Page 9 of Endlessly Raphael
Damn. His just-fucked face is even better than his normal one. If he says yes, at least I’ll get to look at this face a little longer, and hopefully, get fucked a lot more.
“I have a weird favor to ask.”
“I’m listening.”
“Um… well… I was wondering if…” Now that I’m in this situation, it’s a lot harder than I thought.
“What?” he asks, sweetly brushing my hair from my forehead.
“Okay, um, will you marry me?”
THREE
Raphael
“I’m sorry. What? I think I heard you wrong.”
Haven, beautiful with his flushed cheeks and kiss-plumped lips, flashes that smile that just might be my undoing.
“You heard me correctly. I need a spouse and I need one in the next two weeks.”
“Why?”
He scoffs, sitting more upright and dragging a hand through his unruly curls. “It’s lame, but I have to be married for an inheritance.”
“Tell me more,” I say, tucking my spent cock back into my jeans. I would’ve rather sat here stroking his soft skin and hoping for a second round over this, but I’m intrigued.
“Okay, well my family situation is complicated, to say the least. My grandparents on my dad’s side came to this country and built an amazing company.”
“From where?”
“Egypt. Well, my grandfather was from Egypt. My grandmother was from England, but her parents were Moroccan and Italian. I’m a mixed bag, ethnically speaking.”
“You’re stunning.”
He smiles as if it’s not a compliment he must hear a million times a day.
“Thank you.” He glances down at his half-naked body, making no attempt to cover up. Fine by me. “So anyway, I’m the firstborn grandson. I was super spoiled growing up, and I was the only grandchild until I was ten.”
I nod, leaning on the car hood to show him he has all my attention.
“I was expected to go into the family business, like my uncles and aunts, like my dad. I really wanted to. I did. I tried so hard, but I just wasn’t cut out for it. My grandfather agreed and told me that if I went to university and got the right business training, he’d give me another shot.”
“Okay.”
“So I did. I got my degree, then my masters. By that time, my grandfather’s health was failing. My uncles and my dad took over and basically had no intention of giving up that control to me, even though everyone knew that was what Gedo wanted.”
“Gedo?”
“Oh, grandfather in Arabic.” He sighs. “Anyway, I was pushed out. My dad gave me some money to basically go away, so I did. I just gave up and walked away. Two months ago, my grandfather died.” A tiny crinkle forms across his brow. “He left all of it to me. His entire estate.”
“Oh wow.”
“Yeah. And just to make a point, he had it updated shortly before he died. So no one can even say it was outdated and contest it. But he had stipulations. The first was that I have to consult quarterly with a designated trustee. That’s to ensure I know what I’m doing. The second is that I have to have a primary residence in New Onyx.” He lifts his pretty eyes to me. “And the third is that I have to be married. My grandparents were super old school and traditional. I mean, my parents’ marriage was arranged. I avoided that fate only because my mom intervened. My grandfather thought marriage was a sign of stability and maturity. So I have two weeks left to make it happen or I get skipped and the estate gets split among my dad and his brothers.”
I nod, taking it all in. “You want this badly enough to marry a stranger?”
Haven shrugs. “It’s a principle thing, you know? And it’s what Gedo wanted. I wasn’t good at running shit when I was twenty-two, but that was a long time ago. I’m almost thirty-five now, and…” His words trail off as his voice hardens. “Honestly, I’m pissed off. I’ve been cast aside by my own family. Left out of events and important celebrations. I barely survive on the pittance they gave me to go away.”