Page 71 of His By Contract

“Let me do this,” Adrian said. “Not for control, not for appearances. For our son. For us.”

Georgia stared at her hands, still processing Adrian’s words about providing for them. The weight of their shared history pressed against her chest, making it hard to breathe.

“It’s not that simple.” Her voice caught. “Our marriage started as a business arrangement. A contract with terms and conditions.” She glanced at Theo, still absorbed in his dinosaur world. “Noweverything’s different. We have a child together, but we never learned how to just… be.”

Adrian slid closer on the couch, his thigh pressing against hers. “You’re still my wife, Georgia.” His voice dropped lower, sending a shiver down her spine. “And I have no intention of letting you disappear again.”

Heat crept up her neck. “We never even dated. Never figured out how to be a real couple without all the power games and rules.”

“I searched for you every day.” His eyes locked onto hers, intense enough to steal her breath. “The thought of another man touching you, being near you…” His jaw clenched. “It drove me insane.”

Georgia’s pulse thundered in her ears. Adrian leaned closer, his breath warm against her ear. “You know you’ve earned more than just a spanking for running away for three years.”

Her cheeks burned hot, body tensing at his words. Part of her wanted to challenge him, maintain the independence she’d fought so hard for. But another part remembered his touch, craved the way he’d made her feel. She bit her lip, caught between resistance and surrender.

The air between them crackled with possibility. Georgia looked at Theo, then back at Adrian, wondering if they could build something real this time. Something beyond contracts and control, something that might actually last.

CHAPTER 22

Georgia savored the warmth of her mother’s dining room, watching Theo’s face light up as Evelyn snuck an extra cheesy breadstick onto his plate. His infectious giggles filled the space, mingling with the scent of pasta sauce and fresh herbs. The simple comfort of sharing a meal with family settled deep in her bones, easing years of tension she hadn’t realized she carried.

“And then the frog jumped right into my pocket,” Evelyn said, her eyes twinkling as she wove another childhood story for Theo.

“No way!” Theo bounced in his seat, marinara sauce dotting his chin.

Georgia’s chest expanded with relief at the sight of her son’s happiness. Here, in this moment, everything clicked into place. The way her mother’s silverware tapped against the ceramic plates, how the dining room lights bathed their faces in soft amber, even the warmth of Adrian sitting beside her felt like it had always belonged.

A sharp buzz cut through the peaceful scene. Adrian’s phone vibrated on the wooden table, the screen lighting up with an incoming call. His expression shifted as he read the number, ice creeping into his features. The transformation was subtle; a tightening around his eyes, a hardening of his jaw, but Georgia recognized the change immediately.

Adrian stood, his chair scraping softly against the floor. Without a word, he stepped into the hallway, his shoulders rigid with tension. His voice carried back to them in clipped fragments, too low to make out the words, but sharp enough to raise the hair on Georgia’s arms.

She forced her attention back to Theo, fighting to keep her expression neutral as anxiety churned in her stomach. Her son didn’t need to sense her worry, didn’t need to know how quickly their peace could shatter.

Across the table, Evelyn caught Georgia’s eye. Her mother’s smile was gentle, but didn’t quite mask her concern.

Adrian’s footsteps announced his return. His face had smoothed into an unreadable mask, but his fingers wrapped around Georgia’s arm with controlled urgency. He guided her up from the table, his touch brooking no argument.

“Remember I told you about the time I found a whole family of rabbits in the garden?” Evelyn’s voice rose deliberately, drawing Theo’s attention. “They’d made a nest right next to my tomato plants…”

Georgia let Adrian lead her into the hallway, her pulse quickening with each step.

Adrian pulled Georgia close, his voice dropping to a low whisper that sent chills down her spine. “They’re talking. Speculating.The media caught wind that you’re back.” His fingers flexed against her arm. “And they’re mentioning a child.”

The words hit Georgia like a physical blow. Her lungs constricted, air refusing to come. The walls of the hallway seemed to close in, memories of cameras flashing, headlines screaming, judgment pouring from every direction. Her hands trembled as she pressed them against her stomach. Someone had seen them. But where? The drive here? Outside the house? Her mind raced through every moment they’d been exposed.

Adrian’s grip tightened, his thumb pressing into her skin. The pressure anchored her, pulling her back from the edge of panic. His eyes blazed with cold fury as he stared down at her.

“No one will touch what’s mine.” The words came out like steel. “Not you. Not Theo. No one.”

Georgia’s heart hammered against her ribs. Part of her wanted to collapse into that certainty, to let his confidence wash away three years of constant vigilance. But doubt clawed at her throat. The media was relentless, hungry. They’d tear apart every detail of Theo’s existence, dissect every choice she’d made.

“Trust me.” Adrian’s voice hardened into a command, brooking no argument. He dominated the narrow hallway, looming over her like an immovable wall of granite.

Georgia followed Adrian into the sitting room, her legs unsteady beneath her. Shadows stretched across the walls, cast by the single lamp in the corner. The room felt smaller than before, closing in with each passing second. Adrian’s broad shoulders and towering frame crowded the space beside her, like a shadow she couldn’t escape.

Her chest constricted as memories crashed over her like waves. Headlines flashed through her mind:Gold-digger Weds Billionaire,Fashion Nobody Snares America’s Most Eligible Bachelor. Every cruel word, every snide comment, every photographer who’d chased her down the street came rushing back. Her breaths turned shallow, quick gasps that didn’t quite reach her lungs.

But this time was different. This time, they’d drag Theo into their circus. Her sweet boy who loved dinosaurs and wanted to be a superhero. They’d turn him into a scandal, label him Adrian’s bastard, use his existence to prove she’d trapped Adrian. The thought sent ice through her veins, freezing her in place. Her fingers curled into fists at her sides, nails biting into her palms.

---