Page 31 of The Acquisition

A blush spread up from her neck, turning her face a lovely scarlet. "H–How long are we supposed to stay married?" she stuttered.

I considered lying to her, tell her an arbitrary timeline, but it was better to start a marriage out on the right foot. "I believe the standard agreement is until death."

She stomped her foot. "Be serious!"

Staring at her, I let her see the answer in my eyes.

"So, you want to get married, forever, and not tell your daughter?"

"We'll tell her eventually. You're right. She needs to focus on herself and her family right now. When the time is right, we'll tell her we're together and if we have to, we'll have another wedding."

Jana walked away from me and stared out the window as I often did. Slowly, fearing she'd bolt, I crept up behind her. With the tips of my fingers I traced the smooth skin of her arm. Goosebumps erupted everywhere I touched her.

With her head cocked to the side I had access to her swan-like neck. How many times had I imagined kissing her there? Softly, I gave into the urge to taste her. My imagination shouldn't get to have all the fun. As my lips ventured from her shoulder up to the spot under her ear, she shivered.

Reaching around I pulled her against me. My erection was straining against my trousers. The pressure of her perfect ass against my aching cock caused my eyes to roll back. It had been too long since I'd been with a woman, and Jana reduced me to a rutting teenager when I was near her. I'd run from this feeling once in my life, and I learned from my mistakes.

"What happens when you get bored?" she whispered.

"Why would I get bored?" I said against her neck.

In the window I watched her reflection. Her face looked sad. "Trust me. Everyone grows tired of me eventually."

Forcing her to turn around, I cupped her face. "Take a leap of faith. I know you've had bad luck in the past. Dating Malcolm and the way your father treats you, of course you aren't going to trust pretty words. Don't let fear keep you from what we could be."

ELEVEN

JANA

Was that what I was doing? Letting fear rule me? Still, getting married to save my inheritance seemed hasty. I let my eyes travel the length of him. My head fit under his chin without my heels, which was remarkable since I was five-nine. He must have been close to six-foot-four. Enough to make me feel dainty, something I'd never experienced.

Colter had never been shy about flirting with me. Before Evie's wedding he made it clear he wanted to be with me, but I honestly wrote it off to just needing to scratch an itch. He didn't exactly have a reputation for being celibate, but I had to admit, it had been a while since I'd heard rumors about him being out with a woman.

All my life I'd done what was expected of me. Perhaps because I'd dated Malcolm, I'd made sure all my relationships were rational and appropriate for my family's social standing. I never drank to excess. In college I rarely attended parties. So concerned with not being associated with the party girl heiresses, I became quite boring.

I wasn't kidding when I told him he'd get bored of me eventually. In truth, I kind of bored myself. My nights were more often spent with takeout and Netflix alone in my apartment.

Colt still enjoyed the nightlife. He was known to date beautiful women who spent their summers on yachts in the Mediterranean or jet setting to Milan to attend fashion shows.

Evie told me once she worried we were worlds apart. My money didn't give me opportunities that mattered. It pushed people away and left me to linger in a pretty cage. Worse, I shut the door on myself. Did I really want to fight to get that money back?

No, not really. As terrified as I was having been stripped of everything, it was also freeing to escape the shackles of my family. Still, letting my father win made me want to vomit. I wanted to best him more than anything. Was I willing to get married to win?

"I can strip if you need convincing?" he teased.

Good lord, this man had an inflated ego. Even so, I tingled with the possibility of seeing the body I'd only ever gotten hints of under his tailored suits. Being married to him would have perks, for sure.

"If I agree to this, how are we going to explain to Sabrina I'm not going to live with her?"

"I can pay her rent. She doesn't need to be so stubborn," he griped.

"She doesn't want you to do that."

He exhaled. "No, I know she doesn't. Don't worry about it. Blame it on Malcolm."

I shook my head vehemently. "I don't want to come between them."

"I wish you would. That guy is a smarmy fucker, and I don't want him around either of my sisters. Don't worry about it though, Waverly is due back in town soon, and I doubt she'll have a problem living with Sabrina. She keeps saying she wants her last year of college to be as normal as possible. A luxury apartment wouldn't be it."

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