Cold Deception (His Agenda 4): Prequel to the His Agenda Series (6 page)

“You don’t need to need it. But I do. I need it for you, for us.”

She smiled and lowered her hand. “Okay, what promise do you need me to make you?”

“The most important one.” He reached into his pocket and pushed back his chair, getting down on one knee. “Marry me, Lacey Bradley. Be my wife.”

Lacey’s mouth fell open and her fingers grazed her parted lips. She didn’t speak for a long time; the only sounds in the restaurant came from the other diners’ murmured excitement at witnessing a proposal. When she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper. “But we’ve only been dating for two months. You’re asking me to marry you after only two months?”

“I don’t care how long we’ve been dating. I love you. I knew that from the first day I met you. A few more weeks, months, or years won’t make a difference. I want to make you happy. That’s my priority.”

Tears coursed down Lacey’s cheeks. She dropped her gaze to the ring in his hand. “Terence, how… how were you able to afford that ring… all of this?”

He wouldn’t tell her he stole it, that he’d done it because though he couldn’t afford it, she still deserved only the best. He wouldn’t tell her that all the other money he’d spent tonight was money he’d gotten from selling another stolen ring. “I’ll do anything for you. Now, are you going to say yes?” He tipped his head to the side with a grin.

“I don’t know how I could ever say no to you. I feel like I’ve known and loved you forever.” She gave him her hand and he slid the ring onto it.

He was so close now. Soon she would completely belong to him, in heart and on paper. He would never let her go. Not as long as there was breath still in him.

He pushed the ring onto her finger and kissed her hand. “That makes me a very happy man.” He rose from the floor as the other diners cheered. He smiled, and this time it came so easy. He pulled her out of her chair and kissed her long and hard. He moved his lips from her mouth and kissed away her tears.

To Terence’s surprise, the manager of the restaurant refused to take money for their meal. He said it was on the house in honor of their engagement.

Back at the bed and breakfast, Terence peeled the dress from his fiancée’s body, and then he made love to her for a long time.

“I wish I could freeze this moment so it lasts forever,” Lacey said as she lay in his arms after hours of lovemaking, her breasts pressed against his body, one leg between his muscular thighs.

He kissed the top of her head. “As much as this was the most beautiful day of our lives, I don’t think you want to do that. There’s so much more for us to look forward to. A lifetime of beautiful moments like this is waiting for us.”

“You have a point. I wish we didn’t have to return to Oasis.”

“We don’t.”

She sat up in bed. “What do you mean we don’t? I was joking. I have a job there.”

“No wife of mine will slave away in a homeless shelter. I found us a place to live.”

“You did? How?” Her forehead creased. “Terence, please tell me you didn’t do anything illegal to get all this money.”

Terence clasped his hands behind his head and gazed up at the ceiling. If he looked into her eyes, she might see the truth. “I did only the right things.” It was only right that he take back from the world what it owed him.

“I’m so glad, baby.” She kissed his face. “I wouldn’t want you to go back to prison.”

“That’s never ever going to happen. I’ll never leave you.” He pushed a hand into her hair. “Tell me you believe that.”

“I do. So how did you get the money? I need to know.”

He sighed, a little frustrated that she wasn’t letting it go. “If you must know, I helped my boss sell a rather expensive car, one he couldn’t sell for months, and he rewarded me.”

“Really? That’s great. I’m so proud of you.” She seemed satisfied with the answer.

“So this is what’s going to happen tomorrow.” He looked her deep in the eyes. “You will return to Oasis and quit your job. I’ll take you to our new place. You will never have to work. Let me earn the money.”

“You know I don’t mind working. I can’t let you carry all the financial responsibility.”

“Taking care of you is not a burden. It makes me happy.”

“Maybe I could go to school then. I’ve always been interested in interior design. Even better, I could apply for some kind of on-the-job training that pays me a little while I study.”

Terence placed a finger on her mouth. “Let’s talk about it some other time. One thing at a time. First we have a wedding to discuss.”

