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She shook her head. “No way. It’s not what’s best for me.”
“Then think of our baby.”
“I am thinking of the baby. And you forcing me into a loveless marriage isn’t going to make any of us happy. Don’t you remember Paris? That night—well, it didn’t work out. Why in the world would you want to compound that mistake?”
“Because as you pointed out, this is about a lot more than you and me. There’s the baby to consider. He or she will be the DiSalvo heir.”
“Oh.” The dejected look on her face told him that he’d said something wrong, but for the life of him he didn’t know what it was.
“What does ‘oh’ mean?”
“Nothing. I’m just surprised.”
“That I would want to marry you in order to protect our child?”
“I’m surprised that you would propose marriage at all. I thought you were a proclaimed bachelor.”
“I was.” He still wasn’t comfortable with the idea of making a commitment. He hadn’t had time to let it all settle in his mind. But time was running out before the press added two and two and got five. “Come on. Let’s go.”
“Go where?”
He sighed. Why wasn’t she following this? “To get married. Once we do that, the problem is solved and the paparazzi will back off.”
“Maybe it will fix one problem, but what about all the other problems it will create?” She shook her head. “I can’t. I won’t. I know you well enough to know that you don’t want to get married, much less have children. I shouldn’t have told you—”
“Yes, you should have. I don’t know why you’re fighting me on this. You have to see that I’m right.”
“I don’t see that. Just let me take care of this. You won’t have to be bothered with me...or the baby. I’ll go back to Paris and I’ll refuse to name the father.”
Was she even listening to what he was saying? She was going to compound this problem, whereas he planned to head it off from the start. “You’ll just add fuel to the fire. The gossip will grow with every news cycle. By not naming me, it’ll be like confirming that jerk is indeed the father.”
She frowned. “Maybe you’re right, but I can’t do it. Binding us both to a...to a fake marriage, it just won’t work.”
He had to admit that she deserved better than to marry someone who couldn’t love her the way she deserved to be loved. Perhaps he was broken inside. He hadn’t chosen to shut down after his mother’s death. It had just happened to him, like a raging case of the flu. No one wants it. No one expects it. And then pow! It hits you.
At least with the flu, you recover. Whatever happened to him the day his mother died, it hadn’t gone away. His feelings just shut down—much like his father.
And so marriage had never been on his wish list. He knew it could become emotional warfare. All that emotional baggage wasn’t something he wanted in his life.
But this was about so much more than what Elena deserved and what he wanted—there was now a baby involved. And this was no ordinary baby—it was the DiSalvo heir. His secret heir.
He cleared his throat. “Marriage is the only way I can think of to protect our child and give him or her a legitimate claim to their heritage.”
Elena didn’t move for a moment. And when she spoke, it was so soft that he had to strain to hear her. “Perhaps you’re right.” She paused as though gathering her thoughts. “On some level, your idea makes some sense—”
“Good. We have to do what is right for the child.” He was finally getting through to her. He drew in a deep breath, hoping that everything was finally resolved. “Elena, I’m going to ask you one more time. Will you agree to marry me?”
“No.” There wasn’t even the slightest hesitation in her quick answer. She waved her hands, as though to chase away the idea. “I...I can’t do this.” A tear slipped down her cheek, and she swiped it away. “It’s too much. Too fast. Too...wrong.”
“Elena, don’t do this. Don’t do this to us—to our child.”
This time it was El
ena who took off down the beach, but she wasn’t walking. She was running. Her long hair fluttered in the breeze.
Luca swore as he watched her run away from him. He’d never imagined if he proposed to someone she would run away in tears. Why did it seem as though he was always making Elena cry?
Part of him wanted to let her keep running until she wore herself out. And the other part of him wanted to go to her and comfort her. He was torn by the tumultuous emotions. And for a man used to keeping his emotions in check, this was a lot.
