A Convenient Arrangement

by Maggie Marr

  Aubrey’s tone shifted slightly. “Have you seen Gwen?” Leo looked up from staring at his niece into his sister-in-law’s eyes.

  “Not since the hospital,” Leo said.

  Aubrey nodded, but didn’t comment.

  “Why? Have you?”

  Aubrey smiled. “Nearly every day, actually. Even though Justin’s been working from home, she brings me lunch daily. I love the company. I’m not quite ready to take this little one out into the world just yet. It’s still cold and I’m still recovering. Soon, but not yet.”

  That sounded like Gwen, bringing her best friend lunch every day so that they could chat and eat and Aubrey could have some company.

  His chest ached. Leo wanted to have lunch with Gwen. He wanted to spend time with her. He wanted her back in his life but…he glanced at Adrianna. His niece was beautiful and perfect and…could he do this? For the rest of his life? Could he be a father? Be committed? Be dedicated to the life of another human in such a way that their needs came first, before him? Could he?

  Adrianna seemed to smile in her sleep.

  His chest tightened. No, not without Gwen he couldn’t.

  *

  “You held a baby one time and now you think you’re ready to have one?” Gwen narrowed her eyes at him. “That is insane.” She balled her hands into fists and shook them in front of her. “Do you have any idea how insane that sounds?”

  No, this conversation wasn’t going as he’d planned. He’d left Aubrey and Justin’s knowing he had to talk to Gwen immediately, had to tell her how he felt. But he hadn’t been able to reach her on the phone, even though he’d tried again and again. The thought that she wouldn’t answer his calls struck a momentary chill into his heart. He deserved it, he knew. But he wasn’t going to let that stop him. So he’d gone to her building and waited outside for her closing on four hours. Four. Hours. Waiting for her to arrive home. New York in springtime wasn’t all that warm yet. And really, when had he ever had to wait for anyone?

  But this was Gwen. His Gwen. And despite the furious look in her eyes and the furrow between her eyebrows and the flush of pink her cheeks that either came from being excited to see him, the cold, or anger (he wasn’t sure which), he knew that he would convince Gwen she was meant to be his.

  “No,” Leo shook his head. “I’m definitely not ready to be a father.”

  Gwen frowned. “But you just said—”

  “I can’t do this without you, Gwen. That was my epiphany, that’s what I’ve figured out since we broke up.”

  “So you wait outside my building for what, five hours, like some kind of stalker—”

  “Four,” Leo countered.

  “Whatever. You say four, my neighbor texted me you’ve been here for five.”

  “Your neighbor has an inaccurate sense of time.”

  “He sells watches for a living, Leo.”

  “Doesn’t mean he can tell time. Obviously.”

  Gwen held up her hand. “Fine, four hours. You stand out here in the cold for four hours to tell me that you now want to be a father but only if I’m the mother?”

  “Pretty much, right.”

  When she said it like that, he sounded like a nut job for sure. But he wasn’t crazy, wasn’t a nut job—he was a man in love. Leo looked into Gwen’s eyes. Her expression nearly unreadable now, she weighed something in her mind. Most likely his sanity.

  “You really hurt me,” she finally whispered.

  Her words stabbed him with the sharp pain of remorse. His heart shredded. God, he had. He had really hurt her. The pain was evident in her eyes, even if her face, that beautiful face with sapphire eyes that saw through to his soul, held the most stoic of expressions.

  He shut his eyes. Took a long, deep breath. Could she forgive him? Would she forgive him? He certainly would never deserve this woman, but could he convince her, could he show her, could he find the words to make her understand that he wanted a lifetime to prove how much she and the children he desperately wanted only with her meant to him?

