But we need to have a very important conversation and I cannot be distracted by his Clark Kent meets mountain man good looks.
“Can we just skip the concert?” My voice is soft, and I stand in the doorway of the bedroom, waiting for him to invite me inside.
Ben looks up and his frown deepens. “What? You’ve been moaning about seeing Ed Sheeran for ages.”
“I know,” I say with a sigh. “But we really need to talk, don’t you think?”
“Yes, but it can wait until after the concert.”
I take a cautious step forward. “No, it can’t. Sure, we could sweep this issue under the rug temporarily, but I’d rather talk now.”
He closes the laptop and sets it on the bedside table next to “his” side of the bed. Then he pats the empty space beside him. I climb onto the bed and sit facing him, waiting for him to tell me what prompted him to propose spontaneously.
“That’s not how I planned on proposing, not in a million years. I totally fucked that up, but I can’t imagine being here without you. You’re a part of my life now and I don’t want to live without you in it.”
My heart hammers inside my chest and my belly clenches. His words are perfect, what every woman would want to hear. “Ben, there’s so much we don’t know about each other. Why is there a rush?”
“Because you’re bloody leaving!” He sits up straighter, reaches out for me and pins me to his chest. “Because we’ve got a lifetime to learn everything so why wait?”
His points are completely valid. Sooner than I’d like, I have to leave London and return to the States. But I can’t help but think some time apart might do us some good.
“I’ve never even met your parents, Ben!”
Beneath me, his entire body tenses and his arms slip away. I sit up and notice that all of the color has drained from Ben’s face and he looks uncomfortable.
“Milly, there’s something I need to tell you about my parents.”
A dozen different scenarios pop into my mind. Oh god, what if they’re both dead? What if he has a strained relationship with them?
“You can tell me anything. I hope you know that.”
“My father is the Earl of Strafford.”
That is totally unexpected! “So, I’m like dating royalty? Are you related to the Royal Family?” A million questions are on the tip of my tongue, but Ben holds up a hand to silence them all.
“I’m not even close to being royalty and no, not related to the Royal Family. The title has been in my family for generations. I’m sure if you really want to know, my father will tell you, but the story is quite boring.”
“Your accent changed!” I practically shout. “You sound more…posh!”
His hand covers his mouth. “Bugger!” He grunts and rolls his eyes. “It doesn’t really matter because I won’t inherit the title. It belongs to my brother.”
My delight in this news subsides because this is actually a huge secret Ben has kept from me for months.
“Is there anything else you’re keeping from me, your highness?” My voice is snotty even though I tried to keep it light.
Ben rolls his eyes. “No, and I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want you to get weird. It’s just a stupid title.”
“A stupid title that comes with privileges?”
The last few months flash in my memory. My wanderlust clouded my vision. I offered to share the costs of these trips, but Ben always insisted on paying for things. Stupidly, I never questioned him about money because he’s a successful businessman.
“Yes, Milly, there are loads of privileges. And money. But I don’t make it a habit of throwing around my family title to get my way.”
“Except with me? You used it to get tickets to Ed Sheeran and to whisk me away to Paris and Scotland.”
“Yes!” He bolts up from the bed and starts pacing the room. “I’ll do anything to keep you here with me, Milly. If that means spoiling you and making all of your dreams come true, then I’ll spend every cent of my family’s money. I’m fucking desperate.”
“You just need to be honest with me.”
