He takes it from her hand, looking at it. I see Evelyn slip back into the room looking as mad as she was when she left.
“What the fuck is this bullshit?” he growls. My traitorous body responds to his tone. How does that scare everyone else but turn me on? Gerrit gives me a glance, looking like he knows he turned me on.
“You never got back to me about the prenup. Emily called me this morning saying you needed one.” The lawyer looks confused.
“Of course he needs a prenup. I was doing my job.” Emily lifts her chin smugly. “It’s an arranged marriage, for Christ's sake.” Gerrit takes a deep breath. He’s about to explode. I can see it in his eyes.
“Your job has nothing to do with my personal life,” he grits out at her. She must sense his anger too because she drops that chin back down.
“But she can help with the wedding plans and the honeymoon?” I snip, not backing down.
“I pulled her out of the wedding planning when I learned how you felt about it. As for the honeymoon, I told you I was handling that.” He reaches out, brushing one of the curls out of my face before trailing his finger down my jaw. “You look beautiful. I missed you last night.” He pulls me into him. For a moment I forget I’m mad. How does he do that to me?
I push at his chest. “Maybe we are rushing this.”
He doesn’t let me get away from him. His hold on me tightens. “There is no prenup. Emily, you’re fired.” He says it as if that solves everything.
“You can’t fire her.”
“I can.”
“She’s in love with you. I can’t blame her for the things she’s done.” Emily’s face turns red. Gerrit’s eyebrows pull together. He really is clueless about his PA.
“She is fucking with my wife.” He’s right, but I’ll feel guilty. He must read my face. “Fine. I’ll give her a severance package and a good recommendation. That’s the best I’ve got.” He doesn’t look happy about this, but he’s compromising for me. “Unless she doesn’t get the hell out of here already.”
“I’m sorry.” Her apology is spoken so softly I almost don’t hear it. She gives Gerrit one last look. He’s not looking at her. His eyes are on me as she slips from the room.
“Guessing I’m not needed here,” Paul says before he follows Emily out.
“There. Now we can get married.” Gerrit starts to relax. I shake my head no. Why does he have to look so handsome? I do want to marry him, but not like this. “We’re getting married,” he orders me. “You promised me.”
“I want to marry you, Gerrit, I do, but maybe we’re doing this too fast? We should—“ I trail off. My eyes start to sting with tears.
“You’re getting married, Kennedy. You agreed to this. The terms have been made,” my mother adds in. She’s fully back on board with this wedding now that the prenup is gone.
“You can get the fuck out too.” My mom jerks back like she’s been slapped. Gerrit is on a roll. “I’ll drain your bank accounts. The only reason you’re still living the life you are is because of Kennedy. I didn’t save you from almost losing everything. She did.”
This time he rubs his thumb across my bottom lip. “I bought up all your family's loans to get closer to you. Strong armed them into letting me have you.”
“Why? There are a ton of women you wouldn’t have to strong arm people to get.”
“They aren’t you, love.” My heart flutters. It always does when he calls me love. “Don’t tell me you don’t feel this.”
“Why didn’t you just ask me out? This all could have been done so differently.”
A sheepish look crosses his face. “I wasn’t going to chance you saying no.” I see a flash of insecurity. “You’re too good for me and I know it. I did what I had to.”
“Gerrit.” I sigh his name.
“I know I sound fucking crazy, but I can’t help myself when it comes to you.” Every word he says nicks away at my resolve.
I glance over to my sister, who has a giant smile on her face.
“I don’t think you’re crazy. If you are, I love your kind of crazy.”
“Thank fuck,” he says before his mouth is on mine. I get lost in his kiss. When we finally break apart, I notice everyone has left the room. “We’re getting married.” I swallow. It’s so tempting, and I did promise him. “Kennedy.” He growls out my name in warning.
“I don’t like when you call me by my name.”
“I’ll call you anything you want as long as you get your ass down that aisle.”
“I told you that I do want to marry you. It’s just—“ I trail off, feeling shy all of a sudden.