Page 37 of Vicious Arrangement (Alpha Billionaire Daddies #7)

Chapter Thirty-Two

NOAH

I stand on the street with William Sanderson for a long time. He’s waiting for me to spit out whatever’s on my mind, and it’s a lot harder than I thought. Aria nudging me out the door just pushed this forward. I’d been planning on going to him. Just not… today.

And where we are.

“Out with it, young Noah,” he finally says.

I ball my hands into fists. “Shit, this is hard.”

“One word after the other.”

I nod. “It’s Aria. I’m in love with her for real, and nothing’s more important to me than her happiness.

” Traffic trundles past, but I barely hear it.

“So I plan to give her an out of our marriage so I can propose for real. And your company’s safe, even if she says no.

Hell, I didn’t think a merger was good sense for either of us, economically, but I’m also happy to finance you for what you need, or partner with you in a silent, powerless way.

I’ll do it in her name but it’s your company. I don’t want a say. If you want to?—”

“Noah, I never liked Oscar’s idea either. I thought it was odd, but cash flow is cash flow. So we can talk.” He holds out a hand, and I know what it means. I shake. “Now, my granddaughter…”

“Yeah… I just think setting her free is what I have to do. I know the only way she’ll trust I’m really in this for the right reasons is risking it all. My all, not yours. For her.”

“I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out you’ll be risking your grandfather’s legacy. Your inheritance.”

“I’ll still be rich.”

“But not like you could be, and you’d lose the company,” he points out.

“It’ll be worth it for Aria to know I love her, no matter what. No strings and no conditions.” I frown. “Love should be bold and without conditions.”

“Then who am I to get in your way? You have my blessing.” Then William leans in.

“Oscar could be difficult. It was complicated, he felt he let his daughter down, let you down, didn’t see what his son-in-law was and he feared if he wasn’t hard on you there might be a chance you’d be like your father. Absolute poppycock.”

“Well…”

William smiles. “He was proud of you, and he’d be extremely proud right now, and so would your mother. Very proud of the man you’ve become.”

My chest tightens, and I swallow, my throat tight, too. “It means a lot to hear you say that.”

Katie and Asher leave the moment I return to the ward.

“I’ve got something to say,” Aria says.

Fear grips me. What if I’m too late? “So do I. Aria… I’m cancelling our marriage. Annulling it. Whatever the fuck it is. I’m ending it.”

She stares at me, stunned, stricken, and it hurts.

“You’re what?” she says.

“You heard me. I’m unmarrying you.”

“That isn’t a thing, Noah. You can divorce me or?—”

“Call it what you will. The union’s being dissolved.

” She makes a tiny sound that breaks my heart, but I push on.

“This marriage is over. You’re free to go back home and live your life.

I’ll support the baby, obviously, but your grandfather’s company will be protected. No matter what, it’ll be protected.”

She stares at me, eyes swimming with tears.

I take a breath, getting down on one knee, and I take her hand. “Marry me for real, Aria. No strings, no conditions, no prenups. If you want to say no, I understand. I’m a difficult man.”

She licks her lips. “But… you’ll lose everything.”

“I know.”

“Your company, your inheritance.”

I kiss her palm. “I don’t give a fuck about that. The everything I’d be losing, princess, is you. You’re my everything, the thing worth fighting for. If I can’t have you, then I don’t want that inheritance and that company.”

“Can you not kneel on the floor? Hospital floors aren’t as clean as you think,” she snaps.

The moment I rise, she throws her arms around my neck and pulls me to her.

She holds me close and looks me in the eye. “Did you ask my gramps for permission?”

“In a way. He gave his blessing. I told him his company is safe, and no matter what, I’ll personally invest.”

“Are we a pathetic pair because I wanted to tell you I’m madly in love with you?”

“And I’m madly in love with you.”

“Noah?”

“Yes?” I say.

“That’s my answer. Yes. A million times yes. Of course I’ll marry you.”

I kiss her and climb onto the bed, and she pulls the covers over us. I don’t know how long we kiss and fall into each other, the rhythm like breathing, like dancing, like love, but we do, and it’s both a forever and a moment.

Then things turn into a melting heat, where I slide my fingers up to stroke her clit.

Aria tugs open my pants, and soon I’m pushing into her, her legs wrapped tight around my hips as we rock together, making slow, hot love.

The passion turns into something darker and wilder, and we pant, biting and licking, sipping and sucking at each other, kissing and tangling tongues.

I don’t know who comes first. I have to kiss her to swallow her scream, and she spasms hard on my cock, her orgasm rolling through mine until we’re both lost in the purest pleasure. One tinged with love.

When I come down, her little tremors of tiny spasms rock my soul, milking the last drops from my cock.

I don’t want to leave her. I want to stay here forever. I want…

The handle of the door rattles, and I leap out of bed, turning to face Aria as I tuck my cock away, and then sit on the edge of the bed as a nurse bustles in.

Aria won’t look at me as the nurse takes her blood pressure, checks her oxygen levels and does the rest of the check-up.

The moment she leaves, Aria and I burst out laughing, and this time I stretch on top of the covers, pulling the thin blanket up so she’s covered too.

I hold her, the most precious thing I’ve ever seen, the most priceless gift.

I kiss her lips, her bruise, and take her in.

“You’re the most beautiful person I’ve met. Inside and out, Aria. You made me a better person, and I’m the luckiest man ever. I can’t wait to spend my life with you.”

She smiles up at me.

“I’m the luckiest woman, Noah, and about that spending our lives together? The bit about not being able to wait?”

“Yeah?”

“Neither,” she whispers, “can I.”