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Tears come to her eyes as she covers her mouth with trembling hands.
“What about Elliot?!” John cuts in, an angry vein throbbing on his temple.
“He’s Becky’s, from a past relationship. A wonderful kid whom I’ve come to love as though he were my own,” I say, smiling softly as I keep my gaze on hers, pouring all the love I have into these words, consequences be damned. “I want to be there when he grows up, I want to be a father to him and the other five kids that fate has bestowed upon us…”
“Todd…” Becky manages.
“What are you talking about?” Piper asks.
John exhales sharply. “Five? Quintuplets, you mean? What the hell, man?!”
“I know, right?” I laugh, my nerves stretched so thin, I fear they might snap. “Quintuplets, yeah. We didn’t plan for any of this. We ended up together one night while we were working on our husband-and-wife act. I fell in love with her, though. I’m not sure how Becky feels—I only hope it’s reciprocated ’cause otherwise it’s a lonely thing to feel. But I am ready to be more than just the father of these accidental babies, John. The universe is trying to tell me something, and I would be an idiot to ignore the hints it has been dropping. But I am sorry, John; I am genuinely sorry for having deceived you.”
I pause and take a deep breath as I carefully measure their reactions. Piper looks like she’s watching a soap opera. She’s missing a bowl of popcorn and an appletini at this point. Becky is speechless and wide-eyed, tears glazing her beautiful eyes into a greener shade of hazel. And John, well… John keeps staring at me, though I can’t see that angry vein anymore, just a furious tick in his jaw.
“Should you decide to cancel the whole thing, I won’t hold it against you,” I add, glancing his way for a moment. “I would understand, even though you would be missing out on owning one of the best products to come out of this crazy market. I worked hard to make it worthy of someone like you, and I only hope you won’t let my personal transgressions get in the way of the best business decision you’d be making this year…”
“Todd,” Becky whispers. “What did you do?”
“I told the truth,” I reply, smiling. “I may have lied about marrying a woman off the app I built, but I have definitely found the love of my life thanks to the app I built, and that’s you. Becky, you are the best thing that ever happened to me, and I’m sorry I didn’t see that sooner. I’m sorry I didn’t move faster, that I didn’t recognize our potential from the very beginning. I love you deeply. I love you more than I ever loved anyone before, and I don’t know what to do with myself if you’re not around. You’re free to do whatever you want, of course; I won’t get in your way, and I will make sure you never want for anything. I will take care of you and our children however I can… but I would be the happiest man alive if you’d let me be the soulmate you deserve, to give you the love and the protection you need…”
John has yet to find his words. Becky’s tears are now freely rolling down her cheeks.
And my heart is on the desk between us, wide open and frantically beating with a mixture of love and crippling fear. I’ve done it now. I’ve told the truth and completely exposed my vulnerability to a man who has the power to destroy me. But I’ve also told the woman I love how I feel about her… it’s the kind of liberation I never imagined I’d experience.
Yet here I am.
Naked in so many ways and afraid.
And truly, viscerally, alive.
CHAPTER25
BECKY
This man is crazy. This man is crazy and unhinged and all kinds of marvelous.
To risk everything, to bare his heart like this, not caring that John Douglas-Mackie might turn against him. Oh, my heart is twisting and turning in a most painful fashion. My stomach is churning; my very core is igniting with the purest and wildest love as I behold Todd Connors and realize I can’t go on living without him. Not after what he just did. Not after he literally sacrificed his whole company and reputation in order to prove to me that he will do anything…anythingto be with me.
I thought he would leave me. I didn’t want the pregnancy to tether him to the ground—but maybe it did something else entirely. Maybe it caused an awakening within him, prompting him to be here, now, saying these wonderful things. I could explode from all this love I’m nurturing in my soul for this man. I could melt.
But first I have to save his gorgeous ass.
John is furious, and I don’t want Todd to lose everything. He’s worked too hard, and while I understand the nobility of his gesture, it was still a silly way to end things. Maybe I can sway John back into the fold somehow. So, bracing myself for whatever kind of fallout might follow, I get up and come around the desk, slipping my arms around Todd’s waist.
“You know, I thought you were despicable when you first told me about your lie,” I say.
Piper scoffs, rolling her eyes. “Not helping…”
“But I understood why you did it. And like I told you back then, I would’ve done the same thing,” I say, then look at John. “He lied because he loves this company. Because he wanted it to succeed, no matter what. He just needed funding to take the company global, and you saw for yourself that it was and still is a roaring success. There is no denying that. It was a white lie and it didn’t hurt anyone. But when you came along, Todd couldn’t bring himself to tell you the truth because he didn’t want to disappoint you. Because you deserved a good story to accompany this fantastic brand. Please, John, forgive us for having lied to you this whole time, but we had a good reason. We meant well, we really did…”
“My God, you’re nuts about him, too, aren’t you?” John croaks, half-amused and half-astonished, rubbing his face with a mixture of frustration and anxiety.
I look at Todd, briefly melting in his sky-blue eyes. “I love him more than anything. It’s why I’m having his five children… I want him to have the family he’s always wanted and truly deserved…”
“Rebecca, you crazy creature,” Todd whispers, shocked and swooning as he pulls me closer and kisses me.
His lips ignite a thousand fires in my chest. I let the flames consume me as I surrender to his embrace and return the kiss with equal affection, prompting Piper to groan and take a couple of steps back.
