Between Commitment and Betrayal (Hardy Billionaire Brothers, #1)(84)

“They’ll still be happy to see you whether you have me on your arm or another woman,” I responded. “We shouldn’t lead your family to believe that this is more than a marriage of convenience anyway when we haven’t discussed—”

“Yeah, well, you know I don’t think it’s fucking convenient. Not when I have to stare at you on another man’s arm.”

His jealousy knew no bounds. “Well, I’ll agree it isn’t very convenient now that Carl’s put a pregnancy clause on our shoulders.” How ironic that I would not want the one thing I really longed for because it was being pushed on me. When my snippy remark was met with silence, I glanced at my phone. “Declan, are you there?”

“Would children with me be so terrible?” He suddenly sounded tortured, like he was mulling it over in his head for days and days like me. Gone was the clipped tone, gone was the thought of him giving me updates on what he reported to Mrs. Johnson. Instead, I heard his pain, heard that he might want this more than he let on. “Because I’ve seen you with the kids at the gym, Drop. I see how you love them. I know you’d make a phenomenal mother. And I’d try to be a damn good dad.”

I shut my eyes and tried not to picture how he’d taken care of those kids when he’d come to their classes. He was patient and kind and freaking giving. He’d sign autographs and stay extra to listen to each of them tell their stories. They all loved him most. “I know you’ll be a good dad, Declan, and you know I want tons of babies. But I want them born in love. And I know I shouldn’t want to plan all that but—”

“I don’t want your decision now. I just want you to keep considering it,” he said, delaying what I pretty much knew was the inevitable at this point anyway. “We’re going to the gala tonight together. So get ready.”

“I agreed to go with Dom. You agreed to go with Anastasia.” It pained me to mention her, but it was for the best.

I glanced at the blue evening dress draped over the end of my bed in my room. Clara had said I could borrow it a few days earlier when she’d brought it to work. She’d said it was the same color as my eyes.

“Like Anastasia said the day you gingerly agreed to have your husband go with another woman, I took her last year.” I knew it and still the admission felt like a spear through my heart. It shouldn’t have mattered, but my feelings were too complicated and tangled to unravel now. “It wouldn’t look good if I did again. Not with the shit that her and Piper are doing in the papers. You’re going with me tonight, Everly. I’m done with the media. And Dom can take Anastasia. She’ll understand—”

I think he was forgetting that Anastasia was best friends with Piper, that they knew exactly how it would affect me if Anastasia went with him. It’s probably why she asked him specifically. “Piper wants you to be seen with her friend. She’s protecting your public image. I’d rather you protect your public image, too, Declan. And your family’s. I won’t be in the public eye once we’re—”

He stopped me abruptly by swearing, “You’re going with me.”

Then he hung up and not two minutes later, he was barging through the guesthouse door. I sighed, leaned against the counter, and crossed my arms over my chest at his barbaric display of trying to get his way. “Feel good about how you just hung up the phone?”

“Are you trying to piss me off?” he said, eyes flashing angrily as he stomped over to me. He was already in a suit, all black and beautifully tailored to his body. The lines of his shoulders far outshone what other men could do with their suit. He caged me into the counter, his chest right up against mine, not handling me gently now at all. “How did I know you were going to fight me tooth and nail about this?”

“Because you know it’s not logical for me to go with you especially if we don’t plan on being married much—”

“And yet, here I am, waiting for you to get dressed because we haven’t made that decision yet, have we?” He glared at me.

I chewed my cheek as he came to stand by me and brush a hand over my jaw, as I breathed his scent, as my heart yearned for him.

“Fuck me, Drop,” he murmured close to my ear, and my eyes fluttered closed as I felt his length against my stomach. “I’ll dress you myself if you don’t start. You’re going with me. You might be fine with her on my arm, but I’m not fine with you on any man’s arm but mine. Not even my brother’s.”

“I already told Anastasia and Dom—”

It was a weak excuse at this point. “I’ll take care of it.”

I bit my lip and nodded as his lips dropped to my neck. I was giving into the night, giving in to him for now because I didn’t know if we had much time left after.

“Goddamn, I miss touching you.” He said it low, and I felt it down in my heart. We were both holding out with the big decision looming over our heads, but our souls still wanted to be together more than anything else. His hands were everywhere, sliding over my waist, my chest, then my arms, and then down to my hands where he groaned as his thumb grazed over my ring finger.

He stepped back for a minute to pull my wedding band from his pocket and before I could protest, his lips were on mine kissing me, devouring me, owning me. He slid the ring back on my finger and said against my cheek near my ear, “You’re mine tonight, Everly.”