Page 32 of Forgotten Desires

Brynn is definitely stunned.

“I . . . you want me to . . .what?”

“Marry me, Brynn. Not for all the reasons that might be going through your head, but because you’re the only one who can help me save my daughter.”

She blinks a few times. “I’m not following.”

“I got a call last night from a friend after we dropped you off. There are photos of us together in the car and at dinner. Photos where I had my hand on your back or when you almost fell and I caught you. My security team intercepted the guy too late, and those photos had already been sent to my ex-wife. She’s building a case that I’m always seeing another girl, I’m unreliable, I travel too much and therefore can’t take care of Layla.” I swipe my hand through my hair. “Layla is being neglected and living in a home with an unstable mother. I need to get her out of there, but Jacqueline only cares about the money, and even with the settlement I offered her, she wants more and knows Layla is the way to get it.”

Brynn lifts her hand. “I understand all of that, but how does me marrying you come into play?”

“My lawyer is adamant I need to settle down, give the appearance of a stable home with a family. That photo of us is going to be leaked to the press. There is going to be a story and I can’t stop it. Jacqueline paid some tabloid to expose me to help solidify her claims. My lawyer, after she lost her shit, urged me to come to you and get married. Especially now that you’ve met Layla because there’s a photo of us leaving Jacqueline’s house holding hands. Which, you can imagine, my ex-wife went ballistic over.”

This sounds ridiculous even to me, but I know it’ll solve both our problems because I can help her financially. The thing is, if Brynn is anything like the girl I fell for years ago, money is not going to be a motivator. She is selfless, kind, and will help others. Which is really why I need her anyway.

I need her help and in turn, I can help her.

“I understand your lawyer’s concern over giving the right impression to the judge, but marry you? I can’t.”

“I know this is a big ask. Jesus, I know it’s impossible, but we’d be able to help each other. You can help me make sure Layla isn’t harmed and I’ll be there to take care of you and the cost of your surgery. We’ll make an arrangement that works for both of us. You’ll be able to recover in my home, with people there to help, and have my insurance to cover the costs. Your business is starting up? I have contacts for days. You can help me just as much as I can help you. No, not me.” I shake my head. “Help Layla, then I’ll do anything you need, Brynlee. If it’s money or business or my fucking world, you can have it.”

She stands, moving around her living room. “I want to help you. I want to help Layla, but marriage, Crew? Us? You hadn’t seen me in ten years before a few weeks ago!”

“There is nothing I won’t do for Layla and there’s no one else I’d rather do this with than you. I know you, Brynn.” I get to my feet, going to her. “You know me better than anyone else in the world. No one in my life would question this.”

“Everyone in my life would!” She raises her hands and drops them. “I’m the steady one. I don’t do things like this. I understand you want to help Layla, I get it more than anyone. I was her. I wanted someone to get me out of my hell with my father?—”

I grab her hands. “Then you know why I want this for her. Why I’ll do anything to make it happen. If we get married, we’ll ride the storm of the photos together. We’ll be able to overshadow the rumors with the news of our engagement, and my family and friends won’t even question it.”

Her beautiful brown eyes find mine. “Why?”

Time to give her the truth. “Because since the day I walked away from you, I’ve never let it go. I begged my grandfather to let me go to you, to beg for a second chance, but he demanded I marry Jacqueline.”

I want to say more. To tell her the final part, but I can’t because she’ll never agree to marry me if I do.

I never stopped thinking about what we had. I wanted that—you—and I couldn’t have it.

She shakes her head, stepping away and moving to the small fireplace. “That makes no sense.”

To her, it wouldn’t.

To me, it was decided without my consent.

Jacqueline’s family wasn’t as powerful as my own, but they had connections that my grandfather coveted. We met when we were kids and were basically told this was our future. It wasn’t until my grandfather got sick that he saw the misery I was living in and he removed his ridiculous rules regarding our lives.

I wait for her to turn and face me because reading her face is the only way I’ll be able to try to get her to agree to this.

“It may not make sense to you, but it’s the truth.”

She lets out a heavy sigh. “I have to think about this, because while your family might not question it, mine will. My brothers will have a lot of opinions and . . . I hate lying to them. I don’t do it. I learned the hard way about how that turns out.”

“If this was just about me, I would never ask it. I’m asking you to help me help my daughter, and for her, there’s nothing in the world that I won’t do. I can also give you what you need. I will help your business, pay for the surgery, and take care of you after.”

Brynn shakes her head. “I’m not taking any money. Not a dime. I’m waiting for the charity to come through and I’m not taking your money. I’ll find a way, this would only be to help Layla and . . .”

“Okay. But if you change your mind, it’s yours,” I offer. “All I’m asking is to help me stop a little girl from being hurt.”

She closes her eyes for a moment, then opens them. “You’re not fighting fair.”

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