The Rake (Boston Belles #4)(66)

I smiled sadly. “You know me too well.”

Even after all these years, it was true. Louisa knew what made me tick. What my walls were built of.

She looked down, drawing a deep breath. “Cecilia is on suicide watch.”

“No. That’s not true.” I reared my head back.

Lou nodded.

“Can you blame her? Her life is practically over. She doesn’t want to stay with Drew, but you took away her options when you said you wouldn’t marry me. Ursula and her were going to convince you to sell the Battersea complex building and live off the money after Edwin blew through their savings and investment portfolio.”

The news hit exactly where it was supposed to. Right in my heart.

“Your mother is in a deep depression. There’s no one to pay the hefty bills. I know you cannot take care of them, Devon. You’re doing very well for yourself, but you have your own life to sustain. Tying the knot could make all of this go away. I’m willing to overlook your little mistake with this … Belle girl.” She shuddered when she said her name. “Make an honest woman out of me. It’ll make everyone happy. Including, by the way, your stripper. I just spent a few hours with her. She doesn’t care for you at all, Devvie. The entire time, she couldn’t stop telling me how much she was looking forward to getting out of here. To start dating again.”

Sweven missed dating, did she?

My senses became oversaturated with fresh white anger.

The only reason why she was here, in my apartment, was because she had a literal death threat hanging over her head and sexual needs she wanted me to take care of.

She was a selfish, uncaring woman, and she would be the first one to admit it.

I was categorically idiotic, refusing to even entertain the idea of marrying Louisa simply because it would have delighted my father, who by now was nothing more than a bag of bones in a suit.

“I’ll give it some thought.” I rubbed at my jaw.

Louisa took a step back. I scanned her body. She was, indeed, a delightful creature. Not as wildly exotic and exciting as Belle, but satisfying nonetheless.

It was good to remember that Louisa would never put herself in a position of getting death threats, would never opt out of contacting the police, nor would she carry a gun or eat Froot Loops for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

“Can I stay here in the meantime? I gave myself a tour and noticed you have a couple of guestrooms,” Lou murmured.

The idea of sharing a roof with both Emmabelle and Louisa was about as appealing as castration by a blind man. This could easily end in a double murder. Frankly, I didn’t want the mother of my child to give birth in prison.

“Get a hotel.” I took a step forward, brushing my thumb along her cheek. “I’ll pay.”

“No, thank you. I have my own money.” She smiled politely, but I could tell by her face that she was wounded. “Dinner tomorrow? Show me Boston?”

“Sure,” I groaned. “Just let me check my calendar.”

She immediately melted into my body, smiling up to me, her eyes shining with the same intensity they had when we were kids.

Louisa.

She’d never cheat.

Never show a hint of disloyalty.

Would be so easily trained.

“I’ll stay local.” She caught my wrist between her fingers, pushing her cheek into my palm like a spoiled kitten.

“I’ll stay in touch.”

“God, Devvie, I’m so glad we had this conversation. Your mother will be delighted.”

Apparently, Belle would be too.

I escorted Louisa to the door, kissed her cheek goodbye, and closed it after her.

Maybe it was time to let one door close and another one open.



She was gone.

But not before he rubbed his thumb across her cheek.

Not before he looked down at her with the same aloof amusement he looked at me.

I spied on them through the crack of the slightly ajar door of the guestroom.

I had spent the entire day telling Louisa how much I didn’t care for Devon, how I was eager to get back to my normal life. All in order to save face.

But none of it was true.

Admit it. You have feelings for the father of your child, and you’re in over your head.

I clutched my belly, flinging myself on a bed that smelled like him.

Betrayal was betrayal. And this felt reminiscent of my past. That same helpless feeling of putting your heart in the hands of a man and watching as he crushed it into shards of nothing.

I curled into myself over the linen of the queen-sized bed and seethed.

I needed to get out of here. To move back to my apartment.

Thank fuck I hadn’t stopped paying rent.

I wanted to give it a few weeks, just to see if Devon and I would get along. Turned out we did.

Only one thing was standing in our way—his fiancée.

Or maybe she wasn’t his fiancée right now, but she was right in what she told me this afternoon, when he wasn’t here.

“Devon always does the right thing, and the right thing is to marry me. Bow down, Emmabelle. It’s game over for you. He doesn’t have a choice.”

A soft knock on the door sounded behind my back. I made no move or sound.

“May I?” Devon asked gruffly from the other end.

He didn’t sound apologetic at all. More like he was looking for a fight. Well, this was his lucky day.