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“When did you find out?” she asked, only now realizing he’d been moving her toward a limousine with its back door open the whole time they’d been talking.
He tried to usher her inside, but she balked. “Tell me.”
“A month before we left New York.”
“No …” It was almost funny in a macabre kind of way.
Because by then, she’d decided even if it was a baby holding them together it was worth keeping her marriage to the man she loved with her whole heart. She’d stopped taking her pills almost a month before that, but hadn’t gotten pregnant.
She wasn’t sure at first, though—those first two weeks after returning to the States she’d lived in a state of dread. The idea of staying married to him under the circumstances had been untenable. Not only that, but the contract hadn’t specified what happened if she had a baby after the marriage ended.
All custody parameters might have been negated by her timing.
She climbed into the limo without further protest, her movements clumsy and awkward.
They’d driven in silence for several minutes when he made a sound of exasperation. “I did not say you would have to give up our child. You are the one who suggested it.”
He still believed that’s what she was upset about? She was. Really upset. The very idea horrified her. But even such a despicable plan paled in comparison to the knowledge that her effort to protect herself had been the reason she lost her marriage and the love of her life.
She tried to tell herself it had been for the best. What kind of life would they have had together with him caring so little for her?
More memories of the life they had shared flashed through her mind, taunting her with how happy she’d been. Yes, there had been moments of pain, days she’d despaired in her unrequited love, but there’d been so many more when she’d simply been blissfully happy.
It was no use trying to deny it. She would have taken that life and with gratitude.
Two years on, she was no longer convinced love on one side wasn’t enough. Not when the other side respected their marriage vows and provided the kind of passion in intimacy that most women only dreamed about.
Okay, so he hadn’t adored her, or anything like that, but he’d been kind to her—when he remembered she existed. No question his position with SSE had come first, but she’d never expected anything different.
Yes, it hurt to love unrequited, but Chloe now knew how much more it hurt to walk away from that love. Especially when his lack of emotional commitment to her had not shown itself until she’d read those divorce papers.
Ariston had done marriage really well.
She couldn’t change the past, though. No matter how much she might want to. She couldn’t say, “Oops, maybe I should have waited to walk out.”
Even now, knowing everything, she was still fairly certain she’d done the right thing.
She dashed at eyes now spilling. She had to get herself together. And get out of this limousine.
He made an exasperated sound and she looked up at him.
“Stop looking so damn tragic. If you become pregnant and carry my child to term successfully, I will marry you.”
“What?” Nothing was making sense here. He had not just offered her the world on a platter. Him and a baby, too. “You said not marriage.”
“I told you, a modification of our original agreement.”
“That agreement was never between you and me.” And hadn’t that been part of the problem? “We were our family’s pawns.”
“I do not play chess, Chloe. You know this. I will never play the pawn.” He reclined against the opposite seat, his body’s relaxed pose belied by the tension in his blue eyes.
“But you only married me because your grandfather wanted great-grandchildren.”
“Considering all that he has done for me, is it so strange I should seek to give him what he wants? Even now?”
So, it was still about his grandfather. She could not be surprised. The fact that Ariston wanted Chloe to be the mother of the grandchild he was determined to provide the old man was, however.
“You are so sure I would be willing to marry you in that case?” Even she didn’t know what she’d do in that case.
“You will sign an ironclad contract to that effect, one that will guarantee you lose primary custody of our child should you refuse to do so,” he said with the air of a man who had recently discovered his biggest bargaining chip and had no hesitations about using it.
“I—”
“Come, you know you were content enough to be my wife before. In certain cases, even passionately so.” The look he gave her said he referred to their incredible compatibility in the bedroom. “Do not deny it. You walked out because you thought I planned to divorce you. This is our chance at a do-over.”
