Page 87 of The Alpha’s Unclaimed Mate

“What happened after that?” Marcus stresses.

“You were gone when I woke up. I found out about Mia five weeks later, so I went to your hotel, except you’d already moved on. It took two weeks to work out where, and the bus fare emptied my account.” My nails dig into my palms. “Your manager met me in the lobby with two men. You know the rest.”

He’s quiet a long moment. “I’m sorry,” he says, hoarse. “I’d have taken responsibility for that child if I’d known.”

I’m starting to believe he would have.

“I didn’t need you to take responsibility for me.” Upstairs, my daughter is still asleep. “Mia was as much yours as mine. All I needed was for you to do right by her.”

The silence that follows my words is heavy.

“Stay for the school year,” Marcus suddenly offers. “Twelve months. That’s all I’m asking. Let’s find out whether we can make a life for Mia.” He pauses. “Now that everything is out in the open, it might be easier for you to adjust. I’m not saying it won’t be a handful since Bella is also quite attached to you—”

One corner of my mouth lifts. “Bella isn’t a problem for me. She’s a sweet kid.” The faint smile fades as I ask a question I don’t think he considered before. “If we don’t adjust, if we move, what about Bella? Is she supposed to be shuffled town to town so you can be near your daughter?”

Marcus goes still. His jaw sets, his eyes close for half a second, and I want the words back.

“Bella is all I have left of my brother,” he admits at last, and he won’t look at me. “I’ll make it as easy on her as I know how. If she can’t settle somewhere new, then I stay here with her, and I fly out every week to see the two of you. I’ll keep that up for as long as it takes.”

Shame washes over me. “I wanted to hate you. I thought for sure you’d give me reasons to, but you’ve done the exact opposite. Bella has a good father in you. Mia’s going to have one too.”

His grip tightens on my hands. “Let’s try then, for the girls.”

My mouth is dry. “And what exactly are we trying?”

Marcus just watches me, and then his hand lifts to move a piece of stray hair out of my eyes. “It’s not just Mia that I want, Jessa. It’s you as well. I want us to be a family.”

I pull my hands back. “We can’t complicate this any further.”

“What’s so complicated about us?” Marcus demands.

“I don’t—” I see the heat in his gaze and look away. “I don’t like you like that.”

“Like that?” His eyes narrow. “You didn’t have a problem with me when I had you under me last night.”

My lips part, and I glower at him. “That was—You can’t—”

Marcus is off his knee before I’ve finished. His mouth comes down on mine, both hands framing my face, and the chair scrapes back as he hauls me onto my feet. I get a palm to his chest to shove him off, then I fist his shirt instead and drag him closer. A sound rolls out of his throat that I feel through my own ribs. His hand slides into my hair, tipping my head where he wants it, while every sensible thing I said burns down to ash.

Footsteps hit the stairs.

We come apart so fast that I hit my hip on the table. Marcus turns to the counter and grips the edge, while I smooth my hair with trembling hands.

“Don’t,” I hiss at him. “We’re keeping this civil. Stop trying to kiss me every five minutes.”

“I’m trying.” He doesn’t look repentant. “I’ve been doing a remarkable job of restraining myself, all things considered.”

“Mom, is breakfast ready?” Mia bounces into the room, Bella a step behind her.

“It will be in half an hour. You girls go change.” It’s hard to keep my voice steady.

As they rush off, I let out a shaky breath. “Fine. I’ll turn down the job offer. But you can’t—You and I can’t do that again. This is for Mia. So she can stay in your life and you can stay in hers.”

When he doesn’t answer, I look at him. There’s a stubborn tilt to his chin, and my heart sinks. This man who’s been strangely agreeable about everything so far refuses to budge on one thing: me.

“I need an answer, Marcus.”

He walks past me, his hands ghosting over my waist, and my eyes flutter shut for a moment. His voice is amused and dismissive. “We’ll see.”