One Last Kiss

by Jessica Lemmon

  Downstairs, she found her mother in the sitting room on a gray sofa, a blush pink pillow tucked at her back. Macy’s charity work often spilled over into this room from her attached office. Gia took in the spread of papers on the coffee table and smiled.

  “How’d it go?” Macy asked.

  “He was surprisingly open. And he apologized.” She sat next to her mother. “I’m assuming you two talked.”

  “Your father and I might have had a long talk wherein he agreed he had no right to interfere in your marriage.” Macy sipped from her teacup. “Lord knows marriage is hard enough with the two people it involves.”

  True story.

  “Did you and Jayson talk through it?”

  “We argued. He left.” Gia poured herself a cup of tea.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I’ll see him at work later today. I’m still not sure what I’ll say. Daddy’s calling to apologize to him.”

  “Good.”

  “What are you working on, anyway?” Gia leaned forward and lifted a sheet of paper off the pile.

  “A charity for abused women. It’s called HeartReach. They help women who are trapped in abusive marriages with children to create an exit plan. You might recognize the chairwoman’s name.”

  Gia’s eyes went to a familiar name. Julia Robinson. Aka—“Jayson’s mother.”

  “HeartReach was where she went for support when Jayson was younger—to help her escape Jay’s father. I can’t imagine.”

  Neither could Gia. “Daddy said he wanted Jayson to feel worthy. To feel like he fit in.”

  “Jayson had a father who didn’t honor him. Jack wanted to cheer him on.”

  “The way he always cheered me on.” Gia had always been loved. Had always been wanted.

  “You championed Jayson, too, dear. When you announced your divorce, you were adamant about us not shunning him from the family. You didn’t want him to lose us. Even if you were losing him in the process.” Macy patted Gia’s leg. “You have a great big misguided heart, like your father.”

  Gia hummed, finally seeing the big picture. This argument wasn’t about roles at ThomKnox or Jayson having a job she’d wanted at one point. Life was about love and what really mattered. Family.

  “Remarkable how Jayson turned out nothing like his father, isn’t it?” Macy said thoughtfully as she took the flyer out of Gia’s hands.

  “I used to accuse him of being controlling.” Gia shook her head. “He was trying to be accommodating.”

  “Well, he could have communicated better. Men assume they know what’s best. It’s our job to correct them. Frequently, it seems.”

  Gia smiled, then sighed as the gravity of what had happened weighed on her anew. “I don’t know what to do. I love him. I don’t want to lose him, and I feel like I already have.”

  “Being brave is hard. Speak your mind. And your heart. Leave nothing on the table.”

  Gia blew out a breath as she swiped fresh tears from her cheeks. “Easy for you to say.”

  “Yes. It is.” Her mother tipped her head and swiped a stray tear from Gia’s face. “Can I do anything to help?”

  “You already have. It’s my turn to make a few decisions involving what I want. You were right. I need to step out of Daddy’s and my brothers’ shadows. I’ve been trying, but I’ve been going about it the wrong way. That changes right now.”

  “Good girl.”

  Gia stood to leave and then turned back to ask, “What if...he doesn’t love me back?”

  “I don’t know how that’s possible.” Her mother shook her head. “Royce, Brannon, Jack and now Jayson. The men in your life fall all over themselves to protect and care for you.”

  For the first time in her life, Gia thought about being cared for by the men in her life. Maybe that wasn’t so bad after all.

  Twenty-Five

  When Jayson walked into the ThomKnox building, a cup of strong coffee in hand, he didn’t go straight to his desk. Instead, he entered the elevator and pressed a button for the top floor.

  The executive floor was humming as per usual. He heard the quiet purr of office landline telephones interspersed with the delicate tapping of high-end keyboards. Like in the tech department, everyone had the sleekest, newest equipment and the flattest screens. Unlike tech, the desks weren’t littered with candy bar wrappers or several paper cups that used to hold coffee. It was as if everyone up here knew they were in the presence of greatness. ThomKnox royalty.

