Page 6 of Claiming His Wife
“And I’m willing to fix that issue immediately if you so wish.” Finn’s words jolted her from her runaway thoughts. “We can go home,” he said in an exuberant tone. “After all, it is your home as well, and I am a gentleman and will not make any unwanted moves until you ask me to. It’ll be an interlude to erase all others.”
Kalilah caught the emotion laced in his voice, and she swallowed before she responded. Her body was heated; not from anger, but from erotic images of how she would feel in his strong arms. She found it very unsettling, so she swallowed, blinking when she suddenly remembered the times they hid away, trying to keep their relationship from being discovered by her parents. They had taken pleasure in discovering the passions found in different types of kisses.
Vexed by the images that were trying to betray her will, she blurted out, “An oversight for which I am now grateful. Now release me from this farce you call a marriage."
"Forget it." The hopeful look was gone. The stony-faced capitalist was back.
"Oh, no you don't! You married me to get this company and now you have it. I'm happy that one of us got what they wanted out of life, Mister Chief Operating Officer, but now it's my turn now," she pronounced firmly. “I have never asked you for anything, and I don’t need anything else from you. Get your lawyer to contact mine and sign the papers.” Under Quebec law, a marriage that was contracted by force is eligible for an annulment. She felt proud of herself. Before coming back to Montréal, she'd stayed up every night for the past month doing her research on divorce proceedings when she realized that her marriage was eligible for an annulment instead.
Her lawyer agreed.
"I didn’t get everything that I wanted,” Finn replied. “Do you know what I really want, still want?” The calm man was now back in control.
But Kalilah was a woman on a mission.
"I don’t care about what you want. Give me the one thing I want, the only thing I’ll ever need from you."
"You're asking for a lot – too much. I can’t do it," he said as if the decision was final. He said the most unreasonable things in that logical tone and she wanted nothing more than to slap the calmness from his handsome face.
"Finn Tremblay!" Her control shot to pieces at his constant rebuffs. Her heart had begun to ram hard against her ribcage and her knees threatened to fail her.
"Yes, Mrs. Tremblay." His mocking smile was now back in place. She would never be able to take his name as long as they lived here. Women in Quebec were not able to take their husband’s last name, and he knew that. She thought of how desperately she had wanted his name when they first spoke of marriage. She couldn’t believe how naïve she’d been to believe they’d live happily ever after. She had her father’s name and she didn’t think it was a better choice either. It was the worst choice. It served to remind her that she was all by herself. Alone. Single, although married – for now.
“My name is Kalilah Anderson." She gritted her teeth. “Enough with your schemes. Just agree to the annulment so that we can both move on with our lives. We both know that the only reason you’re saying no is because I’m the one who wants this annulment.”
“Schemes?”
It was obvious that he liked toying with her, enjoyed her acute discomfort and would continue to say no until kingdom come just because he had the power to do just that.
“I didn’t stutter, did I?”
"I see," he returned.
"Do you really?" She countered in a brisk tone.
"I assure you that I do."
"Will you give me what I want?” The words were out before she realized how loaded it was with double innuendoes. And he caught it, his eyes flickering indication. "We can’t continue as we’ve been doing."
"What exactly do you want?" he asked suggestively totally ignoring her last sentence.
"Keep your frat house humor to yourself. I have already told you want I want," she demanded. She was beginning to get annoyed. It felt like they were going around in circles.
"I won’t," he returned lightly.
A rush of anger evaporated her good sense and she raised her hand to smack him. His eyes widened with astonishment. She brought her hand back down to her sides. She could feel the anger swell her chest, so she closed her eyes and counted to ten while taking deep steady breaths. She couldn’t afford to lose her calm at this point. She couldn’t afford to give him the upper hand. Her future was more important than her moment’s anger.
She opened her eyes and focused her dispassionate glare at him.
They faced each other across the cool expanse and waited for one to yield.
"I see that more than your need to be free, has awoken. I can’t remember you being this fiery," he commented in a voice that didn’t even begin to hide the amusement he felt.
"I have you to thank for that."
"You look even more radiant when you’re angry. I like it."
"You've got me confused with someone who cares about your opinion,” she huffed. “I am completely unaffected by what you say or do."
