“Walker.”
“Clara.” They said together.
She swallowed a nervous laugh. “You first.”
“Where were you going?”
“I…I…” Her voice drifted away and she nearly groaned. Now was the time to be strong. To stand up and take what she wanted. To say—
“Don’t go.”
Her head jerked around. “What?”
“All you left was a letter. You walked out of my life after ten years without even having the decency to say you were done to my face.”
“It wasn’t that,” she protested. “I was trying to make things easier.”
“On whom? You?” He stalked her to the island, trapping her between his arms as he leaned forward to balance against the tabletop. “Because it certainly wasn’t easier for me.”
“I thought I was doing the right thing.”
“You were.”
Her heart cracked in her chest. Dropping her eyes, she nodded. He agreed with her. It was right to part and go their separate ways. He didn’t come to fight her or win her back. He’d come to agree and say goodbye. The words she’d been about to say died on her tongue. What use was her love if he clearly didn’t want it?
“You looked at the situation logically and made the right decision based on the data you had.”
“Yes,” she whispered, wishing their last meeting was over. She’d thought breaking up through a letter had been hard, but she’d been wrong. It was a thousand times worse to have him say he’d picked someone else to her face.
“But you missed one key variable.”
“What was that?” she asked, focusing on the buttons of his shirt rather than meeting his gaze.
“Me.”
Her gaze shot to his.
“I always make the wrong choice,” he told her, his voice achingly gentle. “I never do the right thing. In college, I dated your roommate instead of you. Then I dropped out when everyone, including you, told me to stay. I make mistake after mistake. Hell, I slept with the wrong woman and ended up with a baby on my doorstep when the right woman was in front of me all along.” He cupped her face between his hands. “But all those mistakes added up to an incredible life. I wouldn’t have my company or my child if I did the right thing. And I wouldn’t have you.”
A soundless sigh escaped her as her lips parted.
“Trying to make it work with Veronica is the right thing to do. But I don’t want to even think about it. How could I? All I’ve ever wanted was you.”
“You didn’t even see me that way until we were thrust together,” she denied, even while kicking herself for not just leaping into his arms.
“You know that’s not true,” he chided, his fingers tracing along her jaw. “I’ve thought about this for years. But I never wanted to cross a line we couldn’t come back from. You were too important to lose.”
“You wouldn’t have lost me,” she said.
A crooked smile curved his lips. “But giving us a try under normal circumstances would have been the right thing to do, and we’ve already established I’m a screwup.”
“Not a screwup.” Her hands were on his before she could think. “You’ve built an empire for yourself. You’re a freaking billionaire, Walker. Any woman would fall at your feet if you so much as smiled. What you’ve done with your life is indescribable. I’m the screwup. Always following the rules. Always doing the right thing when sometimes I just want to scream.”
He stepped closer, his lips tantalizingly close. “What would you scream?”
Her heart thundered in her ears as she slid her hands around his shoulders. “Back off,” she said. “He’s mine.”
For a moment neither of them moved. Then a slow grin lit his face. “Is that right?” he purred. “Anyone in particular you want to say that to?”
The reminder of the other woman in their lives caused her to draw back. “You know who,” she replied, stepping out of his arms. “And those would be the most selfish words I’ve ever said.”
“Really? They wouldn’t even crack my top ten.”
“Walker,” she said, exasperated.
He followed her as she retreated. “See, the way I look at it is you made the smart move. You gave me an out and now have a free conscience.” He reached for her, catching her hand. “The thing is, I wasn’t looking for an escape.”
“She’s the mother of your child.”
“Yeah. But you’re his mom.”
The breath caught in her lungs. “What?”
He used her hand to tug her closer. “You’re his mom. He knows that. I know that. Even Veronica knows that. The only one missing the memo is you, sweetheart.”