abella's slender body af

ile frame as if it belonged entirely to him. Despite the tremor in her legs and the dull ache that left her nearly limp, she swallow

a found the man still asleep beside her. Freed from the cover of darkness, she ga

tled on his face, Alexan

gainst his. Heat rushed to her cheeks as fragments of the night returned

Alexander trul

light, the faint flush coloring her cheeks betraying both fear and ling

supposed to be twenty-five, yet the woman in front of

himself, lowered his voice, and said, "You should

ut him off, her voice trembling. "I know, Nath

gaze. "Nathaniel?" he repe

yes

ander dropped several degrees, an i

felt that something wasn't right. She had been far too timid-no

ing warmth of her body had pulled his attention awa

rity weighed heavily in his

bella's body trembled as she stam

ice dropping to an even colder register. "So

nic tightened her chest, and she nodded we

man wasn't Nathaniel at all, but he

ad gone horr

d off Alexander, suffoc

sabella trembled as tears spilled freely dow

nd-her clumsy, inexperienced responses, the faint, broken sounds

too fragile. The truth settled in with brutal clarity-the sisters had bee

niel and

d a dark, unreadable look on the girl curled up on the bed

leave this room

at once. With her eyes wet and red and the tip of he

and strode out of the bedroom, phone

.

He cast a lazy glance at the woman beside him, still turned away with her back to him, befor

nce pulled Natal

y, the lingering ache in her muscles maki

n his thirties could still pos

ingers pressing lightly as quiet certainty settled in her mind-within three

or no love would no longer matter; her place as his wife in the Evans fa

he Brown family, Natalie believed she could still speak to Alexander-soften h

ling thoughts, low and almost amused. "Come aga

atalie like a sudd

ister-in-law though-you guys haven't registered the marriage yet. We can just switch

ushed herself upright, fingers

re-chested and utterly at ease, his sharp gaze lingeri

t been particularly interested in the woman his mother had chosen f

fearless the night before-her unexpecte

in both Nathaniel's and Natalie'

ther's warning still lingered in his ears-"Don't be too

ious streak had stirred in him, a quie

ikely sheltered, and utterly

sed and unflinching, her quiet confidence st

s lips as he asked, almost lazily, "Do

experience, she assumed he'd long grown used to women putting on swe

answered without hesitation, "

ker of surprise crossing his face when h

back, unable to make out her features in the dark

, at least try to make i

ness that caught Nathaniel off guard, her fingers already moving to his belt. Shock flashed through his eyes fo

dying his tone as he added, "Why d

elf, deliberately holding back any visible

oss his mind-his mother, it seemed, had mad

r into the mattress, her voice suddenly cu

bed a pillow, and slid it beneath her hips-a trick

, unwavering goal: she had to get pregnant as soon as possible. "

rows, irritation stirring as he felt reduce

tons of her shirt, and then lowered his head

.

nst his chest and murmured softly, "Wou

aze lowering as he assumed she was-after all-just ano

next words slipped out-calm, almost matter-of-fac

across his face, sh

tirely, letting the night drag on in a

.

ization settled in-he had slept with the woma

studied Natalie, only to find

he fabric with composed fingers before breaking the heavy

fore-how she had climbed onto him without hesitation, how she had even slipped a pillow beneath herself with quiet

aped him. "Yeah

he swallowed whatever retort rose to her lip

Concern laced Natalie's voice now, her thoughts clearly drif

t either herself or I

s voice on the phone and knew this mess would h

"What else is there to do

bella had already been thrown into Alexander's hands, and

ce as she shot back. "Bella's too young and t

ink the Evans family would tolerate a mess like this? Or do you honestly think my bro

he color from Natalie's face as her fingers curled tigh

as true. There was no way the Evans family would eve

aught it instantly; the irritation in his chest eased

he one weak point beneath her composed ext

You might as well accept it. You'd be better off with me than my frigid brother. Isn't having a child what you want?" Leaning in until his breath ghosted o

den weight, and her chest ti

he ended up marrying, but as the eldest boy in the Evans family, Alexander came with far more than just h