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“Very well,” Mr. St. Claire said. “Her hand now belongs to you. You have 109 days from this day to be engaged, make arrangements for a wedding, and recite your vows on the grounds of the Oleander. Do I have your word, Emmett, that you will follow through?”
I nodded. “You have my word. We will be married within 109 days.”
The canes banged on the floor in a cadence that vibrated throughout my entire core.
“Emmett Washington, Bellamy Carmichael, you have both passed the Initiation. Emmett, you are now a member of The Order of the Silver Ghost. Bellamy, you have been granted your wish and have Emmett as your future husband.” He pounded his cane hard to punctuate his dictate.
Removing my jacket, I placed it over Bellamy’s shoulders and noticed she was trembling. Hating that she had to stand in the ballroom so exposed, especially after such an intense sexual experience, I chastised myself for not doing it sooner. Pulling her body into mine to offer some heat, I released a deep breath that I hadn’t even realized I was holding.
Not waiting for any more to be said, I escorted her out of the ballroom and back to our room as a million thoughts ran through my head. But just like approaching difficult situations in business, I knew I had to treat this the same way.
One step at a time.
Right now, I needed to get Bellamy warmed up and out of this den of vipers.
When we reached our room, she instantly looked up at me, still keeping her body pressed against mine. “You don’t have to marry me. It’s not fair that I put those terms as my ask. I won’t hold you to it. I’m so sorry I ever did.”
“The Elders will make sure of it,” I said and noticed how her body tensed. “And besides, when I make a commitment, I keep it. I told them we would be married in the time frame, and I plan to be a man of my word.”
She lowered her eyes to the floor as I led her to the bathroom to get her in the shower to cleanse this night away. “I’m sorry. I know I asked for marriage, and… I wasn’t thinking. I was allowing my mother to do the thinking for me. I never meant to trap you.” When the water was warm enough, she stepped in and breathed out, “Once we’re married and you have honored your word, we can always get the marriage annulled if you want. I won’t expect you to remain married to me.” Her eyes were downcast. “I understand why you’d want to end it.”
“I never said I’d want to end it.”
Her eyes flashed up in surprise. “But you deserve better! You didn’t go into this Initiation intending to get married. It’s not what you bargained for,” she said.
I perched myself on the edge of the sink, watching her run her hair beneath the stream of water. “Why didn’t you tell me about your mother? About your father and your financial situation?” I asked, needing to hear why.
“I was ashamed,” she stated simply. “You know how Darlington is.”
“But I’m not Darlington.”
She turned her head to look at me through the shower glass. “No. You most certainly aren’t Darlington. But your opinion of me matters more than anything and over everyone else. So I hid everything to try to preserve that.” She sighed. “And in the end, I made you hate me. You had every right to know the truth. My truth.”
“I don’t hate you,” I confessed. “The opposite, in fact.”
She turned off the water, and I handed her a towel. Her hand brushed mine, and I felt my body come alive again. “The opposite?” she asked, her voice quivering as she did.
“I love you, Bellamy.” I took her into my arms and held her close, her body wet and steaming. “I’ve always loved you… since the first days in the high school lunchroom.”
“I love you,” she mumbled against my chest, wet hair soaking my shirt. I didn’t care; having her in my arms was everything. “So much.”
“I just wish I had known,” I murmured into her hair. “I would have helped.”
She shook her head, her face still against my chest. “I never would have asked that of you.” She pulled her face away and looked up at me. “And I still won’t. I know you are a man of your word, but it’s not fair to expect you to marry me by force.”
“It’s not by force,” I said, lowering my lips to her forehead and kissing her softly. “I would have never bid on your hand in marriage if I didn’t intend to make good on it.”
She groaned and pressed her face back into my chest. “It was so much money. You spent so much tonight… on me.”
