Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 125121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
I stiffened with every word. Victor didn’t know what was at stake for me. Even so, I was not pleased to hear he tried again to take it from me.
“Since you’re here, I can guess she turned you down again.”
He nodded. “She won’t approve another match, and she’s not messing around. Dear old Mom showed me the papers the lawyers drew up. Dissolving my trust fund. Disinheriting me. All they need is a signature.”
Perching on the edge of my mattress, I said, “I’m sorry.”
“Are you?” He sounded like he was genuinely asking.
“Yes. I know what it is to lose my family, Victor. It’s why I’d marry you even if Martha wasn’t paying my tuition. I won’t be the reason you lose yours.”
Sighing, his eyes fluttered shut. “Why do you have to say things like that? Makes me feel like such an ass.”
“You are an ass.”
“That’s better.”
Our eyes met and we chuckled, piercing the heavy mood for a brief moment.
“Anyway,” he said, looking away. “Mom won’t budge. As much as I wanted to stay pissed at you, you kindly reminded me that I’d be an ass and a hypocrite if I did. I didn’t pretend like I had any loyalty to you when we were just two strangers with rings on our fingers. Why would you act like you had any loyalty to me?”
I moved closer, reaching for him. “I’m so glad to hear you—”
“Just answer me something.” Victor sat up and looked at me head-on. “Did you hook up with them after we agreed to be exclusive and make it work between us?”
“No.” I grasped his chin, drawing him closer still. “No.”
He searched my face, looking for the slightest hint of dishonesty. I guess he didn’t find any because he nodded and leaned back.
“Then, if I can move past the whole ‘kissing my brother’ thing, I don’t have a real reason to end our engagement. You’re funny, hot, smart, and can hold your own like no one I’ve ever met.” A lopsided smirk pricked the hairs on the nape of my neck. “I have a feeling our life together will be a lot of things, but never boring.”
My mouth opened and closed for a beat, trying to form a response. “Wow,” I breathed. “You really are here to give us a try. I don’t know what to say.”
“Have you seen my place? Of course I’m here to give us a try. I’m not moving into this dump for fun.”
I rolled my eyes. “Sorry for your suffering, rich boy.”
“It’s all good. You and I will be out of here soon enough.”
“Out of here?” I frowned. “What do you mean?”
That lopsided smirk widened. “Oh, did I leave that part out? I’m not only here to make up between us. I’m here to get between you and the Rogues.”
What did he just say?
“But—”
“Don’t worry. Two minutes in the same room with you guys, and how you feel about them was all over your face. If I force you to dump them, you’d only resent me. So I won’t,” he said, swinging his legs off the bed. “Date them—for now. You can even date them out in the open, and we’ll tell everyone we’re doing the standard Royal engagement where we get seeing other people out of our system before the I dos.
“You’ve only seen the asshole. You don’t know the guy who got the reputation you keep throwing in my face.”
Kneeling down, he took my hand and kissed my knuckles. “I’m going to seduce the shit out of you, Sinclair. I give it a month before you’re saying Rogues who? I’ll be the only guy you want.”
I found my voice. “I won’t forgive you if you try to hurt or sabotage them. They were the only people who were there for Winter. Who tried to protect her. That’s bigger than us, Victor, and if you don’t get that, we’ll never work.”
He put up his hands. “Whoa. Who said anything about sabotage? Whatever it is that y’all get up to in here that you’re afraid of me seeing, no one is going to find out about it from me. I don’t need to resort to underhanded tricks. You’ll choose me all on your own.”
I snorted. “It amazes me that anyone could be so full of themself. I’m willing to put aside your dozens of terrible first impressions and start over, but forgive doesn’t mean forget. There’s no way you—”
Victor closed the distance. Catching the insult on my lips, he sealed his on mine.
“Hmmpf!”
He cupped the back of my neck, tipping me back and off-center to a perfectly timed gasp that gave him entrance. The sun burst in the sky—exploding a wave of heat and light that bowled me over.
I was burning under him. Tongues clashing. Hands grasping. Lips battling. And all of it setting off sparks that ignited the flames again and again.