  He grasped her hands, her fingertips cold. “I’m sorry.” The words came out broken and grave. He’d wanted to sound strong, sincere, but rasping need wove through his voice. He swallowed, fighting back the lump in his throat. He’d never choked up with a woman before this very moment. An unfamiliar heat burned in his eyes. Wow, so this was love? This aching horrible feeling of vulnerability and want? The knowledge that with one denial, Gwen could send his world, his future, careening into the abyss. Yes, but also knowing that with one yes his heart, his life, would soar to the highest of heights.

  “I love you and I’m sorry. I will spend every moment of the rest of my life proving to you how much I love you if only you’ll let me.” Please God, let her want to let me. He squeezed her hands and pulled her closer. Rested his forehead against Gwen’s. Her scent filled his lungs and an overwhelming need for her exploded through his heart. “You’re the only woman I want in this entire world. Please Gwen, let me spend a lifetime making you happy.” His gaze searched hers. “Please Gwen, please tell me that you’ll be mine.”

  Her gaze flickered up to meet his. Her stoic expression had cracked. Her bottom lip trembled, and her eyes, those big beautiful eyes, were filled with tears…

  Leo’s heart ached. Oh no. No. His Gwen was not going to tell him what he wanted to hear.

  “I don’t know how…I don’t want this to be because you miss me. This has to be about a life that you see yourself having. An experience that you want to have for its own sake, not just because you miss us. I miss us too, but I want each of us to be happy.”

  “We will be happy. It’s bigger than just me, bigger than you, bigger than us. I didn’t, I don’t want this experience of building a life and a family with anyone else. I didn’t think I ever would want that life, but neither did Justin or Anthony until they met the right woman. Gwen, it takes the woman of your dreams to make a man realize what he’s missing. It takes love to show us what we really need.” His lips were so close to hers now. Please let him be able to kiss her again—how he’d missed kissing her. “And you, you’re the woman of those dreams for me.”

  Her trembling lips, those lips he wanted to spend a lifetime kissing, turned upward into a smile.

  His heart nearly burst from his chest.

  “I love you, Leo Travati,” Gwen said as the tears streamed down her face. “I really do love you.”

  “And I love you too.”

  Chapter 21

  Gwen didn’t need a wedding at The Plaza Hotel. She didn’t even need a bridal brunch or giant reception or a bachelorette party. She’d planned and celebrated enough of those big events to know what she needed and wanted. And Leo? He didn’t care as long as her plans involved them getting married as soon as possible. So Gwen and Leo’s wedding was a small and intimate affair—a minister and immediate family only. Aubrey and Justin hosted the wedding luncheon afterward. As the party wound down, Gwen sat with Adrianna in her arms, the baby sleeping soundly after the stimulation of the day.

  Leo walked toward her and sat by her side. “Want me to take her?”

  “Sure.” Gwen gently slipped her niece into Leo’s arms. “You’re getting pretty good at that.”

  “Well, I better, right? What with the twins coming in four months.” He nodded toward Shelly and Anthony. “And Aubrey and Justin talking about more.”

  Gwen nodded and smiled. “Absolutely. The Travati family is growing by leaps and bounds.” She sipped her water. “Lots of children to play with each other. Loads of cousins. Big Christmases and holidays. Sounds like a nearly perfect world for our baby to be born into.”

  “I’d agree,” Leo said. He nodded and kissed his niece’s head and she snuggled deeper into his shoulder. Then he froze. His head whipped up and his eyes widened. “Wait…what did…did you just…are we…Gwen…are we going to have a baby?”

  A giant joyful smile that consumed Leo’s face brought laughter from her lips. Her face reflecting back his delight, she nod
ded. “Yes, husband, we absolutely are.”

  The End

  Please enjoy the following excerpt from A Forbidden Love, book nine in the Eligible Billionaires Series, coming soon from Maggie Marr.

  An Excerpt from A Forbidden Love

  “The good news is that you’re not going to prison.” Theresa, Devon’s criminal defense attorney, stood across from him outside the federal courtroom where Devon had just finished testifying.

  Devon clenched and unclenched his hands. He’d spent two days on the stand telling the jury what he knew.

