Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 64979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
“Wow, you don’t say?”
“Hawkins Enterprises is my life. It has been since I graduated from college. The company is the only marriage I ever wanted.”
“What about love?”
“You really want to have this conversation here, kitten?”
She peered around the room. “No.”
“That’s what I thought. Now get your ass up and go home to pack. We leave at nine a.m. for our honeymoon.”
“Where are we going again?”
“Tahiti.”
She thought about it for a second. “I don’t think I even own a bathing suit.”
Grabbing my wallet, I pulled out my black American Express card and threw it on her desk.
“My favorite color on you is white.”
“This is very Pretty Woman of you, but guess what? I’m not a prostitute. I don’t need you to pay for my—”
“You’re my wife. From now on, I provide for you.”
“Got to love that caveman mentality, Tristian. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, though, but I make as much money as you. Possibly more.”
“What you make is irrelevant to me. My job is to provide for you and that’s what I’m doing.”
“You do realize that we’re going to be co-CEOs, right?”
“Kitten, let me make myself crystal fucking clear, so we can avoid this conversation in the future.”
She leaned back in her seat, folding her arms over her chest in a defiant manner.
“I am damn proud of what you’ve accomplished. I always knew you had it in you. This life you’ve created for yourself is one that I admire.”
The expression on her face softened.
“I don’t care what you do with your money. Invest it, save it, or donate it to charity. Just don’t think for one second that I’m not going to provide for you and our family. End of story.”
“You’re being unreasonable. This isn’t even a real marriage, Tristian. The sooner you realize that, the better our household will be.”
“I’m trying to—”
“How did you just bamboozle your way into my life again? And somehow, you still think that’s alright?”
“I never lied to you.”
“That’s a lie in itself.”
“A lot has happened since then. I wish you would realize that.”
“You think it’s so easy.”
“Things are only hard because you’re making them that way.”
“Me?” She scowled, holding her hand over her chest. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to pretend that I’m okay with this? And now we have to bring a baby into this mess. It’s weighing on me, okay? I didn’t think it would weigh on me as much as it is. I’m not like you. I can’t just pretend.”
“I’m not pretending.”
“Tristian, you don’t love me. You never did.”
“Keep telling yourself that, kitten.”
“Oh my God! This is how you are! This is how you’ve always been! With your guarded composure and your patronizing responses. I never knew the real you. I don’t even think you know who that is. I’m a trophy to you. It’s all I’ve ever been.”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it.”
“I don’t know anything. I never did. I played your games, and in return, I lost. Except, I never knew the rules to begin with. You think I belong to you, not because you love me, but because you think you own me.”
“You’re my wife now. I do own you.”
“This is just a marriage of convenience!”
I got right in her face. “Not for me.”
“This is just another one of your games, and I’m not playing this time around.”
“You. Belong. To. Me.”
“You have this warped vision in your head of what we are, of what we were. It’s not reality. When will you see that, Tristian?”
“Oh, trust me, kitten, I know where you stand. You make that perfectly fucking clear, but I also know what we had between us. From the moment I first laid eyes on you, I wanted you. And I don’t stop until I get what I want. Do you understand me?”
“We’re married, aren’t we? I held up my end of the bargain, but that doesn’t mean I belong to you. I don’t need your money, your attention, or your one-sided definition of love. I don’t need anything from you.”
I spoke with conviction, “You need my baby.”
“Our baby.”
I grabbed my card off of her desk. “Fine, kitten. Don’t buy anything. I always preferred you naked instead.”
“Glad I could be used by you again.”
“For fuck’s sake,” I breathed out, shaking my head. “You make me sound like a real bastard.”
“If the shoe fits.”
“This what you want to do for the next two weeks? Argue with me? Then by all means,” I baited. “I have no problem fucking the fight right out of you.”
With that, I turned and left, leaving my heart in her hands. Even though…
She was gripping the life out of it.
Chapter 12
—Belle—
I woke up in Tristian’s arms again. This was the second morning in a row that I had. Since we landed on the island yesterday, he was up my ass, on this mission to get me pregnant. He tried to initiate casual conversations with me, but every time he did, it’d led to a fight. He was relentless in his pursuit of trying to win me over.