Page 74 of The Elusive Billionaire

“What does that even mean?”

Damn it. I really wish he’d stop stroking my cheek like a lover.

“It means we’ll start over. We’ll explore this…thing between us without your…betrayal hanging over our heads.” His brows draw together, and he bites his lip.

What’s he thinking?

He exhales slowly. Almost as though he’s resigning himself to something. When his pale blue gaze lands on mine, I hold my breath.

“I’ll try to forgive your betrayal, and you’ll try to let me in, that’s my deal.” I’ve never heard him speak so gently before, and my heart just stops. I’m sure of it. “We’ll fight and make up. We’ll figure out the push and pull that keeps slamming us together, and we’ll do it all with honest intentions and good faith.”

He’s saying all the right words, but the Greyson I know isn’t capable of letting go of a grudge—he’s more than proven that over the last week.

“That’s not really a deal though.” Oh, God. Why do I sound like that? I can’t crumble into a needy, wanton submissive around him.

The grin that overtakes his face is predatory.

“If you agree to let down your walls, I’ll get you through this mess unscathed. I’ll get rid of the DeVanes and the Ashfords in your life once and for all. You’ll have a fresh start without any baggage dragging you down.”

The sad part is, I know he’s capable of doing those things. But the thought of who I’ll be without the pressure of fighting for every scrap of my life scares the shit out of me too—I’ll be forcedto figure out who I am without the weight of bad decisions and self-loathing.

“Can you step back? I can’t think when you’re mauling me like a demented sex-starved dom.”

“Oh, Monroe, you haven’t seen anything yet.” He takes one step back. There’s less than a foot between us, but it feels like a mile.

“And if I…what? Become your good little wifey, what do you get out of it?”

“Wherever our ending takes us, you’ll agree to one of two things.”

His eyes flash like my own personal red flags.

“What things?”

“You’ll either stay my wife for real, or you’ll become my surrogate. Either way, we’ll both get exactly what we’ve always wanted.”

My mouth drops open. This asshole is seriously going to use my childhood dream to extort me into doing exactly what he wants me to do.

“Whoa. Is this anotherI’m getting a babytype thing?” Madi asks.

Damn. How long has she been standing there?

Greyson doesn’t even acknowledge her. His laser focus is still burning a hole through my face. The only indication that he’s annoyed is the slight pinch in his jaw.

“You’re out of your mind,” I say.

He nods, not even bothering to contradict me.

“But…why? You’ve spent nearly a year hating me, fighting me, discounting me at every step. Why on earth would you want to marry me or have me carry your child?” I lower my voice, knowing it will come out in a hiss of syllables, but not caring anymore. “And did you hear anything I said about not knowing how to be a good mom?”

“Maybe I have more faith in your abilities than you do. Maybe I’m ready to settle down, and since you’re the one who makes me feel alive, even if it’s with thoughts of murder, it’s better than settling for a life with no color.”

“Or maybe,” Sage says, joining our little circle with Braxton at his side, “you’re realizing that you’ve been avoiding love for so long that you no longer knew where the line between love and hate was until Savvy erased the line completely, one insult at a time, and that terrified you.”

“I didn’t ask for a fucking family meeting. This is between me and Monroe.”

“Grey.” Braxton places a hand on Grey’s shoulder, and he flinches. “I know you go through life issuing commands that most people follow, but this, a marriage, is different. First you wanted a baby, now a wife. What’s going on with you, brother?”

I bite my bottom lip as Grey removes Braxton’s hand from his shoulder.