Page 94 of Imperfect Arrangement

“This?” Raymond raises an eyebrow, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip like he’s fighting a grin.

I swat at his chest, ignoring how firm and solid he feels under my palm. A voice in my head warns me that touching him is starting to feel a littletoonatural. I start to pull back, but before I can create any distance, his arms tighten around my waist, locking me in place.

I close my eyes for a moment, letting myself feel the safety of his hold. For a second, under the cover of the night sky, I let my guard drop. It’s stupid, but it feels good to be cared for—wanted. When I open my eyes, I force myself to speak.

“The fake couple thing.Us.” My voice comes out softer than I intended, and of course, the man grins wider.

“Oh,thatus.”

And I know exactly what he means. There’s theuswe present to the world—the engaged couple putting on a show—and then there’sthis us—held by a messy, charged thing that feels like stepping onto a ledge, wondering if he’ll catch me or if I’ll fall.

“My mom’s dying to meet you,” he says casually, like he’s commenting on the weather. “She’s threatened me in every way to get you to meet her.”

My eyes widen. “Seriously?”

“Of course, Wills. I’m her only beloved son. Do you really think she wouldn’t want to meet the woman I got engaged to?” His grin turns devilish. “I told her if she barged in without my go-ahead, you’d probably run for the hills and Quill would be devastated.”

I gape at him. “Oh my God. You’re such a manipulative man.”

He doesn’t even flinch. “In my defense, I wasn’t lying. If my mom had shown up the day after the engagement announcement in that paper, you would’ve bolted.”

I cross my arms, hating that he’s probably right. “Fine. Maybe I would’ve.”

“There’s nomaybeabout it. You definitely would’ve. But would it be okay if she visits…tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” My throat tightens at the thought. But before I can spiral too far, Raymond pulls his phone out of his pocket, then taps the screen a few times before holding it out for me to see.

It’s a series of texts from his mom. At least two a day.

Mom: Can I meet her today?

Mom: How about tomorrow? Love you, honey.

Mom: Still waiting to meet my future daughter-in-law.

I scroll and scroll, my jaw dropping lower with each message. “I can’t believe this.”

“She’s persistent,” Raymond says, clearly amused by my reaction.

I shake my head, trying to wrap my mind around it. Hope Teager—the woman I’ve seen online, effortlessly whipping up designer cakes that look like something out of a fairy tale—wants to meetme. My stomach churns with anxiety. “What if she doesn’t like me?”

Raymond leans in, his expression softening. “She alreadylovesyou. You’re the woman who helped her granddaughter find her voice when no one else could. To her, you’re basically Wonder Woman. Just without the lasso.”

Guilt presses down on me, heavy and unrelenting. I’m loved because Quill chose me. Not because of anything extraordinary I’ve done.

“I can’t believe it,” I whisper, mostly to myself.

“You can say no to tomorrow,” Raymond offers gently. “But she’ll be at Quill’s birthday party, along with the rest of my family. And I must remind you, they’re…a lot—uncles, aunts, grandparents. But they all adore Quill.”

I smile despite myself. “And I’m sure our bug loves the extra attention.”

The realization hits me at the same moment it registers on Raymond’s face. His smile grows impossibly wide, and his grip tightens around me like he’s won some silent victory.

“You finally said it.” His voice is soft, reverent. “You called herours.I’ve been waiting to hear that for so long.”

Before I can think of a response, he dips his head and brushes his nose against mine. The contact steals the breath from my lungs. His gaze locks on mine, heat and something deeper sparking in his eyes before they drop to my lips. When my tongue instinctively flicks over them, he groans, the sound rumbling through me and igniting every nerve in my body.

“You decide yes or no, Willow,” he whispers, his voice rough with emotion, like the night in my room. “But if you say yes, I’ll show you how hard you made my heart pound when you called my daughter ours. I’ll show you what it means for you to belong here—with me and Bug.”