Page 50 of Secret Dynasty

My cheeks burned, and his jaw clenched.

“Fuck.” he turned his head away from me.

“What?” I asked, wishing I had a mirror.

“When you flush like that, it makes me think of what you look like…”

“Oh?” I tilted my head waiting for him to finish, and then it dawned on me. “Oh! I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he said gruffly. “Don’t ever be sorry for that.” His gaze raked over me, and he took a deep breath. “You’re a goddess. Is there a goddess of brides?”

I wet my lip with my tongue, my mouth feeling a little dry under his watchful eyes. “I don’t think so.”

“Good,” he said, taking another swig from his drink. “You’re the only bride that should be worshipped.”

I gulped at the implication of his words. Under my skirt, I pressed my thighs together, grateful that he couldn’t see the movement. But his words were like a drug, and I felt my own inhibitions lifting.

“There’s something you should know,” I said softly. “I have to marry Spencer.”

His throat slid as he finished his drink. He reached for the bottle and poured another.

“But I don’t want to,” I confessed.

“Last I checked, you could walk away. Some of us aren’t so lucky,” Holden said bitterly. He reached for the bottle again, but my hand flew to catch his before he had another.

“I can’t do that. I want you to understand.” I quickly filled him in on the uncertainty surrounding my mother’s death and his grandfather’s role in keeping it quiet.

“So my grandfather bought his favored son a homicidal wife. Interesting choice.” His lips twitched as he spoke.

“There’s no proof that I—”

“Hey,” he stopped me. “I know you didn’t do it. You would never.”

“But as long as I don’t know what happened, he can hold this over me,” I said miserably. “He threatened my whole family, and then there’s his stupid contract.”

“The prenup?” Holden said.

“Yes, I can’t believe he thinks he can force me to…” I caught myself before I let it slip how much of my life was planned out for me.

“To do what, dirty girl?”

“Nothing.”

Holden pressed a finger to my chin and tipped my face up. “What?”

“I’ve agreed to stop all contraception after the wedding.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

I couldn’t bring myself to say the rest, but judging from the anger contorting Holden’s face, he had filled in the blanks.

“I guess I was wrong about why he asked me to move in. I thought he wanted to keep an eye on us, but I suppose he wants to rub salt in the wound.” He fell silent, and then he raised his fist and smashed it against the bar top.

“Holden,” I shrieked. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does,” he growled. “First, I have to see you in this dress looking like every fantasy I’ve ever had, and then he’s going to get you pregnant and force me to watch you carry his child.”

“I didn’t realize…”