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“We aren’t married, Chloe.”
Before she could say anything to knock him off track, he outlined all of it for her. The phone call he got after she went to the store, the conversation with his father. He even showed her the texts.
“Considering what I know about Martin Shawcross, if the papers don’t break the story soon enough, he will. He doesn’t want me to be married.”
Her gaze never wavered. He’d told her that he’d kept this secret for days, and her expression never changed. She listened, and she waited.
If he hadn’t loved her before this, her patience in letting him spill his guts would’ve pushed him the rest of the way.
“To me,” she said quietly. “Your father doesn’t want me to be your wife.”
His first inclination was to soften the blow. To make it go away entirely. She didn’t deserve his father’s cruel judgments. But she did deserve the truth. All of it, even the ugly parts.
“No. He takes apart pieces of a person’s life, and he sees what he wants to. He did the same with Lila. He’s said horrible things about her, insinuated things that were even worse. No matter what wayward thoughts I might’ve had toward her years ago, she never had them toward me. My father says otherwise. He perverts everything he can to suit his twisted worldview.”
“So you not being married to me is basically his dream come true. You don’t have to share your money with me.” Her mouth twisted into a smile. “Little does he know I never would’ve accepted it.” She looked away. “Well, any more than I already have. I’ve taken so much, and now we’re not even married—”
“No. Don’t say that. Don’t even think about taking.” He rose and came around the back of the couch. His ideas of keeping his distance were all well and good until he couldn’t be close to her, couldn’t reach out and touch her to reassure himself she was truly real. “Do you want to know what you’ve given me? You’ve given me a life I didn’t think I’d ever have. Forget that, I didn’t think I’d want it. I thought I was happy.” He shook his head. “It took you and Axl to show me what a joke my life had become. Of course my father doesn’t want me to have you. He has no clue what it is to love someone for who they are, not what they have.”
Her eyes filled. “You love me?”
“Christ, yes. Why would I be so fucking mad we’re not married if I didn’t?” He took her hand and traced the spot that no longer held Snake’s ring. It also didn’t hold his, and maybe it never would. “I want you to wear my ring. I want you to be completely lucid when you say yes. Just like I want to give the same thing back to you.”
She curled her fingers around his hand. “I love you too,” she whispered. “I’ve never been more disappointed to not be married.”
He laughed and pulled her into his arms, tucking his chin against her hair. “I’m not giving up on us,” he said, voice low. “I’ll never give up on us.”
“Never is an awfully long time.”
“It is. I have a feeling I’m going to feel every minute of it when I walk out of here, but that’s what I’m going to do.” He eased her back. “I want you to stay in the apartment.”
She gripped a handful of his shirt. “You want me to stay there? Where are you going?”
“I have unfinished business with my brother. I’m going to get through the show tomorrow night, and then I’m going to go talk to the jackass. He’s going to tell me he’s not interested in being in a band, and I’ll accept it. But if he thinks I’ll accept losing him from my life again, he’s got another think coming.”
She smiled and blinked away the dampness in her eyes. “I’m betting on you.”
“You don’t know Malachi Shawcross. He’s one stubborn son of a bitch. But so am I.” He tucked her hair behind her ears. “I’m giving you time and space to see what you want. My being in your way just clouds the issue. The last thing I want is for you to confuse gratitude with love.”
“You’re telling me to stay in your palatial place yet you think I’m not grateful?”
“I think you’ll be able to separate the two just fine if I’m not there to force your hand.”
“It’s not right for me to stay in your house without you. You’ve already been so generous. Too generous.”
“It’s not generous to provide for those you care about. The fact is, if you aren’t there, I will be worried about both of you. That way I’ll know you’re safe and we’ll both be able to take the time to make sure of what we want.”
He already knew. He’d never been more certain of anything in his life.
When she didn’t speak, he smoothed his fingers down the back of her hand. “I haven’t given you any space to figure things out. I’ve been too busy insisting and prodding and pushing. You should get some time to yourself to decide what you truly want, interference-free.” He tipped up her chin until their eyes were closer to level. “Either way, financially you’re covered. If we end up as just friends, I’d consider it a damn good investment to help send you to culinary school and offset your expenses for your son.” He blotted up the tear that slipped down her cheek. “Besides, I’m thinking I’d get delicious meals out of the bargain. And he’ll probably be able to pilot the band jet when he gets older, so win-win.”
“Oh God, Michael.” She arched into his arms, pulling his mouth to hers as she always did. Except this time their rough, desperate kiss was tinged with her tears.
Maybe his too.
“Think about me,” he said gruffly as he pulled back.
“I will. How can I not?” She withdrew something from her pocket and pressed it into his palm, then closed his fingers around it. He knew it was the ring without looking.
