He rinsed his back. I watched the suds swirl once before disappearing in the drain. “Maybe when I retire.”
“What’s the point of the money if you don’t enjoy it?”
“The point is to have it.” There was a deep crease between his eyes.
“And then what?” I challenged. “You can’t take it with you when you go.”
“You don’t think I know that?” He turned off his side of the water, plucked a towel from the hook, and walked out of the shower.
Shit. His father had only died two weeks ago.
“I’m sorry, Jer. I shouldn’t have said that.”
He toweled off his hair before wrapping it around his waist. “We need to go. I’ll be waiting for you.”
He closed the bathroom door.
I finished the rest of my shower in silence, realizing we had just had our first marital spat. As I dried off, I knew I didn’t like the feeling of fighting with my husband, whether the marriage was real or not.
I jumped when I heard Jeremy’s phone. He had left it on the counter next to the sink.
A gorgeous blonde flashed on the screen.
Sasha.
My stomach rolled. There was someone else. Someone beautiful with flawless pale skin and lush red lips.
I couldn’t go through with this. What in the hell was I thinking?
15
Jeremy
I wasn’t used to being questioned. It was one of the benefits of not getting attached to people. To keeping my distance. To not dating a woman who wanted more than casual fucking. I felt my temple throb. Damn it.
I got dressed and placed my suitcase next to the door for the valet. Our car should arrive soon to take us to the airport.
The bathroom door opened and Evie walked out, clutching my phone.
“You left this on the counter.” Her eyes met mine. Was she angry? “Sasha called three times.” She dropped it into my palm. “Someone back home?”
I scowled. “She’s in New York.”
Evie pressed her lips together as if she was considering how to lay into me. “You know, I had a few minutes to think about our situation, and I don’t think this is going to work.”
“What are you talking about? Of course it will. It already has.”
“We’re not drunk anymore. The sun is up. You can fly back to your life in New York. I’ll just rent a car and drive back to Newton Hills. I’m sure we can get the marriage annulled. It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours. There is no way this counts as marriage.”
I stared at her. “No fucking way.”
Was she trying to run? Trying to wiggle out of the bargain we had made? It wasn’t going to happen. Evie was mine now. Forever.
“It’s ok to admit we made a mistake. I’ll see you at one of our reunions and we can laugh about this. I haven’t told anyone. No one would ever know. They don’t need to. A secret between old friends.”
“You think I want out?”
“Don’t you? You said yourself you aren’t husband material. I get it. Sasha is waiting for you. Real life is more important than what we concocted together in the wine cellar. We were beyond drunk.”