A smile curls at her lips. “Yeah?”
“Baby, we’ve all done things we regret. You were just a child unable to handle the life you’d been dealt. No one could criticise you for that.”
“But the things I did…” Her lip curls in disgust.
“It doesn’t matter. You can give me all the details one day if it makes you feel better. But seriously, you’re the one I want. Dark past and all.”
“Really?” she breathes, as if she can’t believe it.
“What do I need to do to make you believe I’m serious? Get down on one–”
“No, no,” she says with wide, panic-filled eyes as she reaches out to grasp my upper arm in case I’m going to do as I just threatened.
“It’s okay, it was a joke. Although I’m glad I know how you feel about that.”
“Everything is just too much right now.” She drops her hand to her belly, pointing to just one bit of evidence for how her life is at the moment.
“I know, baby. It will get better, I promise. And one day, I will ask you that question.”
She bites into her bottom lip as she thinks and fights a small smile. I don’t think she’s as opposed to the idea as she previously made out.
“How about for now, we clean up and head back down?” I wipe at the stray make-up under her eyes. I hate to suggest it; what I really want to do is the exact opposite and dirty her up a little more. But I know how much this event means to her. I remember the sparkle she got in her eyes when she started telling me about it on the beach that night.
“Sounds good. I hope people are enjoying themselves.”
“I’ve no doubt, Vixen. It looked incredible.”
“I just want to make a difference, you know?”
Wrapping my arms around her waist, I walk us toward the bathroom. “You do, Harlow. Every day.”
Chapter Thirty
Harlow
I’m not convinced I’m emotionally stable enough after all those confessions as we walk into the grand hall, hand in hand.
“See, everyone is having a great time,” Corey whispers in my ear as I take in the guests, all laughing and joking around their tables as they wait for their dinner to be served. “So, show me everything.”
“Okay well, there’s not all that much to see.”
I take the lead and weave through the tables and guests. A few say hello, but thankfully no one stops me to chat. I did the best job I could with the little equipment I had to fix my face, but I’m sure it’s still very obvious that I had a breakdown not so long ago. I thought about calling Bailey up to help, but the thought of having to explain it all over again put me off.
My heart is still breaking for the man standing behind me, for everything he’s had to endure. Losing a child is one of the worst things that can happen to anyone, and in those circumstances… I shudder at the thought. No wonder he freaked out, and I’ve no doubt that at some point in the future he’ll do it again. You just can’t experience that kind of loss and trauma and expect everything to be fine when memories of the past start popping up, and I’m sure my pregnancy and our baby will do just that. No matter how much he wants us, it’s always going to be a reminder of what could have been with his daughter.
“And here are all the auction lots,” I announce, as we walk into the connecting room.
I watch him as he looks at everything we have to offer.
“Harlow?” he asks, pulling me back into his chest and wrapping an arm around my waist. I sigh at the contact.
“Yeah,” I breathe. As much as I want to be here right now to see everything I’ve worked so hard on play out, I can’t help wanting to be back in that suite upstairs with him.
“How many of these did you donate yourself?” he whispers.
I stiffen at the question. “Umm…”
“Harlow?”
“A few.”
He chuckles behind me. “Just a few?”
“Okay, quite a lot.” I shrug. “Just helping the cause.”
He spins me in his arms and takes my chin in his hands. “God, I love you.” My eyes widen and my heart pounds in my chest, but I don’t get a chance to say anything because his lips land on mine for the sweetest kiss of my life.
“Ah, good,” a familiar voice says behind me. “You two have made up.”
“Bailey,” Corey greets when he lets me up for air.
“Oh my God, your chateau. I love this place,” Bailey coos as she looks at the photograph. “We should really go back there again one day. Oh no, you should take Corey. It’s so romantic.”
I bristle at her words, wishing she’d keep her voice down.
“Oh yeah?” Corey asks, pulling my ass back until his hard cock presses against it and his lips brush across my neck.
“Oh, you could take her to London, show her where you’re from, and you could travel Europe.” She gets this far-off dreamy look in her eyes.
“Sounds incredible, B. But there’s just this little issue of us having jobs and lives.”
“Ugh, a girl can dream.” She waves it off. “Seriously, though. I’m glad you made up. Although, rumor has it that you’ve got a key to one of the best suites in this hotel, so I have no clue why the two of you are down here.” She wiggles her eyebrows at us.
“She kinda has a point, Vixen. If we were alone right now, I could peel this dress from your body and do all kinds of wicked things to you.”
“I have no
