AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His attention riveted on me as a tear streaked down. His soft gaze danced over my face before he nodded. “I’ll do it.”
“What do I have to do in return?”
“Nothing,” he murmured, lifting a hand to stroke my cheek. “We’re on the same page, Bumpkin.”
A shower of sparks followed the knuckles grazing my skin. He’d touched me before, but never like this. My numb lips somehow formed words.
“Stop callin’ me ‘Bumpkin.’”
His glance slid to my mouth. “I will when you stop butchering my name.”
“It’s not intentional. It’s just foreign to my tongue.”
“I can show you a few other things foreign to your tongue.”
I rolled my eyes, but my heart jolted. “Nothin’ I haven’t already seen or heard about.”
“I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.”
“Makin’ women disappear when you’re done with them?”
He still held my chin. He stood close enough so that his breath fanned my cheeks. It almost seemed like he breathed me in. “You’re not just any woman. You’re my fiancée.”
That word throbbed in my chest. “You said you didn’t want anything from me.”
“I’ve changed my mind,” he purred. “After all, you put that infidelity clause in.”
“I’m holdin’ you to your vows.”
“Are you going to offer yourself to me?”
I laughed. “Of course not.”
“Then you’re setting me up to fail.”
I gritted my teeth. “Maybe, for once, you could try being faithful to one woman.”
“You think a piece of paper will turn me into a perfect husband?”
“It’s not about changin’ you. It’s about respectin’ the commitment you’re about to make.”
He released my chin, and his intensity vanished. “What about you? Can you handle being married to me?”
Pressure built up behind my eyes as I pictured our life together. What would that even look like? Would we sleep in separate beds? More tears slipped down my cheeks. I’d always wanted to fall deeply in love with someone. My heart mourned the future I was stepping into—a loveless marriage.
Slowly, his gaze slid downward. His mouth hovered perilously close. His breath warmed my skin, stirring something deep within me. I wanted to feel nothing, but an ache pulsed between my legs. Would he kiss me? My pulse throttled. I waited for him to inch closer and seal my fate to him. He angled his head. I could almost taste him.
But he didn’t kiss me. His lips touched my face, right where a tear trembled. Wet heat stroked the spot. A disorienting feeling threatened to pull me under. He licked me. I froze as he traced a scorching path up.
Too much.
I jerked away. “What the heck are you doin’?”
He pulled back, smirking. “Distracting you.”
I glared at him. “This isn’t a game.”
“Isn’t it? You need me for your sister’s revenge, I need you for my son. We’re using each other. Let’s not pretend it’s anything more.”
