“They will love you,” she said yet again. “They liked you when you came to my house.”
I pursed my lips at the memory and the jealousy that dinner had actually sparked in me. “They liked me well enoughbecauseI was Ethan’s brother and theyadoreEthan.”
“They do,” she agreed, removing my suit jacket before taking a couple of steps back to detail me. “Better.”
“You’re not helping,” I groaned, sitting on the bench at the end of the bed. “I’m nothing like Ethan. I’m not funny or lighthearted. I’m serious—some people might even say a little uptight.”
I frowned when she didn’t contradict me.
“I’m opinionated and strong-willed. I’m austere and short-tempered. I’m somber, I’m cautious, I can come across as haughty and—” I sighed. “You know, feel free to stop me whenever you’d like.”
She laughed, grabbed my face in her small hands and turned it so I could look at her.
“No, you’re not like Ethan, and yes, sometimes you can be all those things and more, but you love me and I love you and that’s all my parents want.” She leaned down and brushed her lips against mine. “You know, when I said to Ethan that I could only take the sham so far, it was because I’d always promised my parents to only marry for love and I could never desecrate the institution by marrying anyone, even Ethan, who I care for very deeply, for anything other than love.”
I opened my mouth to ask if adding an engagement ring to her finger before her parents’ arrival would help, but she rested her hand on my mouth.
“No, no, I’m not saying that for you to propose. Marriage is not necessary or required,” she added quickly, obviously still in the dark about the engagement ring I had bought and that Ethan had delivered the day before during his visit.
I wanted to marry her, of course, for many reasons—some of romantic nature, some far more practical, so as to give her legitimacy and rights to ensure that should anything happen to me, all I had would be rightfully hers.
“My parents both fought their family, beliefs and religions… They sacrificed so much to be together and it was all in the name of love. They will see it and they will love you for it.”
“Hmph.” I twisted my mouth to the side with uncertainty. I knew I was not particularly likable, but if she wanted to believe so… who was I to disagree?
“And worst-case scenario, if things are going south, you can talk to them about this new splitting thing…”
“Our stock split?” I straightened up in my seat, the thought perking me up. If they loved business, I could woo them. “Are they interested in investments?”
She grinned. “Not even a little, but you would put them in a deep coma, allowing us to end the meeting.”
I grabbed her by the waist and threw myself on the bed, taking her with me, making sure she didn’t jolt too much. I was still terrified that something would happen to her again, despite all medical reassurance.
“You little vixen!” I chastised her with a fake glare as I slid my hand under her jumper to tickle her side.
She started to squeal and laugh as she moved in my arms and I loved that sound; I loved to be the source of her glee and amusement. Her laughter was as addictive as her moans of pleasure. Her bright smile and eyes shining with mirth were almost as enticing as when her face morphed into complete rapture as she was on the edge of an orgasm.
I was addicted to this woman—completely and utterly addicted.
I stopped teasing her and kissed her a little too deeply when we only had a few minutes to spare. Breaking the kiss, I leaned back, looking at her lying under me. “I love you.”
She traced my lips with her fingers. “I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of hearing you say that.”
“Good, because I’m never planning to stop. I love you.”
She sighed with contentment. “I love you too, my uptight man.”
A short knock at the door stopped me from punishing her with more tickles.
“Mr. St-John, Ms. Byrnes, your guests are coming up the alley now.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Linder, we’ll be right out.” I rolled off the bed and extended my hand to Ava. “Come on, sweetheart—let me go charm the in-laws.”
I kept her hand in mine, intertwining our fingers as we took the stairs down and opened the big wooden doors just as the car stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
Ava’s father exited the car first and reached inside to help his wife out, quickly kissing her hand before letting her go.
I tightened my hold on Ava’s hand almost subconsciously. These people had been married for over twenty-five years and they were still exchanging little tender gestures like that. Not because they had to for the public eye like my father and stepmother, but because they wanted to.