“No.” He took a drink then licked his lips.
“Do you need me to do it?”
He shook his head.
“You’re going to make this as difficult as possible, aren’t you?”
He held his glass by the rim and swirled the contents. “It’s my job to do what’s best for you…and I don’t think divorcing me is the best thing for you.”
I rolled my eyes.
“You need a man to take care of you. Living in a shabby apartment by yourself—”
“Don’t insult my shabby apartment.”
His mouth shut and his eyes narrowed. “A woman like you shouldn’t be living alone. My father might be a problem, but even if he isn’t, you’re a target. Men see you in this bar, and they might follow you home.”
“That’s what the police are for.”
“But the police aren’t as powerful as me.” He tapped the glass against his chest. “You could be rich and pampered. You could be safe. I can give you the whole world…if you’ll be my wife.”
“We’ve already had this conversation, Maverick.” Having him as my protective husband in the beginning was a blessing, but I fell in love with him for other reasons. I could go back to him if that was all I wanted from him…but I wanted so much more.
“We’re having it again.”
“My answer will be the same.”
“Then I’ll just have to keep trying to change your mind.”
I gripped the bottle on the counter and stared at him coldly. Another woman would forgive him in a heartbeat. This was Maverick DeVille…handsome and rich. With that charming smile, he could get away with anything. But I wasn’t like other women. I needed more than that. “Goodnight, Maverick.”
When I walked out of the bar that night, Maverick was hot on my tail.
With my black bomber jacket around my shoulders, I stepped into the nighttime chill. The air was dry and cold, burning my nose the second the frigid air came into contact with the skin. My hands slid into my pockets, and I tightened the jacket around my body.
He appeared at my side. “This is exactly what I’m talking about. You shouldn’t be walking home alone in the cold.”
“I live just a few blocks away.”
“Makes it easier to follow you.”
I kept walking, keeping a foot of space between us. “Just leave me alone, Maverick. I gave you the chance to say your piece. I listened to every word. But now you need to let it go. I’ve made my choice.”
He walked beside me, his height towering over mine. His hands were in the pockets of his blazer, and vapor emerged from his nose and mouth. With his height and build, no one could catcall me on the street or bother me. He was bug spray that kept all the gnats away. “Arwen—”
I stopped in my tracks and faced him. “What do you want?”
He slowly turned toward me, sharing the narrow sidewalk with me. There was no one else on the street at this time of night, just us and the freezing cold. “I think it’s obvious what I want, Arwen.”
“But it’s not obvious why. Why do you want to be married to me? You obviously don’t love me and you don’t want what I want, so why are you wearing your wedding ring and refusing to grant me a divorce? It doesn’t make any sense, Maverick. And don’t say it’s because you want to keep me safe.”
His hands stayed in his pockets as he stared at me, the exhalation from his nose looking like cigar smoke. His dark eyes blended in with the night, and he stared at me like a hungry wolf under the bright moon.
“Why do you want this?”
He bowed his head for a moment and stared at the ground. After he gathered his thoughts, he raised his chin. “I like being married to you…”
I crossed my arms over my chest.
“I care about you. I miss you.”
“But you don’t love me,” I pressed. “That’s pretty important in a marriage.”
“It is,” he said with a nod. “Give me some time to get there. I want to try, Arwen. We could get divorced and start over from the ground up, but I don’t want to do that. I want us to have what we had before, but to try to make it work in our own way. Truth be told, I don’t want to go home with someone else. I don’t want to sleep alone. I don’t…want to live like this. I know I fucked up, but give me a chance to make it right. I was a good husband to you, but I’ll be better this time around.”
It was a testament to my love for him that I actually considered his offer. My heart beat for this man in a special way. My family was gone, but I felt like he’d become my new family. DeVille fit me far better than Chatel ever did. I had a husband I respected and admired, someone I cared so much for. I’d fallen in love in a way I never had with anyone else. Brandon made me feel lonely, and every other guy was a poor substitute for what I really wanted.