Page 17 of Julian

Relief crossed Julian’s face. “Okay. As long as you’re telling me the truth.”

Kiara struggled with being the only one who had memories of that night. She wished he didn’t have to rely on her word because he might have doubts until the baby’s paternity could actually be determined through a DNA test. “I am telling the truth.”

“Duncan wants us to get married.”

Shock jolted through her. “Married?”

The word hung in the air between them like an actual physical thing. Kiara's chest tightened, and she struggled to draw a proper breath. Marriage? To Julian Burke? The idea was so far from anything she'd ever imagined for herself that she couldn't form a coherent response.

“That's his solution," Julian continued, his voice strained. "For the baby."

Kiara pressed her palm against her stomach. "I don't… I wasn't expecting that."

Julian ran a hand through his hair, leaving it even more disheveled. "Neither was I, but my father was very clear about his expectations."

The way he said "expectations" made Kiara's heart sink. There was something cold and formal about it, like this was a business arrangement rather than a life-altering decision about their future—and their child's.

"I'm not expecting you to marry me, Julian. That's… that's not why I kept the baby."

He angled a look at her, his expression still unreadable. "Why did you keep it?"

The question wasn't accusatory, just curious, but it still stung, and for a moment she wondered if he would have preferred she end the pregnancy. Kiara swallowed hard against the sudden lump in her throat.

"Because it's my baby," she said simply. "And I… I've always wanted a family of my own."

Julian's eyes softened slightly at that, and he looked away, staring out at the garden. The morning sunlight caught the highlights in his hair and gave a glow to his skin. He was truly a handsome man. More handsome than she’d ever imagined her future husband being.

Kiara had always figured she’d end up with a down-to-earth man who spent his days working with his hands. She would have assumed that a man like Julian would be completely out of her league.

But alcohol had stripped away all of their differences, reducing their interactions to a physicality that hadn’t cared that they wouldn’t have made a good couple in real life.

But it was more than just the alcohol. Loneliness, coupled with a desire for a love of her own like Angie had with Jude, had created a situation where she hadn’t been thinking rationally. When Julian had kissed her, she’d assumed that he’d felt something for her. That he too was looking for a connection.

She couldn’t have been more wrong.

Whatever he’d been looking for that night, it hadn’t been a lasting connection. And since he couldn’t remember that night, he’d likely never be able to tell her what his motivation had been.

She might not know what his motivation had been that night, but she certainly knew that this marriage proposal wasn’t beingdriven by his attraction to her or his desire to be married to her. No, it was Duncan who was dictating things now.

“So, are you agreeable to getting married?” Julian asked.

Kiara frowned. “You’re actually on board with the idea?”

He didn’t answer right away, his gaze distance. “I think it’s probably for the best.”

That surprised her. “But… how would it work?”

“I think we just need to stay married until the baby is born,” Julian said. “Then we can get a divorce.”

It hurt Kiara’s heart to be talking about divorce before they’d even gotten married. What would happen if she said no to getting married?

Would Duncan accept her answer if it was no? Would Julian?

Julian cleared his throat as his head bent forward. “One other thing. Duncan is insisting that I go to rehab for my drinking.”

Kiara was shocked once again. “He is?”

“Yes. He says it’s become a problem,” Julian said, then gave a humorless laugh. “And in light of our situation, I can’t exactly argue with him.”