  Gia belonged up here.

  She’d been working closely with Jayson throughout their marriage and after, and now he saw that for what it was. He was holding her back.

  As long as he remained closely intertwined with her, she’d continue to vehemently deny herself and give him favor. He knew that was because she loved him—maybe not as a husband any longer, but she couldn’t turn off her emotions like a switch.

  Neither could he.

  He’d fallen in love with his ex-wife, against his better judgment or any iota of common sense. He’d always loved her, even when he’d been trying to bury his feelings for the sake of saving face during their rocky divorce. But since they’d reconnected, he’d felt that love on a deeper level.

  No longer was he focused on gaining ground or being right. He wanted to give her what she deserved because she deserved it. Sacrifice, and vulnerability, evidently went hand in hand.

  Ultimately, no matter how much money he made, no matter what kind of luxe lifestyle he lived, he didn’t belong in the same category with Royce or Bran, and especially not with Gia. He’d been fooling himself. He didn’t know if today’s sacrifice would make up for years of treading where he didn’t belong, but it was a start.

  He crossed the room and silence fell. Fingers stopped tapping on keys and interested eyeballs landed on him. He felt Taylor’s burning gaze as he stepped past her office and angled straight for Royce’s.

  They must have heard what happened after they left the house. Gia told them, or maybe Macy. It’d saved Jayson the trouble, he supposed.

  He let himself into Royce’s office after a brief knock. Gia’s oldest brother sat up tall at his desk, his face a mask of anger. He looked as though he had something to say, so Jayson let him.

  “Gia always wanted what was best for you,” Royce said. “She was brokenhearted and sad after the divorce and still she insisted that nothing change between us. I honored that.”

  “I know you did.” The Knox family had been incredibly accommodating.

  “And you repay my family’s loyalty by allowing my father to concoct this ridiculous plan? When you’d already accepted the CTO seat because you married Gia. If you think I’ll place you in the role of vice president—”

  “I don’t want to be vice president. I never should have accepted the role I have now. At the time I wanted to please your father and I thought that would help Gia see me as worthy of her.”

  Some of the fire went out of Royce’s expression. He let out a long sigh. “She always saw you as worthy, Coop.”

  “Sure about that?” Jayson asked. Royce didn’t answer. “I was a guy from a broken home who built websites. It was crazy to imagine myself worthy of marrying into the great and powerful Knox family.”

  “We never made that distinction.”

  “You never had to. Gia loved me and Jack validated me. You accepted their approval at face value.” Jayson took a breath. “I was never going to accept a VP position. Jack was being Jack. He steers his children’s lives into the direction he believes is right. He was orchestrating a Jayson-and-Gia reunion.”

  Jack had called early this morning. He’d apologized for the things he’d said at the party. Jayson told his ex-father-in-law that he wouldn’t have to worry any longer. Jayson had a way to fix everything that had happened. To set things right again.

  “And now?” Royce asked.

>   “Now what?”

  “You and Gia have been...” Royce closed his eyes as if he couldn’t bear saying it aloud. “Spending time together.”

  “Not anymore.” Admitting that aloud hurt worse than he could have imagined.

  “Was it only physical for you?” Royce shifted in his chair like he was uncomfortable asking.

  “Why else?” Jayson lied. He’d been close. So damn close. Before Gia had overheard that conversation and learned the secret he’d been keeping—before he’d blown everything, he’d been planning on telling her exactly how he felt about her.

  That he loved her. He’d fallen in love with her again, only this time he believed himself incapable of screwing up. He’d committed to honoring her needs—her actual needs—and meeting them.

  Then his past had bitten him in the ass and he realized he wasn’t incapable of screwing up. He was a screw-up. No amount of time could fix that.

  “Are you coming to the party this afternoon?” Jayson asked. “It’s in celebration of the tablet fix. Gia singlehandedly saving your company and all.”