Once they got married and she was his wife, the only job she would have would be making them a good home. He wouldn’t share her with anyone else. Wouldn’t let her leave him.

Chapter Thirteen

Before Terence met Lacey, there was a deep, dark, invisible hole in the center of his chest. While most kids were innocent, young Terence was already damaged, empty. Nothing could fill him. Not food, not kind words, not a fuckin’ thing. He woke up each morning wishing he had died during the night. He went to bed feeling the same way. But meeting Lacey changed him. He’d known deep down, without a doubt, that she would fill him. That one day she would be his wife. And today was the day his dream came true.

He grinned as he slid the gold-plated band—bought with his own money this time—onto Lacey’s long, slender finger. Now he was hers and she was his. The hard roads they had traveled alone, the shit they’d waded through, had brought them to this place, to the path that led to forever. They were so lost in each other, they couldn’t even see the possibility of it not working out. Maybe they were young and stupid, but in this moment, stupid felt damn good to Terence.

A minister with greasy hair and bored eyes accompanied them on the path to becoming husband and wife. Lacey looked fabulous in a sleek, white dress Terence had bought her at Chelsea’s. Though it was not a wedding dress, it looked close enough to one. He wore the same clothes he’d worn the day he proposed, and Marion had given him a suit jacket for the occasion.

It hurt Terence that he couldn’t afford to give Lacey the kind of wedding she deserved, but he would make up for all that later. One day he would shower her with diamonds. For now, this would have to do.

For witnesses, Lacey chose Lilliana, and Terence grudgingly called Marion. Marion had been honored to be Terence’s best man, but Terence only asked his brother because he had no one else to call.

Lacey looked up into his eyes and beamed, taking his breath away.

“I promise you forever.” Her eyes glinted with unshed tears, coating them like a thin film of glass. She dipped her head and her long golden hair fell over her shoulder to hang like a freshly ironed curtain between them. “You are my everything. You always will be.” Those words were everything to Terence. She slid the cool metal band onto Terence’s finger, and the missing pieces of his world slid into place.

“You are mine.” Terence pulled her to him, not waiting for the minister to tell them the words they already knew in their hearts. Terence liked to believe that they had been each other’s destiny before they were even born. His hands were made to travel the path of her body, to run over the silk of her hair, to feel the touch of her skin, to find a home in her heart. Their bodies and hearts were meant to make music together. A piece of paper was nothing but insurance, a reminder that they would never be apart.

He kissed Lacey deep, feeling the softness of her mouth, his tongue wrapping around hers, his lips moving gently against hers, his hand clasping the back of her neck.

From a distance, someone coughed. They stopped kissing as the minister confirmed they were now husband and wife.

Terence moved his lips to her ear. “You’re mine till infinity.”

“No, I’m yours till beyond infinity.” She giggled and wrapped her arms around him. “Nothing will ever stop me from loving you.”

Those words soared deep into Terence’s soul and stamped themselves across his heart.

After the ceremony, the minister and their witnesses came over to congratulate them. Terence shook their hands, but the only thing on his mind was getting Lacey all to himself. The love of his life. His future.

There would be no wedding reception, at least not for the others. He had booked a room in a nice hotel where they could spend the rest of the day and night. Terence didn’t plan on much sleep.

Lilliana wished them well again and hugged Lacey. “Have a good life,” she said, then turned to Terence and gave him a hug as well. “Take great care of her.” He planned to do just that.

While Lacey and Lilliana exchanged a few more words, Marion pulled Terence aside. “A quick word?” He moved them over to a table in the corner.

“What’s this about?”

“Can you try not being a dick for once?” Marion’s face hardened. “When are you going to get that I’m on your fuckin’ side? I’m not Mom or Dad. I’m your brother and I’m here whether you like it or not.”

Terence sighed and looked over at Lacey, who was laughing at something Lilliana said. Her fingers were still wrapped around her rose bouquet. “Okay, I’ll try harder to be nice to you. It’s just hard to believe that you call yourself my brother and yet you visited me only once in prison.”

“I don’t know how many times you want me to apologize for that. I was not in Serendipity for a long time.”

