Page 135 of An Inevitable Marriage

My fingers trembled when I braced them on her knees. “Is it your dad? Do you need—”

“He’s fine,” she choked.

“Then why are you crying?” I couldn’t keep the concern out of my voice, even if I tried. “Talk to me.”

She closed her eyes and pressed her lids together. More tears streamed down her face, and fuck me, I’d never felt as helpless as I did at that very moment. I wanted to reach inside her, take the hurt, and make it my own.

The feeling was so strong, it was as if my heart turned over inside my chest.

“Snow?” I begged.

A few more unbearable seconds ticked by before she slowly opened her eyes. So much pain. So much confusion. I almost couldn’t stand it.

“Please.Please, talk to me.”

Her chin quivered, her lips trembled, but still she said nothing. I was halfway out of my mind with worry when she lifted her phone with a shaky hand and turned the screen toward me.

I read the headline, then read it again.

“What the fuck?”

My heart stopped dead right then it slammed against my ribs like a wild, uncontrollable beast. Snatching the phone from Snow, I pushed to my feet. The more I read, the hotter my blood boiled.

How dare he? How fucking dare this good-for-nothing piece of shit write the things he wrote about my wife?

My wife!

The hand at my side balled into a tight fist as I fought against the desperate need to find this bastard and run his face into a fucking wall. Somewhere in my mind, it registered that everything I’d fought so hard to keep secret was out in the open.

I should’ve been freaked the fuck out, but my only concern was for Snow.

“They’re not getting away with this.” I tossed the phone on the bed beside her and kneeled before her. Angling my head, I ensured those pretty green eyes were trained on me before I spoke.

“Please tell me you don’t believe the shit that idiot wrote about you?”

Not a word. Not a single fucking word fell from her lips. She just sucked on the inside of her cheek and pulled her shoulders to her ears.

Fury burned hot and bright through my veins. I dragged a rough hand through my damp hair and cursed low under my breath. “It’s all bullshit, and you know it.”

Something sharp and dangerous flashed in her eyes. “Youdidpay me to marry you.” She shook her head, and the edge in her tone vanished. “And…and I’m wrapped up inyoursheet after crawling out ofyour—”

“Don’t do that.” I slipped my hands around the sides of her neck and rested my thumbs against her chin. With a bit of pressure, I guided her gaze down to mine. “Don’t cheapen what we’ve done.”

A hard swallow worked its way down her throat. “I’m not. It’s just…my head is spinning, Liam.”

I opened my mouth, but just as I spoke, loud banging from the front door drowned out my voice. Pinching my eyes shut, I waited for the knocking to stop. It took way too damn long, but when the silence finally descended, my gaze was back on my wife.

Once again, I prepared to make my feelings crystal clear. And just as before, the insistent knocking started up again.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I all but yelled but made no move to get up.

Snow eyed me warily. “It could be important.”

“It’s not.” I held her stare. “Nothing is more important than this moment right here, right now.” Running my hands down her arms, I curled my fingers around hers. “Nothing is more important than you.”

Those tears were back. With the backs of my fingers, I swiped them away as they fell. “We didn’t end up here because of a transaction. It might’ve been the catalyst that threw our worlds together, but it’s not responsible for our feelings.”

I brushed my thumb over her trembling lips. “You were made for me, Snow. You and I—this marriage—it was inevitable.”