Page 270 of The First Taste

“What I’m trying to say is that you should marry me. Be my wife. Tell everybody that the child is mine."

Her eyes widen and her pupils contract. For several seconds, a shocked silence reigns between us. She blinks, and her throat works gently.

Finally, she pulls her hand from my grip and shakes it, as if trying to remove the traces of my touch. "Why would I do that?"

I grab her hand again, gripping it and looking at her intently. "My grandfather challenged us both to marry a woman and produce an heir. The first one of us that does it will win the company and billions of dollars."

"So?"

"So, Daisy will not look kindly upon losing out on being married to that kind of wealth. She doesn’t let things go easily. When we were in college, her freshman-year roommate didn’t like Daisy’s controlling ways. Daisy eventually wore her down and humiliated her enough that she dropped out of college and disappeared. Daisy does not let things go. I think she would actually have zero problem doing bodily harm to you and your baby if it suited her needs."

“What?” Her word comes out as a shout as much as a question. She breathes in and out slowly. Then she looks at me and shakes her head. "No. I’m sorry, Dare. It’s not the worst idea. But it’s easier if I try to go it alone. Less complicated, for sure."

"What do you mean go it alone? You’re willing to be a single mother and deal with all the hassle that it entails rather than marry me?"

Her face softens, and she reaches out, putting her hand on my knee. It’s intimate, and it makes me want to flick her hand off or say something sarcastic in response. But she gives me a tiny smile, and my bitter words are washed away.

I swallow and decide that this is not the time or the place for my sardonic sense of humor.

"You’re presenting me with a great offer. There is no doubting that. But agreeing to that would be like agreeing to lie to everyone from here on out. I don’t want a child who is born into a house of deception. I’m sure you can understand."

I give her a cold smile. I know exactly the words to say to make her agree. After all, she’s only a human, and humans have a weakness for money. "I didn’t even mention the best part of the deal."

She looks a little confused, scooting to the edge of the couch and looking as though she is about to get up. I put my hand on her knee this time, my fingers digging into her flesh as I give her the most intense look possible.

"I’m not sure what you mean," Talia says. She studies me, perhaps looking for flaws that she can pick apart.

"Agreeing to marry me comes with a cash reward. Being my wife earns you five hundred thousand dollars that you can use any way that you see fit. Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars will be deposited into an account of your choosing as soon as we are officially married. And another two hundred fifty thousand when the baby arrives. Plus," I raise a brow. "I will pay for anything and everything that you and the baby need for the next eighteen years. Surely that will sway you to agree to my plan."

I sit back, a satisfied smirk on my lips. But Talia just looks confused.

"Do you really want the Morgan family business that badly? Eighteen years is a long time to tie yourself to another person just for a business deal."

I squeeze her knee and cock my head to the right. "There would be other benefits to being married. For instance, we could fuck like bunnies. I am game for it if you are."

She pries my hands from her body, getting up and walking away. "That sounds horrible," she says over her shoulder. "You make it sound like I would be in for a lifetime of tawdry sex just because I accepted a one-time cash infusion from you."

"And because you would theoretically be my wife. Don’t forget that," I tease.

Talia turns, shooting me a glare. "No. How could I ever forget that?"

I sit back on the couch, putting my arms behind my back and stretching out. "The real question is, why should you have a cheater's baby when his identical twin brother is sitting right here, asking to raise the child?"

For just a fleeting second, I catch the conflicted look on her face. I hold my hands up, trying to stall her protests in their tracks. "You know what? You should think about it. You definitely shouldn’t go tell my brother before you’ve had time to weigh all of your options. I’m only asking for a little time to let the genius of my plan soak into your system."

I rise from the couch, stepping closer and reaching out a hand. I take her hand and turn her palm upward, kissing the smooth skin. She looks at me again, that same look of conflict in her eyes. Then she pulls away, flushes, and makes up an excuse.

"I really have to go."

I grab her hand again, squeezing her flesh hard. "Tell me that you are not going to find Burn tonight. Tell me that you won’t run to my brother and tell him about what I offered you."

She struggles, trying to pull her hand from my grip. "I am not going to talk to him tonight," she insists. "I’m going to think about it, like you told me to. Is that what you want to hear?"

I release her hand and give her a cool smile. "No. What I want to hear is that you will accept my proposal. But for right now? I’ll take what I can get."

She steps back, ripping her hand from mine and I let her go. She opens the door and looks out into the hall. I suppose she is checking to see that my family has gone. I motion to her to get back from the door and then head outside, looking both ways. I fish my cell phone out of my pocket and send Clive a text. I hear movement in the service corridor just to the right of the library, and then Clive steps out. I swing open the door to the library and beckon to Talia.

"Come on. Clive can guide you off the property without anyone else knowing that you were ever here."