Page 17 of Fallen Legacy

“You want kids?”

He gives me a lopsided grin, hearing the shock in my voice. “What? You think I’m too cold and unfeeling to be a dad?” He looks from me then back out at the view. “I want kids, Scar. At least three. I want a little girl who looks just like her mummy and two older brothers who will protect her and love her.”

“Three, huh?” I repeat. “The contract says I only have to give you one, so it looks like you are out of luck. Unless, of course, you can find yourself a mistress to give you the other two,” I tell him, laughing. He doesn’t laugh along with me. When I look up at him, I find him looking at me with an expression I can’t fathom.

“When I take you as my wife, Scar, that will be it. I would never disrespect you by being unfaithful.”

His response surprises me. “Once I’ve given you an heir, there will be no further sexual relationship between us, Savage. I’ll do my duty in order to keep Kit safe, but no more.”

He sighs and smiles at me. “Keep telling yourself that, Scar. Out of everything between us, the sex was always amazing. You miss it just as much as I do.”

“It’s only been a week,” I snort, playing off his comment with nonchalance.

“A week too long. I miss those little sounds you make when you’re about to come and the way you look at me when I’m inside you. Like the world could burn down and we would be oblivious, lost in each other.”

I swallow, my pulse quickening at his words. God help me. How am I supposed to keep this up when he says things like that to me? Fuck! I stand up, grabbing my rucksack. “We should keep going. We’re not far off the top now.”

He doesn’t answer for a second and I can feel his eyes boring into my back, but I dared not turn around, too terrified that if I do, he’ll see the warring emotions etched across my face.

“This way,” he announces, breaking the silence, and as I put my poker face back on, I turn and follow him.

* * *

“This is amazing,”I gasp as we reach the top. All you can see in every direction is rolling green hills and countryside. It is beautiful, and the views of the Loch are breath-taking. I could stay up here forever and hide away from the harsh realities of the world we both live in.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he asks, looking out at the picturesque view.

“I hate Wilbur,” I tell Archer. “I plan to destroy him. I don’t know when and I don’t know how, but I’m going to take him down.”

He’s quiet for a few seconds before he surprises me with his reply. “If that’s what you want, Scar, then I’ll help you.”

I stare at him, open-mouthed. He walks over and with a finger under my chin; he closes my mouth. “What part of me telling you, you are my priority, did you not get?”

I swallow, and steel my expression. “I guess I just presumed it was another lie. I mean, that’s what you’re good at, right, lying and scheming?”

He releases a big sigh before he grabs the back of my neck and smashes his mouth against mine. I’m not prepared, and I kiss him back. Why does it feel so right being in his arms? I come to my senses and wrench myself away from him.

“You can’t kiss me like that anymore,” I hiss, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, when all I really want to do is grab him by his jacket and pull him close.

“Why deny what we both want?” He pulls his bag off his back, and digs inside, pulling out a blanket. “Let’s eat.” I watch him as he places the blanket down and gestures for me to sit down. I want to fight him and tell him I don’t want to sit with him, but I’m starving despite that big breakfast this morning. As I sit down, he pulls out two sandwich boxes and hands me one.

“Turkey salad, no mayo. Just salad cream,” he tells me and my heart twinges that he remembered I hate mayo.

“Thanks,” I say reluctantly as I pick up the sandwich and take a bite.

“I don’t know the ins and outs, but Wilbur needs this marriage more than my grandfather does.”

I pause mid bite at his words and wait for him to continue.

“There have been some rumours that he’s struggling financially. That he may have made some poor investment and expansion decisions lately.”

“So, he needs this marriage to save his legacy?”

Archer shrugs his shoulders. “Possibly. Like I said, it’s just a rumour I heard.”

“But you could find out if there’s any truth behind it?” I push.

Archer sits down opposite me and opens his sandwich box. “I could. For you.”

---