He shut the door to the apartment and watched her as she stepped into the foyer. "So, you want to tell me what all this is about?"
"Not particularly, but I suppose I should, shouldn't I?" She nervously tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I asked Donna to meet you and throw herself at you to see how you'd react."
Just the thought made his head want to explode. "What the fuck, Greer?"
"I knew it was stupid," she continued in that calm, even voice. "I just didn't know what else to do. I wanted to know how you really felt about me and that seemed like the only way."
He raked a hand through his hair. Fuck. She'd pushed his ex in his face just to see how he'd react? She'd fucking tried to trap him. Anger surged. "Why didn't you fucking ask me how I felt? How's that for starters?" He threw his hands up in the air. "Or how about listen to me all the times that I tell you that you're beautiful and I love you?"
"First of all," she said, stalking a few steps away. Gone were the nervous movements. Greer looked . . . angry. At him? He was the one who should be angry. "Men will tell a woman anything and everything to get in their bed. And second of all? Ask you?" She laughed and the sound was bitter and unhappy. "All you do is lie to me, Asher. How am I supposed to trust what you say to me?"
"I lied to you?" He thought back to all the times he'd kissed and held her in bed and told her how beautiful she was, how sweet tasting, how much he liked touching her. Did she really think those were lies?
"The wedding?" she spat, crossing her arms. "The lawyer?"
Oh fuck. He felt the blood drain from his face. "I can explain-"
"I'd certainly hope so." A hurt look crossed her face. "Are you trying to steal my baby, Asher?"
"What? No!" The thought was the furthest thing from his mind. He was shocked she'd think that.
"Then what was with the contract? Your lawyer trying to bribe mine? Writing in loopholes that would make the contract null and void?"
Fuck. This was blowing up in his face. He'd done it and hadn't given a damn about the consequences. But seeing her in front of him, hurt, worried, and scared, no wonder she'd run. "Greer, sweetheart-" he reached for her, only to have her jerk away. "Okay, yeah. I'm an asshole and I told my lawyer to give you the contract you wanted but to make it crap."
"Why?" The look she gave him was incredulous.
His jaw clenched and his nostrils flared. "Because I want you," he gritted out. "I want you and the baby both. I don't want you walking out of my life. I love you. I wanted a chance to prove it to you and you wouldn't give me that chance any other way. That's why I made the lawyers come up with bullshit clauses. That's why I went to your dad and bribed him to put on a ridiculous wedding. Because you're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I couldn't think of any other way to get close to you."
Her angry expression softened. Her big brown eyes shimmered with tears and a moment later she ripped off her big glasses. "Stupid lenses fogging up." She sniffed and crossed her arms again. "I just . . . it was a real low blow to bribe my father and make me do all that work for nothing."
"I know. God, I know. I was just desperate. I went to him and tried to have him call the wedding off once I saw how those three idiots were running you ragged." He took a daring step forward and brushed the tears off her cheek. Seeing her cry was breaking his damn heart. "He actually refused and tried to blackmail me. Said he'd expose everything if I didn't go along with it and I was just so afraid of losing you when I had you again."
She gave a watery chuckle. "So my father truly wanted to get married?"
"Once he saw how much money it could make him? Yes."
"Figures." She shook her head sadly. "My father is such an asshole. I never mattered to him. It was just his stupid company." Greer sighed. "Someday I'm going to realize that he's never loved anyone."
"Wanting your father to love you isn't a flaw, Greer. You just happen to hope that he's a better person than he is. And it sucks when you find out he isn't." He pulled her against him and was gratified when she went into his arms. His hands stroked up and down her back, and it was a pure pleasure just to hold her.
"So how much did he shake you down for?"
Asher chuckled. "I offered him an unspecified amount, though my original idea was the five million I thought he'd loaned me. Until I found out it wasn't him after all. You hid your tracks pretty well."
He felt her stiffen. "When did you find out?"
"The evening of the big Prospectus Businessman of the Year party. I went to him to thank him and he had no idea what I was talking about. I figured out then that it was you."
She pulled away from him, a look of horror on her face. "So . . . you went after me because you felt obligated?"
Holy hell, he was just saying all the wrong things, wasn't he? "Of course not! I love you. I think I realized I loved you when I saw you that night-"
"And saw I was pregnant!"
"-and realized that when you hated me, I'd lost everything and you'd been right there the entire time, and I'd been too blind to notice it." He reached for her, trying to pull her against him again. "Hearing that you gave the money to me and never said a word just made me realize that you were the one that had always been there for me. And I'm a selfish bastard because when I realized I'd lost you, I wanted you back and I didn't care how I made it happen."
She eased a little, and he tugged her closer.
"You want me to get my checkbook out? Write you a check for five million? I will right now."
"No," she said in a glum voice. "I just wanted you to want me for me. Not because of the baby or my money."
"I do want you. If those other things didn't exist, I'd still want you." He dropped to his knees and put a hand to her stomach. "When we get married-and I'm marrying you at some point, you know-we can keep separate accounts if it'll make you feel better. Or you can have mine. I don't care. Prenup, no nup, whatever you want. Money doesn't matter to me." His fingers lightly touched her stomach. "But I can't pretend this doesn't matter."
Her lower lip quivered. "So you do want the baby? You're not just saying that?"
"I love you, Greer. I want you and our baby."
Her eyes filled with more tears. "I love you, too, Asher. I always have. I'm so sorry about Donna."
He pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry about the fake wedding and the fake contracts."
She pinched his side. "That was pretty lousy of you. Did it have to be a fake wedding? I worked my ass off for them, you know."
"You're a wedding planner. I couldn't think of any other way to force you to be around me than to be in the wedding itself." He stroked her soft, gorgeous hair. God, it was like a dream having her in his arms again. She felt perfect against him. Like she belonged there. Hell, she did belong there. "I was wrong to do it."
"You were."
"I made mistakes."
"Mmm." Her cheek pressed against his heart.
"I've fucked up a million times. I admit it."
"Like getting me pregnant?" Her voice was soft.
"Nailing you in the gardens was my favorite mistake," he admitted. "It woke me up and made me realize you were there all along. It gave me you and the baby. How can I regret any of that?"
"I'm glad, too, in a weird way." She looked up at him. "I hated you and hated that my life was out of control and that I was so stupid. But it did bring us together."
He grimaced. "Best worst first date ever."
Greer chuckled. "You're lucky I'm a forgiving sort."
"I'm beyond lucky," he said, and caressed her lovely cheek. Her lovely face. He traced the backs of his fingers along her jaw. "I love you. If you can forgive me for being utterly blind for so long, I want you and the baby both in my life. Forever. Always."
Her eyes shone with tears but there was a bright smile on her gorgeous face. "I love you, too."
"I never want you to leave me again."
"I won't."
He lifted her into his arms. "Not even for a change of clothing."
Her mouth quirked and she looped her arms around his neck to support herself as he hauled her into the air. "Can I go to the bathroom by myself at least?"
"We'll discuss bathroom privileges if you're a good girl."
"I'm the best girl."
God, hearing her say that sent a bolt of lust straight to his groin. "Fuck yeah, you are."
Her dark eyes grew liquid with heat, and her fingers lightly pushed at the back of his head, encouraging him forward for a kiss.