Page 11 of Possessed By You

While I despise the aspect of it, his lawyer is right. Benjamin has every right to protect himself. I sit on the bed, needing to rid of the unease that has befallen me for eavesdropping on a conversation I should never have heard, and wait to hear his footsteps.

They come only moments later, accompanied by a soft rap on the door.

I stand nervously. “Come in.”

Benjamin opens the door, standing under the threshold, dauntingly beautiful.

“You aren’t supposed to see the bride before the wedding.”

He’s visibly uncomfortable, holding himself stiffly. It’s clear he’s come to inform me of the prenuptial agreement. “I know. I’m sorry. I just have to talk to you about something before we do this.”

“Okay.”

I expect him to speak, but his eyes do all the talking, gliding over my face, the dress. His intent is flattering, easily warranting a blush in my cheeks as I wait for him to say something else.

“You’re magnificent, Darcy,” he admits, no doubt recognizing my hesitance.

“Thank you.”

“I’m serious.” He steps into the room. “I’m so lucky to have you…lucky you want to marry me.”

He comes close enough to take my hand but won’t meet my gaze.

“Well, I came in here to, uh, to tell you…” He clears his throat, trying to find the right words, and I give him the time to do it. “To…to see if you wanted to stay a couple of days longer.”

That wasn’t what I was expecting, and judging by the way his breath leaves him quick, his chest deflating, it wasn’t what he was expecting either.

He didn’t do it. He didn’t ask.

I try to recover as fast as I can. “Stay longer?”

“Yes. We could make this our honeymoon,” he continues, nodding mostly to himself. When he lifts his gaze from my hand, his eyes clearing the fog, I realize he’s thrown away the idea of asking. I agree with a nod. He caresses the skin between my thumb and forefinger and smiles.

“All right, then.”

He turns with the intent to leave.

I’m blurting out words before I even know it. “I’ll sign anything you need me to, Ben.”

He freezes, his shoulders tensing for a moment. When he twists, his eyes clouded yet again, he recovers his disbelief. “How did you know?”

“I heard you.” I gesture my head toward the sliding glass door.

“I’m sorry you heard that. I didn’t want to upset you.”

“I understand you’re an important man, Ben. It’s smart for you to do it, so I’ll sign whatever you like.”

“You’re not signing anything except our marriage certificate.”

I stare at him.

“I trust you with everything I have. I trust you, and I never want you to believe I don’t. I had honestly forgotten about even the possibility of one until he called me after I emailed him about our wedding plans.”

“Are you sure? Benjamin—”

“We’re not talking about this anymore,” he says sternly. Having lost all hesitance he exuded when he entered, he takes me in his arms.

“Let’s get married.”