“Their names are Walker and Colby Jameson,” she said.
“Strong names,” I replied. She nodded and took a sip of her wine.
“What about you? Do you want kids?”
There was no choice in the matter. I had to have sons if I wanted the Michelson line to continue. But I didn’t want to bring that up with her; she wasn’t ready to hear it. She’d run away from me as far and as fast as she could.
“I’d like to have some,” I ended up saying.
“But to have kids, you’d need a wife, right?”
I gave a nod. “It’d be nice.”
Her brows knitted together when she looked at me. “What kind of woman would that be? We both know I don’t fit that type.”
I stared back at her, challenging her. “Why not?”
She snorted. “Please. I don’t care about wearing gowns, attending fancy parties, and looking pretty for the crowd.”
“That’s not all the women do, Wren.” My lips spread into a smirk. “Some are hardcore, just like you. You should be in jail after all the money you and Parker stole over the years, but you’ve managed to keep the law at bay. Not everyone can say they’ve accomplished that.”
Her lips pursed. “Someone else should be in jail, too.”
“True, but I’m smart, just like you.”
She shook her head. “But is a smart woman really what you want? I figured you’d like a submissive, someone you can order around and control.”
I stepped closer to her, and she tried to look away, but I clutched her face in my hands. “I don’t want someone to control,” I said, meeting her emerald gaze. “And I’m not looking for a woman to redeem me. I need someone who can embrace who I am. My world is dark and it’s not going to change. If anyone could understand that, I figured it’d be you.”
Slowly, I slid my hands away from her face and she sighed. “Believe me, I do. I’ve seen a lot of evil in this world.”
“Then, maybe my thinking is wrong,” I said. “Maybe you don’t need someone like me. You’ll probably end up with Ripp or one of the other fighters. They’regoodguys.”
Amusement flashed in her eyes, and she scoffed. “That’s the problem. I’ve never been interested in the good guys. I don’t fit in with them.”
“You fit inside my world, Wren,” I told her.
She shook her head. “No, I don’t. I don’t fit in anywhere. Guess it’s a good thing I don’t give a damn about finding Mr. Right. He’s not out there.” Bringing the wine glass to her lips, she finished off the rest and forced a smile. “Thank you for dinner and the lovely walk. I’m going back to my room.” Before she could walk away, I grabbed her wrist. She sighed and faced me again. “You have a habit of grabbing me, Mr. Michelson. If you were a stranger, I’d rip off your arm and shove it up your ass.”
Chuckling, I let her go and a hint of a smile tugged at her lips.
“I’m getting into the hot tub in a few. You should join me,” I suggested.
Wren spun around and laughed as she walked away. “Don’t hold your breath on that one.”
Would she join me? I don’t know, but I was ready to find out.
* * *
I waited an hour before getting into the hot tub. I tried to relax in the water, but my mind kept wandering. Tomorrow was the meeting with my father and Nikolai. A war was about to start, and as much as I was ready to end it, a part of me dreaded it. Nikolai was my brother, and there was a time when we were more than brothers. We were best friends, loyal to protecting each other and our family. Sadly, that disappeared the second our father started showing favoritism toward me. It didn’t take long for Nikolai to resent me after that. He took that hate and twisted himself into something inhumane. I don’t even recognize who he is anymore. Nikolai was so far gone I knew he’d never return to who he used to be.
I closed my eyes and leaned into the jets, letting them work out the knots in my muscles. I wanted one more night of not thinking about Nikolai, so I pushed him out of my thoughts, replacing him with Wren. Was she going to join me? Hell, she was so stubborn she probably wouldn’t come. Whenever I got close, she’d throw her walls back up.
I heard the soft creak of the door, and then the unmistakable smell of Wren’s perfume surrounded me. It was a mix of jasmine and rose; sweet and musky at the same time. I remained still and kept my eyes closed as I breathed her in, remembering exactly how it felt to have her body pressed against mine.
My heart raced and my dick twitched with anticipation. Wren’s bare feet slapped against the stone walkway as she came closer, her steps slow and calculated.
“I didn’t think you were coming,” I called out, opening my eyes.
