Pulse (Collide, #2)(78)
Gavin chuckled, amused by the wit she was starting to so easily display around him. Yeah, he was turning his girl into the tiger he always knew she was. “We’re not here to discuss sex.”
Emily rolled her eyes. “Or lack thereof.”
Hunching his body over hers, Gavin placed both hands on the sides of the chair, his nose barely grazing hers. “Now that you’ve calmed down some, are you ready to talk to me?”
The low, sexy timbre of his voice whispered across her flesh. Damn him. She felt like a schoolgirl getting reprimanded by a teacher. A teacher whom she wanted nothing more than to f*ck right there. Pulling in a slow breath, she feigned disinterest. “Fine. Let’s talk.”
“Thank you,” Gavin whispered, slowly backing away. He slipped around his desk, easing into his chair. Tenting his fingers under his chin, he stared at Emily and searched for words that would properly relay what was running through his head. “One: Woman I love more than Valentine’s Day chocolates, woman I would lay my life down for in front of a speeding bullet train, you need to understand the chances of him being able to take this baby away from you are slim to none. He hit you. The courts have that on record.” Emily went to speak, but Gavin held up a silencing finger. She sighed and he continued.
“Two: What you said before… bothered me. I heard the assumption in your voice. Neither of us is stupid. We both know the amount of times”—Gavin cringed at the thought—”you had sex with him in that week pales in comparison with the amount of times you and I did. But I’m banking on my sperm having an insane amount of muscle. Dillon’s a weak man, therefore, he has a weak… army if you will. That puts me as far up in the running for being the father as Asshole. There’s a blue-eyed, black-haired kid hanging out in that pretty stomach of yours as far as I’m concerned.” Gavin shot her a wink, mentally getting off on his girlfriend’s mouth falling open.
“Three”—he reached for the phone—”no, I can’t tell you what to do. But I can tell you if you call him right now, he’s going to be the spineless motherf*cker he’s always been. He’s going to put demands on us we may not want. Whatever decision you make, I’ll back you because you’re a walking box of chocolates and I love you, but I don’t want to hear you bitch once Asshole confronts us with any delusional ideas he may have.”
Emily stood, walked around the desk, and deposited herself onto Gavin’s lap. He smiled, his eyes warming her body as she snuggled against his shoulder. She drew circles on the black, worn out Linkin Park T-shirt he was wearing. It’d definitely seen better days. “Mr. Blake, do you think I can talk now?” She smiled, feeling the deep rustle of his laugh vibrating in his chest.
The sun catching the deep streams of dark, red highlights in her hair made Gavin’s fingers itch to touch it. Giving into the temptation, he buried his hand under her waves, stroking the back of her neck. “By all means, if you think you can talk, please do so.”
“Thank you.” She nestled closer, enjoying his touch. “Okay. One: A few days after Dillon… hit me…” She paused, looking at Gavin when she felt him tense. She curled into him, bringing her knees up to her chest as he circled his arm around her waist. “A few days after, I visited a local battered women’s shelter. The ADA suggested it, so I went, trying to gain as much insight as I could from other women who’d been through the same thing. I met several of them with children. Not only were these women scared to death for their lives, but they were devastated because the courts had let them down. Those animals weren’t denied the right to see their children. They’re allowed supervised visits. It doesn’t matter how much money they have. Believe me, there were women in there from every walk of life. Rich, poor, young, old, black, white, and every color in between. Some of them had the highest paid lawyers in the city. It didn’t matter. If the child isn’t being physically abused, most, if not all, judges grant supervised visits.”
Pausing again, she looked into his eyes, her voice soft. “That’s what I’m afraid of. In more ways than one, you’re the most powerful man I’ve ever met. But in this situation, your money can’t help.” Gavin went to speak, but it was her turn to hold up a silencing finger. She straddled his lap, pressing her lips to his for a long, passionate kiss. After a moment, she broke the connection, hoping she could mend the little piece of his heart she was sure she broke.
“Two: I’m sorry you heard the assumption in my voice. I let fear take hold. But knowing you’re pretty sure your… army may win this battle, I promise you won’t ever hear it again. As far as I’m concerned, there is a blue-eyed, black-haired kid hanging out in my less than pretty stomach right now. Boy or girl, in my mind, they’re already a diehard Yankees fan.”
Grinning, Gavin lifted a skeptical brow. “Your stomach’s perfect, so add that ‘less than’ statement to the list of things I never want to hear again. And you’re giving me the Yankees?”
“I’d give you the world if I could.”
Little did she know, she already had. Gavin guided her to his lips, kissing her deeply as he slid his hands along the glorious curve of her waist. With his thumbs stroking her beautifully perfect stomach, Gavin envisioned that tiny Yankees fan. His heart dipped, bringing with it a feeling so thirsty for this to be his child, he was sure he would drown in it.