Accidental Knight: A Marriage Mistake Romance(67)

And Drake? Drake just grabs my hand, holds the ring to his lips, and gingerly brushes it across them before kissing the back of my head. “Love you, Bella. Love you till the day I die.”

Holy, holy helllll.

Mom sniffs, breaks from her trance, and starts to talk again in a muted whisper. “This is psycho. That certificate is fake. Forged somehow. All of this! You...you’re both trying to drive me out of my mind and it’s not going to work.” She reaches down and yanks her purse off the floor. “I’ll prove it, just wait and see.” She marches across the room and stops at the door.

I swallow something thick in my throat. Drake’s arm wraps around my waist and pulls me tighter.

Leveling a glare at us, she stops. “You won’t get away with this, missy. You’ll regret the day you ever thought you’d outsmart me, I promise you.”

This time, her heels smack against the tile, and the door slams so hard it jostles the house.

Oh my God. Things just went to eleven, and it could be dangerous. I’m not even sure how dangerous.





After what seems like an eternity, Drake bends down and picks up the folder I’d torn in half.

“You all right?” he asks, setting both pieces on the desk.

“I’ll live. I think.” I can’t help but glance at the ring again. “Did Gramps buy this too?”

“Nope. I did.”

“When?”

“Last week.”

I raise an eyebrow. He hasn’t left the house. Not that I know of. “Where?”

“Got a friend from the Army who owns a big jewelry brand in Phoenix. Ever heard of Black Rhino?”

I nod. It’s a luxury brand, expensive, the sort of stuff Mom wishes she was decked in.

“Knox owed me.” He leans against the desk. “I called him and he shipped it over, no questions asked.”

“But...why?”

“Because Erin said she’s expecting to see one next time we’re in town. That goes for everybody else, too, if and when news about us hits the local gossip circuit.”

I nod, then shake my head at how it hurts to swallow against the swelling of my throat. Mom’s crappy visit affected me more than I wanted it to.

And let’s be real – so does the fact he’d bought me a ring.

“Why’re you doing this?” I ask quietly.

He pushes off the desk and walks around to the window. With his back to me, he finally says, “We’ve already been through this, Bella.”

“No, we haven’t. Not completely. So maybe you were good friends with Gramps and his employee, and promised to help with things after his death, but...” I look at the huge rock on my hand again, and how it catches the sun, spinning light into pure oscillating glitter. “But this – this crazy charade is more than any friend would agree to. It’s more than any sane person would ever do.”

He turns around. “You calling me insane, darlin’?”

Eep.

Okay, maybe I am.

I shake my head and shrug. “Maybe. I don’t know. Maybe we’re both insane for doing this. I mean, I started that game at the diner, trying to assert a tiny shred of control in the messiest way possible.”

“I’m not nuts and neither are you. The jury’s still out on your ma.” Then he flashes a shit-eating grin.

My heart flips. It’s not fair how a simple smile transforms his face from broody hellraiser into Prince Damn Charming. He’s wickedly handsome all the time, but when he grins, he’s flipping lethal.

The idea of doubling down on crazy and walking over to kiss him right now flusters me.

This whole debacle flusters me. Every last bit of it.

How can I even go on like this, spun every which way between Gramps’ wishes and Mom’s demands and a company I know next to nothing about and living with this strange, gorgeous man pretending to be my husband?

“Look, I’ll give you whatever Gramps promised. Money. Land. Shares in North Earhart Oil. Name it. Just do me a favor?”

“I already told you, Bella, when it’s over, I leave with what I had when Jonah died. Nothing more.” He walks away from the window, passing me with a soft, infuriating brush of his shoulder. Now I know how it must feel to have a huge tiger glide past.

Wait. He can’t be leaving in the middle of this, right?

Aaaand he’s leaving.

He’s almost to the door when I fly over and grab his shoulder. “Stop it, Drake. Just stop.”

Turning, his eyes are a cold, crisp blue. “Stop what?”

“Everything!” I’m nearly breathless.

He lifts a brow.

Frustration storms through my blood. This doesn’t make sense.

There has to be more to it. Has to be a reason he’s doing this. Has to be.

And if I can’t get respect from Mom, then I’ll at least have answers from Drake.

“Don’t know what you mean by everything, darlin’. Talk to me.”

“Just talk? That easy, huh? I could say the same thing.” My lip curls as I put my hands on my hips. “All right, fine. Let’s start with why you’re lying to me.”

He grins and fully turns, facing me head-on.

“Then I’d love it if you’d stop ignoring me.”