Page 39 of Consequence of One Reckless Night

“Tomorrow?” she gasped, her cheeks pinched with shock. “That’s too soon. What... what’s the hurry? Surely, we don’t need to rush...”

“I want to protect my child,” he said matter-of-factly.

Pain shot through her. Had she expected a declaration of love?

“The next time we are in public, we will be husband and wife, and no one will call our child a bastard.”

There it was again—that term again.

Bastard.

She knew it cut him deeply that he was an illegitimate child, and in his fervent need to save their baby the same grief he’d experienced as a child, he’d proposed marriage. But Raquel knew something else bothered Alexandre besides the stain of illegitimacy.

“My father had an affair with my mother,” he said, his voice curiously devoid of emotion. “He never accepted me. The DNA test proved I was indeed his son, but he chose not to acknowledge me. It was my mother who raised me till the age of twelve, after which Carlos adopted me.”

Carlos adopted him, Raquel noted his choice of words. His father hadn’t adopted him. His grandfather had.

“I’ve been called a bastard many times over the years and believe me, no child should be called that disgusting word.” His words were clipped and laced with leashed fury. “I don’t want my child to suffer the same fate.” Turning his head, he looked at her, as if imploring her to understand.

“I’m not saying no to marriage, Alexandre,” she hastened to answer. “I just want us to get to know each other better. After all, we are to be married.”

He inclined his head. “I’m a businessman with varied business interests. Real Estate. Ecotourism. I own clubs, including Club M, all over southeast Asia, and cruise liners and yachts, too. I have enough money to keep you and the child well provided for the rest of your lives. Whatever you need—clothes, money, cars, you can have it all.”

“What about us?”

“Us?” His brows furrowed. “This isn’t about us now, Raquel. We need to protect our child at all costs. Surely you understand that.”

“Yes. But we won’t just be parents to this child,” she explained. “We will be husband and wife, too.”

“I’m no one’s idea of a perfect husband, not with my pedigree and reputation,” he continued, his tone self-deprecating. “I know ours isn’t a love match, but we have this incredible chemistry which very few people discover in their lives. I promise to respect you and be faithful to you. And I will never embarrass you like my father embarrassed his wife and son with his many adulterous liaisons.”

“What... what about... love?” The words left her lips even before she could censor them, and it clearly shocked him for his eyes turned dark and tumultuous. “Marriage isn’t just about trust and respect for each other but it’s about love, too. Will we have love in this marriage?”

Alexandre looked away, his jaw clenched. “I can’t offer you something I don’t believe in.”

Chapter Sixteen

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