The Billionaire's Legacy

Not that she wanted to get married again. Ever. And she still had a modicum of pride. He wanted to marry her, but only because he felt obligated to, and now he was saying it would be some kind of temporary arrangement?

He looked puzzled, then frowned with realization. “No, not the marriage. Living at the cabin would be temporary,” he clarified. “I’m shooting my cousin Cole a message now. We’d live at the cabin until Cole’s company can build us a permanent home.”

“Hold up there, Andy Griffith.” She extended her palm toward him. “I’m not agreeing to a shotgun wedding. Do people really still have those?”

“You don’t want to get married?” The poor thing looked bewildered, as if he couldn’t possibly imagine why a knocked-up poor girl would reject the offer to get hitched to an incredibly handsome, impossibly sexy billionaire and commence having his babies.

“Because getting married strictly because of an unexpected pregnancy worked out so well for my parents and for your sister.” Baby boy bounced his generous-sized head on her bladder as if in objection.

Of course, you’d side with him. Traitor.

Sloane rubbed her belly, hoping to calm the little one.

Benji’s jaw tensed. “We’re not either of them.”

If he said that a few more times, she’d suggest he put it on a T-shirt. But as things stood, she didn’t want to aggravate him any more than she already had.

“No, we’re not. They were in long-term relationships, but still couldn’t make their shotgun weddings work. We had a one-night stand, Benj. A really incredible one, but still—”

“Then why not just keep doing it?” He winced and swiped a hand across his forehead. “I wasn’t talking about sex...necessarily. I just meant being together. The night we spent together, it wasn’t just about sex, not for me, at least.”

“Not for me, either.” She smiled sweetly. Or at least as sweetly as she could manage while baby boy played trampoline with her bladder and kicked underneath her ribs. “But one night of great sex and reminiscing over the past does not a marriage make. And I really do like you, Benji. Too much to watch our friendship turn into a strained, bitter relationship that’ll make us and the twins miserable.”

Sloane sighed, her heart twisting at the pained look on Benji’s face.

He slipped his phone back in his pocket without sending the message to Cole and scrubbed a hand down his face. “You’re sure about this?”

“I’m positive. Thanks for the offer, Benj, but if I ever get married again, it’ll be for one reason and one reason only—that we’re both head over heels in love.”

Three

Benji drove Sloane’s car, the silence stretching between them. She’d pretended to be upbeat, like everything would be okay, until they’d sent her to the cashier’s desk once she’d been released by the doctor.

The stress and embarrassment she felt were obvious when they’d asked how she’d pay her insurance co-pay. She’d almost whispered the words, “Bill me.”

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