Page 53 of Wed to the Devil

“You look happy,” he says.

I beam at him. “This is really filling me with joy. I’m so happy to be here. Being able to come to the stables and help the kids feed the horses just fills my cup to the point of overflowing.”

Dare nods. “You’re good at it. The kids love you, too.” He pauses, hesitating. “I think you’re going to be a really good mom.”

I blink at him. “Me?”

“Yeah. You seem to genuinely enjoy helping them do things. You kneel down, get on their level. You really look at them and listen to what they are saying.” He shoves his hands in his pockets, glancing away. “I didn’t get that as a kid. I wonder what kind of person I would have turned out to be if I had.”

I lean against the wall beside him, giving him a soft smile.

“Not as different as all that, I think.”

He nods again. “At least I know that you’re going to raise our child right.”

I catch his eye, feeling a surge of emotion.

“Thanks. You’ll be there too, though. You’ll be taking part as much as me after I give birth.”

Dare gives a haughty laugh. “What? No. I’m not good at that stuff like you are.”

“You will be.”

He cocks his head. “You’re serious.”

“I am.” I fold my arms across my chest.

“You’re crazy. You’re the only person who thinks that I should ever spend more than a minute with a kid.”

Taking his hand, I bring it to my belly. I lock eyes with him.

“You’ll love her. The second she comes out and you see her face, you’ll love her. I promise.”

Dare narrows his eyes. “We’ll see. And since when is the baby a ‘her’?”

Shrugging, I let go of his hand.

“Just a feeling. Maybe I’m wrong.” I hesitate. “Would that be a bad thing?”

He screws up his face, thoughtful. Then he shakes his head.

“Nah.” His face shifts and he looks perplexed. “You know, when I met you, I didn’t think you were much to look at.”

“Way to ruin a great moment,” I say, starting to pull away.

He tightens his hold, refusing to let me go. “Look at me. Look into my eyes.”

I gulp and meet Dare’s burning blue gaze. He cups my jaw and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.

“I was wrong. You’re perfect.”

My pulse skyrockets. “What?”

“You’re beautiful. You’re sweet to me when I don’t deserve it. You are the perfect little fake wife for me, darling girl. If I had to be married under false pretenses… I guess I’m saying that I could be stuck with someone… well, someone like Daisy.”

My lips part. My heart pounds. I don’t know what to make of his confession. Some parts are very nice to hear. For instance, it’s nice to be put on a level above his cheating ex-girlfriend. I was low-key kind of worried that he still had feelings for her.

But other parts of his little confession make me want to push Dare down a flight of stairs.

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