The Marriage Sacrifice
He turned on the cold tap, splashing water on his face. Getting her to fall in love with him, that was going to be the icing on the cake. Nothing bad or horrible about it—because he did actually want that.
“I can fucking do this,” he said to his reflection.
He’d never been the kind of guy to step away from a challenge, and he wasn’t about to start now.
Grabbing a pair of sweats, he pulled them on as he made his way into the kitchen.
Sage was already putting away the groceries. She’d purchased a wok as well as he told her she’d need something to cook with.
“I think I need to just stock your kitchen with all the relevant needs,” she said. “There’s no way I can teach you to cook with just a wok. You’ll get bored.”
“Whatever you think is best.”
“Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?” she asked.
“I’ve always been nice to you.”
“We’ve not really been anything to each other if you think about it. We’ve kind of always been around each other because of our families.”
He sat down on a chair, watching her. She had a chopping board and a knife. He’d picked them up with the wok. “Our families are determined for this to go ahead, and to be honest, I’m not afraid of it.”
“Thanks, you’re not afraid of getting married.”
“All joking aside and the wisecracks, do you really think it’s going to be that hard to be with each other? Look at how we are now. The sex is amazing. We’ve not killed each other.”
“This is on a short scale.”
“I don’t see us having an issue being together. I really don’t.”
“I have an issue with there being someone else,” she said. She put a hand on her hip and the other was on the countertop.
“Someone else?”
“Don’t play dumb. I saw all the headlines. You’re a partier. You had a new woman on your arm every night. You want me to believe that is all in the past?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t want to share.”
“You’re considering this?”
“Look, I don’t really have much of a choice in the matter. My parents have made this all public, and well, they kind of have a hold on me. No, I don’t want to get into it. Don’t ask. If we do this, if we marry, I’m not giving up my charities or the work I do.”
“You mean your writing.”
“Yes. I won’t have anyone else. There will be no other man. I’ll come to you for all those needs. I guess, I ask the same of you.”
He stared at her, a little shocked. “Wait a minute, you’re willing to no longer fight our wedding? You agree to be my wife, without question, so long as I don’t meddle in your life and you won’t have any other man to fuck.”
“You know, I don’t like how blunt you can be.”
“I know that you love it. I felt how much you love it.”
“Moving on, there can’t be any other woman for you either.”
“Done.”
“Like that?”
“Yes.”
“What am I missing here, Dom?” she asked.
He got up off his seat and walked around the counter, pulling her into his arms. She didn’t fight him, again, another little victory. “You’re not missing anything.”
“A year ago, you were on a yacht partying with a bunch of adult film stars, and now you’re saying you’re willing to be monogamous, and a good husband.”
“Wait, monogamous means I get more than one wife, doesn’t it?”
“Dom!”
“I know what it means. It means that I promise to love, honor, and cherish you. How about that?”
“I think love is a little extreme.”
“You don’t believe in love.”
“I do. Of course I do, but … we don’t love each other. You don’t love me.”
She stared into his eyes.
Dom didn’t know what he felt.
That was the only honest truth he could handle right about now. He didn’t know what this was between them.
He knew he was desperate like he always seemed to be when it came to the company. He couldn’t catch a break, yet that was exactly what Sage was offering him right now.
Chapter Six
“Now add one egg at a time.” Sage watched as Dom dumped two eggs into the bowl with the butter and sugar. “No, no, no.” She laughed.
“Crap, I screwed it up.”
“You haven’t screwed it up. You’ve just got to beat it like crazy to make sure it’s all combined.” They were at her apartment, and she partly wished she’d agreed to teach him to cook at his place. Every single day for the past three days he’d spent with her. She knew their wedding had moved up to next Friday. Her mother had surprised her with that little detail last night.
She figured it was why Dom had taken a sudden interest in her.
They hadn’t slept together again since the first night. Not that she didn’t want to. Whenever it got late, Dom always found some excuse to leave, which was fine. She didn’t mind for the most part. There was no point forcing him to stay where he didn’t want to be.