Do you take this rebel - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,53
for Jake—and I guarantee you, I’ll win. There are some perks to being a Davis in this state, and that’s one of them.”
“You would use your father’s power?” she asked in a whisper, then shook her head. “What was I thinking? Of course you would. And I imagine you have a fair share of power yourself these days. Everyone warned me, but I wanted to believe you were better than that.”
“Once upon a time I thought so, too,” he said wearily. “Not anymore. Just remember, darlin’, you started this when you kept Jake from me. I’m just playing by the winner-take-all rules you set.”
“But marriage?” she said. “It would be a mockery. Surely there has to be another way. We could make an arrangement of some kind.”
“So that I can spend a few hours each week with my son?” He shook his head. “Not nearly good enough. Marriage is my best offer. Take it or leave it. Otherwise I sue for custody.”
She stared at him with such a look of despair that he almost wavered, but not quite. He knew he was bullying her, but at the moment he didn’t really give a damn. He told himself that she would like the alternative even less.
“I need some time,” she whispered finally.
“Time for what? To think it over? To run?”
Her chin came up at that. “I’ve already told you, I’m not running.”
“Good. I’m glad you see the futility in that. Okay,” he said, relenting, “you can have a few days to think it over. Go to Emma if you want to and ask her legal opinion about whether I can force you to do this.”
When she winced, he knew he had been dead on about her intention.
“She’ll only tell you that my case for custody is very strong, whether I use my influence in this state or not.”
“You’ve already consulted an attorney, then,” she said, her voice flat.
“Did you honestly think I wouldn’t?”
“I was hoping we could work this out between the two of us without getting a bunch of lawyers involved.”
“We can,” he said. “All you have to do is marry me. Then you and I will raise Jake together. We’ll be a family.”
“Will we?” she asked, regarding him with skepticism. “Exactly what kind of family can we have if the only reason we’re together is your determination to be a real father to Jake?”
“I don’t know,” he said honestly. “I don’t have a whole lot of experience with picture-book family life. I grew up with a manipulative father who has done his utmost to control me. I fell in love with a woman who kept my own son a secret. Obviously, I’ve missed a few lessons on what it takes to make a family.”
He leveled a look straight into her eyes. “By the same token, I can tell you a whole lot about lies and deceit.”
She weathered the attack without flinching. “Cole, this will be a disaster,” she said, a pleading note in her voice. “Can’t you see that?”
“Then we’ll just be living up to those low expectations everyone had for us years ago,” he said without emotion. “Seems to me like a fitting end to our so-called love story, don’t you think?”
Her complexion went even paler at his mocking remark, but to her credit she didn’t shed a single tear.
“I’ll give you my answer on Sunday,” she said at last. And then, as if to get in a mocking blow of her own, she added, “Right after church.”
Unfortunately, Cole was relatively certain that no matter how many prayers were uttered, there were no heavenly answers for the two of them. Their sorry fate had been decided a long time ago by people right here on earth.
Chapter Twelve
Cassie felt sick to her stomach. Marrying Cole—once her most powerful fantasy—was now nothing more than a way to keep her son. How could she go through with such a travesty? How could Cole?
But, judging from his cold, distant demeanor, he had no intention of backing down. He saw this as a generous gesture…and maybe, under the circumstances, it was. She couldn’t help thinking, though, that it was little better than blackmail.
Maybe she didn’t deserve any better after what she’d done, Cassie thought, but she couldn’t seem to stop the regrets from adding up until she felt smothered by them.
“Oh, God, how can I do it?” she murmured, hands over her face. And suddenly the tears she had refused to give in to in front of Cole cascaded down her cheeks.
That was