And last night had proven something else.Saif would be adamn good father.
“You’re scared,” Saif said quietly, watching her from behind his desk.
His voice was calm.Low.But she could feel the current of intensity beneath it, like a river just before it flooded.
He stood slowly and walked around his desk, his footsteps deliberate and unhurried.
Jemma’s breath caught as he approached, the familiar scent of his cologne stirring up a thousand memories.
God, he was still so tall.Solid.So...him.
He reached for her gently, sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her into his arms.
Her cheek came to rest against the hard wall of his chest, the rhythm of his heartbeat steady against her skin.Her breasts pressed to his sternum, her body nestling into his as if it remembered exactly how they used to fit.
The warmth of his embrace wrapped around her like a memory she hadn’t realized she missed.It felt like home.It feltdangerously good.
“You’re trembling,” he murmured, his breath brushing her ear.
When she didn’t respond, he tipped her face up with one knuckle, his dark eyes scanning hers.“Why are you nervous?”
Jemma stepped back, slipping from his arms with more reluctance than she wanted to admit.
The absence of his touch left her instantly cold.
Still, she straightened her spine, lifting her chin even as her gaze slid away.
“I don’t know,” she said, her voice quieter than she intended.Then, steadier: “I’m still wary of your offer to sponsor Jasper.”
She turned, fixing him with a sharp glare.“Tell me again—look me in the eye—and tell me that if I say no to moving in, you won’t punish my brother.That you won’t hurt Jasper as payback.”
Saif shoved his hands into the pockets of his tailored slacks, the fabric whispering with the motion.
He nodded slowly, his expression grave.“I guarantee it.Nothing you say will change my mind about Jasper.He’s a smart, gifted kid.I want to help him.No strings attached.”
“Why him?”she pressed.“There are thousands of gifted kids in the world who could use your generosity.”
Her arms crossed tightly over her chest, a barrier she wasn’t sure even she believed in anymore.
Saif didn’t flinch.“Actually, my family already sponsors over a hundred students with the same offer.So if you’re wondering whether Jasper is uniquely special in this regard—he’s not.”
Jemma blinked.The wind left her sails so abruptly it almost made her sway.
“Oh,” she replied softly, unable to come up with anything sharper.
But Saif took a step closer, ducking slightly to hold her gaze.
“That doesn’t lessen my commitment to him.Jasper’s going to need more than just tuition money.Boys at boarding schools like Monument can be vicious.They’ll crush an outsider’s soul just to prove they can.And Jasper?He’s all heart and fire.I won’t let them break him.”
His voice had shifted—firmer now.Fierce.Protective.
“He’ll only be there two years,” he added, his tone gentling again.“But we have to move quickly.They started classes three weeks ago.Even that much time puts him at a disadvantage.”
Jemma hesitated, eyes narrowing.“Is it really that hard?”
Saif smiled, slow and faintly amused, and reached out to take her hand.
He laced his fingers through hers with surprising tenderness.“Yeah.Monument is one of the top academies in the country.Maybe the world.They only take fifty new boys each year.”
