Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 182(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 182(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
She pressed her fingers to her forehead and her gaze was on a point at the table. “It’s … complicated. I don’t know. They are happily married. At least, I think so. My parents were never clear when it came to the women of the Denton line. I know that my brothers, when they met the women destined to be theirs, that was it. It’s the truth.” She pressed her lips together.
“What about your aunts?” he asked.
“When I was a kid, I didn’t pay much attention to all the family trips and everything.” She blew out a breath. “And then after my dad died, I left.” She frowned. “I vaguely remember my uncles, and they adored my aunts. I don’t know. I’d have to ask my brothers or my mom.”
“What about Landon?”
She pressed her lips together but didn’t say a word. In their two years of marriage, she had never once let on that he was still alive. Mason could only guess he was.
“Haven’t you been curious about your future? If you would find a man?” He hated asking. Hated the rage that fell over him at the thought of any other man having what belonged to him. Tamsin was his.
He didn’t know where these thoughts and feelings were coming from. She wasn’t a piece of meat, not his property, but he didn’t want to let her go.
“No, I don’t care,” Tamsin said.
He watched as she nibbled her bottom lip and then reached for the glass of water. She took a sip, all the while avoiding eye contact. Mason wanted to ask her what she was thinking or feeling, but kept his lips closed.
The waiter hadn’t approached their table, but Mason hadn’t given him the signal to do so.
“So, we need to get pregnant,” Tamsin said.
Now, this did surprise him. She had put the menu down.
“What?”
“If we need to stop your father from causing any other trouble, then we’re going to have to get pregnant.” She shrugged.
“I’ve given you a way out of this marriage, and you want to continue staying married to me?” he asked.
“Maybe we should order. I’m getting hungry.”
He wanted to argue but instead he signaled the waiter. Tamsin ordered some chicken parmesan, while he went for the steak and potatoes.
Once they were alone, he focused on Tamsin.
“You cannot keep drinking your water and pretending you’ve not just suggested a way for us to stay married, Tamsin.”
She lifted her head and looked at him. He didn’t know how she did it, but she grew more beautiful with every passing day.
“I’m a Denton, Mason. You know this. We also know that even as my family grows stronger, so too does yours. If our marriage dissolves, I don’t know what that means in terms of peace between our families.”
“You’re worried about conflict?”
“Not just that. If what you say is true, there might also be a chance that my family will marry me off to someone else, especially if they know I’m … you know … a virgin.” She mouthed the last part.
Mason didn’t agree with her. “Your brothers wouldn’t do that.”
“My father promised me he would never use me as a pawn, and yet he did.”
“Your brothers are different.”
“I’m not willing to take that chance.” She glanced away and he watched as she took a deep breath and then lifted her head to look at him. “I know you’ve been nice to me. There are plenty of men who would have made my life a living hell. Might have even given me to their father as a peace offering or something. You’ve been good to me, and being married to you hasn’t been as terrible as I thought it would be.”
“I am going to take that as a compliment,” he said, although he couldn’t help but frown.
“I know I’ve not been the best wife.”
“Tamsin, don’t.”
“Let me finish. I know I’ve not been the best wife. I try, but it has been hard. I always thought I would be normal. Go to school, college, get a job, and maybe even create my own business. Have my father walk me down the aisle … but my dreams were shattered. Nothing worked out the way I hoped it would.” She lifted her hand and placed it across the table. “And maybe, what I need to do is just accept what has happened, and we should try to make the most of what we’ve got.”
He wrapped his hand around hers and stroked his thumb across her hand.
“I intend to keep my promise, Tamsin.”
“I know. I believe you, but … I don’t know if you have other women, or if you have kids with other women.”
“I don’t. I’ve not been with anyone else since you were promised to me.”
Tamsin frowned and tilted her head to the side, watching him. “My mom always said that men have needs. That you would probably take a mistress or have whores to satisfy you.”