Page 62 of A Kiss at Midnight

“Do you think you’ve done enough for us to be over?”

“I do,” she says.

“You aren’t stupid, Jewel. So why do you insist on acting like you are?”

“I’m not acting stupid, Blake. I’m trying to get you to honor your word.”

“I’m not letting you go this soon.”

“So you won’t hold up to your word? Obviously not your word ofhonor. You wouldn’t knowthatword.” Her expression hardens. “How long do you need me in your bed, Blake?”

The question makes me smile. It’s the smile of a shark about to fasten its teeth upon its prey. “Do you truly want to hear my answer, Jewel?”

“What? A month? A year?”

“Ah, Jewel, you underestimate yourself. I’m not letting you go, Jewel — maybe not ever. Quit planning your escape, quit trying to leave, and agree to belong to me for as long as I want.”

“I don’tbelongto anyone, Blake. And what makes you think I’ll keep my word? I can tell you anything you want to hear, and then walk out anyway when I have what I came here for.”

This stops me in my tracks. She’s correct. I think back to my conversation with my brothers, then my smile grows. She leans away from me, instinctively knowing she’s not going to like what I have to say next.

“We’re at a crossroads, aren’t we?”

She nods. “I guess so.”

My smile grows. This hadn’t been what I was expecting to say but it makes sense in my frazzled brain. I’m not doing this because I’m obsessed with this woman, I’m doing it because it will help the company.

“My brothers and I have spoken with Stanley. He doesn’t believe we’re becoming more settled, which means the deal between you and me isn’t helping. There’s one solution that will benefit both of us.”

She warily gazes at me. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”

I laugh, actually feeling much better. I don’t even care if I’ve officially lost my mind. It was bound to happen one of these days. It’s shocking I haven’t broken yet.

“We’ll get married. We’ll have an airtight prenup. You’ll have your brother within days of the marriage where we’ll share custody. No court will say no. Then, Astor Corp will have the deal with Stanley. It’s an all-around win-win.”

Her mouth drops, and I kiss her and seal the deal. In my eyes this is done. I’ll call the attorneys today and set it in motion...

Chapter Review

Chapter Thirty-Five

Jewel

Whoosh! My lungsare robbed of oxygen. I must have heard Blake wrong — he can’t have said the price I have to pay to get my brother back is marriage. Why in the world would a billionaire like him want to marry me? Sure, he’s saying it’s for a business deal, but it doesn’t make sense... none at all.

When he finally releases me from his grasp, I stumble backward, still clutching my clothes to me as if my life depends on it. Maybe it does. Everyone talks about security blankets . . . well, security clothes are my new thing. These clothes represent my sanity, and if I lose my hold on the thin pieces of fabric, I might also lose my hold on my sanity. Heck, this makes as much sense as Blake’s demand that I marry him.

And yet these strange thoughts give me new determination, and I change my focus. I won’t reply to his off-the-wall proposal. If I don’t reply, then it’s all a nonissue, right? Of course it is. So instead of looking at the man, I move away from him, and start gathering the rest of my clothes. Those I’m not clutching are strewn about, and some are rather worse for the wear — and tear.

Maintaining a resolute silence, I walk into his private bathroom and firmly shut the door. The next thing I know, I’m in the large shower. I’m on autopilot. What am I going to do? It should be an easy decision. So what if I marry this man? It doesn’t matter. Something inside of me realizes how wrong this is. With these happy reflections, I wash my hair and keep scrubbing my body. When the bathroom is thick with steam, I shut off the water, climb from the massive shower, and take my sweet time toweling off.

When my clothes are firmly back in place, offering me a measure of protection from Blake — yeah, right, just as they had earlier — I decide I can’t hide out in his bathroom any longer. I need to get out of his office so I cantryto figure out what I’m going to do next.

Why have his words shocked me so much? I planned on marrying someday so why should a piece of paper upset me? Maybe because, at one time in my life, marriage actually meant something special. It had been a cherished dream of mine to fall in love, to have a storybook wedding with a meaningful church ceremony, and then add a few children and two cats in the backyard. But that dream seemed to die around the time I buried my mother.

Maybe, in spite of it all, a small piece of me still holds hope of a brighter tomorrow. But with the way Blake is eclipsing the sun from my life, it’s unlikely. Maybe I simply need to accept that some people don’t get the fairy tale they believe they deserve.

Deep down inside, even in my darkest moments of despair, I know life will change, that things will eventually even out and I’ll have days of true happiness. How can I not? Life can’t be completely unfair, can it?

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