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“It’s actually refreshing,” he said. “The women I’ve dated in the past come from money or want it.”
“Money has never brought anything good into my life,” I said.
“Hopefully, I can change that.”
All my life I’d waited for men like Liam, Brian, and David, and come up empty. Now that my hands were tied, I had a choice between David and Liam, but it wasn’t a choice I had a right to make. I still wanted to know more about the man I would call my husband if my father got his way.
“Why would you marry me? You must know who my father really is.”
“I’ll tell you my reasons if you tell me yours. Why would you marry a stranger?”
“For my mother,” I admitted. “She needs help only money can buy. Something I don’t have an abundance of.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“She has COPD and it’s manageable for now. That could change in a heartbeat.” I explained what COPD was and her eventual prognosis.
“Admirable. I’ll admit, my reason is a bit more selfish. My father has made some bad choices during his last days as the head of the company. He’s put us in a bad financial position.”
I eyed him. “What does that mean? You’re not rich anymore.”
He chuckled. “Rich on paper, poorer in cash. It’s all relative, but I have my brothers to consider. I can’t let the company fail if I can do something about it. When your father made the offer and showed me your picture, I thought it couldn’t be that bad. As I get to know you, I’m sure we can make this work.”
Widening my eyes, I said, “Really?” on a laugh.
“I’m willing to try. I like you, Natalie. You’re real and maybe we can have something real.”
I thought about what Liam had told me about his little fuck pad. “And what about all this and the woman you’ve been dating. You’re willing to give all that up for a stranger?”
“Not just any stranger, for you.”
The truth was, I believed him. The question was could I give him my heart, or at least try with one hundred percent of me?
I didn’t know what else to say and took the coward’s way out. I dove into the food in front of me. David wasn’t a dumb guy and sensed my mood. When we did speak, he told me about all the great things Chicago had to offer that he loved.
After dinner was over and our pleasant conversation ended, we stood. Before I could bid him goodnight, he caught my hand.
“I do want to get to know you, Natalie. This may start out as a marriage of convenience, but it could end up being so much more.”
I wanted to believe him. I wanted to want him. So when his eyes dropped to my lips, I let out a gasp. My heart thundered in my chest, not out of anticipation, but how to react.
He leaned down when a loud clatter like metal pots hitting the wood floors ripped the moment away. I had a feeling that was the metal sculpture near Liam’s phone, and I doubted it had fallen on accident. David straightened.
“Sorry about that, sir,” Liam said, appearing around a corner.
Before David could reprimand him, I said, “I should go to bed.”
David nodded. “Tomorrow, if the day is clear, I’ll have Liam give us a tour of the city from a bird’s eye view.”
“Sounds like fun,” I said and hurried away. I passed Liam but avoided his gaze.
In the shower, I took a long time, hating to wash away my time with Liam, which was likely my last. I sank between the sheets with the knowledge that the man who’d stolen my heart was only a few feet away. Adding to that was the man I was likely to marry who was only mere feet from Liam. I was in a no-win situation that kept me tossing and turning until finally I gave up.
That was when I remembered that Liam hadn’t used a condom. I slipped on a robe that hung behind the bathroom door. It appeared new, and why did I care if David had a closet full of robes for the women he brought here, considering my plan?
Like a thief, I slipped out of my room, taking pains not to make a lot of noise. The furniture was back in its place and a large form covered a larger sofa.
I kneeled beside it and tapped on Liam’s shoulder. It took an excruciating amount of time before he rolled on to his back and muttered, “Huh?”
His sleepy eyes blinked open, and my pulse ticked up as it did every time he was near. “Natalie.” My name was but a whisper from his kissable lips, yet it still sent a shiver through me.
“You have to go,” I announced.
“What? Is something wrong?” He levered up on his elbows and scanned the room.
