She wasn’t sure the fact her small gallery was paying its own mortgage and for a part-time employee would register with the billionaire businessman, though.
“I am aware. You should be proud of building such a sturdy concern.” No surprise at her success or mockery tinged his voice.
She found herself smiling with pleasure at his approval. “Thank you. I don’t want to lose it.”
“I would not ask you to.”
But he had. Well, as good as.
“I have found an artist with a business degree who will run it for you. Her husband was forced into early retirement and she is keen for the opportunity. The fact you have an apartment above the gallery is of particular note, as they are days from eviction.”
He offered this with the attitude of a man who had done his best to stack the deck and was pleased with his own efforts.
She had to admit she was impressed.
Both by his acumen and his unshakable confidence.
The fact he’d found yet another screw to put to her conscience in the form of a couple facing homelessness was barely a blip on her radar. Not in the face of the unavoidable truth that he had planned all of this on the assumption that not only would she come to him, but that she would accept his terms for the business rescue.
“You really are a master manipulator.”
He seemed pleased by the questionable compliment. “I prefer to think of myself as fully prepared for every contingency.”
“What would have happened to that couple if I had refused your terms?” she demanded, amusement warring with sheer awe at his determination to get his way.
“We’ll never have to know now.”
“Tell me you would have helped them somehow.”
“You are the bleeding heart, not me.”
“No. No one would accuse you of having a bleeding heart.” But it would have helped hers if he’d admitted to having one at all.
“So?”
Hadn’t they covered everything? They’d be having sex for the foreseeable future, without birth control, in the hopes of her getting pregnant.
And he would save hundreds of jobs and thereby the people connected to them as well as Rhea’s marriage. “What?”
“Will you join me for dinner this evening?”
She discovered she wanted to say yes, but knew she couldn’t.
“I’ve got a flight home this afternoon.” And now, more than ever, she needed to keep it. “If I’m going to move to New York to become your lover for the next three years, there’s a lot I’ve got to get put in order.”
Not least of which was preparing to train the couple he’d found to take over her gallery and store. Perhaps Chloe should have been more upset at his high-handedness, but her predominant emotion was relief.
Relief that the store would be there for her if she needed it, and she hadn’t had to figure out how to make that happen on her own. She didn’t think she had it in her for a more dramatic reaction. Over the past twenty-four hours, her emotions had been wrung out and pegged up to dry.
“You have two weeks.”
The ease of his capitulation shocked her. Nevertheless, she shook her head, trying for more time. “I’ll need at least a month.”
“The movers will be there to pack your things for delivery to your apartment in upper Manhattan tomorrow.”
No wonder he hadn’t pushed about her flying home. He’d already arranged movers.
He’d had no doubts at all that she would agree to his plan.
“I’m to have my own apartment?” Which, admittedly, was nearer his offices than the home they’d shared during their marriage, but she had not considered that sharing his bed did not equate to sharing his life.
“You’re no longer my wife.”
Right. Of course she wouldn’t live with him.
There could be benefits to this arrangement, though. “I won’t have to attend all the boring business dinners,” she said with some satisfaction.
His lips twitched, but it wasn’t in amusement—more like annoyance. “You never complained about them before.”
“As you said, I was your wife then. I’m not now.”
“Is that why you did not want our marriage to be permanent? Because you didn’t like the social obligations that came with being a billionaire’s wife?”
“I never said I didn’t want our marriage to last.”
“Your actions spoke for you.”
“What actions?” Not only had she never complained about the aspects of her life as his wife she found onerous, she’d never once shirked them either.
“You were on birth control from the beginning.”
“I had my reasons.”
“Yes, you didn’t feel obligated to keep your end of the bargain.”