Matt sat back in his chair. At least, he thought he was still in the chair. He wasn’t entirely sure he knew where he was. Emotions warred through him—disbelief, happiness, grief, anger. Each one cycled through, swamping him completely, and then being replaced by the next, over and over again, until he had no idea what he felt, let alone whether he was still just sitting in that chair in the kitchen. Fuck. Did she really mean that?

He could hear a rushing in his ears, his stomach a nauseating mix of elation and dizziness. His hands tingled, and he realized his grip was so tight on his coffee mug that it was about to shatter in his hands. He let go and watched with a weird detachment as the liquid inside sloshed over the rim of the mug and flooded the table. It would probably drip all over the floor if he didn’t clean that up. He should get right on that.

“Matt?” A voice reached his ears, one he recognized, but he continued to watch the coffee trickle across the tabletop. Where was his cloth?

“Matt. I’m . . . I’m sorry . . . can you look at me?”

That time, Lauren’s voice got through to him. He looked up, almost regretting the decision. God, he’d never seen such pain in her eyes. It was almost more than he could bear to see. There was no room left in him for any more emotion. Her face, already damp from earlier tears, had twin streams of salt running down her cheeks. Much like the coffee, he noted. She leaned forward, her hand inching toward his, before she slumped back in his chair, her face defeated.

“So he’s mine?” His voice was croaky, as if he hadn’t spoken in a long time. He was so overwhelmed, his body had seized every muscle tight. Fight or flight. The whole idea seemed kind of stupid. He wasn’t going anywhere. He’d already missed ten years of his kid’s life. He’d be damned if he’d miss another second more.

His kid.

The dizziness swamped him again, and he placed his hands flat on the table until it passed. When he looked back up, Lauren’s eyes had softened, but they were still shining with fear. Was she afraid of Victor? Or of him?

“I had only just found out and didn’t have a chance to tell you before you ‘died’,” she said. “I swear, I didn’t keep him from you. I thought you were already dead.” Her hand came up, swiping the latest run of tears away. “But that’s no excuse. I should have told you the moment I woke up. The moment I knew who you were. I . . .”

He couldn’t take the pain in her eyes a single second more. Matt leaned forward and picked up her hand. It felt cold in his own, clammy, and he rubbed it briskly before squeezing it. “You ran because you feared Victor was going to take Brayden away?”

She nodded. “Earlier, when he was younger, I was needed. A useful bargaining chip, if nothing else. But now Brayden’s getting older.” She tried to pull her hand back, shame staining her cheeks, but Matt held tight. “In another couple of years, I could become completely unnecessary. There was no way I was ever going to let Brayden become any part of all that, but I was scared that I would end up like everyone else that had gotten in Victor’s way.” She looked at him, holding his gaze. “And then when I saw you again.” Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment, and when she opened them, the emotion in them shone. It was so simple, but so powerful that it nearly knocked Matt out of his chair and onto his ass.

Love.

“Then I realized that everything had been a lie. Your death, James’ courtship, and our marriage—God, my entire life.” It was her turn to take his hands, squeezing both, the fire back in her eyes. “I wanted you to know who Brayden was so badly, but I was also desperate to keep him and you safe. But you were so kind, and so caring, to both of us. It seemed like everything would work out. But then at the fair . . .” Lauren’s voice trailed off and she shivered.

Screw this. Matt was over sitting at the table, his hands the only part of him touching her. He stood and stepped toward Lauren, then scooped her up in his arms and walked toward his bedroom. Brayden was still engrossed in his movie in the den, and as much as Matt already loved the kid, this conversation needed to be in private. He needed to know what Lauren was so afraid of, and he needed to know now.

As he walked down the hall, he marveled a little at how quickly he’d moved on from the shock. Brayden was his, and Matt would protect him. It was as simple as that. Having it all confirmed had knocked him for a loop but it had taken only a few moments for his brain to realize what his heart had known for days—probably since the first time he’d laid eyes on them. Lauren was his, had always been, and now, so was Brayden. The kid was so like him, Matt was surprised he’d ever even considered otherwise.

He walked into his bedroom and placed Lauren gently on the end of the bed and then sat next to her. “Lauren? What happened at the fair?”

She looked down at her hands clasped in her lap. “It was after Mason and Sloane had taken Brayden, when you were at the pie-throwing booth. I was browsing the farmer’s market.” She looked up, shaking her head. “It’s silly really, I probably imagined the whole thing.”

He placed an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in tight to his body and wrapping her up in his arms. “No, you didn’t. You know you didn’t.” She shuddered in his arms, and Matt pulled her in closer, kissing her forehead. “Please tell me, Lauren. I promise, I won’t let anyone hurt either of you.”

She tilted her head back so she could look into his eyes. “You’d still do that for us? Even after everything I kept from you?”

Matt leaned down, capturing her mouth. She opened for him, and he slid his tongue inside, taking her. It was a poor imitation of what he wanted to be doing to her, but a presence of a ten-year-old boy in the other room meant that would have to wait for another time.

The effect didn’t seem to be any different on Lauren. She pulled back, breathless. “Wow.”

He smiled. “Wow is exactly it. Lauren, I thought my family was gone, that I’d missed my chance to have any of that. You’ve given me an amazing gift, and one I’ll protect.” His face turned serious. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you and Brayden safe from Victor Mancini. It isn’t even a question.”

“I thought I saw someone,” she said. “At the fair, one of his henchmen.” She made a face at that word. “It felt like someone was staring at me the entire time.” She leaned back a little and looked him in the eyes. “God, it all sounds like a movie, but that’s what they are. Men who will do his bidding, no questions asked. Matt, what if Victor’s found me and I exposed you? What if he’s already here in town?”

He pulled her close, dropping a kiss on her hair. “Baby, I think he already is.”