Page 125 of Lucian

Jordyn couldn’t hide her flinch. “Lucian …”

“That my life wasn’t finished, and there were things I hadn’t done yet I wanted to. Things I hadn’t considered before. I was … I don’t know … twenty seconds off from being choked unconscious and all I could think about for those few moments was that I wanted to marry you.”

Jordyn stepped backwards at that admission, stumbling into the stool. “What?”

“Not tonight. That’s not a proposal. When I do ask you that, I’ll have a ring and I won’t sound like I just swallowed a fucking wasp. But eventually, sometime, I want that with you. Maybe I’ll ask in a week, or maybe it’ll be a couple months. Maybe it’ll be a year. I don’t know, I just knew I would. And children,” he stated like it was an afterthought. “Those, too. With you, I mean.”

Jordyn felt her brow rise on its own accord. “That’s what you thought about?”

Marriage and babies. Huh.

“I’m pretty straightforward with things I need and want. You’re one of them. It seems like the next best logical step to cement my decisions. That’s how I look at it, anyway.”

Marriage …

And babies.

Jordyn blinked at the man across from her. “With me?”

“Does that scare you?” Lucian asked. “Because I thought I made it clear how completely infatuated and in love with you I am. If I haven’t, I certainly hope this clears it up.”

“No, I’m aware.”

So much more than aware, really.

“Good. Do you not want me to ask … you know, eventually?”

Jordyn’s lungs froze, painfully so. “I think that should just happen when it happens, and you don’t need my opinion on it until you’re ready to ask.”

Lucian nodded, his expression pensive. “I agree with that.”

“I still don’t understand what this has to do with Kate.”

“Remember, I wanted this with you before, okay?”

“Okay,” Jordyn echoed.

“I had to be married or have produced one child before I turned thirty for my children to be able to receive the money my biological father left for his possible future grandchildren in trust. If I didn’t, Kate would receive the money instead.”

Well, Jordyn understood why he wanted her to know his thoughts in the elevator before this, now.

“You’ve known this how long?”

Lucian glanced at his watch. “About twenty minutes. It’s still sinking in, I think. I’m not usually this slow on the ball.”

“You didn’t know at all before?” she pressed.

“No. That was … uh, one of his requests, I guess. That I make my choices for love and marriage because it was what I wanted to do, not what others wanted for me. Odd, isn’t it?”

Jordyn snorted low. “Is odd how you really feel about it?”

“No,” Lucian said again. “I’m incredibly sad I can’t thank him for caring about children who don’t even exist yet, and that I hadn’t even thought about until I fell in love with you. That’s kind of how I feel. And angry at Kate, but she’s like she always was … unimportant. To this, anyway.”

Jordyn glanced past him to the bed. She was beginning to think like Lucian. Really, the conversation was better suited for another day when things weren’t so … raw. “Sleep sounds nice right now.”

“It does,” Lucian agreed faintly. “It’s been a long day.”

Jordyn waited while Lucian left the sanctuary of the bedroom to shower. By the time he was back, she had herbal tea sweetened with honey waiting from his mother, and he didn’t argue before downing the hot liquid, disgust twisting his mouth into a grimace.