Page 82 of First Comes Marriage

Baz played his card. A plain ol’ boring two. What he wouldn’t give for some kind of nuclear reverse to make Gavin draw ten or twenty cards. He didn’t want to think about all the conversations he and Sabrina weren’t having. The last week had been so good, so comfortable—she hadn’t nervous babbled even once and he was getting used to sleeping next to her. If hewas being honest, he wasn’t just used to it—he fucking loved it.

But the other night he’d walked right up to the line of what they’d agreed to, come dangerously close to telling her he loved her, and she’d made it perfectly clear all she wanted was sex. A few weeks ago, he would have sworn that was what he wanted too—a gorgeous woman who was his perfect match in bed and wanted nothing more from him. A dream come true.

Except now it felt more like a nightmare.

“Have you and Kyla talked about it?” Baz asked, shifting the attention away from himself.

“Of course. Before I proposed.”

“And?” Jamie prompted.

“We didn’t definitively say no forever, but it’s absolutely no for now. She’s still young, though. I know she might want kids later.”

“And you’d be okay with that?” Ethan asked.

“Yeah, I think I would be.”

Baz felt all three sets of eyes turn towards him. He clenched his jaw tighter and blew out a frustrated breath through his nose. “We’re not sure if we want kids.”

“But things are going well?” Jamie asked.

Baz caught his eye, saw the hesitance there, and knew Jamie was recalling their conversation from last week. He didn’t want to get into all the things that had subtly shifted since then, the ground he’d gained and lost, the things he didn’t even know how to quantify that were slipping away with each minute that passed.

Baz nodded once as he played his turn. “Yeah.”

“You’re definitely going to be the next one to have kids,” Gavin said. “You’d have cute kids. Her hair and your eyes.”

“Gav,” Ethan said, a warning note in his voice as he kept his eyes on Baz.

“What? It’s true. Oh! And if you have them soon, your kids could be best friends with Jamie’s kids!” Gavin said.

Baz shot a glance at Jamie and Ethan and hoped his message was clear—shut it down—as he pushed to his feet and grumbledsomething about needing to use the bathroom.

“I guess we’re done playing?” Gavin called after him.

Baz pushed into the bathroom at the end of the hall and shut the door behind him a little harder than necessary, closing out the sounds of his friends. He braced his hands on the sink and hung his head between his shoulders.

It’ll be fine. Suck it the fuck up and talk to her. It’ll be fine.

The phone in his pocket vibrated and he sighed when he saw his lawyer’s name flash across the screen. “Not a great time,” he said by way of greeting.

“I’m looking over this agreement and I gotta tell you, Baz, I wouldn’t sign this if I were you.”

Baz pinched the bridge of his nose. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“The post-nup.”

Baz’s eyes flew open as cold dread slithered down his spine. “The what?”

“The post-nuptial agreement your father-in-law’s firm had forwarded for your signature.” He was going to be sick. “Tell me you know what I’m talking about.”

“First I’m hearing of it.”

“Shit. Sorry, I assumed…”

Baz forced himself to breathe, to stay calm even though he could feel his hands already starting to shake. “What does she want?”

“You both leave with the assets you brought to the marriage—your business and hers, her inheritance when the times comes. Then it gets dicey. You’re responsible for all legal fees in the event of a divorce, both hers and yours. Your condo is to be considered marital property. And this line for spousal support—frankly, I’d be surprised if this thing is even enforceable.”

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