Page 18 of Sweet Nothings

“I wasn’t.”

I nervously swipe my tongue across my lips, unsure how to answer him. Maybe he doesn’t feel the same grief I did.

“Oh, well.” I wring my fingers in my lap.

“It’s no secret my father was an asshole, Laurel. You certainly know that more than others.”

“I do,” I admit, thinking back to the night at the restaurant, Eclipse. James had brought me there, hoping to get me into one of his sons’ beds so he could sneak his way into making a deal with our law firm. Despite the trap he’d put me in, he lost that night. He didn’t make a deal, and I hadn’t fucked either of his sons. That night, at least.

“Well,” I grip onto the edge of my desk and stand. My feet pad across the floor as I round the desk, holding the door open for Lennon. “I have an appointment with a client in less than thirty minutes. So, if you’ll excuse me.”

Lennon stands and crosses my office. He places his hand on mine, keeping eye contact with me as he closes the door. I hold my breath, and my skin grows hot.

“I haven’t gotten to my reason for being here.” The door clicks shut.

I find myself standing in the same position I was in when I first stepped in here. My back is against the door and Lennon is in front of me, impossibly close.

Suddenly, I’m more nervous than I’ve ever been. The oxygen gets caught somewhere between my mouth and my lungs, never making it all the way down.

“Marry me.”

The two words float between us like a hot air balloon. They swell, pressing against our chests.

Now the oxygen is completely stolen from my lungs, choking me.

At first, I don’t think I’ve heard him correctly, but the lack of movement or follow up from Lennon tells me he’s serious.

“Excuse me?” I gasp.

He lifts his arm and rests his hand on the door above my head, his scent surrounding me again.

“My father.” His voice lowers. “My father placed a condition on me inheriting the company.”

“And that condition is to get married?”

“Yes.”

“Fine.” I raise my chin and rest my head against the door to look up at him towering over me. “The woman you were with at the funeral seems like she would be a perfect choice for your wife.”

He shakes his head slowly, the corner of his mouth curling. “It isn’t that simple.”

“Marrying someone isn’t simple.”

“You’re right. But this condition makes it more complicated than usual. You’re the only one I can marry.”

A laugh escapes my mouth. Lennon doesn’t flinch.

“Me?” I ask in disbelief. “Why me?”

“My father never felt he had to give reasons for his decisions, Laurel. It’s part of the reason he got our family to where it isnow.” His eyes search my face. “He gave us thirty days to get married. I’ve already wasted three.”

“He gave us less than a month to get married?”

“Yes,” he says firmly. “And we have to stay married for at least one year or else our marriage doesn’t count, and I lose the company.”

“I’m not marrying you.”

My shock transforms to anger. Lennon’s proposal is reminiscent of my marriage to David. Despite the feelings I have when I’m around Lennon, it still doesn’t change the fact I would only be his wife out of mere convenience. I would only be used as a means to an end. The same as what happened with David.

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