Page 46 of Bid For Me

And then there’s my father. His shadow looms over every decision I’ve ever made – my career, my relationships, even the women I was supposed to entertain. Elle doesn’t fit his mold. Not really. She isn’t the polished, poised heiress he’s groomed me to marry. I mean, she is on the surface and in name, but deep down that isn’t who she really is. She’s fire where he demands ice, passion where he demands perfection. He’ll see her as a threat and try to tear her apart.

I’m worried he’ll smell a rat the second he lays eyes on us. In fact, I’m sure of it. He’ll see through the lie we’ve constructed and pick her apart, piece by piece, until there’s nothing left but her pride – and god help me, I don’t think I could survive seeing him break her.

But I can’t delay it forever. He’ll demand answers, and if I refuse, he’ll come looking for them himself. For years, his voice dictated every decision I made, and Elle was no exception. Icould never bring her into that world, not when he’d tear her down with his expectations and judgments.

But now? She’s worth the fight. She always was.

I glance down at Elle, her face softened in sleep. My chest tightens. She deserves more than this mess I’ve dragged her into. She deserves to know she’s not just some pawn in this twisted game my father and I are playing. She deserves to know she’s mine because I chose her – not just because I needed her to prove a point.

I have to propose before she meets him.

The thought settles heavily in my chest, not because I dread it, but because it feels right, even if the reasons are wrong. In an ideal world, I could wait until this thing budding between us has a chance to grow and blossom. But there’s no time, and I don’t want her to think for a second that my father’s approval dictates anything about us. Especially not my proposal.

The idea of putting a ring on her finger, of claiming her fully, ignites something primal inside me.

But how the hell do I make her believe it’s real, when I’ve done nothing to show her the real me? How do I make her see that this isn’t about some damn deal anymore?

My fingers tighten slightly on her shoulder, and she stirs, mumbling softly before settling again. I press a kiss to her hair, guilt and longing warring within me.

I want her. Not just tonight, not just to win this battle with my father. I want her in my bed, in my life, in my heart, every damn day. And the thought of walking away after all this? Impossible.

But I’ve already lied to her. Told her this was temporary. How do I take that back without losing the fragile trust she’s given me?

And worse – what if I’ve already ruined it? What if I tell her I want more and she doesn’t? Could I change her mind? Use thetwelve months we’re wed to make her fall in love with me? Or will she just grow to resent me?

The thought churns in my gut as I shift slightly, trying not to wake her. My father’s voice echoes in my mind, cold and calculated. He’ll want her background, her connections, her worth. And when he finds out she doesn’t exactly fit his mold, he’ll try to tear her down.

Not if I get there first.

The decision solidifies in my mind. I’ll propose tomorrow. Show her that this is real, that she’s not some pawn. And then, when she meets him, she’ll know without a doubt where I stand. That I chose her regardless of his opinion.

I glance at the clock on the nightstand, the faint glow of the numbers marking the early hours of the morning. If I let her wake here, she’ll ask questions I’m not ready to answer.

I nudge her gently, her sleepy murmur pulling at something deep inside me. “Elle,” I whisper, my voice low but firm.

She stirs, blinking up at me, her gaze hazy and unfocused. “What time is it?” she mumbles.

“Early,” I say, brushing a hand through her hair. “I need to see you at dawn. Meet me outside your apartment.”

Her brow furrows, confusion flickering in her eyes. “Why?”

I hesitate, my thumb tracing the curve of her cheek. “Because I need you,” I admit softly. “Because tomorrow...it’s just us. No club. No distractions. Just you and me.”

Her eyes search mine, and for a moment, I see a flicker of hesitation. But then she nods, her trust in me shining through the cracks of her doubt.

“Okay,” she whispers, her voice still thick with sleep.

I press a kiss to her forehead, holding her close for one last moment before I force myself to let her go. Tomorrow will change everything. And god help me, I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready – but I know I can’t lose her. The proposal can’t wait –not because of my father, but because of her. I need her to see the truth in what I feel, even if the words stumble out like a man desperate to keep his world intact. She deserves the fairytale proposal, the grand gestures, but all I can give her right now is this truth: I can’t imagine a life without her. And I’ll spend every day proving it, if she’ll let me.

I shift carefully, extracting myself from Elle’s warmth without waking her. The blanket pools around her, her blonde hair a soft halo against the pillow. For a moment, I stand at the edge of the bed, my fists clenched at my sides, fighting the instinct to crawl back in and hold her until morning.

What if she doesn’t believe me? What if she thinks this is just another part of the game – another move in the deal we made?

I rake a hand through my hair and begin pacing the room, the storm in my head refusing to quiet.

I remember her standing on the dock at the lake, barely sixteen, arguing with Aiden about something ridiculous. She was fierce, determined to have the last word even though she barely came up to his shoulder. That fire set her apart even then, and now, it’s impossible to ignore.

The dim light paints the space in soft shadows, but it might as well be a spotlight shining on my failure. Before Elle, my life was a series of cold, calculated moves – a chessboard where every piece I played was dictated by my father’s strategy. But she’s not a piece on the board. She’s the game changer. The thought of losing her, of letting her walk away because I was too much of a coward to show her what she means to me, is unbearable. I’d give up the inheritance, the company, all of it – because none of it matters without her.