Between Desire and Denial: A Fake Dating Romance (Hardy Billionaires)

Life always seems to make you lemonade even when you think the only ingredient you have is lemons. Or maybe Dimitri showed me how to take a few more chances and enjoy the dances, because my life had completely changed.

Dimitri proposed the morning of the graduation. I’d come down the hall, grumbling about not being able to find my necklace but then I saw the gold gleaming on the dining table where Knox and Dimitri sat.

I glared at them both and went to grab it before I froze. It was laying on top of the Paradise Grove News, a special edition. On the cover was a picture of Knox, Dimitri, and me that we’d taken earlier that month and the headline article that was featured on the front read “Marry me, Olive Monroe.”

I was crying even before I saw that my mom’s gold fountain pen had a diamond ring threaded around it. Knox cheered for us as Dimitri rounded the table with intentions to kneel, but I lunged for him and jumped into his arms, screaming yes and bawling.

So now I was on my way to graduation with a family, a baby, and a fiancé along for the ride. Even though I’d told Dimitri and Knox a million times that I didn’t need to go to the ceremony since I’d been in an online program, for God’s sakes, they’d absolutely insisted.

It made sense now.

And then, after the ceremony, they both proceeded to whisper “Told you so” in my ear when I cried and hugged them, diploma in hand.

It wasn’t just having that diploma, it was seeing what had come of my last semester. I stood there looking down at the family I knew would be there for me always. I had Knox and Kee and Pink. I had Dimitri’s sisters and brothers. I had Lucille and Jameson and Franny. Other Paradise Groveians and even Bane Black stood in the crowd.

When the speeches were done, we’d invited everyone to our place later that night. I walked hand in hand with Dimitri to our car, and when we were only a few steps from it, Rufford, barely recognizable from the weight he’d lost and the facial hair he’d allowed to grow in, came barreling toward us.

Dimitri stepped in front of me immediately.

“Oh, don’t act like I’m going to hurt her,” Rufford sneered while he stood up tall, toe-to-toe with Dimitri, and patted his wrinkled brown suit. “I’m just coming over to congratulate her.”

“It’s fine,” I murmured to Dimitri, but he didn’t move out of Rufford’s path.

“Congratulations, Olive, on ruining my life. For blocking me and not giving me a chance. All so you could be with him. You think you’ll be happy settling for this—”

I stepped out from behind Dimitri to confront him. “I don’t think I’m happy”—I leaned against Dimitri, who immediately put his arm around me—“I am. I’ve achieved—”

“Nothing. You got a degree, and now you’ll go … what? Make a bunch of babies and settle for some suburban life?”

He said the words like they were an insult. “I’d be lucky to do that, Rufford. And I’ll be lucky to live my life in any way I want, whether it’s doing research or doing hair or taking care of my kids. You know why? Because it’s my life to live. Not yours. I’m not seeking your approval anymore. If you’re looking to give it to someone, you should look elsewhere.”

“You changed.” He wrinkled his nose at me. “You used to have so much potential—”

“Alright. Enough.” Dimitri kissed my cheek and told me, “Please tell me you’re done here? I can’t deal with this man causing you or our baby more stress.”

“Baby?” Rufford gasped and then he glanced at my belly. My black dress was a flowy one. Plus I wasn’t really showing yet.

“Yeah, I’m done with him. Have been since the night I found out he cheated on me. It’s good I found my way to the right man that very night and hooked up with you instead, Dimitri.”

“You better be lying—” Rufford started.

“Or what?” Dimitri laughed and opened the car door for me. I got in and he closed it but I heard his deep voice through the window. “You threatening my future wife, Rufford? Please tell me now so I can make sure that not only do I ruin your career but I break every bone in your body too.”

I rolled down the window just a little. “Dimitri,” I tried to calm him with saying his name softly.

Still, he continued. “She blocked you, didn’t answer your calls, and never contacted you again. Take a fucking hint, or I’ll use my fist to make it clear. Fuck off. Forever.”

Rufford proceeded to listen that time, and I had a feeling I’d never ever hear from him again. It didn’t stop Dimitri from complaining and cursing him the whole way home.

When we pulled up to our driveway, though, I cursed my husband as I got out. “Dimitri Hardy!” I groaned as I opened the door to seeing another package being dropped off in front of our house. “Stop ordering stuff for the baby.”

Kee and Pink got out of their black SUV behind us and snickered while I thanked the delivery guy for dropping two large boxes off that I was sure were more strollers. They were too bulky to be anything else.

