TEMPORARY MATES PERMANENT CRAVINGS novel Chapter 108

One hundred and eight

Nadia

“Open your eyes.”

Desmond covered my face and whispered near my ear. “Don’t peek.”

“I’m not peeking.”

“You always peek.”

“That was one time.”

He laughed and stepped away.

“Alright. Look.”

I opened my eyes. A car waited in the driveway, polished to a mirror shine. A red ribbon stretched across the hood A key dangled in Desmond’s hand.

“Oh darling,” I said, turning to him. “You didn’t have to.”

He kissed my cheek and wrapped his arms around me. “I told you already. I plan to keep you with me forever. This

is only the beginning. You will never suffer a day in your life. Everything you need, I will give you.”

He placed the keys in my palm. I looked back at the car. Anyone could see the price written all over it.

“Des, you know I already have three cars.”

He lifted me and spun me through the yard like he had just won a war.

“Then throw the oldest one away,” he said without hesitation. “Who says you cannot have more?”

The wind moved through the garden and I laughed because that was the reaction he expected. But the keys sat heavy in my hand. This was not a gift. This was a peace offering.

Desmond had learned the hard way that people told me when he entertained women I had never heard about. So here we were. A new car. A red ribbon.

I smiled anyway.

“Now I have to think of something to give you in return.”

He waved the idea away and leaned closer.

“I don’t want your money or gifts. My job is to take care of you,”

The truth rose to my tongue. I kept it there, because the truth would have ruined the afternoon.

“We should celebrate,” he said. “Come inside. My chef prepared something special. Something I know you like.”

“Sounds great.”

He took my hand and led me toward the house.

The dining room waited for us when we stepped inside. The table was set. The chef stood near the counter and watched us with polite curiosity.

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This was the fourth time I had visited the house since Desmond and I started seeing each other, so he was still learning my face.

Desmond pulled out my chair.

“So tell me,” he said as we sat. “How did your brother react?”

“Shocked. He thinks we’re rushing things.”

Desmond laughed, lifting his wine glass.

“Of course he does. But love doesn’t wait for perfect timing. Love moves when it wants to.”

The word ‘love’ sounded strange coming from him.

“Of course,” I said, lowering my gaze to my plate. “It’s only that Cameron has been through a lot. He doesn’t want me making mistakes.”

Desmond studied me across the table.

“And what about you? What do you think?”

I pushed my fork through the food without eating.

“If we start this properly, we should begin with honesty.”

His hand stopped over his glass.

“Come on, Nadia. I explained that situation. Those were rumors. Old flings. Nothing serious.”

I nodded. “Of course. Including the woman who stayed here four days ago.”

His expression changed.

“Come on, baby. I’m a man. I have blood in my veins. You rarely stay here, You visit and leave.”

He gestured toward the house.

“When we marry, it will be different. Only you and me here. No distance. No interruptions.”

Then he hesitated. “I hope you didn’t tell Cameron about this.”

I laughed.

“You think if I had, he would still allow this marriage?”

Relief spread across his face so clearly it almost made me laugh again. Because Cameron would not argue politely. He would arrive ready to tear the house apart.

We started eating. Desmond talked about Cameron while we did.

“How are things with the trade routes?” he asked. “I heard there were changes in the northern packs.”

I looked up.

“That isn’t my department.”

“Oh, come on,” he said. “You must hear things.”

“Not the things you’re asking about.”

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He leaned forward again.

“What about the new consignments Cameron mentioned last season?”

I set my fork down.

“Desmond.”

“Yes?”

“You should ask Cameron those questions.”

“Of course,” he said quickly, but the discomfort showed. He lifted his wine glass, and something settled inside me. I asked myself this question more than once. Was Desmond with me because he liked me, or did marrying me mean access to Cameron?

After dinner and a long stretch of small talk, Desmond took my hand and led me upstairs. The bedroom door closed behind us and his hands settled at my waist. He pulled me closer and started kissing my neck as if the entire evening had only been a warm-up.

His fingers moved to the zipper of my dress. I caught his wrist.

“I can’t.”

He groaned. “What do you mean you can’t?”

“Not until I’m sure you’re clean.”

The words came out calm. I kept hold of his wrist so he could not pretend he misunderstood.

“Nadia, really?” He gave a short laugh. “You think I would be that careless?”

“I’m serious.” I moved his hand away from my dress and stepped back. His smile disappeared. He ran a hand through his hair and paced the room.

“Those women were old flings. Nothing current.”

“Four days ago isn’t old.”

His mouth opened, then closed again.

“You have people watching me now?”

“I have people who talk.”

He looked ready to argue harder, then shifted tactics.

“Nadia… come on.”

He moved toward me again.

“I’m not saying no forever,” I said, stopping him before he reached me. “I’m saying not like this.”

“What does that even mean?”

“It means you should decide what I am to you.”

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He frowned.

“I’m your future husband.”

“Then act like it. Either I trust you completely or I refuse you completely.”

Silence settled across the room. I could see the irritation now. The kind people try to hide behind charm.

“So this is punishment.”

“It’s boundaries.”

He looked ready to argue again, but the calculation had already started. He knew pushing harder would only make me leave, which was exactly what I did. His begging did not work. His arguments did not work either. I walked downstairs, picked up my bag, and left the house.

I got into my old car. One of his men followed behind me in the new one. Traffic crawled through the evening streets while my thoughts kept circling the same truth.

Cameron’s voice kept echoing in my head as I pulled into traffic.

Are you sure about this?

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.

Was marriage supposed to feel like this?

Cold feet. Suspicion. That uneasy feeling when something looked perfect from the outside but felt wrong the closer you got.

Desmond and I were not even friends. He bought me things. Expensive things. Cars. Jewelry. Anything he thought would make me smile. He wanted sex. Outside of that, we barely had anything to say to each other.

Franklin’s face slipped into my thoughts and I shook my head hard, trying to push it away.

Franklin was not an option.

Not even close.

Franklin did not even come from the beta bloodline that usually inherited the role. Cameron had simply trusted him enough to place him there. Which meant something dangerous could happen to him at any time. And if that happened, what protection would I have?

What protection would my children have?

That question had followed me my entire life.

Were we royalty? Or were we bastards people tolerated because our father had power? I never wanted my children growing up inside that same uncertainty.

I let out a slow breath.

Franklin made my chest do stupid things.

Butterflies. Heat. That restless desire I had never felt with any other man.

The few times he fucked me. The way he kissed me in the dark as if the world would punish us for it. Those nights started careless. Then I realized I was falling for him.

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I drove through the intersection and pressed harder on the accelerator.

If the world were simpler, maybe I would have allowed it. But it wasn’t. So I made the choice again.

I could not marry Franklin.

Even when my heart kept arguing otherwise.

P

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