She stopped, her hands going to her hips. “Let me get this straight. You want me to marry you to save your company from your evil cousin.”
“And to have children if you decide you want to stay in the marriage. Don’t forget the ‘I’m lonely’ part.” He wasn’t handling this well. He was usually much smoother than this. But she was right about Charles being evil. He would sell them all out for a dollar and not care about the employees who’d worked there for years. “You would get something out of it even if you decide to leave.”
She was right back to looking at him like he’d suggested something distasteful. “Do not offer me money.”
He wasn’t sure what else he was supposed to offer her. Besides sex, but that was something he was smart enough not to bring up yet. “It’s what I have.”
Her gaze softened. “You’re worth more than your bank account. I believe I told you that a long time ago.”
He knew she meant it. It was precisely one of the reasons she was perfect. Despite her love of designer things, she would never use a man for his money. Of course, she might let her husband spoil her rotten. “I don’t always listen. But hey, if you say yes, you can work on my self-esteem.”
Her eyes rolled. “Yes, it’s terrible to be rich and gorgeous.”
At least she found him attractive. He could work with that. If she knew how meticulous he’d been with getting ready, she might understand how important this was to him. On several levels. It was obvious he needed more than his body to convince her. “I’ve given this a lot of thought, and it wouldn’t be bad for your political career to be associated with my family. We’ve got a lot of influence across the state. I would be willing to fund your campaign.”
She snorted, a sound he wished he didn’t find adorable. “Like I need a campaign to win here. No one wants the job. If I have an opponent next year, it will likely be Herve from the mechanic’s shop. He warned me he would run against me if I didn’t talk to Armie about his tickets. I think I can handle him.”
“Sylvie, you can’t stay here forever. You’re meant for bigger things. I was thinking of a run for a state seat first.” He’d sat up the previous night considering her career. She’d been on a track in DC, and she’d given it all up to come home and take care of her town. Someone needed to look out for her interests, too. “You could do a lot of good. Papillon’s never had a real voice there. When you’ve served a couple of terms and made a name for yourself, we can start talking about national office. I want you to interview campaign managers. I have some résumés for you to look through.”
“You’re serious.”
He was incredibly serious, which was precisely why he was frustrated by how poorly he was making his case. He should have asked her to dinner and done all of this over a four-course meal with wine pairings. “I am. There would obviously be a prenup involved, but I would be generous. And we would have to agree to share custody of any children we might have.”
He should probably stop talking about kids. The idea seemed to disturb her. Should he tell her he only wanted one or two? He certainly wasn’t planning on keeping her barefoot and pregnant. And he was happy to take on at least fifty percent of the childcare duties so she could do her work.
She shook her head. “No. No, I can’t do this. This is ridiculous. No one gets married like this.”
They did it all over the world. “We would be helping each other out, but you should understand that I would prefer it if we tried to make it work. This doesn’t have to be temporary. I think we’re quite compatible. We value the same things in life. We both want a family, and we would both take that family very seriously. I’m attracted to you and it’s not simply because you’re beautiful. You’re intelligent and loyal. You’re kind. When I sit down and think about what I want in a life partner, in someone to grow old with, I think about you. I think in a lot of ways I’ve compared every woman I’ve dated to you for years, and they’ve all come up short. I’m actually happy Charles pushed me because why not go after what I want? Why pretend I’m going to be satisfied with anyone but you?” It was the decision he’d made yesterday when he’d come to the realization that he could truly lose the place his father had left for him. “Let me take you to dinner tonight and we can talk about it.”