“He’s not going to stop.” Kee sighed and rubbed her belly too. I don’t know if it was the hormones or the fact that my best friend and I were venturing on the journey of motherhood at the same time, but we both teared up as we looked at one another.

“Guess we should be happy they care so much right?” I told her.

She sighed and nodded as Dex draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “Why don’t you think he’ll stop sending packages, Kee?”

“Because you just ordered five different high chairs to test out too. So ridiculous.”

“Yeah?” Dimitri now looked curious. “Which one was best?”

“You two are ludicrous, Kee’s right,” I grumbled, walking inside and waving everyone in. “We need to focus on getting this place ready for tonight, not thinking about babies that are coming next year.”

“Give them a break. They’re just being good daddies.” Pink chuckled and plopped down on my couch, throwing her combat boots on the new coffee table I’d bought from a boutique furniture store in New Haven City. “Plus, we don’t really have to do anything for that party right? I feel like Lucille’s got a whole damn crew in your backyard setting up.”

“I have no idea what’s she’s doing.” I groaned. “It’s like she’s the grandmother of the century.”

“Well, can’t complain, considering she’s doing what your mom always wanted, I’m sure. And … well, can’t speak for your dumbass father—’

I groaned and sat down next to her. “Don’t remind me.” It had just been a few months now that I’d made the decision to negotiate my father’s future with the Irish mob. The Diamond Syndicate actually orchestrated delivering him to the Irish Mob. It was a bargaining chip of sorts. They wanted him to suffer, we wanted him to pay for the wrongs he’d committed. They’d agreed to let him live as long as he went to jail. His sentence was for much longer than it should have been, and he’d taken the fall for more than a dozen of their crimes along with a few other Groveians who’d been working with him. Paradise Grove now didn’t owe the Irish anything, especially because Jameson and Lucille had done the dirty work of taking care of Earl.

It was a begrudging agreement, one Dimitri and the Armanellis weren’t sure would hold. For now, though, everything was paradise in Paradise Grove.

Dimitri walked over, loosening his tie, to come and kiss my forehead over the back of the couch. “Yeah, don’t remind me about her father. Damn bastard.”

I sighed and moved my hand so Dimitri could rub my belly now. He’d been obsessed with trying to feel the baby kicking. “At least we’re through the woods, Darling D.”

“You shouldn’t have ever been a part of that, Honeybee,” he grumbled, his tone clipped. Dimitri still hated that I was a part of the Diamond Syndicate and that there was a risk to making decisions for the future of the communities. Yet, he’d accepted that it was part of who I was and wanted to be.

Paradise Grove was my home and where I still felt the roots of my mother most days.

“Don’t start complaining about it again. I can’t take it.” Kee sat on the beige love seat and threw her feet up on the coffee table too. “When do you think we need to start getting ready for this party? I want to relax and eat food instead.”

“Preferably ice cream,” I agreed.

“I have cookie dough in the fridge from the last time you asked and—”

“I want a fruity flavor. Like maybe grapefruit,” Kee hummed and closed her eyes.

I swear the baby kicked like she wanted it too and Dimitri smiled down at his hand over my stomach, “Feels like she must be hungry for that flavor, too.”

Pink peered over and then groaned loudly. “Are we talking for the baby now, Dimitri?”

“Yeah, I’m talking for my kid. She’s hungry.” He stood and swiped the keys off the counter. “I guess I’m going to find grapefruit flavored ice cream for you two.”

“And maybe some turtle sundae,” Pink blurted out.

Dimitri frowned. “Are you pregnant too?”

He opened the door and Bane was standing there. Bane leaned forward and glanced around the room before he made his assessment. “Pink, you better not be fucking pregnant.”

“So what if I am?” She pulled at a thread on her ripped jeans, not looking at him at all.

He growled and his eyes never left her as he walked in and leaned over to whisper something in her ear.

“Yeah, so what if she is. We’re delightful when pregnant, right, Darling D?” I gave him my best doe-eyed look.

He chuckled and grumbled, “Fuck it.” He glanced at Bane, “Go get the ladies some ice cream. I’m taking my wife to bed.”

“Hey!” I slapped his shoulder as he scooped me up. “I’m not married to you yet.”

“Tell Lucille that again, please. She’ll have our wedding planned in the backyard next month.”

I laughed as he took me down the hall. “You’re right, and I won’t complain either, Dimitri Hardy. I can’t wait to marry you. I won’t deny it.”

“Good. Because you’re going to be a fine-ass Olive Hardy soon, Honeybee. Very, very soon.”