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She was quiet as she tried to figure out what to say next. “We would love to spend the rest of our lives here, to be protected by a powerful man like you. No harm would ever come to us with you around. I could raise my son and live a peaceful life.”
“And that’s something I’ve already offered to you. You know I’ll protect you.”
“I know,” she whispered. “But…I guess I want more. I want a powerful husband who will keep us safe at night. I want a man my son can look up to. I want to give him the best life possible. I never want to be afraid of the evil and cruel men out there.”
I hardly listened to anything else she said because all I could focus on was the word husband.
“I will give you anything you want in return. Not only my body, but my devotion and commitment. I already care deeply for you, Carter. I’m so loyal to you…would do anything you asked. You can have you own flings in the background and keep your personal life how you want it, but I can fulfill the other part of your life. I can be a wife to you, make you a home, and if you want to have children…I’m sure we could make that happen. I could raise them and do all the work so you don’t have to…if you’ll protect us for the rest of our lives.”
I stared at her blankly, unable to believe what she’d just said. “Did you just ask me to marry you?” I blurted out the words in a harsh tone, shocked that this woman put that kind of offer on the table.
“Yes…” Redness entered her cheeks, her embarrassment turning her into a tomato. “Not exactly, but yes. It’s just an idea. I didn’t mean to offend you. Just forget what I said. I just—”
“You want me to be your husband?” I asked, still incredulous. A woman like her could have any man she wanted, regardless of her past.
“Yes. Me and every other woman in the world.” She rolled her eyes. “I was under the impression you weren’t looking for something serious from anyone. So, with me, you can have both. You can have a family and have your legacy continue, while keeping the life you have now. In exchange for your protection…I thought it would be a fair trade. But forget I said anything, okay? It was a stupid thing to ask.”
I stared at her without focusing on her features. I knew I wanted this woman to stay, to live in my house indefinitely. I could have paid her off and gotten rid of her a long time ago. I wouldn’t have spent so much time with her son if I didn’t care about her. I wouldn’t have been faithful to her for so long unless there was something here. I wanted to keep her forever anyway, but I felt like shit forcing her to do that. Now she was doing it freely, giving me exactly what I wanted.
I never wanted to let this woman go. “Yes.”
“Can we just forget about it?” she asked. “I was just—” Her eyes widened when my answer sank into her bones. “Wait…what?”
“Yes.” I watched her reaction change, watched the relief enter her gaze. “That sounds like a fair trade to me.” I wanted this woman by my side every single day, even with a kid of her own. I never wanted her to leave, and by agreeing to her terms, I could have her for the rest of my life. She was creating her own sentence, committing to a lifetime of being with me. I’d never wanted to get married anyway. I didn’t want to find a woman who would love me for me and not my money. Why would I waste my time doing that when I already had that woman right here?
Mia wanted me for me.
Still shocked, she stared at me with a stunned expression. “I guess I wasn’t expecting you to say yes right away…or say yes at all.”
“Me neither.” My hand cupped her cheek, and I looked into her gaze, seeing a woman who’d stolen my obsession from the first time I looked at her. It was like an arranged marriage, something of convenience for both of us. I could have her for the rest of my life, have her fill the role I wanted, and she could have a powerful man to protect her and her son. It would be simple, uncomplicated with all the emotions that accompanied romance. And I could also have a family without having to deal with diapers and vomit all the time. It fixed all my problems. I was about to turn thirty, and I wasn’t getting any younger.
“Wow…I don’t know what to say.”
