The Arrangement

Chapter 30: Declan POV

Tess wore the black dress she bought yesterday to dinner with my parents. The back hung low, and I had butterflies in my stomach when I stared at her exposed skin.

I paced back and forth in the suite. The dinner was going to be here, as the suite had a large dining room fit for us all. I could tell Tess was just as anxious as I was.

I walked up behind her, and entangled her in my arms. I leaned down and pressed my lips to her ear. "Nervous, Angel?" I asked softly.

"A little bit," she admitted.

"They're going to love you. How could they not?"

I dragged my lips down her ear, then began kissing her on the side of her neck. She closed her eyes and let me continue kissing her neck.

Eventually, she twisted her body around and brought her lips up to mine. The tip of her tongue came inside of my mouth, and I could taste the peaches she ate earlier. I felt her heart beating fast against my chest. My hands slid up her waist, and my fingers slowly made their way to the bare skin on her back.

She ran her fingers through my hair, and along my face. Her mouth pressed harder against mine. As the kiss became more intense, I had thoughts of ripping her clothes off, and forgoing the dinner. I only needed dessert.

With that thought, came a sharp knock at the door. We stepped away from each other.

"Looks like the guests are here," she pointed out.

I looked at the door disapprovingly. "That's too bad," I told her. "It means we'll need to keep our clothes on now."

A smile tugged across her face. "Just until after they've left."

"I like how you think, Angel."

Another round of knocking came hard against the door. I sighed and made my way over to open it. My father was standing there in one of his most expensive Italian leather suits. He smiled warmly at me.

Tess came up behind me. "Hi, Mr. Scott."

"Please, call me Bruce," my father replied.

My mother was in a pretty, strapless, red dress with embroidery on the front. "Hi, sweetie," she said, hugging and kissing me.

"Hey, mom." I looked over her shoulder. "Where are Anna and Jason?"

"Oh, Jason got tied up at work with some marketing project. He will be joining us later. Anna is on her way up right now."

Just as my mother said that, Anna appeared behind them.

"Hola, brother!" She exclaimed. She hugged me, then turned her attention to Tess. "Hola, sister-in-law!" This time, it was Tess that initiated the hug.

"Well, I'm famished. How about we dig in?" My father chimed in.

We took our seats at the long dining room table. My father and I sat on opposite ends at the longer ends of the table.

"Room service should be arriving shortly. I hope you don't mind, but tonight's a steak night," I told them.

"Mmm. The filets here are the best," Anna said.

"They are rather tasty," my mother added.

It only took another five minutes before room service came knocking. Fortunately, they actually knocked this time. I excused myself to go answer the door. The gentleman pulled the food in on a cart, and delicately set down a plate in front of everyone.

I ordered filet mignons for everyone. The sides were charred asparagus drizzled with hollandaise sauce and twice baked potatoes. And, of course, I ordered a bottle of Dom Perignon. After all, tonight was a celebration in a way. It was the first time Tess was meeting my family, and I wanted everything to be perfect. Tonight I didn't seek my father's approval. I sought Tess' approval.

Jason's plate sat untouched, but everyone else began digging in.

Once we were halfway through our meal and done with the small talk, my father said, "So, tell me, Tess. What drew you to my son? I mean, I know he has many great qualities, but surely there was something that made him stand out."

A lump formed in my throat at the question. I didn't exactly tell my father about the arrangement. He just thought she was a woman who really fell for me. He didn't know her mother was sick, or that she really needed money to pay the medical bills. I wondered if he found out, would that change everything? Would he have tried to force me to marry one of the women he chose for me again?

"Your son is incredibly handsome and kind. He treats me well," Tess replied. I shot her a thankful look.

My father gave a disapproving grunt, and laid his fork down. He lifted his head to meet Tess' gaze.

My mother tried to interject. "Bruce-"

He waved his hand dismissively. "You can't lie to me, dear Tess. I know everything. I always find out everything." He nearly growled that last part.

My heart stopped. What was he talking about? Did he know the truth?

"I had my associates look you up the second my son told me he was marrying you."

Anna looked up from her plate. "Dad," she began, pleading.

He continued anyways. "Your mother is sick, is she not?"

Tess swallowed hard but nodded.

"And you, a waitress, have no means to pay those medical bills. So, what do you do? You lead on my son, marry him, and try to steal from him!"

"Okay, dad. That's enough! She's not stealing anything from me. We're married. My money is her money now."

My father just bellowed. "She married you for your money, you fool! Even after everything you've done for her, even though you've treated her so well, all she wants to do is take!"

"Bruce!" My mother tried again.

My father ignored her. "I knew you couldn't handle it. I should've picked for you!"

"Yeah, because that worked out so well last time," Anna interjected.

"Quiet! This is between me and my son." He cleared his throat and turned to me. His piercing blue eyes cut right through me like a laser. "You will divorce this- this- this gold digger at once," he said, gesturing towards Tess, "and marry a suitable woman. This time, one I will hand pick for you."

I was furious. I stood up from my seat. "I don't care what you think, father," I spat. "But you don't know anything about Tess. You couldn't be more wrong about her."

I shifted my gaze towards Tess. "It may have started off as a two-sided arrangement, but I really fell in love with her. She's beautiful, and smart, and kind, and selfless. I couldn't imagine a more perfect wife." Tears welled up in Tess' eyes.

I turned my attention towards my father. "And if you have a problem with that, you'll have to deal with me," I growled.

My father pushed himself up from the table angrily, and stalked down the hallway towards the door. He slammed it behind him.

I looked at my mother who had an astonished expression on her face. "I don't know what has gotten into him lately. I'm sure he didn't mean any of that. I'll go talk to him," she offered.

She hurried out after him.

Anna spoke next. "I'm sorry, Declan. You just know how much he likes to be in control. He'll come around when he sees how much you love Tess." I hoped that was true. Not that I cared, anyways. I was done letting my father control my life.

She hurried out of the dining room of the suite and went to leave. I followed her. When I opened the door, Jason was standing there. The corners of his mouth lifted in a smile.

"Sorry, I'm late. I got tied up with work. What did I miss?"

"Oh, brother. You missed a lot," I replied.