Page 75 of King of Temptation

I hear a soft sob behind me, and I turn to see Kim standing in the kitchen doorway. She’s in leggings and an oversized dance sweater that comes off one shoulder.

She looks natural and gorgeous, and I open my arms to her. She only pauses for a second before she rushes into my embrace.

I catch the tears in her eyes as I lift her into my arms. “Don’t cry, baby. Everything is going to be fine.”

“Do you really feel that way? That the baby is your family?”

“Of course, I do,” I whisper into her ear. “I told you this house is yours.”

Mason chokes behind me but I know he’ll give it to her.

“But I didn’t think you meant that the house was really mine.”

I look back at Mason, Kim’s face buried in my shoulder, and he nods back. I know we’re on the same page.

His face is swelling as I lightly set Kim back on her feet. “You should eat,” I say. “And I should get Mason some ice.”

“All right,” she says a moment before she steps away, swiping at her eyes. She takes my plate of food from my hand and digs in with gusto that makes me smile.

My woman can eat my food anytime. I move to the freezer, opening it, and find a drawer of ice. Pulling out some cubes, I plop them in a towel and hand them to my brother.

He sets the ice against his face, his eyes closing. He’s going to have a wicked bruise.

“Mason,” I start. “One more thing. Does your jeweler make house calls? We’re going to need an engagement ring.”

His eyes snap open but I don’t catch his full reaction because next to me, Kim drops her plate, porcelain and food flying everywhere.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Kim

Food splatters my leggings because…

Is Leo actually talking about buying me a ring?

I’m so glad he thinks of the baby as family. In fact, that alone had my heart thudding in my chest.

But he doesn’t have to marry me.

I know that’s the least girly thing to say ever, but honestly, the last twenty-four hours have made some things painfully clear to me.

I’m in love with Leo.

It’s been there all along, I just refused to acknowledge my feelings. But it’s so obvious. It’s in the way I can let go of my inhibitions with him. The way he makes my body sing with passion, the way I want to hide behind his very large frame sometimes. The way he makes me feel protected and safe.

And I don’t think I could stand it if he married me for the sake of the baby. It makes my heart hurt, just thinking about it.

“Leo.”

Mason drops his ice and starts picking up pieces of broken plate from around my feet.

It’s a whole different view of the man who has always seemed so cold and distant. There he is, squatted down, shuffling porcelain away from bare feet.

“Yes, baby?”

“We can’t get married. I…”

“We can and we will.”

---