He reached into his suit jacket and handed her his cell phone, the one he was never without. “I have no secrets from you, Mira. Check the messages from Katherine.”
She hesitantly took the phone. If this were all hearsay, she’d try to trust him, but she’d seen the incident herself. “What am I looking for?”
He didn’t answer, waiting for her to check for herself. There were a ton of messages from Katherine, minute after minute, and none of them had responses from Drake except the last one. Mira narrowed her eyes as she read the messages on the day she’d caught them together. She’d apologized to Drake for what she’d done, telling him she was desperate for him to take her back. She saw Mira as the enemy and wanted her out of the picture. The messages confirmed everything Drake had said. Mira continued to scroll through the messages before reading Drake’s final response.
“You told her to leave town?”
“I won’t have some crazy bitch threatening my woman. You’re all that matters to me now.” He cupped her face, making eye contact with her. “I’ll do anything to protect you. I’ve never had anyone, Mira. I want to make a family with you.”
She swallowed hard. It was like a beautiful dream, and she was afraid to believe it.
“Thank you for the flowers.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“There are no other women. None. The day you signed that contract was my last day as a single man, in my opinion.”
“Promise?”
He nodded before kissing her lips. It felt like a lifetime since they’d had a physical or emotional moment. Their time on the yacht had been like a dream, and then everything came crashing down.
“I’ve been thinking of ways to prove my innocence all week. If I had a camera inside my office, you’d see for yourself. But I need you to trust me, Mira. I have a lot of enemies and a tainted past. But you have to believe that my feelings for you, my loyalty for you, is solid.”
“Why didn’t you show me this sooner?”
“I was hoping you’d come to trust me without having to constantly prove myself.”
She bit her lower lip. “Is it wrong to feel so jealous? You’re not really mine.”
His smirk was so sexy, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “I like that you’re jealous. It’s a big step. It means you care,” he said. “But I’m definitely yours.”
She held up her hand with the engagement ring she couldn’t bring herself to take off. “What about this? What about us?”
“Baby, nothing’s changed. It was all a misunderstanding. That woman has been after me for over a year and all I’ve ever done was turn her away.”
Mira remembered Katherine from the stairwell, and she had to agree that she wasn’t stable at all. If that woman was chasing after Drake, it probably would be more of a nightmare for him than anything else.
She took a cleansing breath. This was what she’d hoped for, a true misunderstanding. Mira didn’t want to be Drake’s second best. Hopefully, Katherine had left town and would leave all three of them alone forever.
“I want to believe you. I really do.”
He ran the backs of his fingers along her cheek, and she savored his touch. Since signing the contract, she’d avoided touching him. She felt like a commodity. A womb for hire. She was in a constant state of protest, even when she craved to give in. To have a real connection, she needed more—commitment, trust, and love.
Yes, she’d started falling for Drake. He was proving to be much more than he was in his youth. He continually kept trying to court her, to win her heart.
And it was working.
“Believe me, Mira. When I heard your name come up during Nigel’s affairs, my heart never stopped racing. I thought it was the perfect opportunity. I’ve been thinking about you for years. You’re the only woman for me.”
“Then why the contract?”
“I couldn’t risk losing you.”
****
Drake was fucked up. He had issues, and he knew it, but he was trying to overcome them. He’d realized his mistakes with Mira in the beginning and wanted to win her over the right way. She deserved to be romanced, spoiled, and adored. He’d been a fool to let his insecurities push him into preparing that contract, but it was done now.
“I want to be with you, Drake.”
God, those words were intoxicating. His own parents had never wanted him, creating a toxic environment that left permanent scars on his psyche. His childhood was a shitstorm of beatings, starvation, and anger. Most days he’d gone to school with nothing to eat, dirty clothes, and a lot of fucking rage. He blamed his behavior in school on his broken home, but he was taking responsibility now that he was an adult. Drake refused to let the past control him, and he pushed himself to be the best he could be. He craved power because it had always been stripped from him as a kid.
Even now, it was difficult to accept that he could have a relationship without using force. Why would a woman choose him without using him for his status or wealth? Why would they want Drake, the unlovable man? Hence the contract for Mira, the one locked away in his office for safekeeping.
“I’ll never hurt you.” He trailed his hands down her sides. She’d been avoiding him all week, and the rift was getting to him. “I’m going to marry you and fill you with my babies.”
“You’re waiting until we’re married now?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No, let’s start now. Practice makes perfect.” Drake cupped her ass with both hands, but she’d yet to touch him.
