturizer and mascara, then let her long, straight hair air-dry. She’d been more focused on getting Gabe ready.
The redhead frowned. “Ma—att!”
The door opened wider and Jesse instinctively took a step back. Not that a couple of feet of distance was going to lessen the impact of seeing him again.
He was as tall as she remembered, but he’d filled out. An open, short-sleeved shirt hung over worn jeans. She could see his muscled chest and the dark hair there.
Her gaze rose to his face, to the eyes that were so like his son’s. Recognition tugged in her belly, making her realize that, despite the time apart, she still missed him. Probably because with Gabe around she could never forget him.
Matt had always had potential—in the past five years he’d grown into it. He exuded power and confidence. He was the kind of man who made women wonder who he was and how they could be with him.
“Jesse.”
He spoke her name calmly, as if he wasn’t surprised to see her, as if they’d just run into each other last week.
“Hello, Matt.”
The redhead put her hands on her hips. “Go away. Shoo.”
Shoo? Jesse held in a smile. Was that the best the other woman could do?
“Wait for me in the kitchen, Electra,” Matt said, never taking his gaze from Jesse. “This won’t take long.”
“I’m not leaving. Who is she, Matt?”
Electra? Her name was Electra? Did she have a golden lasso and a flying horse?
“Wait for me in the kitchen,” he repeated, his tone stern.
The redhead stomped off. Matt waited until she’d disappeared before stepping back.
“Come in,” he said.
Jesse walked into the house.
She had a brief impression of space, lots of wood and incredible views of the lake and the skyline of Seattle in the distance. Then she turned to Matt and drew in a breath.
“Sorry to drop by without any notice. I’ve been trying to call.”
“Have you?”
His gaze was as dark as she remembered, but much more unreadable. She had no idea what he was thinking. Was he upset? Annoyed? Or was she just someone he used to know, someone who was keeping him from his morning coffee?
Seeing him was unsettling—an odd combination of familiar and strange. The last time they’d been in the same room, he’d been so angry, so hurt. He’d lashed out to destroy her and he’d succeeded.
“You didn’t get my messages?” she asked, sure that he had.
“What do you want, Jesse? It’s been a long time. Why now?”
So much for idle chitchat, she thought, suddenly feeling awkward and nervous. Couldn’t they have started with something easier, like, “How are you?”
There were a thousand things she could say, a thousand excuses or explanations. None of them seemed to matter.
She opened her purse, pulled out the pictures, then handed them to him.
“Five years ago I told you I was pregnant and that you were the father. You didn’t believe me, even when I said a DNA test would prove the truth. He’s four now and he keeps asking about you. He wants to get to know you. I’m hoping enough time has passed that you want that, too.”
She wanted to keep talking, explaining, defending herself. Instead she forced herself to press her lips together and stay silent.
Matt took the photos and flipped through them. At first he didn’t register much more than a small boy. A boy who was laughing and smiling at the camera. Her words had meant nothing to him. A child? He knew she’d been pregnant. His child? Not possible. He’d refused to believe it then and he still didn’t believe it. She was back because he was successful and she wanted a piece of the pie. Nothing more.
Almost against his own will, he went through the pictures a second time, then a third, noticing the way the kid looked almost familiar. There was something about his eyes that …
He saw them, then. The similarities. The curve of the chin reflected back at him every morning as he shaved. The shape of the eyes. He recognized parts of himself, hints of his mother.
“What is this?” he growled.
His child? His child?
“His name is Gabe,” Jesse said softly. “Gabriel. He’s four and a really great kid. He’s smart and funny and he has a lot of friends. He’s good at math, which he probably gets from you.”
Matt couldn’t focus on her words. They washed over him like rain, making no sense, then moving on. Anger flared, then grew into fury. She’d had his baby and never bothered to say anything?
“You should have told me,” he said, his voice thick and cold with rage.
“I did. You refused to believe me, remember? Your exact words were that you didn’t care if I was pregnant with your child. You didn’t want a kid with me.” She squared her shoulders. “He wants to get to know you, Matt. He wants to get to know his father. That’s why I’m here. Because it’s important to him.”
But it wasn’t important to her. She didn’t have to say that—he already knew it was true.
He thrust the photos back at her, but she shook her head. “Keep them. I know this is a lot to take in. We need to talk and you need to meet Gabe. Assuming you want to.”
He nodded because he was too enraged to speak.
“My cell number is on the back of that first picture. Call me when you’re ready and we’ll set something up.” She hesitated. “I’m sorry about all of this. I wanted to talk to you before coming by but you weren’t available. I wasn’t trying to keep him from you. It’s just, you made it so clear how much you didn’t care.”
Then she turned away. He watched her go.
Something inside of him yelled that he needed to go after her, but he didn’t bother. She might run but she couldn’t hide. Not from him. Not now.
He closed the front door and started for his office. Electra glided into the hallway.
“Who
