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Beckett grabs me by the neck and pulls me close to him. “I’d never hurt you. I’d never betray you. And I sure as hell would never play you for a fool, Arianne.”
His solemn words tighten my chest and tug at my heart.
I bite hard against my lower lip, but it does little to contain the tears rolling down my cheeks.
Beckett wipes them away with his thumbs.
I place my forehead and the palms of my hands against his strong chest, needing a few seconds to compose myself.
He kisses the top of my head and rubs my back with soothing hands.
“You okay?” Beckett asks in a low voice after a few long seconds.
“Not really.” I murmur my response against his chest.
“Look at me, baby.” He strokes my arms in long sweeping, comforting strokes.
My eyes meet his.
“I wouldn’t fuck Mariah for a hundred billion dollars. I have zero interest in Chance’s sloppy seconds—”
“Fuck you!”
“Shut the fuck up, Mariah!” Beckett shouts back.
He returns his dreamy eyes to me. “You and I have a good thing going on, and I’d hate for your repulsive cousin to ruin our relationship because of her deceptiveness and lies.”
“So… there’s nothing going on between the two of you?” My insecurity towards Mariah runs deep. I need the confirmation.
“No, baby,” he tells me. “I didn’t even know this woman until forty-five minutes ago. You either trust me or you don’t.” His tone is unwavering.
I hold his gaze for a beat.
Honesty shines bright in his blue eyes.
“I trust you.”
“Good.” He smiles. “Arianne, I care deeply about you. You’re a gem and you’re mine.”
Wow. Just wow.
His declaration mends something in me that’s been broken for so long, I thought it was irreversible. This wonderful man proves me wrong.
In an unprecedented move of public display of affection, Beckett drops a soft kiss on my lips.
I’m suddenly very much aware of all the people standing in the room.
I let out a girlish giggle when he pulls away.
“There’s a reason for the police presence and it’s not by chance Mariah is in handcuffs,” Beckett says.
“What did she do?” I ask.
“Although jumping off the roof of the tallest New York City skyscraper would’ve been much less painful than having to endure your despicable cousin for half an hour while she spewed her venom, I did it to protect you,” Beckett says.
I furrow my brows. “Protect me from what?”
“Your cousin came here to blackmail me,” he says, “and destroy you.”
