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“The guest entrance got to you, didn’t it?”
I tug at my hair. “The crystal chandelier really got in my head.” Which is actually half true.
It’s one thing to be told they have money and power—it’s another to see all its glittering, priceless glory.
“You can’t let them intimidate you.” He stops in front of me, puts his hands on my hips. “That’s what they want, Dara. They want to make you feel like you’re nothing, even if you’re something. They want to make you feel small.”
“But Iamnothing. No, don’t argue, just listen.” I wrap my arms around his neck, breathing slowly to stop myself from crying. “I grew up poor, Finn. We had nothing. We had less than nothing. I wore the same white sneakers to school for five years until they were basically brown and only bought a new pair because my feet got so big my toe broke through one afternoon. I always smelled like a thrift store. My parents argued constantly over money, and they hated each other more and more every year. It was a deep, ugly resentment, and a big part of that stemmed from never having enough. My father bounced around, working construction, and my mom had to take all sorts of part-time work to make ends meet, and they justdespisedeach other. Those were really bad years, and I worked my ass off to get into college so I could get out of that house. It was bad, and I don’t want that with you. I don’t want that for anyone. But Iamfrom nothing, compared to your family.”
He takes a deep breath, holding me tighter, staring at me with that absurdly sexy glare, like he can’t decide if he wants to argue or if he wants to strip me naked and spank me.
“It’s all a show,” he says quietly, leaning closer. “Yes, my parents love each other, but it’s all wrapped up in money, power, and status. Their relationship may seem nice on the outside, but underneath the smiling, it’sdeeplystrange.”
“I’ll never feel like I’m a part of your life.” I blink rapidly, losing my fight to the tears and hating myself for crying. “Why are we even pretending? You know they’ll never accept this.”
“They don’t have to.” He wipes a finger across my cheek. “I accept you.”
“Oh, great, thanks.”
He grins. “I’m fantastic. That should be enough.”
“You’re fine.” I lean forward, putting my face against his chest, squeezing my eyes shut for a moment. I push the tears away. “I don’t want to be the one that ruins all those lives. Genna’s a decent person, you know?”
“Genna’s fine.” He tilts my chin, looks into my eyes. “I won’t let them get hurt. I’ll go to Robin tomorrow, speak with her father, smooth things over. As for my family, we’ll figure out how you’ll fit into all that. But no matter what, you are the priority, you and the baby. Do you understand?”
I chew my cheek. I wish I could believe him. I wish I could see past that lavish entryway, past all that money, that wealth and power, past the pure loathing and disgust in his father’s eyes.
That man will always look at me like that no matter what I do, even if Finn’s mother accepts me into the family.
I’ll always be the girl that ruined his plans.
The classless poor girl that’s not good enough to be with his son.
“I just don’t want to ruin your life either,” I whisper.
He shakes his head. “You’re not. I’ve made a lot of business deals in my time, but this is by far the most satisfying.”
I laugh, unable to help it. “Right, I forgot. This is a business deal. I should’ve pushed for a written contract.”
“You got one. It’s called a marriage license.” He brushes his lips against my neck. I shiver at the pleasure of it. “I don’t want you to cry, Dara. I don’t want you to be upset, not when I’m going to fix things.”
“I just feel so small.”
“You’re not small, not to me.” His lips move up my chin. “I knew it the second I saw you sitting on that bench looking at your phone like your life was ending.”
“What did you know?”
His mouth kisses the corner of mine. “That you were worth approaching. That you were worth pursuing.”
“And now? Was it really worth it?”
“More than worth it.”
He kisses me. I melt into that kiss, desperate to feel better, desperate to feel anything but this aching hole in my chest where his father ripped out all my self-esteem.
This is so damn complicated. I don’t know if we’re together, or if we’re just in this to take care of the baby, or if neither of us really understands what’s happening.
To make it worse, his family would be happy to see me dead.
