Page 36 of Vengeful Seduction
Well then don’t!
I didn’t say such a thing, of course, but I did think it. I deserved all of the money and all of the property. Everything. She was just some newcomer who had taken everything I deserved, and if she really was the sort of person she seemed to be, she would see that. My claim was better than hers—far better.
I wasn’t going to be bought off by half measures, damn it. Even if part of me did think I should just take the money, which would mean …what, exactly?
I would have no reason to woo her any longer. No reason to marry her. For some reason, those thoughts bothered me. The only reason I was allowing myself to marry her at all was because of this money.
No. It was just a bad idea all around. She was my enemy, as unfortunate as it was. I didn’t love her. I hated her for being given what I should have gotten all along.
Logically, of course, I knew it wasn’t her fault. My grandfather had made the choice, and it was really too bad Kaye had to suffer for it. But there was just no way I was going to accept the hand I’d been dealt.
“I’m sure. It’s not about the money,” I commented, and it really wasn’t. It was about what was right, and maybe sex had muddled my mind a bit, but now it was over. I still knew what the fair thing was, even if she didn’t.
The money was useful and it would help, but really, this was about righting a grievous wrong.
“Okay,” she said, and she smiled at me in a way that made my battered heart give a lurch in my chest. How did she keep doing these sorts of things to me? “I thought …I thought it was right to offer.”
“Thank you,” I replied, then folded her up in my arms again. I meant it, at least a little bit. She had no reason to think she needed to offer me anything, much less such a huge sum of money.
She really did think it was the right thing to do, and it was really just too bad. Fate, or whatever, had put us on opposite sides. Maybe she didn’t know it, but I did.
In another world, would we have had a chance?
Stupid thoughts. Pointless. I pushed them aside and focused on what mattered.
Kaye was mine. I should wait a few months, maybe, so I didn’t scare her off, but I knew her fate was inevitable. She had given herself to me, body, heart, and soul, and all I needed to do now was be just a little bit more patient.
“I love you,” Kaye whispered, just on the brink of sleep. This time, at least, I didn’t have to say it back.
Chapter 10
Kaye
I smiled to myself as I checked my makeup once more, running my fingers over the smooth satin of my brand-new dress. The jade green matched my eyes exactly and I had to admit, even just to myself, that I looked good.
It had been three months, to the day, since David and I had shared our very first night together. Three months since I had given myself to him completely, and I hadn’t regretted it for a single moment.
I had never dreamed that a man could be so attentive, so sexy, and so amazing in bed. David was the full package, and sometimes I found myself with the distinct urge to pinch my arm, just to make sure this whole thing wasn’t some sort of romantic dream.
If it was, though, I wasn’t sure I wanted to wake up from it.
David was taking me out and he’d told me I should dress up nicely for it. I actually appreciated how he warned me ahead of time, since I hadn’t always gone to very nice restaurants and was still somewhat out of my league.
I heard his car driving up and I gave myself one more look over from head to toe. No one looking at me would think I didn’t belong there, no matter where there was. I giggled at myself, utterly blissful.
When this crazy ride was going to end—or how—I had no idea, but I did know I was going to enjoy it while it lasted.
The restaurant was still gorgeous. David had taken me back to the trendy, adorable little place where we’d had our first date, and I loved it just as much as I had back then.
Once more, he pulled me into his arms, just like that first night, and we swayed to slow jazz together, so close I could feel his heart. It was beating fast for some reason, and though he seemed as calm as ever—just as pulled together and controlled—I could almost swear he was nervous.
When the song was over he pulled me back to the table, but instead of holding out my chair for me like the perfect gentleman he always was, he dropped to his knees in front of me and took one of my hands in his.
Maybe it sounds stupid, but at first, I didn’t know what he was doing. I figured he had just fallen or dropped something, and I started looking around to see if I could spot anything.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, and only looked back at him when he tugged my hand to get my attention. For some reason, he wore a rather pained, if amused, expression on his face.
“You have no idea what’s going on, do you?” he asked, and I shook my head. I still didn’t get it, as ridiculous as it sounds. It never even occurred to me what could be happening.