  “The bad news?”

  “Pretty obvious, right?”

  “Sergey wants me dead.”

  “Right. They”—she hitched her thumb toward the two guys in suits with earpieces standing beside the courtroom door—“can give you some protection—”

  “The Feds? You’re kidding me, right?” Devon glanced across the hallway. Those two guys in suits had flanked him in the weeks leading up to the trial. “Think I’ll take my chances with Travati Financial’s own security detail.”

  “Understood.” Theresa leaned closer. “It wouldn’t hurt you to take some time away from the city. Until after the sentencing. You understand what I’m telling you?”

  He got it. He got all of it. He’d pissed off one of the most powerful criminals in the world. Without Devon’s testimony, Sergey Rashnikov would be walking around a free man.

  “Done,” Devon said. “Leaving tonight.”

  “That’s a good call,” Theresa said. “Can you give me a phone number where you can be reached?”

  Devon nodded. She wasn’t asking for an address, and Devon knew why. She didn’t want to know details on where Devon would be because she didn’t want to have any information to give up if someone came looking.

  “Justin will know everything,” Devon said, his voice low. He scanned the hall. Three men, all in hand-tailored thousand-dollar suits, walked toward him.

  Devon’s heart hammered hard against his ribs. Those guys. Damn, he hadn’t expected to see them here, not now, not today. The men stopped beside him and Theresa.

  “You ready?” Leo asked.

  Devon nodded.

  “Good,” Justin said, “because, little brother, we’re about to save your ass again.” He cracked a smile, but Devon could see the fear in his big brother’s eyes.

  “Every fucking time,” Leo said, punching Devon on the shoulder.

  Anthony scanned the hall. “We need to move. I see Sergey and his lawyer coming. Truly, I would love to hit that asshole attorney in the jaw again.”

  Anthony and Leo flanked Devon and Justin took up a position in front of him. Another guy who Devon didn’t know, but quickly realized must be with Travati Security, fell in behind them. Devon’s heart beat hard against his ribs. Thank God for his familia, for his brothers, for the commitment they had to one another, because otherwise—

  “Travati!” A thickly Russian-accented voice rang out from down the hall.

  All four brothers stopped. Justin’s hands curled into fists. The muscles in Leo’s neck tightened, and Anthony’s jaw muscle flexed. His big brothers still surrounded Devon, but now they faced Sergey Rashnikov.

  The meaty-faced Russian had nothing to lose. The time was ticking down on the limited freedom he had being out on bond. He’d spend the rest of his life in prison for his crimes. Sergey pushed in close. The Feds at the far end of the hall started to move toward the knot of men in the middle of the hallway.

  Sergey’s grey eyes were wild with fury, but his voice was low. “You’re a dead man, Travati. And not just you, your family—” His hostile gaze swept over each of them like a blast of ice-cold wind. “Your children, your wives—all of you will bleed, and the blood will come with pain.”

  Leo stepped forward, the vein in his neck bulging. “Bring it, Rashnikov. Because you’ve got family too.”

  “Ha! You think I care about my family? Fuck family. But you Travatis, you breed like rabbits in heat. So many little ones, so precious, so young, so, shall we say”—a satisfied smile twisted his lips and evil glee shone in his eyes—“vulnerable.”

  Hot rage rolled off the brothers. Justin thrust out two arms to hold the other three back.

  The sick smile on Sergey’s face spread wider. “You see, I have nothing to lose, not even my freedom, but you? Ah, you poor Travatis, you have everything that can be taken away. Wife, children…everything. And me? All I have is my desire for revenge. And I will take it out on all of you.” His eyes landed on Devon. “Unless you give me your baby brother now.” Sergey looked to Justin. “You give him to me now, before I go to prison, and I will leave your family alone.”

  “You twisted fuck!” Leo’s voice was laced with rage. “Do you think we let you torture our brother?”

  “What I’ll do with him is my business. It is either your brother or everyone in your family.”

