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Tamsin stared at him and for several moments didn’t say a word.
“You know what your legacy is, right?”
“I know what the legacy is deemed. The Denton gift,” Tamsin said. “My brothers have each found their woman.”
“And what of the women? Your aunts?” he asked.
She pressed her fingers to her forehead and her gaze was on a point at the table. “It’s … complicated. I don’t know. They are happily married. At least, I think so. My parents were never clear when it came to the women of the Denton line. I know that my brothers, when they met the women destined to be theirs, that was it. It’s the truth.” She pressed her lips together.
“What about your aunts?” he asked.
“When I was a kid, I didn’t pay much attention to all the family trips and everything.” She blew out a breath. “And then after my dad died, I left.” She frowned. “I vaguely remember my uncles, and they adored my aunts. I don’t know. I’d have to ask my brothers or my mom.”
“What about Landon?”
She pressed her lips together but didn’t say a word. In their two years of marriage, she had never once let on that he was still alive. Mason could only guess he was.
“Haven’t you been curious about your future? If you would find a man?” He hated asking. Hated the rage that fell over him at the thought of any other man having what belonged to him. Tamsin was his.
He didn’t know where these thoughts and feelings were coming from. She wasn’t a piece of meat, not his property, but he didn’t want to let her go.
“No, I don’t care,” Tamsin said.
He watched as she nibbled her bottom lip and then reached for the glass of water. She took a sip, all the while avoiding eye contact. Mason wanted to ask her what she was thinking or feeling, but kept his lips closed.
The waiter hadn’t approached their table, but Mason hadn’t given him the signal to do so.
“So, we need to get pregnant,” Tamsin said.
Now, this did surprise him. She had put the menu down.
“What?”
“If we need to stop your father from causing any other trouble, then we’re going to have to get pregnant.” She shrugged.
“I’ve given you a way out of this marriage, and you want to continue staying married to me?” he asked.
“Maybe we should order. I’m getting hungry.”
He wanted to argue but instead he signaled the waiter. Tamsin ordered some chicken parmesan, while he went for the steak and potatoes.
Once they were alone, he focused on Tamsin.
“You cannot keep drinking your water and pretending you’ve not just suggested a way for us to stay married, Tamsin.”
She lifted her head and looked at him. He didn’t know how she did it, but she grew more beautiful with every passing day.
“I’m a Denton, Mason. You know this. We also know that even as my family grows stronger, so too does yours. If our marriage dissolves, I don’t know what that means in terms of peace between our families.”
“You’re worried about conflict?”
“Not just that. If what you say is true, there might also be a chance that my family will marry me off to someone else, especially if they know I’m … you know … a virgin.” She mouthed the last part.
Mason didn’t agree with her. “Your brothers wouldn’t do that.”
“My father promised me he would never use me as a pawn, and yet he did.”
“Your brothers are different.”