  “I’m planning on it.”

  “Good. I have an important announcement to make.”

  “I look forward to it,” Royce said with a curt nod. Jayson couldn’t tell if the other man was lying or not.

  * * *

  Gia arrived at the start of the party, only to bump into the party planner on her way in. “Looks fantastic in here, Joanna.”

  “Thank you. Everything is in place, Ms. Knox.”

  Gia didn’t correct her by saying that her name was Knox-Cooper. She was too tender after everything that had happened to go there. “Wonderful. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. My staff and I will be in the background making sure everything runs smoothly.” Joanna, her hair pulled back in a smart tight ponytail, turned to straighten the platters of catered sushi.

  Music was playing in the background and Gia walked to a bucket of ice to grab a soda for herself. Taylor and Addison were there, smiles bright.

  “We’re here for you no matter what happens.” Taylor offered. “I’m really excited for you.”

  “Thank you.” Gia hugged Taylor and then Addi. “I appreciate your both showing up.”

  “And miss the action?” Addi asked as she straightened from the hug. “Never.”

  “Photo booth, ladies!” The photographer interrupted.

  “Not me, thanks.” Gia waved them off. “You two go ahead.”

  The photographer shooed Taylor and Addison over to the booth and handed them each masks on sticks. Taylor, halfway to the booth mouthed the words “you owe me.”

  Gia wiggled her fingers in a wave, relieved at having avoided the embarrassing photo booth.

  “If I could have your attention.” The low sound of her ex-husband’s voice came from the front of the room.

  Jayson, dressed in black trousers and a slate-gray shirt, climbed onto a sturdy chair. Not that he needed to. His presence was so commanding he didn’t need the chair to establish that he was in charge. His power was as undeniable as her admiration of it. She’d spent years guarding herself from that power, but now she saw the truth. That was simply Jayson.

  “Not that anyone asked for a speech, but I have one.” His eyes flicked to the back of the room and Gia turned to see her brothers enter. Bran gave her a wave, his mouth flinching into a half smile. Royce wore a frown as usual, but when he walked by, he briefly cupped her neck in a supportive gesture.

  “I’ve been a part of ThomKnox for going on seven years,” Jayson continued. “I was named chief technology officer almost five years ago, the same year I married one Miss Gia Knox-Cooper.”

  Smiles around the room were soft, careful. More than a few heads swiveled in her direction.

  “Our marriage did not outlast the role, and I’ve been telling myself for nearly two years that I was okay with that. That relationships work but sometimes they don’t, and Gia and I fell into that latter category. It was a lie I’ve been content with until recently, when I realized that not only was I in love with Gia when we were married, I have been for the entire time we were divorced.”

  Those soft smiles melted into gasps, Gia’s own gasp among them.

  “Gia is a gracious, beautiful, incredibly lovable woman,” Jay went on. “She’s giving. She’s tough. She’s strong. She’s a certified genius mastermind.” Nods of support came from several of their coworkers. “She’s been in the role of running Marketing, and I know she loves this company with her whole heart, but Marketing isn’t where she belongs. She’s an MIT grad with a nerdy brain in that gorgeous noggin of hers. She loves code more than any one person has a right to. She found the glitch we’re all celebrating.” He cleared his throat and added, “Not me. She doesn’t need me.”

  Her chest tightened as those words. That wasn’t true. She did need him. More than he knew. She thought about her family members who had tried to take care of her over the years. Not because they thought she was incapable or weak, but because they loved her so very much. She’d recently learned that it was okay to lean on others; that it would have been okay to lean on Jayson while they were married.

  Needing someone didn’t make her unworthy. It made her human. Beautifully human, flaws and all.

  “And yet I’m the one who’s chief technology officer of this company. Or well, I was,” Jayson finished. “Was CTO.”

  “No,” Gia whispered. She’d made a decision about what she wanted after talking with her mother. She finally knew her goals and dreams and wasn’t afraid to claim them. Jayson in the role of CTO was the right place for him to be. It had been all along. Her father, while he’d fumbled, wasn’t wrong about that promotion.

