Page 67 of My Horrible Arranged Marriage (Bancroft Billionaire Brothers #20)

MINA

I t was the honeymoon we didn’t take. The peace and beauty of a sandy beach that we should have been enjoying following our wedding. There was such a sense of peace between us. It felt like I could breathe freely.

I stood barefoot in the sand, my sundress fluttering in the breeze, watching Isaac as he fiddled with the lanterns a resort attendant had left on our private stretch of beach.

Isaac did not hesitate to make this trip into something beautiful and amazing. He couldn’t help but go out of his way to make the day special. Like this little setup. He had arranged for a private dinner on the beach. Sitting in a restaurant with fifty other people just wouldn’t do.

He was busy trying to turn on the lanterns that hung from what looked like shepherd’s hooks stuck in the sand. I sipped from my glass of something fruity and non-alcoholic. The rim was sugar-dusted like it was an actual cocktail. I’d already licked it clean like a child with a lollipop.

“Babe, they’re fine,” I said.

“I’m making sure they’re positioned perfectly,” Isaac said, fussing over the placement of the last one. “You don’t rush romance, Mina.”

I raised a brow. “Is that what this is? Romance?”

He looked over his shoulder and grinned. “You tell me. Am I doing it right?”

“Oh yeah,” I said as my gaze took in the sight.

The lanterns, the quiet corner of the beach, the blanket laid out with dinner covered in silver domes, the fact that this man had flown across an ocean just to fight for us—yeah, this was romance. The real kind. The messy, intentional kind that was raw and honest.

Isaac finally joined me, looping an arm around my waist and pressing a kiss to the side of my head. “You look beautiful, by the way.”

I let my head rest against his shoulder. “Thank you. You look very yacht-y.”

He was wearing linen pants rolled up to just above his ankles and a pale blue long-sleeved shirt that was left untucked. His feet were bare. The man was effortlessly handsome.

He looked down at me. “We should just get married here.”

I laughed. “What, now?”

“Why not? There’s probably a justice of the peace on this island who’d do it for a hundred bucks and a couple of beers.”

I tilted my head, grinning. “Are you proposing again?”

“Not officially,” he said. “But maybe unofficially. I mean, look at this place.” He gestured out at the water, the setting sun, the gentle waves rolling in. “It’s paradise. You, me, no guest list, no pressure. Just us.”

For a second, I let myself imagine it. Me in a white sundress, him in that soft blue shirt I loved, the two of us barefoot in the sand, saying our vows with the sound of the sea behind us. No drama. No lies. Just truth and love.

“I like the sound of it,” I admitted. “But…”

Isaac smiled knowingly. “But you want the real thing. The celebration. With our people.”

“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “I think I do. I want my dad there. Tori. Your brothers. I want it to be messy and beautiful and loud and full of people who love us.”

He reached for my hand and squeezed. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”

I giggled. “Can you imagine the invitation? ‘Bancroft and Duvall Wedding: Round Two. This time it’s real.’”

“Very exclusive,” he said with a smirk. “Guest list trimmed to people who haven’t lied, sabotaged, or emotionally blackmailed anyone.”

“So, like eight people.” I laughed.

“Give or take.”

We ate dinner on the blanket under the lanterns, digging into grilled fish, jerk chicken, and fluffy rice with some kind of mango glaze that I wanted to bottle and take home with me. Isaac fed me a bite, then kissed the corner of my mouth when I got sauce there.

“It’s perfect,” I sighed, leaning back on my hands.

“Almost,” Isaac said. He shifted closer, his hand finding mine in the sand, fingers lacing together. “There’s just one thing missing.”

“Oh?” I asked, my heart giving a little flutter. “And what’s that?”

He didn’t say anything, just kissed me. When he pulled back, his forehead rested against mine.

“This,” he whispered. “This is what was missing.”

I smiled. “You know,” I said softly, tracing the line of his jaw with my thumb, “for a guy who claims he doesn’t do romance, you’re pretty good at it.”

He chuckled. “Only for you, Mina. Only ever for you.”

“I’m sorry,” I said.

“For?”

“I feel like we robbed ourselves of a honeymoon,” I said.

“Not just a honeymoon but the whole ‘getting to know each other’ thing. We’re speeding headlong into family.

I’m going to be big as a house and then dealing with leaking boobs and midnight feedings.

I hope we’ll have time just for us after the baby is born. ”

“Don’t be sorry,” he said. “I was there. I put that baby in you and I’m damn proud of it. We’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other. The baby can’t be awake twenty-four hours a day, right?”

“God, I hope not.” I laughed.

“It’s going to be fine. We’re going to do this together. Me and you. When is your next doctor’s appointment?”

“I was supposed to have the appointment this week, but I called my doctor and asked if it was okay if I put it off for a week or two. It’s in a couple of weeks.”

“Can I go with you?” he asked quietly.

