He was saying all the right things, but more than that, he seemed to believe them. Which made her want to believe him.
She would admit to being tempted. On a practical level, having someone to depend on while raising triplets would be amazing. Raoul had already shown he was responsible and supportive. On a personal level, she did like him—probably more than she should. The thought of sharing a bed with him for the next fifty years was kind of exciting.
He wasn’t offering her love. At least he was honest about it. She’d always expected to fall madly in love at some point, but it hadn’t happened yet. And once she had kids, what were the odds? Was a practical marriage based on mutual need such a bad thing?
“What about kids of your own?” she asked.
“I’m hoping you’ll agree in a couple of years. Wouldn’t you like a baby of your own, too?”
She nodded slowly. That, too, had been part of her fantasy. And Raoul offered an enticing gene pool.
“I meant what I said,” he told her. “I’m all in, Pia. I’ll be there for you, no matter what. I’ll be your husband and partner in every way possible. I give you my word. You’ll be able to count on me until the day I die.”
She knew enough to recognize he was the kind of man whose word meant something. He was offering her all he had—except his heart. She believed he would take care of her and after all she’d been through, that was nearly impossible to resist. Compared with security, love came in a very distant second.
But this wasn’t just about her. “It’s one thing to marry me without being in love,” she said. “But the babies are different. You can’t be any different with them because they’re not biologically yours.”
“I know. They have my word, too. Marry me, Pia. Say yes.”
She looked into his dark eyes and knew that he would be with her every step of the way. That for reasons she couldn’t explain, this man wanted to take on her and three unborn children that were no relation to him.
The thought of not having to do everything herself, of knowing there was someone else who would have her back, was tempting. The fact that the guy in question was Raoul made it irresistible.
“Yes,” she whispered.
He stared at her. “Yes? You’re accepting?”
She nodded, once again feeling slightly faint. Maybe it wasn’t the pregnancy, she thought as he pulled her into his arms. Maybe it was him.
Then his mouth claimed hers and she couldn’t think at all. She could only feel the warmth and affection and even a slight hint of passion.
“You won’t regret this,” he told her. “I’m going to buy you the biggest house, the biggest diamond ring. I’ll take care of everything.”
She drew back slightly and eyed him. “You’re not going to become some freakish, controlling guy, are you?”
He grinned. “No. Are you objecting to the diamond or the house?”
“It was the ‘I’ll take care of everything’ part that threw me.”
“How about I’ll take care of everything after running it by you?”
“That works.”
“Good.”
He kissed her again, then straightened in his seat and grabbed his seat belt. She did the same. He started the car and they drove out of the parking lot.
Pia stared at the familiar road and told herself it was okay. That the fluttering sensation in her stomach was anticipation, not frenzied dread. Marrying Raoul was a good thing. It’s not as if she would ever get tired of looking at him, and despite the fame and fortune, he was a nice guy. In marriage, nice mattered.
This would work, she told herself. In fact, she was downright lucky. It was the right thing to do for the babies. As for her dream of falling in love and being swept away by a handsome prince…given everything going on in her life, this was as close to the fantasy as she was going to get.
AFTER DROPPING PIA OFF at her office, Raoul returned to his house. He walked through the two-bedroom place and knew there was no way it was going to work for a family of five. He’d been thinking about buying something permanent for some time now, but there hadn’t been a rush. That had all changed. Now he had a family to provide for.
The thought would have brought some guys to their knees, but Raoul was excited by the prospect. He was ready to be married again, ready to be a father. If things had gone the way they were supposed to with Caro, he would already have at least one kid.
Sure, his arrangement with Pia wasn’t traditional, but little about his life had been. He was a street kid who’d been blessed with the ability to think on his feet and throw a football a hundred yards. Now he was getting lucky again. Besides, Hawk and Nicole would be thrilled to be honorary grandparents to the triplets. Hawk would be proud of Raoul for doing the right thing.