“Oh my god.” I press my fingers against my temples.
Sterling’s right. He’s plain dumb.
The car pulls away, leaving Rory behind us.
Sterling takes my hand, interlinking our fingers. “You okay?”
“You tried to pay him to leave me alone?”
“I did. I’ll always take care of you, whatever it takes,” he answers without hesitation.
Three hundred thousand dollars at the charity fundraiser, plus whatever amount he gave Rory.
“You’ll do it no matter what I say, won’t you?”
Despite the tension over his face, his lips quirk. “You’re catching on.”
I can’t be mad at him for trying. I’d do exactly the same for him if he needed it, and I thought it would work.
“I don’t know why Rory wouldn’t just take it and go. He sounded so desperate for the money.”
“Some things make men more reckless than money.”
I frown in confusion.
“He didn’t want that annulment, did he?”
I stare at him, realization coiling around me and squeezing until I think I might be sick.
“No,” I whisper. “He suggested we give the marriage a go the next morning. I thought he was joking. Oh god!” I screw my eyes shut and rub my forehead. “He’s never going to leave me alone. The sooner I get back and see my parents, the better. I can’t stop him from trying to ruin my business, but I can at least make sure they hear it from me first.”
“I’ll get us a flight organized.”
“Really?”
“You need to see your parents, Hallie.” He lifts our joined hands to his lips and kisses my fingers. “So we’ll go and see them. I’d like to meet them.”
“Thank you.” I exhale, my shoulders loosening.
“Now, lose all thoughts of him because I have plans for us when we get back.”
Despite the sour turn of the evening, my core thrums to life, and I press my thighs together.
“You do?”
Sterling chuckles.
I’ll never get enough of him looking at me like this, happiness making the blue of his eyes shimmer like tropical waves.
Even Rory can’t ruin that.
27
STERLING
“You’re so deep,”Hallie gasps as I thrust inside her.
My grip tightens on her trembling hips as I retreat, pulling all the way out. I marvel at how damn beautiful the shine of our mixed cum is as it coats my rock-hard dick.
