Billionaire Wolf's MateDate - Serena Meadows Page 0,34
Getting married is the best option we have right now; we’ll go on a honeymoon, and you just won’t come back. You’ll be free to live your life any way you want, and I’ll make sure you have all the money you need, a new life, whatever you want.”
Janice studied him for a second, then her eyes got big. “It was you all these years; you were the one behind my trust fund,” she said, her face falling. “That means all that money was from...”
Reggie shook his head. “Don’t worry, that money didn’t come from this clan,” he said. “It’s a long story, but I had a teacher in school who saw something in me, maybe a little of himself; when he died, he left everything to me. I haven’t had to take a dime of my father’s or the clan’s money since I turned sixteen.”
Janice’s face softened with relief. “I’m glad. I don’t want anything to do with these people,” she said.
“Just so you know, that money Professor Markham left me has grown a little since then,” Reggie said. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I could give you an entirely new life.”
She thought about that for a second, then asked, “Did you really just find out who I was? I mean, you’ve always avoided me; is that why?”
Reggie was a bit surprised by the questions. “I avoided you because I was pretty sure you thought I was a jerk after our first date,” he said but knew that wasn’t the only reason. “No, that’s not entirely true. I’ve been avoiding you because the feelings I have for you scare me. I promised myself a long time ago that I’d never bring anyone I loved into this family, into the clan, and I was scared because I... well, I thought I could fall in love with you.”
Janice gasped, and her cheeks turned pink. “I think you’re confusing physical attraction with love,” she finally said and pushed past him.
He followed her, grabbed her, and pulled her into his arms. “It’s more than that, and you know it,” he said. “Do you feel that?”
It took her a second to answer, and when she did, her voice was breathless. “I don’t feel anything,” she said.
Reggie looked down at her. “You’re lying, and you know it,” he said.
She studied him for a second but didn’t say anything, then pulled away from him. “Okay fine, maybe I do feel something, but it’s just lust,” she said, tipping up her chin and staring at him defiantly. “Not love.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll take lust for now, but as I’ve been told before, you can’t fight fate,” he said, grinning at her. “I’m perfectly happy to wait until you figure it out.”
Janice scowled at him. “How can you be so sure?” she asked, but he could see she was wavering.
“Because you are the one woman, I’ve never been able to walk away from,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “Even when I thought there would never be anything between us, I stayed in Stoney Bridge, kept going to the dating agency just hoping that something would change. Sounds kind of stupid and desperate when I say it out loud, but I couldn’t make myself give up on you.”
“And now I’m yours, whether I like it or not,” she said, looking up at him but not pulling away.
Reggie shook his head. “I only want you if you want me, Janice. I’m not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to do,” he said. “If you still want to try and escape, then that’s what we’ll do. You don’t belong to me; you don’t belong to your father or my father; you’re free to make your own choice.”
She sighed, relaxed in his arms, looked up at him, then stood on her tip-toes and kissed him. He was so surprised, he didn’t kiss her back at first, then relief poured through him, and he began to kiss her back. When they were both breathless, he looked down at her, seeing the desire he felt mirrored in her eyes.
“I’m scared,” she whispered. “I’ve never felt his way about anyone before.”
He reached up and stroked her cheek. “I’m scared too,” he said. “But deep inside, I know that this is right, Janice; call it fate, call it karma, call it whatever you want. I just know that I want to be with you and I have since the day I saw you coming out of the dating