“You’re so romantic,” she mocked in a sarcastic tone.
“I had no intention of getting married or starting a family before you.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “You were just going to stay single forever?”
“I kept my bed warm at night, and that was good enough for me.”
“Wow, you don’t say?”
“Hawkins Enterprises is my life. It has been since I graduated from college. The company is the only marriage I ever wanted.”
“What about love?”
“You really want to have this conversation here, kitten?”
She peered around the room. “No.”
“That’s what I thought. Now get your ass up and go home to pack. We leave at nine a.m. for our honeymoon.”
“Where are we going again?”
“Tahiti.”
She thought about it for a second. “I don’t think I even own a bathing suit.”
Grabbing my wallet, I pulled out my black American Express card and threw it on her desk.
“My favorite color on you is white.”
“This is very Pretty Woman of you, but guess what? I’m not a prostitute. I don’t need you to pay for my—”
“You’re my wife. From now on, I provide for you.”
“Got to love that caveman mentality, Tristian. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, though, but I make as much money as you. Possibly more.”
“What you make is irrelevant to me. My job is to provide for you and that’s what I’m doing.”
“You do realize that we’re going to be co-CEOs, right?”
“Kitten, let me make myself crystal fucking clear, so we can avoid this conversation in the future.”
She leaned back in her seat, folding her arms over her chest in a defiant manner.
“I am damn proud of what you’ve accomplished. I always knew you had it in you. This life you’ve created for yourself is one that I admire.”
The expression on her face softened.
“I don’t care what you do with your money. Invest it, save it, or donate it to charity. Just don’t think for one second that I’m not going to provide for you and our family. End of story.”
“You’re being unreasonable. This isn’t even a real marriage, Tristian. The sooner you realize that, the better our household will be.”
“I’m trying to—”
“How did you just bamboozle your way into my life again? And somehow, you still think that’s alright?”
“I never lied to you.”
“That’s a lie in itself.”