“I’d like that.” I smiled.

After dinner, we walked along the shoreline, the waves washing over our feet. Every once in a while, the water hit the hem of my dress, leaving the bottom couple of inches wet.

“Can you imagine bringing our baby to a place like this?” I asked quietly, watching the moon cast a pale shimmer across the water.

Isaac’s hand found mine again. “Making sandcastles. Looking for shells.”

“Laughing their little baby laugh,” I added, smiling.

He stopped walking and faced me, brushing a strand of hair away from my face. “We’ll bring them. As soon as they can splash around, we’ll book a trip. Make it a thing.”

“Annual Bancroft Beach Week?”

“That sounds great to me.” He paused. “Maybe we should look for a condo or house. If this is where you want our vacation home, I’m up for it.”

“This place is always going to be special,” I said.

He moved to stand in front of me. His hands slid up my sides and then dropped to my hips before he lowered his mouth to mine.

There was nothing rushed about it. Just warmth and affection and the taste of promise. I melted into him, feeling his arms around me, his breath against my cheek.

“I love you,” he whispered.

My throat tightened. Would those words ever stop sounding so sweet? “I love you too.”

We stood there for a long time, wrapped up in each other while the waves splashed against us. The sand moved beneath our feet, but I felt like I was on solid ground. He wasn’t going anywhere. I knew it with my whole heart.

“When we get back, I think I’m ready to tell everyone about the baby,” I said.

Isaac looked at me, eyes lit with surprise and joy. “Really?”

“Yeah. I want to share it. I want to celebrate. No more hiding. No more shame. This baby deserves better than that.”

“You’re right,” he said, pulling me closer. “Your dad’s going to be… what’s bigger than over the moon?”

“Orbiting Saturn?”

“Sure. That.”

We both burst out laughing as we walked. Up ahead, lights from another restaurant came into view, and just as we got closer, we spotted two familiar figures stumbling out of it.

Tori and the guy from the bar.

They were laughing hysterically. I couldn’t hear what about, but it didn’t matter.

Tori looked so alive and happy. She was holding her heels in one hand, and the guy had his arm around her waist, spinning her until he lost his balance and tumbled into the sand.

Instead of letting go, he tugged her down with him. They landed in a clumsy heap.

Tori shrieked, laughing harder than I’d seen her laugh in years.

I stopped walking, just watching her, a smile tugging at my lips.

“She looks happy,” Isaac said quietly beside me.

“She is,” I whispered. “Finally.”

Tori had been my rock, my safety net, my partner in chaos for over a year now. Ever since Sampson, she’d picked up the pieces I couldn’t carry. She’d let me crash on her couch, cry on her shoulder, drag her to Jamaica with no notice at all. She never asked for anything in return.

She deserved this. All of it. Lightness. Laughter. Love.

“I’ve been bringing so much drama to her doorstep,” I murmured. “She never once made it feel like a burden. She has stuck by me through all of it.”

“She’s a good friend,” Isaac said.

“I know,” I said. “But I’m glad she’s getting a break. She deserves some fun.”

We kept walking quietly, giving them space as we passed. I caught Tori’s eye as we moved past. She flashed a smile. I grinned back at her.

Back at our room, we collapsed on the bed, arms and legs tangled. Isaac reached for the notepad on the nightstand and a pen.

“What are you doing?” I asked, propping my chin on his chest.

“Brainstorming.”

“For what?”

“Baby names.”

I groaned. “Already?”

“No time like the present.”

He scribbled something and handed it to me. Atlas Bancroft.

“Atlas?” I looked at him sideways.

“It’s strong.”

“It’s a map.”

“Okay, okay.” He laughed, taking it back. “What about?—”

I grabbed the pen and wrote Clementine. Then bit my lip.

Isaac stared at it. “Are we naming a child or a dessert?”

I shoved him, laughing. “It’s whimsical!”

“Okay, Clementine it is,” he said with a wink. “But if it’s a boy, we’re not naming him Mango.”

We traded silly names until the list devolved into food items and Greek gods. Eventually, we tossed the pad aside and lay back.

“You know what I’d really like?” I murmured, curling into him.

“What?”

“To wait.”

“Wait for what?” he asked.

“Let’s focus on the baby for now. I want to appreciate every minute of the pregnancy. Enjoy the engagement. We can do the wedding when we’re ready.”

“I like that,” he said, stroking my back. “Let the dust settle. We can enjoy us. Get our house in order, so to speak.”

I tilted my head to look at him. “We’ll plan a beautiful wedding. Again.”

“I’m already there.”

He kissed me again. “I can’t wait to do this journey with you. The right way.”

“I’m pretty excited myself,” I said. “I can’t wait to have babies with you.”

“Babies?” he questioned. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

I laughed. “No. But I do hope we have more than one.”

“Me too,” he said. “Lots.”