Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
He watches me for a moment, lips tugged into a curious frown. Part of me expects him to run away from this—people in his world don’t do well with scandal. Addiction, drugs, real life stuff, he’s probably been shielded from all of that for his entire life, and the idea of dealing with a real addict must seem daunting and terrifying. If he stands up right now and walks away, I won’t blame him one tiny bit, and I’ll just go back to my original plan and marry a guy like Matthew Keynes.
The thought sends a piercing jolt of sorrow into my chest. I don’t want to marry Matthew. I don’t want to marry any of the men on my grandfather’s list. I want to marry a man of my choosing, even if it’s a man I don’t particularly like or even want all that much, but at least it’s my decision for my own reasons.
“I can handle that,” he says softly.
“Wait—you can? Really?”
“It’s a fair trade. I’ll take care of your mother and in exchange, you’ll be my wife and you’ll help me get what I want. It sounds like a good deal for both of us.”
“Are you sure? I mean, do you really get what you’re agreeing to?”
He laughs gently and reaches out to touch my thigh. A tingle runs down into my core and I squirm nervously, but he’s staring at me, his wine glass at his lips. “I know exactly what I want, Kat, and exactly what I’m agreeing to.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I say and look down at his hand. “You don’t have to—pretend.”
“Pretend what?”
“To want me. This is a business arrangement, right? We’ll work together and build a life but there doesn’t have to be—” I stare at the way his fingers brush up my thigh, getting closer and closer, until I hurriedly push him away.
“If I’m going to have you, I’m going to have you. This deal involves children.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Children. Heirs. Me and you.”
“That means we’ll—” I take a long pull of my drink and finish it off. The thought of actually having sex with this man makes my cheeks turn bright pink. But of course, that’s what he wants—everyone in our world wants children to carry on the family name. That’s the bare minimum that will be expected of me.
“Yes, Kat, that means we’ll sleep together. Specifically, you’ll sleep in my bed every single night and I’ll fuck you when I want to. I’ll taste you, Kat, and I’ll enjoy every minute of it, especially when you end up with my children in your belly. So let me ask you this, do you understand what you’re getting into?”
My mouth is hanging open. He’s looking at me with utter sincerity and my head’s spinning through a thousand images right now. Me in his bed, me sleeping with him under the covers, his hands on my body, his mouth on mine, his mouth between my legs, his groans as he fills me—
And children. From him. Actual babies.
It scares the hell out of me.
It truly scares me to death.
But I have to do this. Mom needs me right now. Grandfather’s going to throw her from the family, if not this time then the next time or the time after that, and I can’t sit around and wait for it to happen.
“I understand,” I whisper.
“Good girl.” He leans forward and I shiver as his lips brush my cheek. “Should we seal this? Call it a deal?”
“Seal it—how?”
“The traditional way.” His mouth hovers inches from mine. His eyes and his handsome face are everything, bigger than the moon. “With a kiss.”
I stifle a moan as his lips find mine. His mouth opens, and my mouth opens, and we’re kissing again, and that familiar taste bombards me, that delicious and spicy taste. His tongue laps along mine and his lips move slowly and sensually, and I whimper again—god, what is wrong with me, why do I keep whimpering—but this time he groans in response.
That noise is easily the sexiest thing I’ve heard in my life.
But I break away from him after another moment because if I don’t then I’ll end up taking this too far. I’m riled up, sweating and excited, my core buzzing, and sweat rolling down my back, and I have to put one palm on his chest to keep him away. His heart is racing—like he’s as excited as I am.
“I guess that’s better than a handshake,” I whisper.
“Just a taste of what’s to come. You don’t have to like me, Kat, but you will be my wife, and you will play the role.”
“So long as you hold up your end of the bargain.” I stand quickly and step away from the bench. I crouch down and snatch up my heels. “Where do we go from here?”