“No, you were away, studying, living the good life. Good for you.” Terence crossed his arms. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

“I wanted to tell you that I’m proud of you. You did well. She seems like a nice girl, little bro.” He slapped Terence on the back and Terence found himself smiling.

“I did, didn’t I?”

“You hit the jackpot.” Marion smiled back. “I have a wedding present for you.” Marion reached into his pocket and placed a key in Terence’s hand.

“Get the hell out of that abandoned cottage. Give your wife a home.”

“Say that a little louder, would you?” Terence rubbed his chin and blinked. He glanced at Lacey again. As far as she was concerned, they were renting the place. She believed he was taking care of her, just as he’d promised. Then Terence turned the key in the palm of his hand, narrowing his eyes. “Is this…”

“Does it matter? I have my own place. I’ll never move in.” Marion paused. “Put your resentment aside and do this for your wife.”

Their father had left their childhood home to Marion—his only son as far as he was concerned. One more dagger to Terence’s heart. But Marion was right. The old man’s wishes didn’t matter, and Lacey deserved better. Each night they spent in the abandoned cottage, he feared the cops would show up at the door and throw them out. The thought of possibly having to return to Oasis was unbearable. He curled his fingers over the key and closed his eyes for a long time.

When he opened his eyes again, they were stormy. “Thank you, man. I appreciate it.”

Chapter Fourteen

From the outside, Terence’s childhood house resembled any other house on Eden Road. But inside, it was an empty shell—cold and damp like a cave. Not even the furniture gave it life. He’d hated coming here, hated having to sleep under that roof. It reminded him of the childhood he’d never had, the pain and disappointment, the anger.

He closed the door and reached for Lacey’s hand, squeezing it. “Welcome to our new house. You will make this a home.”

“I love it.” Lacey let go of his hand and moved around the living room, running her fingertips over the dusty furniture, eyeing the photos on the mantel. Terence’s heart clenched as he watched her, searching for his face but not finding it in any of the pictures. When she turned around, there were tears in her eyes. She drew him into her arms, and laid the palm of her hand on his cheek and gazed into his eyes. “We don’t have to move into this house. I know this must hurt, being in the place where you never felt loved.”

“You erase the pain, Lacey. Living here won’t hurt as long as you’re with me. We’ll make it our own.”

She leaned into him and held him tight. “We will. I’ll make it a beautiful home for us. I promise.”

They stood in each other’s arms for a long time, Terence listening to the sounds of his childhood inside his head. Despite his best efforts, his father’s words raced around in his head, over and over again, driving him nuts. In the past few weeks he had tried hard to ignore that last piece of information his father had given him; he still hadn’t mentioned it to Marion. Eventually he would have to face the truth. But right now, in Lacey’s arms, he wanted to be happy. So he forced himself to focus on their new life together.

Compelling himself to smile, he pushed her away gently, and took her hands, led her through the house, showed her around. They started in the kitchen, at the table where they used to sit for dinner, pretending to be a family.

He didn’t tell Lacey that standing inside the kitchen transported him back in time. He heard his father’s cursing, saw his mother’s tears. How she’d wiped them discreetly with the kitchen curtain or pretended to be looking for something in the fridge just for a chance to look away from the man who tortured them all. He had felt pity for his mother then, often giving her a hug when their father could not see them, but now, only hate for her remained. She had known the kind of man her husband had been, and yet she had left them alone with him. She must have known they would pay the price. Now, to think she had lied to Terence all along about his real father was unforgivable.

He didn’t realize he had stopped talking until Lacey nudged his arm.

“I know this brings back bad memories for you.” She squeezed his hand. “Should we stop?”

“No.” He ushered her out of the kitchen and took her upstairs.

On the landing she turned him to face her. “Once we make it our own, you won’t even recognize this place.” She waved a hand at her surroundings. “But you don’t have to put yourself through this right now. I can have a quick look around alone. You can wait in the car if you like.” The secondhand SUV had been Terence’s wedding gift to them. Driving Lacey around on a motorbike in the cold wasn’t his idea of romance.