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“We’re back to that?”
“We never left.”
“What exactly do you think you’re preparing me for?”
I glanced down at my watch. “In about five minutes, I’m going to escort you into the conference room where your grandfather and mine are sitting at the table waiting for us.”
She listened intently, absorbing my every word. “And?”
“They’re going to present you with a contract they want us both to sign.”
“A contract for what?”
“Our arranged marriage.”
“What is this the eighteen hundreds? Our families loathe one another. Why would they want—”
I saw it clear as day. Belle had always been sharp, smart as all hell. It didn’t surprise me in the least that she caught on before I had to share the rest.
“They want us to merge enterprises, don’t they?”
I nodded.
She thought about it for a second. “We don’t need to get married for that to happen.”
“There’s more.”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Then out with it! What else could they possibly want?”
I abruptly stood and leaned over her desk. In one swift movement, I was in her face, catching her off guard. She faintly gasped close to my mouth, only triggering all the times I’d evoked this same response out of her. It simply reminded me what her lips felt like against mine.
Soft.
Smooth.
Filled with inexperience and lust.
The last thing I wanted was to miss this opportunity where her defenses were down against me, so I spoke with conviction…
“They want you pregnant with my baby.”
Chapter Two
—Belle—
Instead of shoving him away, I pushed my chair back. I hit the bay window that overlooked all of downtown behind me, needing a moment to collect myself.
Especially, my thoughts.
“Oh my God.” It all came crashing down around me like a ton of bricks. “They want a bloodline heir, don’t they?”
He nodded.
“This can’t be happening.”
“It is. And the sooner you realize that, the easier this next part will be.”
I said the only thing that came to mind, “I can’t go in there.”
