Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 128290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
I know I would like that.
“It’s gorgeous, Enzo,” I have to admit.
“It was designed just for you,” he says, disappearing into the bathroom and coming back with a black silk bag. He steps up to the fire, pressing a button, and the glass casing pulls back. “In fact, most of the rooms in this house were gutted and redone, beginning the day I left you on that island.”
I’m speechless, slowly sitting up in the bed because I have the ridiculous need to see him better. “Why?”
He smiles to himself, eyes locked on the flames. “I was hoping the answer to that would be obvious, but how could it be when your armor only grows thicker.” His attention moves back to me then, and with one single blink, his entire expression changes.
He goes stone-cold. Indifferent. He goes into business mode. “Let’s get this over with, shall we?”
I’m too dazed, too thrown off by this moment of whiplash to follow, so I simply watch as he unties the small sash on the silk bag, pulling out three small, black compacts, and my heart falls to my feet.
“Enzo—”
“If you think making me believe you’re unable to give me an heir would be enough for me to let you go, you’re wrong.” He speaks with zero emotion, just an underlining sense of certainty. “I don’t know how many times I have to say it, but there is no escape for you. I am your refuge, your asylum, your home.”
His words sink deep, deeper than I care to admit, but they don’t cut. Not in the slightest.
No, they’re kindling to the dying flame our little rendezvous this evening nearly extinguished, bringing to life the fire that I never should have allowed to be snuffed out, as unintentional as it was.
Just like that, I remember who I am and the situation I’m in, and you know what?
Fuck him.
I climb to my feet, my dress falling back into place along my thighs. He wants to talk. Fine. Let’s see if the heated bastard can handle the cold, hard truth.
“That’s not why I asked for those.”
“Do not lie to me.” Anger blankets his features now and he takes a step forward. “You signed a contract that said you had to give me an heir or I could void the agreement, no questions. I am telling you right now I will not. Baby or no baby. I want you. I will keep you, so I’ll say it again. Do not lie to me. Own it.”
His wrath grows with every word, even more so as he takes in the utter ease in which I stand before him.
So I shrug a careless shoulder, bending my hip to go for total nonchalance. “I’m not lying.”
“No?!”
“Nope.”
“Then why?” he rages.
“You wanna know why, husband?” I lift my brows. “I’ll tell you.”
I move toward him with unhurried steps, noting the way his hands shake at his sides, and I don’t stop until we are toe-to-toe, his head dipped, my neck stretched back.
“I asked her to get me the birth control because I was moved to your bed—”
“Our fucking bed!”
I smile, enjoying this far too much. “Our bed.”
Enzo growls, his lip curling. “That’s not an answer.”
“And I’m not done speaking.”
He clenches his jaw, the vein there tic, tic, ticking away.
“I figured it was only a matter of time once we were in the same bed, so yes, I asked for birth control, but not so I could fuck my husband and pretend to be oh-so sad when a mini him didn’t end up in my belly. I asked for it to protect myself.” His brows dip, gaze roaming over every inch of my face as he tries to work this out and fails. It’s sad, really.
It’s like he said to me, I would have thought the reason would be obvious, but since it isn’t, I do him better than he did me, and spell it out. “There’s no telling how long I’ll be the one wearing your ring, and I’d hate to wake up one day pregnant with your heir, only to find a better version of me has come along.”
Enzo rears back like I slapped him, literally stumbling a bit before he catches himself, and I take slow steps away.
“It’s like I said before.” I continue as if his face isn’t the depiction of disbelief, maybe even…dejection, and I lift a shoulder as if the words that leave me next don’t burn like acid on their way out. “Maybe the next one who offers you whatever you find you’re after will be a redhead, and you’ll get to taste the final color in the wife rainbow.” I quickly spin and head for the bathroom so I don’t have to look at whatever expression may cross his face. “Two down and only one to go.”
“There will be no one but you!” he shouts.