“There will be now.”
Against every instinct, my lips curve. Just slightly. I kill it fast, but not fast enough because he catches it.
His eyes light up and he shoots forward in the chair. “Was that almost a smile?”
“No.”
“It was. I saw it. You almost smiled. Journaling it.”
“Stop. I did not.”
“You did. I’m counting it as a win.”
“There’s nothing to win.”
“There’s always something to win.” He leans back again, satisfied. “I made Adriana DiMicheli almost smile during a negotiation. This is a historic moment.”
“Do you have a journal?”
“No. But if I did, this would be the first entry.”
I shake my head. This is absurd. He’s absurd. “Can we focus, please?”
“I’m extremely focused. You’re the one distracted by my devastating charm.”
“You’re not charming.”
“Agree to disagree.”
Vincenzo clears his throat. I jump and look over at him. I completely forgot he was here.
“Perhaps we should discuss the timeline,” he says. “If I know him, Eamon will want to move quickly with a public announcement, then a ceremony.”
The wordceremonyhits me like cold water. Right. This isn’t just paperwork. There’s going to be a wedding. Vows. Rings. A kiss, probably. I bite down on my lower lip and glance at Lochlan. He’s watching me, his expression sympathetic.
“Hey.” He leans forward, voice dropping. Just for me. “We’ll figure it out.”
But I don’t want his sympathy. I don’t want his kindness. I want this to be simple, like we’re enemies on opposite sides of a contract, playing our roles until the curtain falls.
But he’s not making it simple.
“I want a prenup,” I say, pulling myself back together. “Ironclad. What’s mine stays mine.”
“Of course.”
“And if you cheat, the dissolution terms become significantly more favorable to me.”
His eyebrows rise. “IfIcheat?”
“You’re twenty-eight. I’m not naïve.”
Something flickers across his face. Not offense. Something sharper, darker. He moves even closer and the space between us suddenly feels smaller.
“Let’s get one thing straight, Ms. DiMicheli.” His voice is low and controlled. “I don’t cheat. Never have. If I’m in something, I’m in it a hundred percent. Even if it’s a situation I got forced into.” His eyes hold mine. “Can you say the same?”
My breath catches. Just for a second. “I don’t answer to you.”
“I’m not asking you to answer to me. I’m asking you to extend the same courtesy you’re demanding.”
