Page 28 of Claiming Genevieve

“That doesn’t mean my marriage with Rowan will be the same,” I say quietly. “I don’t think we’re destined for any grand love.”Plenty of grand arguments, maybe.The two of us can’t seem to be in the same room without bickering. But maybe?—

I bite my lip. I’m not so naïve that I don’t know that at least some of that is due to the sexual tension between us. And Rowan made it clear that part of what he wants is me in his bed—for how long, still to be negotiated. Once that wears off, maybe we’ll be able to have a calm, companionable marriage, for as long as it lasts.

“Maybe not,” Evelyn allows. “But it’s possible.”

Dahlia shakes her head. “I don’t like it. You barely know him—” She looks at Evelyn. “You really think this is a good idea?”

Evelyn lets out a small sigh. “I don’t know,” she admits. “But we can’t really argue that it can’t work, can we? We’ve both been in those situations, and even thoughwefell in love eventually, it doesn’t change the fact that it started out that way.”

“Right, but it wasn’tgoodthat it started out that way for either of us,” Dahlia says, glancing at me. “And this isn’t romantic at all—especially after the way Chris treated you, I just think…”

“I’ve never been a romantic, though,” I blurt out. “Right?” I look between the two of them. “You’ve both known me for a long time. I’ve always been practical.”

Dahlia hesitates, but she nods. She knows it’s true, as much as Evelyn does. “You are nothing if not practical,” she admits, and Evelyn nods.

“I dated Chris because he checked off a list,” I continue. “He wanted to have me, and patronize the ballet, and he gave me all the things I needed at the time to be okay with it. He was handsome, good enough in bed, he kept up his part of the agreement, and I kept up mine. It wasn’t until recently that it all started to go bad. I didn’t need lust or love out of our relationship, just for it to work the way we both needed it to. How is that any different from what Rowan is offering?” I look at Evelyn. “Like you said, Rowan willhaveto hold up his end of the deal. He won’t get away with hurting me or lying to me. It would affect his standing, and he can’t have that.” I also feel sure, based on Rowan’s reaction to Chris striking me once, that he’d never lay a finger on me in anger.

“Plenty of mafia men are unfaithful, though,” Evelyn says gently. “Dimitri would never cheat on me, but that’s often unusual. Rowan might not be. That’s something you’d have to work out between the two of you—but no one in the families will come down on him if he does.”

An odd pang hits my chest at the thought of Rowan sleeping with another woman. I push it away immediately, because why would it matter if he did? The marriage won’t be real. We’re planning a divorce along with a wedding. There’s no reason for me to care if he seeks pleasure elsewhere—all that means is that he won’t come to my bed. He won’t tempt me with the way he makes me feel, won’t make me want things that won’t last and that only serve to give me something to miss when they’re gone.

I’m too busy to be distracted by things like lust and passion—or I was, anyway. It was the foundation of my relationship with Chris… the fact that I wasn’t consumed by him meant that I could compartmentalize the relationship into its proper place, give it the time that I had for it, and no more.

This is the same thing. This marriage would be a contract, an arrangement. If Rowan needs passion, then he’ll have to find it elsewhere—and I shouldn’t care if he does.

“That’s his business,” I say calmly, as if it doesn’t bother me at all. I take a slow breath. “Rowan can give me something that I need… something that I can’t get on my own. And I can give him something that he needs. It’s practical—but I’ve always been that. And this—” I gesture to my foot in its cast. “This isn’t the time to start being reckless or romantic.”

“Are you sure?” Evelyn asks gently. “This ismarriage. Marriage to a mafia heir. It’s not a small thing.”

It’s not forever,I remind myself.That’s the one part she doesn’t know.

I swallow hard, thinking of Rowan standing over Chris, the fury in his face, the way he protected me. I think of his hand on my cheek, and the desire in his eyes.

This isn’t love. I’m not even sure that Ilikehim a lot of the time. And I haven’t forgiven him yet for his part in what happened.

But I do believe he’ll keep his word.

“Yes,” I say firmly, glancing between both of my best friends. “I’m sure.”

I take a deep breath. “I’m going to tell him yes.”

11

ROWAN

If I thought it was impossible to concentrate on the things I’m supposed to be focusing on before, I had no idea how much harder it would be while I wait to find out if Genevieve will accept my proposal.

Letting her leave my penthouse felt like a punishment. I watched her go, cautioning Rory that if anything happened to her I’d have his fucking head, and then went back up to my penthouse to pace and try not to think about how badly I wanted her to stay. How the way I feel, as if a hand is squeezing my chest until I can’t breathe, desire thrumming through me until I feel hot and agitated with it, is in direct opposition to the clinical business arrangement of a marriage that I proposed to her.

It’s temporary.It has to be. There’s never been a woman who could hold my attention for more than a few nights. Genevieve has captivated me like no other woman ever has, but still—it won’t last forever. The marriage I’ve proposed will give us both what we want and need—I’ll get to have her until she’s well and truly out of my system, and she’ll get the support she needs while she’s figuring out what to do next with her life.

And, best of all, the marriage will be temporary. Any of the women that I might meet at a gala or party or other function, or some other boss’s daughter—like, god forbid, Estella Gallo—would expectforever. Just thinking the word makes me feel itchy, jittery, as if I’m being caged just by the thought of it.

Permanence has never been for me. The commitment of taking over the mantle of boss for the Irish mafia here in New York has been difficult enough to accept—the fact that my life will neverquitehave the freedom that it used to. The thought of a real marriage makes me feel like I’m fucking drowning.

Even marriage to Genevieve. Because surely,surelyonce I’ve had her, I won’t feel the way I do now.

Like it’s taking everything in me not to go after her and drag her back to my penthouse until she tells meyesorno.

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