She frowned and studied his face. “This doesn’t make any sense.”
“Let me make it clear to you,” he said through gritted teeth. “If you are pregnant with my child, I will give him my last name. I will let everyone know that he is mine and that I take care of what is mine. I will protect and provide for him.”
She stared at him as if in a daze.
“And if I need to marry his mother,” he forced the words out, “I will do so.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Are you serious?”
“But don’t take that as a marriage proposal,” he warned. “The only reason I would marry any woman is if she was carrying my child.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
“COME ON, ASHLEY, we’ll discuss this later. We need to leave,” Sebastian said as he stuffed his hands in his hoodie pocket. He was never comfortable with the topic of marriage. The idea of sacrificing his freedom usually made him break into a cold sweat. Right now, he felt the hope and longing swirl inside him as he imagined Ashley’s belly swollen with his child.
“Already?” she said with a sigh.
He heard the longing in her voice and hated how it affected him. Sebastian wanted to make her happy. He wanted to give her everything she wanted and be the reason there was a smile on her face. He glanced at his watch. “You can show me around the island before we leave.”
Ashley’s eyes lit up, but she gave him a suspicious look. “Really?” she asked uncertainly. As if she knew he was trying to make up for the argument they’d just had.
“Show me everything about Inez Key,” he said. He knew a lot about this island, but he wanted to see it through her eyes.
Ashley grabbed his hand. “First, I’ll show where the best place is to scuba dive. Oh, and surf. Did I tell you about the time I got stung by an eagle ray? It was an extremely painful experience, but not as much as when I broke my ankle when I fell from climbing a palm tree. I’ll have to show you which ones are best to climb.”
“I can’t wait,” Sebastian said with a small smile. He was curious to know what Ashley was like as a child and wanted to hear every story and anecdote.
They had explored the island for an hour, hand in hand, as Ashley pointed out her favorite spots. Some were connected to happy memories while others were breathtaking views.
“Do you know how the island got the name Inez Key?” Sebastian asked as he walked beside Ashley.
“It’s called a key because it’s a small island on coral,” she explained.
“And Inez?”
“I assume the first settler on this island named it after a loved one.” She stared at the main house as she slowed her pace. Her tour was almost done and then she would have to leave Inez Key.
“Assume?” he asked sharply.
“Okay, I’m not an expert on everything about this island. You should ask Clea. Her family has been on this island for generations,” Ashley said as her smile dipped. Once she thought her descendants would live here for generations. She had imagined having a big family and the island being their safe haven. “Now that you mention it, I’m surprised my father didn’t change the name. Make it Jones Key or something like that. Are you going to change the name?”
“Never.”
His gruff response surprised her. “Why not? The name doesn’t have any meaning to you.”
Sebastian’s hand flexed against hers. “How long have you lived here?” he asked.
“This wasn’t our primary residence,” she replied as she focused her attention on the main house. “I spent my summers on this island. My mother brought me here when she needed a getaway.”
“So it wasn’t used very often,” he murmured. “It was almost forgotten.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t always like that. It’s been in my family’s care since before I was born. My father got it—”
“Got it?”
Ashley bit her tongue. Funny how he caught her choice of words. The man noticed everything. She had to be more careful. “My father’s story about this island changed constantly,” she admitted.
“What did you hear?” he asked as he slipped his hand away from hers.