Leandro lets out a sound of pain. “Fuck, India.”
“This is bad I know. I’m sorry.”
He sits up and grabs my face with his hands. “Don’t ever be sorry. I am just angry that this happened to you.”
“Me, too, but I can’t regret it because for all of Paul’s faults, he did give me Jett.” Tears touch my eyes, surprising me. It’s been a really long time since I cried over my past. “When I found Paul with that girl, I rang Kit and told him everything. He lost his shit. He kicked the crap out of Paul.”
“I like your brother already.”
“When it comes to me and Jett, he’s fiercely protective.”
“As he should be.”
“Someone called the cops when the fight spilled out into Paul’s building. Kit was arrested. Thankfully, he didn’t do any jail time for it, but he messed Paul up pretty bad. To save Kit, I told the police why Kit had lost his crap with Paul—who Paul was to us, about me and him, my pregnancy, and the underage girl I found in Paul’s bed. I needed to protect Kit the way he’d protected me his whole life. Paul was arrested. Somehow, the press got wind of it…and that’s when it got worse.” I close my eyes against the onslaught of memories. “I wasn’t the first underage girl who Paul had slept with, and clearly, I hadn’t been the last. He had a thing for young girls. More started to come forward. Some said they had been sexually abused by Paul. That he had even raped some of them. It went to trial. I was one of the main witnesses. He got sentenced to fifteen years in prison for statutory rape, rape and sexual abuse.”
“Jett knows all of this?”
“Yes. I haven’t kept who his father is from him.”
“Has Jett ever met him?”
“No.”
“And he’s still in prison?”
“Yes. After he went to prison, I received compensation from the government for what had happened to me. It wasn’t a lot, but back then, it was to me. Kit and I left Manchester and moved here to London. I used the money I received to buy the house we live in and to put me through school. I wanted to start fresh here and give Jett a better life than I’d ever had.”
“You are amazing, do you know that?”
“Not really.”
“You are,” he states emphatically. “And your reluctance to be with me makes a whole lot more sense now.”
“I didn’t want to be like him. I wouldn’t want to take advantage of someone in my care.”
“I was never in your care, babe. And you never once took advantage. If anyone did, I took advantage of you.” A sexy smile appears on his lips.
“So, I was thinking that maybe we should keep our relationship on the down-low for now.”
With the darkening of his eyes, I know that he doesn’t agree. “Because of Jett’s father?”
“Because of who you are. Your public profile. For Jett. I don’t want anything coming out into the papers that could hurt him. And also my career. I was your therapist. If the Health and Care Professions Council find that out, my career will be over.”
“How will they find out? The only people who know won’t say anything—well, on my side for sure. What about your side?”
“Kit knows.” I wince. “After we kissed that first time, I was a mess.” I meet his eyes. “He guessed. But you can trust Kit. He would never say anything.”
“It’s fine, India.” He takes my hand again, squeezing it.
“And Sadie, my old receptionist, of course knows you were a patient, but she is bound by a confidentiality agreement that I make all my receptionists sign.”
“So, we’re covered.”
“I guess. But what about Jett? I don’t want him in the public eye because we’re together.”
“I’ll protect him. I will have my lawyer and publicist stop the press from publishing any pictures of him. I don’t want to hide us, babe. I have you, and I want the world to know that you’re mine. You and Jett are both my family now.”
“Family?”
“Mmhmm…you have a problem with that?”
“No problem at all. And you do realize that we’ve just made Jett’s dream come true—you and me being together? He’s going to be over the moon. He’ll also expect to come to every race you do.”
“I would be offended if he didn’t come.” He smiles. “Jett can come wherever with me. So long as his hot mother comes along, too.”
“And she will, as long as work permits it.”
“Can you take a break from work at all? I have to leave for Hungary in a few weeks. As it is school break, I would love it if you and Jett would come with me.”
“I’m not going to be able to say no in this, am I?”
“No, babe, you’re not.”
“I should be able to juggle things around a bit, and if necessary, I can always get someone in to cover my patients while I’m away.”
“So, you will come?”
“I’ll ask Jett, but I know what his answer will be. So, yes, we’ll come.”
“Good.” He rolls me onto my back and kisses me hard on the mouth.
“Your work takes you away a lot?” I blink up at him.
“It does. But we will figure it out. We will make it work.”
“We’d better because I’m risking my job for you.” I poke his side with my finger.
“Hey!” He laughs, grabbing my hand, stopping me. “I am the only one who gets to poke anyone around here.”