have time to talk about this. I need to take a shower so I can
make that meeting.”
“Fine, I’ll come back to Nashville with
you. I was supposed to stay on here for a few days, but—”
“Liam, last night was a mistake, a huge
mistake.” She winced when she realized her hasty words had hurt him. “I’m
sorry, I thought I was thinking clearly last night, but obviously I wasn’t. It
was crazy to think this could work. It goes without saying that I’m attracted
to you, but what happened last night never should have happened.”
“You mean you shouldn’t have married me, or
you shouldn’t have slept with me?”
“Neither.” She dropped her head and thrust
her hand through her tangled mass of hair. “I’m sorry if that’s not what you
want to hear, but that’s how I feel.” She thought about last night. She hadn’t
been so far gone that she forgot how she felt or what she thought when she made
the decision to accept his proposal, but without benefit of alcohol to make her
believe the impossible was possible, she knew there was no way this man could
be the one , could he?
He turned to look out the window at the impressive
view of the skyline as he asked, “So, where do you suggest we go from here?”
“I’ll contact my lawyer when I get home.
I’ll have the papers to you by the end of the week. I don’t want anything from
you; please don’t worry about that. We’ll just tell everyone that we had a few
too many drinks. We weren’t thinking clearly…”
“No one who knows me will believe that. I
don’t overindulge in alcohol, ever.” He shoved his hand into the pockets of his
terry robe. “My old man was a drunk. I swore I wouldn’t make the mistake of
letting the booze get the best of me as well. That’s why his business was
failing. It’s what ultimately killed him.” He looked her in the eye. “I won’t
lie about what happened or how I feel about you. If anyone asks, I intend to
tell them the truth. I married you because I wanted to, and I don’t have any
regrets about my decision. None.”
The sincerity behind his words made her
question everything. Was it possible that what she thought she felt for him
last night was real? “I need to get out of here. I think we both need a little
time and space to think this through.”
“I think you’re right. That’s why I have no
intention of signing your divorce papers until you’ve given us a reasonable
amount of time to try and make this work.”
She gaped at him. “You can’t be serious.”
It never occurred to her that he would try
and keep her in this marriage against her will. Could he even do that? She
didn’t know enough about matrimonial law to know whether he had grounds to
contest the divorce or annulment or whatever it would be, but given his wealth
and power, she had no doubt he had a dozen legal sharks on retainer who would
be more than happy to keep this tied up in the courts just long enough to make
her life miserable.
“I wouldn’t joke about something like this.
So, here’s the deal. You give me one year, and if at the end of that time,
you’re not happy with me, I give you ten million and we agree to walk away.”
She closed her eyes, hoping when she opened
them, he would be gone. No such luck. “I told you before, I don’t want your
money, and I’m not going to sacrifice a year of my life over one stupid
mistake.”
He let his hands fall to his sides as he
clenched his fists. “I wish you’d stop referring to last night as a mistake.
You know that’s not how I feel about it.”
She jumped out of bed, taking the six-hundred-thread-count
Egyptian cotton sheet with her. “I don’t care what you think. I’m not going to
stay married to you, no matter what. You can beg, bribe, or sic your team of
vultures on me, but you won’t wear me down. By the end of the week, you’ll have
those divorce papers. Sign them or don’t. It doesn’t matter to me. Either way,
I intend to get on with my life as
make that meeting.”
“Fine, I’ll come back to Nashville with
you. I was supposed to stay on here for a few days, but—”
“Liam, last night was a mistake, a huge
mistake.” She winced when she realized her hasty words had hurt him. “I’m
sorry, I thought I was thinking clearly last night, but obviously I wasn’t. It
was crazy to think this could work. It goes without saying that I’m attracted
to you, but what happened last night never should have happened.”
“You mean you shouldn’t have married me, or
you shouldn’t have slept with me?”
“Neither.” She dropped her head and thrust
her hand through her tangled mass of hair. “I’m sorry if that’s not what you
want to hear, but that’s how I feel.” She thought about last night. She hadn’t
been so far gone that she forgot how she felt or what she thought when she made
the decision to accept his proposal, but without benefit of alcohol to make her
believe the impossible was possible, she knew there was no way this man could
be the one , could he?
He turned to look out the window at the impressive
view of the skyline as he asked, “So, where do you suggest we go from here?”
“I’ll contact my lawyer when I get home.
I’ll have the papers to you by the end of the week. I don’t want anything from
you; please don’t worry about that. We’ll just tell everyone that we had a few
too many drinks. We weren’t thinking clearly…”
“No one who knows me will believe that. I
don’t overindulge in alcohol, ever.” He shoved his hand into the pockets of his
terry robe. “My old man was a drunk. I swore I wouldn’t make the mistake of
letting the booze get the best of me as well. That’s why his business was
failing. It’s what ultimately killed him.” He looked her in the eye. “I won’t
lie about what happened or how I feel about you. If anyone asks, I intend to
tell them the truth. I married you because I wanted to, and I don’t have any
regrets about my decision. None.”
The sincerity behind his words made her
question everything. Was it possible that what she thought she felt for him
last night was real? “I need to get out of here. I think we both need a little
time and space to think this through.”
“I think you’re right. That’s why I have no
intention of signing your divorce papers until you’ve given us a reasonable
amount of time to try and make this work.”
She gaped at him. “You can’t be serious.”
It never occurred to her that he would try
and keep her in this marriage against her will. Could he even do that? She
didn’t know enough about matrimonial law to know whether he had grounds to
contest the divorce or annulment or whatever it would be, but given his wealth
and power, she had no doubt he had a dozen legal sharks on retainer who would
be more than happy to keep this tied up in the courts just long enough to make
her life miserable.
“I wouldn’t joke about something like this.
So, here’s the deal. You give me one year, and if at the end of that time,
you’re not happy with me, I give you ten million and we agree to walk away.”
She closed her eyes, hoping when she opened
them, he would be gone. No such luck. “I told you before, I don’t want your
money, and I’m not going to sacrifice a year of my life over one stupid
mistake.”
He let his hands fall to his sides as he
clenched his fists. “I wish you’d stop referring to last night as a mistake.
You know that’s not how I feel about it.”
She jumped out of bed, taking the six-hundred-thread-count
Egyptian cotton sheet with her. “I don’t care what you think. I’m not going to
stay married to you, no matter what. You can beg, bribe, or sic your team of
vultures on me, but you won’t wear me down. By the end of the week, you’ll have
those divorce papers. Sign them or don’t. It doesn’t matter to me. Either way,
I intend to get on with my life as
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