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He went down the hall to the guest bedroom he'd given Larissa. He didn't question it, but there was a sense of rightness to having her under his roof. And for him being responsible for her and their son.
It felt right in his gut. He sensed this was what his father must feel when the entire family was assembled at their home. It was the first time he'd ever felt anything in common with his dad and it felt … weird.
He rapped on her door. "You ready?"
"I don't know," she opened the door, and nervously stepped back.
"How do I look?" she asked.
She looked too damned good to be someones mom. Her dress was a feminine bit of silk that teased him with its demureness. Teased him with the hint of sexuality beneath that flounced skirt ending just above the knees and the scoop neckline that hinted at her cleavage.
"You look fine."
"Just fine?" she asked, hurrying back over to the mirror and patting her hair once more.
"What's wrong with fine?" he asked, lounging against the door frame. He was fascinated to see the normally unflappable Larissa so unsure of herself. He'd never known her to worry about what she was going to wear.
"I'm meeting your family for the first time. Plus I'm bringing scandal down on them. I think I should look better than fine."
She did, but he wasn't going to reveal anything more to her. Her features were drawn and she looked more nervous now than she had in the doctor's office earlier when they'd had the paternity test done.
He left the doorway and entered the room. The bed was piled with discarded clothing. He wondered if this went back to what she'd said the other day about her grandfather. How did knowing your family had rejected you before you were born affect someone? For all his problems with his father, he knew the old man loved him and would always be there for him.
"What's this all about, Rissa?"
She sighed and sank down on the clothes strewn on the double bed. "I don't want to go."
He sat down next to her. Her perfume was faintly floral and sexy to him. But then everything about Larissa was. He reached for her hands, which she had clenched tightly into fists on her lap. He pried her hands open and held them loosely in his own.
She tipped her head to the side and looked up at him. It was a beseeching look that made him want to give her whatever she asked for. But at the same time, they were in this predicament because of her actions. He lifted one eyebrow in silent question.
She licked her lips and then turned her head toward her lap again. "It was hard enough telling you about Peter. I don't think I can face your family."
"There's no other choice. You have to go with me so we both know how to handle the media. Nicola was clear on that point."
"I wish Jasmine Carmody had never called me," she said, looking up at him again.
"I'm glad she did despite the trouble she's caused. Jasmine Carmody has given me my son."
Larissa said nothing, but her eyes revealed the truth. And the truth wasn't a pretty and nice thing. It was that this woman would have rather run away than face him with the news of his own son.
He cursed under his breath and stood, walking away from her. Every time he thought he'd forgiven her, he was reminded he hadn't. Spending two hours in the toy store with his son had gone a long way toward showing him what he'd missed out on all these years. And now she was telling him again that she regretted telling him the truth.
He clenched his fists and walked toward the front door. "Get your purse, Larissa. We're leaving."
"Jake…"
He didn't pause or turn to look at her. She'd made her decisions. Now he'd made his. He'd see Marcus tonight at Crofthaven and set the custody suit in motion. It was obvious to him, no matter what Larissa said, she couldn't be trusted where Peter was concerned.
He was willing to cut her a little slack because of her upbringing, and he understood that she'd had a rough shake early in life. But Jake wasn't responsible for another man's mistakes and he wasn't going to keep paying for them.
Her hand on his arm stopped him and he pivoted to face her.
"I'm sorry," she said suddenly.
He realized she was trying to tell him something else. But he'd never been good at reading minds and didn't think he was suddenly going to get better at it.
"For?"
"Everything."
"Don't be sorry for everything. That's too big a burden for your shoulders. We're both responsible for this mess and I'm not going to let you continue to carry it alone."
* * *
Larissa felt small and very out of place in the grand foyer of Crofthaven. Peter leaned closer to her and she stooped to pick up her son as Jake gave their coats to Joyce Jones, the housekeeper. Jake exchanged pleasantries with the woman and then cupped his hand under Larissa's elbow, leading her down the hall.
