Page 35 of If You Could Only Believe
I couldn’t avoid it any longer. “Mother, Phoebe, I’d like you to meet Michael Buchanan.” I glanced over at Michael. “Michael, I’d like you to meet my mother, Edna Martella, and my sister, Phoebe Martella.”
Michael stepped up to them and stuck out his hand to shake my mother’s hand first and then my sister’s. They each took his hand and shook, but the awkwardness was loud and stifling. “It’s nice to meet you Mrs. Martella,” Michael said politely. “Miss Martella.”
My mother cocked her head at him. “Likewise,” my mother muttered. And then I watched in fascination as her eyes lit up and recognition dawned. “Buchanan? As in Buchanan Industries?”
I’ve never felt worthy before in my life. I’ve never felt as if I mattered or made a difference. I had a genius IQ, but never did anything with it because I wasn’t…a person who reached beyond her station in life. And I had been okay with that. I was fine with being invisible. But, then, Michael came into my life, and when he’s been with me, he’s managed to make me feel like I mattered. Hell, even his family willing to have a luncheon to meet me had made me feel important.
So, when Michael walked over to stand behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders in an unmistakable show of support…well, I almost started crying. It made me want to believe that he really meant what he said when he said it was love at first sight.
“Yes, ma’am,” he answered her from behind me. “My family runs Buchanan Industries.”
Phoebe paid no attention to the fact that Michael was touching me with familiar ease. Her entire face lit up, and she had no qualms about what a meeting with Michael Buchanan could mean. “Oh, well, it’s wonderful to meet you, Mr. Buchanan,” she purred. “How do you know Sophia? I mean, she’s just a worker at BI, isn’t she? I can’t imagine the head of BI would have much to do with her.”
I felt Michael’s body tense behind me. My first thought was of his temper and I didn’t want him doing anything that would garner a lawsuit. So, I did the only thing I could think to do.
I gave Michael everything he wanted.
“Michael’s my fiancé,” I blurted out. “As a…as a matter of fact, we were just heading out to get married right now. Before you showed up. Uhm…so…how about I call you later or something?”
I felt Michael’s forehead drop on top of my head and I felt his chuckle. My mother’s and sister’s faces were absolutely riddled with shock, but I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face.
I calmed Michael down.
And it wasn’t until this second that I realized how important that was to me.
Of course, now, he was probably going to hold me to my unconventional proposal.
My mother finally broke the silence. “You cannot be serious, Sophia,” she screeched. “Michael Buchanan is not about to marryyouwhen he has his pick of any woman in the world.”
I was about to agree with her, because…let’s face it, she’s right, but Michael raised his head off the top of mine and spoke for me. “Well, Mrs. Martella, seeing as how I can have the pick of any woman I want, it just so happens I want Sophia, so I picked her,” he said smoothly.
I tilted my head back as far as I could, surprised he wasn’t in a rage. “You’re awfully calm,” I said, not caring that we had an audience.
And what does this fucker go do? He looked down at me and smiled his smile at me, dimples and all, and said, “Of course, I am, babe,” he smirked. “Youfinallyagreed to marry me.” He stressed the word ‘finally’ to give my sister and mother the impression that he’s been begging for a while.
“This has got to be a joke,” Phoebe snapped. “There is no wayyouare marrying a Buchanan. I mean, look at you, Sophia!” Her attitude wasn’t anything new to me. Phoebe’s treatment of me was well learned from our mother.
But, this time, when Michael standing behind me…and, well, with me trying to make sure he didn’t go off half-cocked, my response to their cruelty was different. “Iammarrying a Buchanan and I don’t have to look at me, Phoebe, because I have Michael for that.” She gasped that I would dare stick up for myself. “Michael looks at me andloveswhat he sees and that’s all I need.”
Michael gave my shoulders a quick squeeze, and I realized I meant every word I just said.
Chapter 20
Michael~
“So, then, did you marry her or not?” Mason asked. It was Wednesday morning, and we were all sitting in his office.
Sad to say, after Sophia stood up for herself against her mother and sister, we had not headed down to the courthouse to get married. She had ushered her family out of her apartment, and as soon as the door was locked behind them, she had dragged me back to the bedroom and fucked the holy shit out of me. All thoughts of running out and getting married gone in favor of some rough, dirty fucking.
“No,” I answered. “We spent the rest of the night in bed.”
Aiden snorted. “Of course, you did,” he quipped. “What else do you do once you’ve lost your virginity?”
I side-eyed him. “It’s not like that,” I argued. “Well, not exactly like that.”
Gabe rolled his eyes. “Dude, I remember exactly what it felt the first time I slid into Justice,” he shared. “Do not try to tell me you’re not doing everything you can, right now, to keep from summoning her up to your office.”
He wasn’t lying.
