Page 21 of Rafa's Convenient Wife

“It’s okay,” she hastily assured him. “I’m fine now. Sort of.”

Rafa startled her by carefully taking her hand and interlacing their fingers. Her heart raced at the innocent touch. She tried so hard not to let him affect her like this, but the barest hint of his touch sent her hormones into overdrive.How am I ever going to live with him?

“I think it will be a very long time before any of us are fine again.”

Her heart raced for a different reason now. Grief. Anguish.

Sky swallowed the hard lump aching in her throat. “I miss them so much.”

“I do, too.” Rafa nuzzled Jasper with his chin. “I’m afraid,” he confessed. “Terrified, actually. Terrified we’re going to mess up and not be good parents.”

Hearing him say that wasn’t a great feeling, but she understood his fears. “We are going to make mistakes, Rafael. All parents do. We just have to do our best and love him with all our hearts.”

“What if our love isn’t enough?”

“What do you mean?”

“I grew up surrounded by brothers and sisters. My childhood was loud and busy and filled with love. What about Jasper? He’ll be an only child raised by his aunt and uncle. He’ll be lonely.”

“I…” But she didn’t know what to say. “I haven’t thought that far ahead.”

“Planning for the future has never been your strong suit.”

She bristled at his critical remark. “How would you know what my strong suits are?”

“I didn’t mean—.”

“Don’t,” she cut in sharply. “I’ll respect you more if you own it.”

Rafa was silent for a moment. “All right. I am concerned about what the future looks like for us. One year. Three. Five.”

“Five years?” Her eyes widened. “When you asked me to marry you, the first thing you made clear was that you didn’t want to get married in a church because you can’t divorce me if you do.”

“I didn’t mean—.”

Frustrated with his changing goalposts, she added, “You’re talking like you think this is an easily planned project with clear timelines. You can’t manage a marriage like a business.”

“Why not? Plenty of my colleagues do. My CTO planned her first five years of marriage from the day she accepted Annabella’s proposal. When they’d get married. Which one of them would get pregnant first. When they would start the IVF process. How long she would take for maternity leave. When they would try for a second. She even had applications for preschools done six months before their daughter’s birth.”

Sky tried not to show how uncomfortable that sort of planning made her. Instead, she reminded him, “I’m not one of your colleagues, and this isn’t a real marriage.”

Now, it was his turn to look hurt. Or maybe she just imagined that brief clench of his jaw.

“It’s not a love match,” she amended. “We’re getting married to protect Jasper. That is my only focus. I cannot think about siblings and five-year plans right now.”

“Well, you’re welcome to be the free spirit in this marriage, but one of us has to be the practical.” He shifted his weight and carefully moved Jasper from one shoulder to the other to see her better. “I’m the CEO of my family’s company. Jasper is my priority, but I have other duties. Do you understand what that means?”

“I’m not an idiot, Rafael,” she said tersely. “I’m fully aware that you have responsibilities to your family, to your company, to your employees.”

“Then you’ll understand I can’t be blindsided with surprises, Sky. Especially with Beverly coming after us to get her claws onJasper,” he said forcefully. “Is there anything you need to tell me?”

“About?”

“The five years you went traveling around the world!”

She blinked in shock. “Are you serious? You really think I have dark, horrible secrets?” Indignant, she said, “I was traveling, Rafael. I worked low-wage jobs. I was a waitress. I cleaned hotel rooms. I led tours. I taught English and Spanish. I tended bar. I experienced the world and found myself after—.”

She stopped abruptly, unwilling to even go there.

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