Page 67 of Temporary Vows

I don’t want any of it.

I don’t want fear. I don’t want debt. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life scraping by, living from hand to mouth, never knowing what fresh disaster is waiting around the corner.

Dorian’s offer is a chance.

A loveless marriage will never be the dream.

But at least it’s something safe.

Maybe that makes me weak. Maybe it makes me foolish. But right now, the thought of money, stability, and a life where no one can hurt me again feels a hell of a lot more real than love.

I stare at myself for one beat longer, then close the mirror.

Whether I like it or not, I think I already know which way I’m leaning.

Chapter 15

Dorian

Istifle a groan, resisting the urge to snatch Levi’s ridiculous notebook away from him and toss him, andit, out the window.

Levi flips another page, making a point of scratching his fingernails across the paper to irritate the fuck out of me.

I still haven't figured out how the fuck he ended up in my car. One moment, I was walking through the parking garage, keys in hand, ready to head home after a long day’s work. The next thing I know, my brother was sliding into the passenger seat.

Fuck. He used the excuse of running through the potential wives list. I only humored him because I didn’t feel like arguing.

He flashes me a smile. In the moonlight, he appears more menacing, and I can see I’m not going to get rid of him until he gets what he came for—information.

He and Locke had been trying to get me to talk about Elodie all damn day. Knox just watched me, observing in that uncanny way more suited to me.

As expected, they all wanted to know how Elodie was doing. That was understandable. It would have looked bad if they didn’t ask.

Levi and Locke, however, cut straight to the heart, pointing out all the things Knox had last night. How I left an important meeting and got my hands dirty to save her. How unlike me that was. How she must be something special.

I’d ignored them. But Knox’s incessant glances through the day grated on my nerves.

I didn’t tell anybody I made Elodie an offer, but I bet he knew I would.

I can’t think straight. I haven’t been able to since yesterday when I laid out my offer to the damsel in distress I’m still waiting to hear from.

Not even Parker could get under my skin today. And, my God, did he try. He was lucky my mind was elsewhere.

The fact that anotherwholeday has passed without Elodie getting back to me says a lot. Not that she isn’t desperate. I don’t believe that for one second. I have first-hand knowledge of exactly how desperate she is.

If this were purely about desperation, she would have given me an answer the moment the offer left my lips.

My innocent little lamb is being strategic and taking her sweet time to think about what she’s getting herself into. Can’t blame her. At least she has the good sense not to make a deal with the devil without thinking about it first.

I can just imagine her worrying over what her life would be like with me.

Even I know she deserves better.

The part that got her was where I openly declared that I won’t love her. I would have sounded like an asshole to many. I saw it as a mercy. One that gives her no expectations from me and saves her the hassle of fretting over our future.

It showed her the mercy my father never had when he married my mother. Then again, I do believe my mother loved him. Knox thinks she loved our father’s money. I agree, but I sawin her more than most. She loved my father. She just didn’t love her kids.

At least I’ve been able to assure Elodie I’d love our children.