Page 68 of Dangerously
“Only you,” he confirms.
I take the box, the material soft under my fingertips, and pop it open. I try not to gasp, but it's difficult when an insanely huge, cushion-cut diamond is trying to blind you.
“I told you I wanted a queen by my side. I wasn’t bullshitting.”
“Is this your proposal?”
“More or less. I want everything from you. Everything a wife gives a husband. Trust, loyalty, support, commitment, and children.”
My eyes fly up to his. “Children?”
“I need heirs. And I want you to give them to me. Think of the offspring we can create.”
Offspring?How fucking romantic. Not that I was expecting romance from Ronan.
I close the box and slide it back to Ronan. “I can’t give you heirs.”
“Why not?”
“Because I had my tubes tied when I was nineteen.”
“Why?”
“Because I don't want children. Ever.”
This doesn't sit well with Ronan at all. “What kind of crazy woman doesn’t want kids?”
“The kind who kills people.”
Ronan sits back in his chair and ponders this. I think this newfound information might be a deal-breaker.
“I still want to marry you. But I’ll have to knock up some other broad. We’ll raise the babies as our own. It’ll still have my genetics.”
I am beyond speechless.
“You’re serious? A surrogate?”
“Yes. Our children need to be strong. Who better than us to raise them that way?”
“I guess no one.” I attempt to keep my astonishment concealed.
He slides the ring box back to me once the details of our future is all good and settled. “Put it on.”
Glad I had a say in it.
This is supposed to be a significant milestone in a woman’s life.Well, most women's lives. I’m not most women, though. I never dreamed of the white picket fence, or two-point-five kids, or doting husband. Marriage was never part of my twenty-year plan. It’s a good thing, too, cause this wedding proposal was seriously lacking.
I slip the massive ring on my finger and feel like a noose has been tied around my neck.
Ronan gives me that smug smile he loves so much. He is satisfied, once again.
“Pack a bag. We’re going into the city for business tomorrow, and to celebrate. We can talk about nuptial details in the car. How does a spring wedding in Tuscany sound?”
Like a beautiful nightmare.
“Dreamy.”I tell him what he wants to hear.
“I thought so, too. Maybe we’ll look into buying a vineyard while we’re there. I want to start up a few more legit businesses. To help with our money situation. Wine might be a good way to go.”When he says ‘money situation’, he means laundering it.
