Chapter 35
Brielle
I told myself I would remain strong, that I wouldn’t let Kane back in until I knew I was making the right choice. I even accepted that there was a chance we might not end up together. But not even a few hours and one nightmare later, and I was back in the comfort of his arms.
Not that it should surprise me. The man forced me to marry him to avenge his father’s death. And I still fell for him.
But I can’t help thinking about what he told me when he found me in Russia—he had drawn up the divorce papers because he wanted to give me a choice. That shouldn’t be romantic, but it is.
Jesus, I’m fucked up.
And he didn’t give me the placebo pills. I found the bag and took them myself.
That has to count for something, right?
Yep, I’m fucked up.
Oh, and when I returned home, thinking I was going to spend the next couple of months cleaning up and renovating my Pilates studio, I found out that Kane had already handled everything. And he followed my plans to a T.
It’s probably the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.
Yeah, I know. I’m fucked up. We’ve already established that.
“I know you’re awake,” Kane murmurs, and even though my eyes are still closed, I can hear the humor in his tone.
“Don’t overthink it,” he says, his hand running down my back. “You had a nightmare, and we slept in the same bed together. It doesn’t have to mean anything.”
Except that it does. It means everything.
But I can’t tell him that. Because I’m trying to be strong and think with my head and not my heart or libido.
I open my eyes, and I’m met with sunlight peeking through the windows. I’m not sure what time it is, but we most likely slept in. My gaze ascends to look at Kane, only before I make it there, I’m distracted by the black box resting on his torso, right next to my face.
“What’s this?” I ask in confusion.
“Open it.”
Since I can’t do that while lying with my face smashed against his abs, I take the box in my hand and sit up. It’s the size of a ring box, but that doesn’t make sense because I already have a ring …
I pop the lid open and gasp when I take in the gorgeous engagement ring. It’s a simple platinum band with a princess cut diamond in the center. It’s flawless and beautiful and …
“When I saw it at the store, it looked like something you’d like,” Kane says. “And then I asked the jeweler about it, and he said it’s a princess cut diamond.”
A boyish grin spreads across his face, and butterflies swarm my chest.
“Maybe it’s cheesy as fuck, but I didn’t even know princess cut diamonds existed, and I figured it had to be a sign.”
“You bought me a new ring?” I whisper. “I left you, ran to Russia, and you bought me a second engagement ring?”
“Well, when you put it like that …” He chuckles. “I returned the other rings. You were right. I’d picked out the biggest ring to prove a point. But with this one, I hope the point I’m proving is that I love you.”
I suck in a harsh breath. This isn’t the first time he’s told me he loves me, but every time I hear it, my heart pounds in my chest.
“You don’t have to put it on,” he says. “I meant what I said—it’s your choice.” He reaches into the nightstand and pulls out a manila folder. “I’ve already signed the divorce papers, so if you want a divorce, there’s nothing to stop you.”
He hands me the folder, but instead of taking it, I stare at it like it might attack me.
“My hope is that you’ll rip them up and put on the engagement ring so I can marry you for real this time.”
Just as he finishes his sentence, a horrible wave of morning sickness hits me. I hightail it to the bathroom and barely make it to the toilet before I throw up.
“Jesus,” he says from behind me. “I know you’re upset with me, but I didn’t think the idea of marrying me would cause you to get sick.”
My head pops up from the toilet bowl. “You want to get married again?”
“How else will I give you the wedding of your dreams … at the beach, with only family and friends?”
Oh fuck. This man.
“You’re not playing fair,” I whisper, my eyes stinging with emotion.
I stand and flush the toilet, and Kane steps toward me, cupping the side of my face.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” he says. “I’m not playing at all. I love you, and I want to spend my life with you, and until you tell me otherwise, I’m going to spend every day showing you as much.”
He lets go of me, and I instantly miss his touch.
“I need to get ready. I have to go into the office and deal with this accounting shit. Oh!” His eyes meet mine. “Can you send me the date and time of your doctor’s appointment? I need to put it in the calendar so Jack can make sure I don’t have anything scheduled that day.”
“You’re going with me?” I ask. “It’s just to confirm the pregnancy. I don’t even know if we’ll get to see the baby.”
“Bri,” he drawls, “there’s nowhere I’d rather be than with you at your appointment.
And even if you decide that I’m not the man for you, I’m going to be the best father I can be.
I was close with my father, but because of the circumstances, he hid us away from the world so that we weren’t seen as his dirty little secret.
He couldn’t attend any of our sporting events or school functions.
That’s not going to be our child. I’m going to be active in their life, even if it means co-parenting with you. ”
He pulls off his shirt over his head, and I drink in his defined chest and abs like I’m severely dehydrated.
“I’d ask if you wanted to shower with me”—he smirks like the cocky bastard he is—“but I know that would be pushing it. So, I’ll shower, and then you can get ready for your day.”
He leans in and kisses my cheek, and it takes everything in me not to beg him to take me right here and now in the bathroom.
Because this man … he’s the husband I’ve always dreamed of.
***
“Going into the office today?” Kane asks with a smirk as he hands me a cup of coffee and eyes the maroon pantsuit I’m wearing, which is a far cry from the workout clothes I usually sport.
