Page 18 of Claiming His Wife
“I married the woman I fell in love with. Your dad gave his blessings for the marriage along, with an offer for a position in his company. Nepotism is hardly uncommon.”
“You started this mess, Finn, by agreeing to marry me in exchange for the company. All I did was get away to protect myself," she informed him coolly.
“Without listening to my version of events,” he added coolly, before raising a hand to summon the waiter, effectively cutting off any reply. He was right; she’d never given him the opportunity to explain his side of things, and she was wondering now if that was a mistake. She’d been so sure that he’d used her to get ahead in the company that she’d ignored his many attempts at making things right. Her mind drifted back to the past, when she confronted Finn after overhearing his conversation with her father.
He walked up to her and took her in his arms.
“Babe, please listen, you misunderstood what your father said. We…”
“Did my father not agree to give you a position within the company if you got married to me?”
She was heated, embarrassed.
“No, Lilah, listen, I...”
She cut him off again.
“You’re still lying to me, Finn. I heard the conversation between the two of you. I can’t believe you used me that way. I loved you, and you used me. You used the love I had for you to further your own interest with my father.” She was sobbing now.
“Babe, please, just listen to me. I love you. There is no one else for me.” Tears were streaming down his face, but his steady speech never deviated. “I would never hurt you, Lilah. Please. Believe me – I would never hurt you. I want to marry you, only you.”
“So why did you make this deal with my father then?” She stepped out of his embrace. She didn’t want to be so close to him. His arms no longer brought the comfort they once did.
“Because I love you.”
She couldn’t believe the shit he was saying. How did using her as a bargaining chip for a company equate to love?
She’d turned her back on him and gone home. That night she told her father that she would not marry Finn, and that their engagement was off. He merely asked her if Finn abused her physically, and she had vehemently protested that question. Even though he had hurt her, she still felt protective of him. She explained to him that she wouldn’t be a pawn in his business plans. Her father laughed at her explanation for breaking up the engagement and told her that she would marry Finn whether she wanted to or not. When she still refused, he threatened to cut her off financially if she didn’t do as he asked. She had felt so alone in that moment. The first thing on her mind was to run away, but she knew they’d find her. So, in the end, she’d decided to go through with the wedding – which took place a week later – and then she’d left Canada an hour later. She’d taken a taxi to Pierre Trudeau Airport, and got the first flight out. Finn had come a week later to bring her home and she had refused to even talk to him.
Did she throw her entire marriage away over a simple misunderstanding? That realization halted her breath. She couldn’t have any regrets now. It was too late to think of what she could have done differently.
Her mind was brought back to the present when she heard a chair being moved. Finn got up, walked over to her, and eased back her chair. He must have paid for their meal while she was thinking of the past. She didn’t want to be rude since he paid for breakfast, so she offered him a soft smile as she thanked him. Finn walked Kalilah toward the awning where Owen was parked out front, waiting for her. He gave Owen a curt nod and turned to her.
“Should I broach the topic of our next date?”
“No circuses. In fact, let's not bring up anything from the past.”
His eyes widened but he nodded at her two conditions.
“I was hoping for lunch?”
“I can do lunch.”
“Tomorrow?”
“I’ll let you know; I’ll have to check to see if I’ll be available," she replied curtly. She needed time to regroup and think about everything that she’d learned today. She also didn’t want him to think that she was always available for his whims. She wanted to take things slow.
“I see… amazing how quickly one’s social calendar can fill after being away from home for so long.” His eyes locked onto hers and she took small consolation in her ability to hold his gaze without losing her confidence. “Do call me when you have your affairs settled. I’ll expect to hear from you by this evening.”
He walked away and headed off in the direction of the golf course. She looked over Finn’s receding back and thought about how sexy he looked walking away, just as much as when he had been walking toward her earlier. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, toned legs. She closed her mind to her current thoughts and turned towards the car. Before she could reach for the handle, Owen outdid her and helped her in.
“May I?” he said, taking a mock bow and doffing an imaginary hat.
***
During the date with Kalilah, Finn came to the same conclusion he had reached in his office. He still loved her and was extremely happy about her growth. She was living her dreams, and it was clear that there was no place for him in her life. He would have to fight for her, and for a place in her life. He remembered the glow in her eyes as she spoke about everything she accomplished while she was away and felt a little envious. Her eyes used to glow that way before, when she spoke of him; now her eyes only bore resentment in his direction.
“Is everything alright?” Gabe asked him. Gabe and Finn met at the golf course, where Finn accused him of not using his height well. His exact wording was “you should be playing basketball and not golf. Trust me; if I had that height of yours, I would be an NBA champion now,” Finn said. Gabe found him funny and they got to talking and became friends.