  Devon’s heart pummeled his ribs. Every member of his family? For fuck’s sake, the Travati family was now triple the size it’d been eighteen months before. With the marriages and the babies and the extended family…how could his brothers, even with all their money, keep the entire family safe from a psychotic Russian mobster whose only thought was to hurt them all as much as possible?

  “I’m not without compassion. I will consider the Travati debt to me paid, if you give me your brother before I go to jail. Otherwise there will be no more Travatis.” The Feds, arriving too late to catch Sergey’s last words, slid between the Travatis and Rashnikov. Sergey gave them a mocking grin and moved back toward where his lawyer stood waiting for him. “You think about it,” he called as he walked away.

  A hand clasped Devon’s arm. “Come on,” Leo whispered, pulling him. “Let’s get away from this twisted fucker.”

  Devon couldn’t take his eyes from Sergey and his triumphant leer. If his life, his blood, his pain meant his entire family would survive… Maybe—

  “Don’t even think about it,” Leo said. “He fucks you up, kills you, and then he’ll still fucking come after every one of us. It’s a sucker’s deal, brother. Besides, we’d kill you first if we thought you were going to do it.”

  Devon nodded. He swallowed. He breathed. The safety of his entire family was now at risk because of what he’d done.

  *

  A Forbidden Love, book nine in the Eligible Billionaires Series, coming soon, from Maggie Marr.

  About this Series

  Thanks for reading A Convenient Arrangement, the eighth book in the Eligible Billionaires Series. I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews help other readers find books and I appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative. Please take a moment and write a review for A Convenient Arrangement.

  Books in the Eligible Billionaire Series:

  Can’t Buy Me Love

  One Night for Love

  A Christmas Billionaire

  Last Call for Love

  Running from Love

  A Forever Love

  A Billionaire for Christmas

  A Convenient Arrangement

  A Forbidden Love — coming soon

  Omnibus: Eligible Billionaires Books 1-3

  Would you like to know when my next book is available? You can sign up for my new release e-mail list at http://www.maggiemarr.net/about/newsletter.

  Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/maggiemarr, or like my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maggie-Marr-Books/168071873226783?ref=ts.

  Visit my Website at http://www.maggiemarr.net.

  You may also enjoy my Glamour Series.

  Hard Glamour

  Broken Glamour

  Fast Glamour

  Easy Glamour

  Luxe Glamour

  Impossible Glamour

  Omnibus: The Glamour Series Books 1-3

  Also by Maggie Marr

  The Hollywood Girls Club Series

  Hollywood Girls Club

  Secrets of the Hollywood Girls Club

  Hollywood Hit

  Omnib
us: Hollywood Girls Club the Series

  The Eligible Billionaires Series

  Can’t Buy Me Love

  One Night for Love

  A Christmas Billionaire

  Last Call for Love

  Running from Love

  A Forever Love

  A Billionaire for Christmas

  A Convenient Arrangement

  A Forbidden Love — coming soon

  Omnibus: Eligible Billionaires Books 1-3

  The Powder Springs Series

  Courting Trouble

  The Christmas Wish

  The Christmas Promise – coming soon

  The Glamour Series

  Hard Glamour

  Broken Glamour

  Fast Glamour

  Easy Glamour

  Luxe Glamour

  Impossible Glamour

  Omnibus: The Glamour Series Books 1-3

  About the Author

  Maggie Marr is an attorney, author, and producer. She began her career in the entertainment industry pushing the mail cart but rose to the position of motion picture literary agent. She has written for TV, film, and celebrities. Maggie has been featured on KCRW's The Business and reviewed by Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Romantic Times. She lives in LA with her family.

  Maggie is eternally grateful for the graciousness and support of her readers.

  Please visit her Website at: http://www.maggiemarr.net.

  Twitter: http://twitter.com/maggiemarr

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maggie-Marr-Books/168071873226783?ref=ts