“Actually, I saw on the calendar it was Take Your Wife to Work day, so I figured I’d tag along with you.”
He quirks a brow.
“You asked for my help with the books, remember?”
“Oh shit.” He shakes his head. “I didn’t mean you had to do it today. If you have other stuff going on, it can wait. I know you have your studio and—”
I cover his mouth with my hand and smile. “And my studio will be there tomorrow. Today, I’m going to check your numbers. Besides, I’ve been married to you for months, and I’ve never seen your office.”
Thirty minutes later, we arrive at his office downtown, and after we go through security, Kane escorts me to the floor where his office is. I know Jack, but he introduces me to a few other people who work alongside him, and then he directs me to his office.
It’s your typical corner office with a beautiful view of downtown. A huge desk is in the middle of the room. And he has a couple of stuffy-looking couches in the corner as well as a bookshelf, filled with books that would put me to sleep.
I head straight for his desk, dropping into his comfy chair, while Kane stands by the door, smirking at me.
“What?” I ask, shifting to get comfortable.
“Nothing.” He closes the door behind him and stalks over to the desk. “Every time I imagined you in my office, it was so I could fuck you on my desk. Didn’t think when you finally came here, it would be to actually work.”
My eyes go to his large mahogany desk, and my lady parts tingle at the thought of Kane bending me over the side of his desk, pulling my pants and underwear down to my ankles, and taking me from behind.
I run my fingers across the cool surface, imagining the way it would feel against my sensitive nipples.
“You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?” He grins.
“No,” I rasp, even though we both know I was. “Now, where are these numbers you need me to look at before I change my mind?”
Kane chuckles and steps around the desk and behind the chair, leaning over me so I’m forced to inhale his masculine scent.
“Right here,” he says, waking the computer up. “My hope is that there’s been an error in calculations …”
***
“There’s no error. I’ve gone over the numbers a dozen times, and I’ve traced it back to right here.
” I point at the computer. “Your CFO has been siphoning from your accounts for the past month. That’s why it only popped up for this quarterly report.
He was sneaky, but your numbers are so perfect that your team was able to catch it quickly. ”
“Fuck,” Kane hisses. “Tell me everything. I need to know exactly what this fucker did so I can fire him.”
I glance at him, shocked that he’s accepting what I said so easily. “You’re not going to ask for a second opinion?”
Kane’s eyes meet mine. “I trust you, Bri. And after you ran the numbers for the better part of the day, if you say my CFO has been stealing from me, I believe you. But I need to have the receipts so I can back myself up when I meet with him.”
We spend the next hour going over what I found. The discrepancies in the books and the trail that led me to an offshore account, which I had Eddy locate and he confirmed it belonged to Jim Wallen, Kane’s CFO.
“I don’t get why he would do this.” Kane exhales a frustrated breath. “He’s paid a damn good salary, plus bonuses. And if he got himself into trouble, he could’ve come to me.”
“I don’t know, but maybe if you talk to him …”
“It’s too late for that. Once you’ve lost my trust, there’s no getting it back.”
“Really?” I quirk a brow. “Seems kind of hypocritical. You fucked up, and you’re asking me for a second chance. Should I never trust you again?”
Kane stares at me for several seconds before he sighs. “Honestly, I wouldn’t blame you if you never trusted me again. I fucked up. But I love you, and I hope, one day, you can let me back in. But you and me … it’s personal. This”—he nods toward the computer—“is business.”
I don’t necessarily agree with his logic, but on a certain level, I can understand where he’s coming from. My brothers would give their wives a million chances if need be and then not think twice about killing a man who betrayed them.
“When are you going to speak to him?”
“Soon.” My stomach growls, and Kane chuckles. “But right now, my concern is getting you and our baby fed.”
“We don’t even know for sure that there’s a baby in there.”
Sure, the pregnancy tests were all positive, and my period hasn’t come two months in a row. And then there’s the fact that my body is already changing, and morning sickness has also been in full swing. But until I see the baby myself, I don’t think it’ll sink in.
“Well, if there’s not, we could always work on putting one in there.”
Kane playfully waggles his brows, and even though he’s only joking, the idea of having sex with him isn’t funny.
Another symptom of being pregnant is being horny. And unfortunately, my vibrator and fingers don’t compare to the way Kane expertly works my body.
My gaze bounces from Kane’s face to his cock, and I briefly wonder if I could offer to suck him off. It wouldn’t fill me up, but it would satiate a different hunger.
“You’re thinking about me fucking you again, aren’t you?” Kane laughs.
“No,” I rasp. “I was thinking about sucking you off.” I stand and round the desk. “But since you were a bad boy and fucked with my head and heart, it’s not happening. Not only did you fuck up your sex life, but you fucked up mine too.”
“Oh, Princess.” Kane grabs me by my hips and pulls me into his lap. “Give me five minutes with that pretty pussy, and I’ll show you just how good I can be.”
The hardness rubbing against my center has me wanting to say yes, but then I remember everything he did, and I force myself to shake my head.
“Not yet,” I choke out. “I need time.”
Kane immediately sobers. “I know. I’m sorry. I got caught up in the moment.” He kisses my temple and helps me stand. “You have time. I promise.”