An Unexpected Romance

Chapter 27

Gema avoided Vistos for the most part, which unfortunately meant not seeing much of Kai. Vistos essentially never let him out of his sight, and the rest of the week was much like that. Gema watched them as they swam for hours, as Vistos let Kai ride in his saddle with him, as they ran around the expansive land of Vistos’ estate, Kai’s high giggles followed by Vistos’ throaty laugh. Gema’s heart was torn in two, wanting desperately to be apart of their family, and also wanting to rip Kai from Vistos and disappear once again. She had made up her mind by the end of the week, and Gema knocked on the door of Vistos’ office after Kai had been bathed and put down for the night. A grunt was her only indicator to come in, and she found Vistos pouring over papers at his desk. He glanced up when she came in, his expression immediately turning dark, and Gema spoke before he could tell her to leave. He blamed her for their time apart because in his egocentric mind, she should have had the foresight to realize that he wouldn’t abandon an unexpected pregnancy. Yeah, right, like that was reasonable.

“Look, I know you don’t want to see me, let alone talk to me, but I have come to a conclusion on the living arrangements” 

“Oh?” Vistos muttered, leaning back in his chair, the light from the single lamp casting half of his features in shadow, and one lone curl fell near his eye seductively, having come free from being brushed back like the rest. 

“Yes.” Gema said, hesitating. With a wave of his hand, Vistos urged her forward silently. “I think it would be, in everyone’s best interest, if Kai returned to London with me. Everything he knows is there, and to uproot him now right before his schooling resumes, would upset him. I’m willing to work out some kind of visitation, I can come to you or you can come to me, whatever it may be. But I want to make it clear that we don’t need your money” Gema said sternly. 

“This is all very considerate of you” Vistos drawled. “it is, after all, the least you can do after nearly four years of deprivation of my child.” His eyes were dark as he spoke. “Nevertheless, they are unacceptable. Kai is not living anywhere other than with me, and you should know that I am well prepared to take this to court” he added silently, and Gema was speechless. Was he truly threatening her? “Since Lana is out of the woods, I shall be having a small dinner party tomorrow with my family to celebrate, and so that they may formally meet my son.” His eyes wandered up and down her body slowly and she felt that familiar deep burn, despite her fury for him. “I expect you to dress appropriately, and not to embarrass me any further.”  

“So your son is an embarrassment to you? Well, excuse me if you believe so, but I did not have the option of giving birth within the sanctity of marriage!” Gema spat at him, and Vistos vaulted from his chair, rounding the desk to scowl at her. 

“Do not twist my words! Kai is not an embarrassment, but you most certainly are! How am I supposed to tell my entire family that I have a son that I had no idea existed for four years?” He demanded, turning away from her and running a hand back through his hair. “Dios! It will be hell to face their accusations tomorrow.” 

Gema softened, seeing how much this really would affect Vistos. His family was quite traditional when it came to marriage and children, and they had decidedly put the horse before the cart. She opened her mouth to apologize, but found Vistos speaking first. 

“If you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of work to finish” His voice was stern, stiff, and Gema left without another word. She couldn’t sleep, so she went and laid down with Kai, stroking his soft cheek and marveling at the gift she had been given, and how much he looked like his father. 

Unable to resume working after their argument, Vistos found himself plagued with frustration once again since Gema had come back into his life. He started a shower, rinsing the sweat and stress from his body. His thoughts quickly waned to Gema, of the way her brow furrowed when she yelled at him, or the way she used to smile whenever he’d walk into the room. His body hardened just at the thought of that smile, of the sultry look her eyes would take on when he would reveal himself to her. So why was he keeping his distance from her? She didn’t want him, that was why, she‘d moved on. With that wimpy looking guy, Jamie. Vistos scowled as he rinsed the shampoo from his hair. What kind of name was that anyway? How long have they been seeing each other? They looked pretty cozy in that Thai restaurant. Vistos scowled as he rubbed the water from his eyes.

But it was his own fault, he should have known, he should have been there for her when she gave birth, not Lana. Lana had thoroughly cursed him out, fresh home from the hospital, when he’d confronted her about not telling him of Kai’s existence. She had been right, making him realize that he had treated Gema as little more than a common slut, and he shouldn’t have expected her to follow him to the ends of the earth. Vistos sighed heavily as he turned the water cold, trying to loosen the tension in his now throbbing body. But he had expected it, had hoped for it after that lone night four years ago. His hands fisted at the remembrance of how he had rushed to the villa from London to see her, feeling quite like a teenager with a bouquet of flowers and a sparkling necklace for her. But he had returned to an empty villa, and an apologetic Claire, who had been hesitant to tell him Gema had never arrived for her flight the week before, but had left him a letter. He had been furious, devastated, and felt like a fool. He had refused to contact her, clearly she wanted nothing to do with him. Vistos had been surprised to hear her wedding to Doug had been broken off, and it sent him soaring with pride to know. But that was long ago, Vistos realized with a sigh as he turned off the shower and dried off as he walked to the dresser and pulled on loose sleeping pants and toweled off his wet hair.