Page 53 of Adrian

“Their texts are so angry. And the voice messages are worse. They’re going to be ten times more livid when William reports that he was unsuccessful in convincing me to return. I think they expected him to be able to talk reason into me.”

I move my hand to her shoulder and graze my fingertips over her soft skin. “Which is odd and shortsighted since you barely know the guy. They expected you to just nod and grin and marry whoever they said?”

“It was naïve of me to think they wouldn’t send someone after me from the beginning. I left New York without telling them. When they went to my condo and found it empty, they probably had a coronary.”

“Why didn’t you tell them before you left?”

“Because I wanted a full break. I didn’t want to argue with them. If I had mentioned my plans at any step along the way, they would have tried to stop me, possibly even by force. Instead, I told them I was taking a little vacation. I sold my condo, piled what I wanted into a brand-new car, and drove across the country. I felt my old oppressive life lifting off me with each mile. By the time I got here, I was floating.”

I chuckle. “And I met you soon after that. You were definitely floating, princess. You were invincible.”

She presses her face against my neck. “The word you’re looking for is stupid.”

“No. Stop that. Naïve, maybe. Stupid is not a word that describes you. Stop using it.”

My wife gives a huge, dramatic sigh and flops backward onto the couch cushion. Her legs are draped over my lap, but now she’s staring up at me. “I don’t deserve you.”

I twist my body around so I’m fully facing her and crawl over her, planting my hands on the cushion on either side of her. “I’m the luckiest fucker alive. I stumbled upon the perfect woman for me, and she agreed to marry me without hesitation. I’m so in love with you, baby. So, whatever is going through your head that makes you fear that you’re a burden to me or anyone in my family, squash it right now. We’re in this together. You’re my wife for life. Whatever we’re facing, we do it as a unit. Don’t think for one second that I’m ever going to think you’re not worth it. That will never be the case, and none of my brothers or their wives is going to hesitate to protect you, either.”

Her smile lights up the room. “Okay.”

“Guess where my personal lawyer’s office is located.”

A broader smile makes her eyes squint. “New York City.”

“Yep. How do you feel about taking a little trip?”

She shudders, but she’s still smiling. “The last thing I want to do is return to my parents’ house, but that’s what you’re suggesting, isn’t it?”

“Yep. We get our legal ducks in a row, and we face them in person. They either get on board with their daughter’s new life, or they miss out on their grandchildren. There’s no wiggle room. There will be no more threats. We will not spend years dodging their calls. We will not accept threatening messages from William or any other person. I want this over. I won’t have my wife always worrying about when the next shoe will drop.”

She reaches for me. “I’m pretty sure I’m the luckiest fucker alive.”

“Yeah, we’re going to have to do something about that potty mouth before our baby is born.”

She giggles. “What about your foul language?”

I sigh. “Mine, too.”

Her hands curl around my neck. “Kiss me, Mr. Fancy Jeans.”

Nineteen

Blair

* * *

“I feel like I’m going to vomit,” I tell Adrian as we take our seats in the private room of one of New York’s finest restaurants. It was Adrian’s idea to make this reservation and request the presence of my parents at a neutral location.

We blindsided them. They didn’t even know we were in the city. We texted them this morning and asked them to meet us at seven for dinner. It’s six thirty now. Adrian thinks of everything. He wants us to have the upper hand in every aspect of this meeting, including arriving first.

He leans over, kisses behind my ear, and whispers, “Probably morning sickness.”

I flush and giggle. “We don’t know that yet.”

He shrugs. “Only because you haven’t taken a pregnancy test yet. I’m quite confident you’re carrying my child, princess.”

We’ve been married for ten days, but I suspect he’s right. I’m probably ten days pregnant. Although I’m pretty sure the nausea is because I’m not looking forward to this awkward meeting with my parents, that’s not the only symptom that would indicate I’m pregnant.