Page 24 of Rafa's Convenient Wife

Sky sat back, seemingly astonished. “You read Jana Deleon?”

“Yes. She’s hilarious.”

“She really is,” Sky agreed with a smile.

Wanting to see more of that from her, he crossed the distance between them and sat on the oversized square leather ottoman that doubled as a coffee table. It put him eye to eye with her, and he cautiously placed his hand on her bare knee. She had worn a simple black dress to her bridal appointment with his mother and sisters. Her tan skin was warm beneath his fingertips, alluring and soft. “I know that life threw us a curveball, Sky. This isn’t what either of us envisioned for our futures.”

“It’s so not even close to what I imagined.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t have the life you want.” He hated the thought of her giving up any dreams. “You don’t have to settle or sacrifice. I’ll do whatever I can to ensure you have the opportunities and the time you need to work on your goals.”

Her brow furrowed. “What does that mean?”

“It means I’ve been working for ages, and I’ve been running this company so long I can’t even remember when I had dreams that weren’t about spreadsheets and audits and forecasts.” He exhaled roughly. “The truth is that I’m tired, Sky. I’ve been thinking about stepping back,” he confessed. “Letting Dina take over for a while.”

“Oh. Wow.” Sky’s eyes widened. “That’s a big decision. I don’t know much about business, but I know Dina is brilliant. I’m sure she’ll do very well in the role.”

“She will,” he agreed. “She’s earned it.”

“A leave of absence might be good for you?” she asked carefully. “Especially now that you’re about to be stepping into a fatherhood role. It’s going to be a big adjustment.”

“Yes.” Her elegant fingers were clasped, and he reached out to take one of her hands. She let him, and he marveled at the difference in their size. He wasn’t a big man, but he was bigger than her. His mind traveled back to that torrid moment they shared in the garden. He had lifted her so easily, held her there against the arbor while he ravished her under the moonlight.

“Are you afraid?” she asked in that soft, silken voice he had yearned to hear.

“Yes,” he admitted eventually. Lifting his gaze to hers, he decided to get real. “Terrified.”

“So am I.” She took his other hand in hers. “But we’re not alone. We have each other, your mother, your sisters, and your brother. We have people who love us and want to help us. We’re very lucky, Rafael. We can hire help if we need it. We don’t have to worry about paying the mortgage or having enough money for medical bills or groceries. We just have to love Jasper and be the best parents we can.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“It might be,” she said with a little shrug. “Not everything is a trial.”

“I don’t want to mess him up.” Rafael exhaled roughly. “He’s already lost his parents. That’s a trauma that will follow him for the rest of his life. What if we can’t make a marriage work? What if we fight all the time? What if I make you miserable?”

“What if I make you miserable?” she asked with arched brows.

“You couldn’t,” he said dismissively.

“I think other people might disagree.”

“They’re idiots.”

She laughed softly. “Rafael.”

His heart fluttered at the way she said his name. He wanted to ask her to say it again—and again.

“Can we table the talk of heavy subjects like divorce and five-year plans and kids? Just for a while? A few months?” Sherubbed her thumb across his, and his breath caught in his throat. “I know we need to have that discussion. I know we need to talk about the endgame of our marriage of convenience. I just… I can’t right now.”

“I understand.” He stared into her gorgeous eyes, silently willing her to keep stroking his hand. “After what we’ve lost, we both need time.”

She nodded. “Yes. Time.”

“And if Beverly decides not to sue for custody or cause a legal battle, you may not have to stay married to me for very long.”

He might have imagined it, but he could have sworn she looked almost sad for a moment. She smiled ruefully. “I doubt it. She’s never been one to back down from a fight or a chance to cause major drama. You might be stuck with me for a while.”

Was it wrong of him to wish Beverly would try to sue them? Was it wrong that he wanted her to drag it out so he could keep Sky close?

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