  “I love this department. I love ThomKnox as a whole,” Jayson was saying. “I love Royce and Taylor, Brannon and Addison, and Jack and Macy like they’re my own family.” He then locked his gaze on Gia’s. “I love my ex-wife enough that I refuse to stand in the way of her living the life she should be living. I should have done this years ago, G,” he said, his eyes on her. “I never should have taken the position that was destined to be yours. I should have walked out the door and not looked back when you said you wanted the divorce. I should have left you at ThomKnox with your family to claim what was rightfully yours. No matter how badly I wanted to be in your orbit.”

  Oh, Jayson.

  “I’m leaving ThomKnox, effective immediately,” he said as the room erupted in excited chatter. “Gia will take over where I left off, and your upper management is more than capable of filling in the gaps. If there are any.”

  He stepped off the chair and that chatter grew louder. Panic laced through her stomach until she realized that she could take her power back rather than stand idly by.

  “Jayson Cooper!” she shouted. No way would she allow him to make this huge of a mistake.

  “My mind is made up, Gia,” he said as he walked for the exit.

  “And what makes you think you have the final say?” she asked his back.

  He turned. Slowly. His face was a beautiful shadow of confusion and hope. She loved his face. She loved him.

  The room grew eerily quiet. She felt every eyeball snap to her as she closed the gap between her and Jayson, her arms folded at her chest.

  “As the newly named vice president of this company,” she told him, her voice firm. “I don’t accept your resignation.”

  Twenty-Six

  Earlier today

  “Thank you all for coming.” Gia stood at the head of the conference table and addressed the upper management team of ThomKnox. “I have a proposition for you.”

  Brannon, tapping a pencil, eraser side down, on the table, shot her an easy wink. Royce, on Gia’s left, wore a muted smile. Taylor was grinning like she’d gleaned what was coming next.

  “We’ve been in discussion about adding a vice president
position for a while now,” Gia began. “And then at the pool party, Daddy decided to offer that position to Jayson.”

  Brannon frowned. Taylor mimicked his expression. Royce curled his lip.

  “Jayson didn’t accept it.”

  “But he had no problem claiming chief technology officer for himself,” Royce grumbled.

  She blinked. Royce knew plenty.

  “Daddy called you.”

  “He called me, too,” Brannon said. “We each received a Jack Knox speech about how he’s failed and won’t fail us again.”

  “He does love his grandstanding.” Gia shook her head, but smiled to herself. “Jayson would make an excellent vice president. But I’d make a better one.”

  Taylor elbowed her husband and then bounced in her seat. “I knew it. You owe me twenty bucks.”

  Royce’s smile came out of hiding. “I don’t need twenty bucks, but we can negotiate terms later.”

  “Anyway,” Gia said with an eye roll in the direction of her besotted oldest brother, “I want to earn the position of VP on my merits, not based on what Jack or anyone else says. I want this position. I want it to include Marketing and Tech, and then I can oversee both my passions. And I want Jayson to stay exactly where he is—in charge of the department he built.”

  * * *

  “I had a meeting with the CEO, COO and president of this company this morning,” she told Jayson now, aware of many onlookers, said CEO, COO and president included. “I specified that while I’ll be overseeing both Marketing and Technology, I would only do it if you were involved. I need you exactly where you are.”

  “You don’t need me, Gia. You never did.”

  “ThomKnox needs you.” She reached down, way down, and found her bravery. Jayson had been brave enough to stand in front of everyone and tell her how he felt. She knew she could do the same. “And I need you,” she added on a broken voice.

  “Gia—”

  “I never had the courage to admit that. I never wanted to appear weak in our family of titans.” She glanced over at Royce and then Brannon, who each wore compressed smiles of pride. She turned back to Jayson. “Marriage is about admitting you need someone else. It’s about being someone’s other half.”