A Bad Boy is Good to Find - By Jennifer Lewis Page 0,106
She shook her head. “What happened? Did the inheritance fall through and now you need to marry me to get the cash? That it? Huh?”
“It’s not like that—” His voice had dropped low. She didn’t believe a word he said. Didn’t trust him at all. And she was dead right about one thing…
“No? Oh, do tell, what exactly is it like? You need a few more establishing shots of me being knocked on my ass by your betrayal? They didn’t happen to catch my tearful departure on camera and you’d like a redo? You need me to be the maid of honor at your wedding to Maisie? What? This script changes so fast that it’s hard for me to keep up.”
Con dragged a hand through his hair. He had to tell her. “You’re right about one thing…” he paused, when he spoke again his voice was very quiet. “I’m not the heir.”
“I knew it.” She stared at him for a second, open mouthed, then wheeled around and strode across the room. Since it was so small, three strides took her right to the bathroom door. “I knew you weren’t here because you love me.” Her voice was so empty.
Con held himself steady.
He didn’t say anything for a long time. Lizzie stood with her back to him.
His mind raced with thoughts. Why hadn’t he told her about his plans to cancel the phony wedding? Why hadn’t he planned it with her? Concealment was so second nature to him that he couldn’t even be straight with the woman he loved? He’d figured he’d just pull a fast one, skip the drama and charm his way out of it later with a sparkly ring and the promise of a fancy estate?
He deserved every word she’d said. Now he didn’t even have the estate to give her. No sparkly ring either.
Just his honesty. And his true self.
He cleared his throat and straightened his back. “I don’t have anything to offer you, not in the way of money or a fine house, at least.” He paused and drew in a shaky breath. “But I do love you. I love you with my whole heart.”
Back still to him, Lizzie tossed her curls and shifted her weight. His eyes fell to the curve of her full hips. So beautiful. He wanted more than anything in the world to put his arms around her and hold her close. To hold her and never let her go.
“For a moment there,” she said at last, her voice trembling, “I thought I was experiencing déjà vu. I believe ‘I don’t have anything to offer you’ were the exact words you used to cut me loose when you found out I wasn’t rich any more.” She turned to face him, eyes wide, lip quivering. “Then you had nothing to offer me, but now it’s different, because you love me.” She bit her lip. “You, who we both know is incapable of love, by your own admission.” She drew in a deep breath, shivered as if she were cold. “I just wish I could figure out what you’re after this time.”
Con’s muscles tightened. He deserved this. His own words coming back to bite him on the ass. The fruit of his deception.
“I offered you happiness once. You bring the money, I make your life sweet: That was the deal. I admit I wasn’t upfront about it, but I knew I could deliver. I can’t offer you that anymore, not really, because we both know that without money, happiness can be hard to hold on to. But, Lizzie,” his voice cracked. He cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders. “You’ve given me my life back, my real life. I was running so hard all those years, afraid to trust anyone, afraid to care for anyone in case they got taken away from me again. I didn’t want anybody to know the real me, the one who went through all that ugliness, so I tried to hide it, to be someone else, and somewhere along the way I lost myself.”
He paused and took in a deep shuddering breath. “But now I’m in love with you…all the way.” His eyes shone. “You’ve given me back the ability to feel—to truly feel, the good and the bad.” He drew in a breath, hesitated. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to end each day with you in my arms. No pretense or trickery or lies, just you and me, together.”