Page 12 of Ruthless Financier
My mind raced. I had guessed that, since it was his plan in the first place and he’d never once said “love” to me. I gave a curt nod. “Good. The contract’s pretty clear-cut that way.”
Butterflies burst out in my stomach and I wondered what being with him would be like. I already knew how my toes curls from what a kiss could do to me.
“My father will try to get to you in some way to prove this is a sham.”
“Okay. You’re paying me well. I’m not going to let anything get to me.”
“He finds people’s weaknesses to get what he wants.”
“That’s your business reputation.”
“I learned from him what I need to do to stop him.”
He then took my hand and sparks rushed in my veins as he stared at me like he could see right through me. “But what do you have against love and romance?”
Wow. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but nothing prepared me for his question. I had spent too many hours in shelters to believe in romance. My own dad treated us well. He taught me the value of a dollar and of my family. But I knew that my life was a rarity. Right now, one of my cousins, Mary, was hiding in one of my shelters from her shot at love.
Mr. Ruthless wasn’t going to have that power over me.
My veins pulsed. I’d avoided answering him for too long. I placed my hand on the table as I tried to find my words. “I … why are you?”
He bobbled his head like he’d let go his opinion freely. “I’m not. Not exactly.”
“I read the contract.” I crossed my legs under the table to keep myself in check. “You were clear.”
“Once I ensure my father is done, I can slow down.” He scooted closer, like he thought I was dessert. “I want to one day marry, for real, and have children and settle into a ‘boring’ life. I can’t do it yet, but it’s on the agenda.”
Maybe he wasn’t Mr. Ruthless in real life. It was possible he was on a mission, but where did destruction end and trust begin? He’d not get my heart on the line.
“The cheating clause was clear,” I said, “and there’s a caveat that says you lose money if it’s you.”
He sipped his water and I stared at his Adam’s apple as goosebumps grew all over me. “I won’t cheat on you.”
None of this made sense to me. I blinked. “Why are you so sure?”
He traced his finger through the circle of condensation his bottle had left on the desk and said, “Because I will not create gossip about myself. It’s why the sex addendum was there. I won’t do anything to lose my investors or my reputation.”
Of course. This all had to do with his goals and rebuilding his reputation. Being a married man who let women into his hotel room might cause him business issues. I let that reality-check chill the desire in me as I said, “I’ll run the PR for us so no one even blinks at our marital life—except to say ‘boring’ and ‘happy.’”
He scoffed like I’d said something funny. Then he leaned closer and asked, “And you? Why are you against romance? Five years can be a long time to wait for someone.”
“There is no one.”
“That doesn’t answer the question, though.”
Lust was just that. And physical reactions were just adrenaline rushes that confused our brains. But unlike most people, I understood that a man who protects his family and never hurts them was a rare jewel. And I had no time or inclination to search for one. I ignored how my body was all awake right now, near him, as I just said, “Because … look, my parents were in love.”
His eyes widened. “That’s usually a sign that you’ll want the same thing in your life.”
“Not in this case.” Fair assessment though. He probably thought being raised in love was a great thing. It wasn’t always, though.
My mother had been so silently committed to her shelters, she had worked so hard, but she had no one to talk to. When my father died, she couldn’t figure out how to live without him. Then she lost hope and died, too. I took up the reins too late for her. I’d not lose sight of the real world.
I swallowed and said only, “My father wanted to run his own business, but he needed to take care of us, and my mom, half the time, as she was a mess.”
He scooted closer and my heart raced a little. “So?”
“So I promised him on his deathbed, nothing would get in the way of me owning my own successful company. And I would look after everyone in the family,” I said.
