For a second Théo thought he hadn’t heard her right. He must have misunderstood. She couldn’t be in love with him. He held his breath, searching her eyes. She looked pale, like she might faint.
“You—love me?” he said finally.
Miserably, she nodded. “I can’t resist you. Not anymore,” she said in a low voice. “And this is the only way to make you understand. You would despise me. And I would feel…like my heart was ripped out.” She gave a tearful laugh. “Better this ends now. We’ll separate and share custody. Henry will always feel loved by both of us. You will be free. And I…”
“And you what?” he said sharply.
Blinking back tears, she tried to smile as she looked at him. “I can at least live in hope.”
“For another man to love you?”
Her voice was almost too quiet for him to hear. “Yes.”
Théo looked away. He thought of his son being shuttled back and forth between America and France, as he had been. He thought of his son being raised with stepparents and half-siblings, never quite feeling like he fully belonged anywhere. Some other man would raise his son at least half the year.
And every night that same man would have Carrie in his bed.
Rage ripped through him. He would die before he’d allow Carrie to be loved by another.
“I tried to hate you,” she whispered, leaning her head on her hand. “I tried so hard. But I can’t stop myself from loving you.” She looked up suddenly. “Don’t punish Henry for my weakness,” she pleaded. “We’ll find a way for you to spend time with him, but never have to see me again—”
“No,” he bit out, gripping his hands into fists.
Tears spilled unheeded down her cheeks. “Don’t do this, Théo. I know you must despise me, but Henry is an innocent child—”
“I’m not going to let you go.” Reaching across the table, he cupped her face and looked down into her eyes fiercely. “You will be my wife.”
“But, Théo,” she choked out, shaking her head, “it’s impossible. I can’t love you desperately while you feel nothing—”
“You’re wrong,” he bit out, and then, with a deep breath, he forced out the lie he had no choice but to tell. “I love you, too.”
Incredulous, slow-rising joy lit up her beautiful face, like golden dawn across fields of red poppies. “You—love me?”
“Yes,” he ground out.
Trembling, she closed her eyes. Then, bursting into tears, she stood up and reached across the table, throwing her arms around him with a heartfelt sob that made all the other patrons of the small restaurant turn their way.
He’d made her deliriously happy with his lie. He could hear it in her tears. He could feel it in the way her soft, curvaceous body swayed against his as she clutched him tightly, as if she never wanted to let him go.
“We’re engaged,” he announced grimly to the other diners, and there was a breathless awwwww, a scattering of applause.
Paris was the legendary City of Light. A city for lovers. And he’d ruthlessly used her dreams against her.
After her year of heartbreak and grief she truly believed all her romantic hopes had come true. And even though part of him recoiled at the lie he’d just told, he couldn’t quite regret it. Because he’d won. Now he could keep her forever.
Even if it meant he’d lost his soul.
“Come on,” Théo said roughly, grabbing her hand. “Let’s get you a wedding dress.”
CHAPTER SIX
BY THE next morning, Théo was starting to fear that he was going to lose far more than his soul.
After he’d gotten the enormous diamond on her finger, he’d driven her straight to the most expensive bridal shop on the Avenue Montaigne and bought the first wedding dress that Carrie adored. Then he’d driven her immediately to the airport.
They’d made love four times since then—once on the jet, three times more since they’d arrived back at the château—and he was amazed at the change in her. He’d never experienced such openhearted passion, such fearless devotion. She’d given herself to him now, heart and soul, held nothing back. She touched him constantly and was always reaching over for a kiss. She told him that she loved him again and again, and each time he repeated the words back to her Carrie’s face would light up with brilliant new joy.
She didn’t seem to notice that the more he said I love you, the more flat and dull his voice became.