“How do we get an annulment?”
God dammit! That’s the thing she focuses on. The annulment, not that we can have sex?
I worked to loosen my jaw that tightened in annoyance. “You tell the court I tricked you into marrying me. Coerced or scam marriages can be annulled. Or you can say I’m crazy, which I suppose I am.”
“Good to know.” Her smile was beguiling.
Did that mean she was reconsidering her no-touch rule? Perhaps this honeymoon was going to be closer to real than I’d thought. I considered kissing her to find out, but then decided perhaps it was too early to test it. She needed romance. She needed me to show her that I didn’t see her as means to an end in saving my farm.
Ten years ago, we had a sweet secret summer, but I hadn’t been romantic. Sure, I picked a flower or two for her, but I never took her on a real date.
I frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
“This will be our first date.” Perhaps I shouldn’t have called it a date as that suggested a real relationship, something she was against having.
Her brow furrowed in thought and then she looked up at me. “You’re right. It’s because of that stupid bro’ code.”
I grinned. “I owe you, then. How about we clean up and I’ll take you to a fancy dinner.”
“I don’t need fancy, Wyatt,” she said.
“You deserve fancy.” I took a chance by stroking my finger over her cheek.
“Well, if you insist.”
“I insist.”
I watched as she disappeared into the bathroom to freshen up. I finished my champagne and then went to the balcony to look out over the city. If I played my cards right, this would be the start of a lifetime with Sinclair. I could finally have the family with her that we’d planned. I could be the husband and partner Sinclair needed to fulfill her dreams. I could be a father to Alyssa. Yes, tonight was the beginning of the realization of the plans we’d made ten years ago.
22
Sinclair
Clearly, Wyatt was a weakness for me. I’d been success
ful at avoiding him by working hard, spending time with Alyssa at my parents’ house, and coming back to his place too late to spend time with him. Since he was up before dawn and out of the house, I hadn’t seen him then either. I truly believed that I had built an immunity to him. As it turned out, I was wrong. All my girlie parts were firing with desire for him.
The first sign that perhaps I was still under his spell was when I saw him in his suit this morning. I’d never seen Wyatt in a suit before. He wore it well. Really well. Yummy well.
The next sign was when I was ready to rip off my dress and let him take me on the table in the suite after he informed me that not having sex wouldn’t get me an annulment. I was sure he did it on purpose. After all, we were alone in a suite with champagne. I knew what he wanted. But he was going to respect my wishes, so if I was going to sleep with him, it would be on me to make the move. And make the move I almost did.
But then he talked about our first date. That made me nervous. Yes, I wanted him to fuck my brains out, but I didn’t want a real relationship. When Stark was dealt with, this had to end.
All this ran through my head as I looked at myself in the mirror in the bathroom as I freshened up. More than fixing my face, I was trying to get myself together, but it was hard because he was exactly as I wanted him to be ten years ago, but now it was ten years too late.
I touched up my makeup and straightened my hair. Then with a deep breath I stepped out of the bathroom. Wyatt was standing with his hands in his pockets staring out the window. He looked like he should be in an Armani commercial, the way his coat hugged his broad shoulders. He was tall, sexy, and sweet. He was my husband. Perhaps one-night indulging in that wouldn’t hurt. We could have one night to live as if we’d achieved our dream and he hadn’t left.
He turned and smiled, making my heart do cartwheels in my chest. “Are you ready?”
I nodded.
He came to me, putting his hands on my arms and leaning to kiss my cheek. “You’re beautiful, Mrs. Jones.”
How many times had I written Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Wyatt Jones, or Mrs. Sinclair-Jones in my diary when I was young? And now it was true. Unfortunately, it didn’t have the same fulfillment as I’d dreamed it would.
“Come on. We have a reservation.” He escorted me out of our room and down to the lobby.