Secret Son, Convenient Wife(58)

Rage sliced through Tate. Drake’s confession only confirmed what he’d already suspected, but didn’t lessen his anger. “I want you out of this house and out of my life. If you ever come near my family again, you’ll be sorry.”

“Fine with me,” Drake snapped. “I achieved what I wanted to do anyway. I split you up for two years. You missed your son’s birth and his first year of life.” A gloating smile stretched his lips. “That can’t be replaced, can it, Tate?”

“Why you—” Tate stepped forward, fist clenched, his chest squeezed so tight that—

His grandmother put her hand on Tate’s arm, and he let her stop him. She glared haughtily at Drake. “I’ll see you out, Drake. And I suggest you head back overseas as soon as possible and never show your face here again. I’ll destroy you if you do.” Her tone said she would do what she said. She might be small, but she was a formidable woman. Drake couldn’t fail to recognize that.

“Good riddance to you all,” he barked, twisting away and stalking out of the room. He almost took the door off its hinges as he slammed the wood shut.

For a few seconds no one moved.

Then Helen went after him, her beautifully aged face easing into a smile as she blew them a kiss before leaving.

And then there were two.

The clock ticked.

Tate’s gaze slid back to the woman he loved. Oh, yes, he loved Gemma. The knowledge of it had hit him hard when he’d stood outside on the terrace and heard Drake threaten her. The instinct to protect this woman had risen from the very core of him. It had been about more than saving her from harm, more than shielding her from a vengeful, vindictive traitor-of-a-friend. The groundswell of emotion inside him made him want to protect her, to honor her, to share with her the happiest life possible. No one would stop him. Nothing would break them apart. Not again. Never again.#p#分页标题#e#

He moved to her, and she was already coming around the desk and flying into his arms. He hugged her tightly, welding her to him. She felt so good, so right. She had to feel something for him, too. Could it be love?

“It’s over now, darling,” he murmured, kissing her eyes, her ears, burying his face in her hair and inhaling the scent of the woman he loved. She was everything to him.



Gemma relished having Tate’s arms around her, but she was having trouble believing what had just happened. There had evidently been no phone call expected from Dougal. Tate had planned this to catch Drake. That meant he finally believed she was innocent.

Thank you, dear Lord.

She leaned back and lovingly looked up at her husband’s strong face in wonder. “No, Tate, you’re wrong. It’s not over.”

He frowned, but she could see he wasn’t too worried. “It’s not?”

Her hands slipped up and framed his face. “It’s only just begun, my darling. I love you, Tate Chandler. I love you so very much.”

He drew in an unsteady breath. “Oh, God, I love you, too, Gemma. More than life itself.”

Their lips and hearts met for timeless minutes. This was love at its finest. It didn’t get any better—any more genuine and absolute—than this.

Eventually they eased apart and Tate smiled at her with a love she would cherish forever.

A moment later, deep regret seeped into his eyes. “Forgive me, darling, for all I’ve put you through. I don’t know how I didn’t see the truth before. You’re a good, kind person, and I don’t deserve you at all.”

Forgiving him was easy. “There were a lot of things in the way,” she excused, knowing that walking through fire had made her appreciate their love. Later, she would tell him how she had loved him from the beginning, but not here, not now.

“Thank you.” He kissed her. “Let’s make our life a blank sheet of paper from this moment on.”

She opened her mouth to agree, then tilted her head at him, her brow wrinkling just a little. “But our pasts have made us who we are, Tate. We’ve earned our right to happiness. I don’t ever want to forget that.”

His smile was full of admiration. “See, this is why I love you so much. You’re right, of course. But hey, I don’t think we should remember it every day.”

“Agreed.” The sound of laughter erupted in the distance. Clearly Drake hadn’t been allowed to spoil the party. “Your grandmother is awesome.”

He nodded. “When it comes to protecting her own, she is.”

“You didn’t do too badly yourself,” she teased, forever grateful he had followed his gut instinct. Then she sobered. “I’m sorry I don’t have any decent family to share with you.”