Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
“You’re her husband. Can’t that be a good enough reason?” Marlo asked.
“You’d think so, only I don’t have the best track record when it comes to Alex. I wasn’t exactly a prince in the early days.” He sat down on the edge of an old, worn chair.
“So, what’s the plan?” Antonio asked.
“I don’t have a plan. I don’t know what to do.”
“You’ve got to keep doing what your dad told you to do,” Marlo said. “It’s important for everyone that this marriage works. It has been close to falling apart several times.”
“I know.”
“Why don’t you just fuck her and get it over with?” Cash asked.
“I’m not going to force her. She’s not ready.” Roman ran a hand down his face.
“If you guys don’t convince the Greco line, we’ll never find out who tried to kill her,” Antonio said.
“We will. Alex and I, we’ll make this work.” He got to his feet and made his way out of the room.
“Is there a chance you could be falling for her?” Cash asked.
Roman was only in the doorway. He glanced back at his friends, and the truth was, he didn’t have an answer to that question.
He left them alone and made his way up to his bedroom where Alex was already lying in bed.
At first, he thought she was awake, but as he moved further into the room, he saw she was fast asleep. He stepped close to her and stared down at her face. She was a beautiful woman. One of his exes had said she looked mousy, but he didn’t see that. She was lovely.
His mother had described Alex as that. Roman had figured it was a way of saying she wasn’t beautiful or ugly, but in between, but he knew now what his mother meant. Alex was a lovely person. She was sweet, kind, and everything their life chewed up and destroyed.
He didn’t want to be responsible for ruining her life.
Teasing back a stray curl, he wished it would be so easy to turn his back on her, but it wouldn’t be. In the past few weeks, Alex had gotten beneath his skin, and he feared there was no way back from that. He had gotten a small taste of lovely, and it was enough to make him addicted. To yearn for more, to beg for it.
Alex was his.
He couldn’t let her go.
Not now.
He needed her.
****
“What is all this?” Alex asked.
“The kids are out on their day trip to the museum, and we’re all alone,” Roman said.
Alex was so disappointed that she couldn’t go. Of course, the kids had offered to stay home to be with her, but she refused to let them miss such an amazing opportunity and had demanded they all go and bring her back knowledge.
This left her alone with Roman, Antonio, and Marlo. Cash had left the house.
Roman poured some bottled water into a champagne glass. He’d set up a little picnic for them on the grass.
With no kids running around them, they didn’t have to worry about any potential collisions or stampedes of feet.
“And what is all of this?” Alex asked.
“This is a late celebration of the fact you got out of the hospital. You have recovered, and we’re on course for an adoption.”
“You do know adoption takes a long time,” Alex said.
“Yeah, it does, to others who don’t have the Greco name.”
She shook her head. “You’re not doing anything illegal, are you?”
“No, not at all. I’m making sure my wife gets what she wants.”
“Is it what you want?”
“I never considered myself father material, but I think those kids are going to teach me quickly.”
She took a deep breath. “You’re sure you’re making the right decision? Your dad will be pissed.”
Roman shrugged. “I’m taking care of my wife. He’s going to be pissed regardless. He likes to make all the decisions.”
She held her glass up to him. “To meddling, controlling fathers.”
“I will toast to that.” They clinked their glasses together. “I thought Liam wasn’t so … controlling?”
“He’s … not, but he is. He likes to think he gives me the freedom to make my own choices, but to be honest, he has always pushed me to where he wants me to go. Taking over this place was what I truly wanted to do. To give those kids a family, but he told me I was too young to know what I was doing. I guess that was the first time that I realized he was controlling. Then, of course, was the dinner date where he told me that he had a proposition for me. Within three hours, I was engaged, and my life changed forever.” She sighed.
“I was under the impression you wanted the marriage.”
“We were both lied to and manipulated.” She took a long sip of her drink and held it up for more.
“Wow, Mrs. Greco, at this rate, you will be properly hydrated.”