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I wasn’t sure whathername was, but that was purely semantics.
“So you’re just going to give up the variety?” He eyeballed me. “That’s unlike you.”
“She’s worth it.” Whoever that fictional lady was.
He squinted, trying to see through my bullshit.
“Tell me about this mysterious lover of yours.”
I had to think on my feet, so my mind naturally went straight to the one (and only) woman who had asked for my hand in marriage.
“She’s in the news industry,” I mused, trying to remember what Mary Poppins was like. “Smart. Quirky. Sex on legs.”If the sex was missionary-style, in the dark. While both participants pondered the weather.“English.”
“English?”Emmett repeated, staring at me with unadulterated surprise. “This is too elaborate to make up. You don’t normally remember people’s hair color, let alone their nationality. You wanna tell me you’re really engaged?”
A-fucking-pparently, thanks to your sorry ass.
I nodded.
“To awoman?”
“Yup.”
I made a note to check her pronouns if I ever met her again. Not that she’d ever find out I’d married us for my own convenience.
“And we’ll all get to see and meet her, this imaginary Englishwoman of yours?” Emmett circled the air with his pen.
“In the flesh.” I stood up and stuffed my phone into my pocket. Better bail before he started asking me tough questions about her. Or questions at all.
“What’s this girl’s name?” Emmett’s eyes still darted daggers at me as I made my way to the door. “I’d like to look her up. You know, do my due diligence, since there’s so much money on the line.”
I stopped dead in my tracks.
Was it Deidre or Darlene? It definitely had aDin it.
“Desiree.”Fuck.It was definitely not that.
“Nice name,” Emmett said skeptically, rolling it off his tongue.“Desiree.”
Okay—second mental note: tell whatsherface to change her name if she wants that visa.
Also—was I really entertaining the idea ofmarryingthis wacko for real now? Apparently I was, because she was the kind of woman todefinitelytell Emmett we weren’t married if he ever found her.
“Desireewhat?” he pressed.
“Are you going to ask for her social security and Wikipedia page next?” In lieu of answers, I decided offense was the best defense. “I’m not going to violate her privacy so you can get your rocks off.”
“Don’t worry, I intend to do a thorough check to ensure Desiree has a nice, proper,reallast name. And very soon.”
Knowing you, you’ll put a PI on my ass the minute I walk out of here.
“She exists,” I ground out, pissed now. “So that won’t be a problem.”
“Well. Let me know when you have a date in mind. For the wedding, I mean. We need to talk through your vacation days.”
“Hmm. Vacation days. Sure, yeah.” I closed the door behind me before making a beeline to the elevator. “See you later.Unfortunately,” I muttered.
The suing-me part wasn’t what I was worried about—he could have the money. It was the fact I’d be outed as a billionaire in front of the whole world that bothered me. My life would never be the same again. Every interaction, every hookup, every transaction would be laced with the unknown of what people’s motivations were with me. No. I’d gone this far without revealing my filthy rich identity. I wasn’t going to lose my tranquil reality because of Emmett’s power trip.
