Cade smiled wryly. “I’m sure they’ll survive.”
“But I made a commitment?—”
“I’ll quadruple your hourly rate.”
My eyes bugged out.
Quadruple?
Oh, right. He was penthouse-rich.
“It—It’s not about the money,” I stammered, even though that was a bold-faced lie. I could desperately use the money. Just thinking about paying off Whiskey’s vet bills had me salivating. “Well, it’s notonlyabout the money. My clients are counting on me, and I still have some dignity left.”
“I don’t. I’m desperate. My grandfather has grown sentimental in his old age, and this is the only guaranteed way to get this promotion without spending months or even years convincing him otherwise,” Cade explained. “I’ll reimburse all your missed sessions and provide anything else you need. Name it.”
His easy dismissal of my commitments was insulting, making my eyes narrow. “You think you can just flash a little money and I’ll jump to do what you say?”
Cade cocked a brow. “How does five hundred grand sound?”
My lungs abruptly lost the ability to breathe.
This had to be a joke. Or a cruel prank or something. No one just offered someone five hundred thousand dollars to go on a vacation with them.
Cade must’ve taken my shocked silence for hesitation, because he sighed. “Fine. Make it a million. But I’m not going higher than that. It’s only a week of?—”
“A million dollars?” I cried, jumping to my feet and knocking my chair over. “Are you insane?”
My shout caused all the cats to scatter into hiding spots, and Grace looked up from her book with a glare. I winced back in apology.
Cade sat patiently, unbothered by my outburst, and my cheeks heated as I righted my chair.
“I don’t need a million dollars,” I muttered, growing flustered and plopping back into my seat. “That’s too much money. And there’s no way any of this is legal or ethical.”
“Who’s it hurting?” he asked. “I’m getting the promotion I want, and you’re getting more than enough money to take care of your cat. I remember bits and pieces of what you said while I was falling asleep, but Hughes told me about his surgeries.”
I frowned. “I didn’t take Hughes for a gossip.”
A smile tugged at the corner of Cade’s mouth. “Money talks.”
I shook my head. Was this really happening? It seemed like some crazy gift from fate.
“And for any clients you have scheduled this week, I’ll pay in advance for their next ten appointments each,” Cade added while I tried to wrap my head around this. “That should help ease your guilt for cancelling on them with short notice.”
I could only stare. “That’s very generous of you.”
He leaned back further, letting the silence stretch as he studied me. “Yet you still seem unsure.”
Iwasunsure. It sounded way too good to be true. Underneath the table, I pinched my wrist to check if I was dreaming.
Ouch.
“I’m notnotinterested,” I admitted, because I’d have to be a moron to turn down that much money. Especially when he was paying me to take a vacation. “But won’t your family know something’s up when you’re suddenly not engaged after the trip? What’ll happen to your promotion then?”
“I’ll keep up the ruse for a while without bringing you around. Say you’re traveling and doing charity work.” He waved a careless hand. “It’ll last just long enough for my grandfather to realize I’m irreplaceable in the new role, and my family won’t be surprised when the wedding’s called off. I’m not the commitment type.”
No kidding.
“Okay, well, I still don’t need a million dollars.” I grimaced. “That’s too much money to even fathom. I wouldn’t know what to do with it.”
