Chapter 39

Chapter Thirty-Nine

T en minutes later, JT returned Gemma to her crib. She grumbled, but she was no longer a wailing banshee. He kissed her cheek before setting her down. “Daddy loves you, Gemmy.”

To be honest, the title felt more than a little awkward, but not because he didn’t feel it in his heart. It was just a term he’d never imagined using. In the last dozen years of his own father’s life, he’d rarely used the word dad .

Joe had been the boss before JT took over the business, then he was the owner and the senator. Those roles overshadowed the father/son relationship, and the only time he appeared to act like a dad—and not a boss or political adviser—was when he gave mortifying advice about women lying about birth control.

JT would do better. Be better.

He would earn the title. It would be as comfortable as calling Lex his wife and being her husband. Gemma was his child. His family.

He closed the door quietly behind him, daring to hope that she had calmed enough to go back to sleep.

He found Lex in her home office. “The cops were really shit about watching over this place. My laptop was stolen.”

He’d figured as much given that the search inventory had listed a MacBook Pro and a desktop computer in Lex’s office. Only the desktop remained.

“We need to call the cops and file a complaint. We also need to tell your attorney.”

“I’ll do a quick search to make sure nothing else is missing. Then I’ll email Anna if you call the detective?” She smiled at him. “I’m not supposed to talk to them without my attorney present.”

It was also the more distasteful of the two chores, and she had a tidy excuse to pass it off to him. He kissed her nose. “Deal. As long as we get to enjoy eggnog by the fire afterward.”

Thirty minutes later, they were settled on the couch. The gas fireplace heated up the room, which had been so cold, JT could see his breath. The detective was not thrilled with the late-night phone call, but he swore the investigators hadn’t turned off the thermostat nor had they taken the computer.

“Tomorrow, I want to move to my place.”

She nodded. “You have better security. I’d say let’s go tonight, but it might break Gemma.”

“Raptor has access to your security system, and they’re monitoring it. Chase lives nearby and is outside already—he’s taking a four-hour shift watching the house, then Raptor will send Tariq for the next four hours.”

“I hate that they’re being asked to work on Christmas.”

“Chase volunteered because he lives so close and he has the next week off. He said he doesn’t mind an extra shift now. Tariq was already scheduled to work nights this week—he likes the overtime.”

“That’s kind of them both. Eden is going to join us for wedding dress shopping. She and Chase are getting married in the spring, so she’s going to try on dresses too.”

“That’ll be fun. How many of you are going?”

“Most of the women who were there tonight. We’ll be quite the entourage. Isabel is going to call and set up the appointments tomorrow. It’s been a long time since I shopped at a place that requires appointments. I’m glad Isabel has connections.”

Once upon a time, JT had set up accounts for her at all the DC couture shops. “I’ll make some calls and add you to the accounts again. Actually, I’m pretty sure I never took you off them.”

“It’s okay, I can afford my own wedding dress. I mean, I won’t be going designer, and Eden doesn’t strike me as someone who wants to spend several thousand on a dress that will only be worn once.” She tilted her head back and held his gaze. “I presume with the company being sold and your decision not to run for office that I won’t need designer clothing moving forward.”

“No. Only if you want them.”

“I could see splurging here and there as I know you move in the kinds of circles where you get invited to black tie events, but I presume those will be fewer and farther between.”

“Yeah.” He paused, then broached the sensitive subject. “Will you…let me buy you jewelry?”

She stroked his cheek. “Only if you promise you’re doing it for love. Because it makes you happy. No ulterior motive. No suspicion.”

“Always. That was always why I gave you gems.”

“And I loved the gifts and making love with you while wearing them. Your words that last night didn’t change history or my memories of it.”

He rose from the couch and went to his suitcase, which he’d brought in from the car but had yet to bring upstairs to Alexandra’s bedroom. He unzipped the top compartment and pulled out the wrapped gift.

He returned to the couch and presented it to her. “It’s an hour before midnight. Still Christmas.”

“This was in the attic?”

He nodded. “I’m not even sure what’s in it.”

She smiled and studied the square box. “You were fond of giving me necklaces. This is the right size box.”

She tugged at the red ribbon and untied the bow. “I wish I had a gift for you.”

“You gave me Gemma when you said she could call me Daddy. Whatever is in that box will pale in comparison to that.”

She swiped at her eyes, then ripped open the gold wrapping paper. It was no surprise to see the box was Tiffany blue. She lifted the lid and pulled out the enclosed hinged jewelry box.

She gasped when she opened it, and the contents surprised JT too. He’d forgotten—possibly blocked out—that he’d commissioned this special piece just for her.

A galaxy made of colorless to blue diamonds for his theoretical physicist. The necklace was a spiral galaxy three inches in diameter at the widest point. One earring was a lenticular galaxy and the other a barred spiral.

“It’s stunning,” she said. “And it feels more me than most of the pieces you gave me.” She held it to her chest. “I’m glad you never gave me this before because it would have been heartbreaking to sell it even though I’d never have a reason to wear it.”

“Will you wear it with your wedding dress?”

She smiled. “Try and stop me.”

“Put it on. We’ll take a photo so you know what neckline will look best.”

She slipped off the button-down shirt she’d borrowed from JT to wear to Christmas dinner and stood before him the same no-frills satin bra she’d worn all week. She could go upstairs and find a better shirt or a dress, but this was just a shopping aide and didn’t need to be perfect. She lifted her hair, and JT draped the necklace around her and fastened the clasp.

She popped in the earrings and smiled. “How do I look?”

“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. With or without the necklace.”

He took her photo with his cell phone. “We can set up the phone Raptor gave you tomorrow, and I’ll send this to you.”

She nodded and took a step toward him. She placed her hand behind his neck and pulled his mouth down to hers. “Thank you for the jewelry.”

She kissed him, and he was pulled back in time to when he first gave her a necklace on Christmas Day.

And just as she had then, she took his hand and led him to bed. They celebrated the holiday and the rush of feelings that engulfed them with each moment they spent together. As they made love, she wore nothing but the jewels he’d just given her.