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While she didn’t need to know any of that, she did need to know that she had torn his fucking beating heart from his chest when she’d left him.
“It’s been six months,” she said softly, as if that explained away everything. Or perhaps she was asking him why it’d taken him six months to find her?
“Yes, it’s been a long time. Like I said, you were hard to find. You don’t have social media.” And he had issues to deal with. Like when he’d woken up to find his wife gone and the ship docked, and he’d gotten a call from his lawyer saying his father was dying. That’s right. His lawyer had called him. Vultures tended to circle whenever a powerful man with a lot of assets was fading. But all Grant felt was that it was his father in pain. And he’d wanted to be there. He’d had no choice but to get straight to New York. Then the last few months had been bogged down with going over his will and funeral arrangements and running the business, and yet, Grant still thought of Hannah every day. Life with her had been warm and sunny and easy. Sure, it had been short-lived, on a cruise ship in the middle of the Caribbean, but he missed it. She was the sun that relaxed him and the smile that fostered exceptional moments and steamy late nights. New York was cold and calculating, and he was always dealing with issues surrounding money. Always. But those were more details she didn’t need to know about. He was here now. To get her to come back with him to New York as his wife. He just needed to convince her.
“Grant, I know things heated up between us quickly, but it was a two-week cruise, and it ended.”
“Ended with us getting married. Who knew captains could wed people?”
“We both knew that,” she said, deadpan.
“Exactly. Which is why I’m confused about why you’re fighting this. You said yes. And baby, I’m here to cash in on those vows.”
“Cash in?” She frowned, then looked around. “You can’t have anything of mine. I was going to get the marriage annulled—I’ve just been busy.”
Now it was his turn to frown. Grant was a fairly savvy businessman and knew when someone had a hand to lose. Hannah thought he’d meant he wanted money from her? Then she had looked around the bar.
Bingo!
“Is this your place?” he asked.
“No, not yet. No,” she said quickly. Ah, there it was. His wife was a little entrepreneur. Looking to buy this bar. Okay, he could support that. Lot of money in the local joints. But he still needed her. So much. With his father gone, his mother still after the family fortune, and all of Grant’s friends or former lovers after him for his status and money, he thought of Hannah, the only woman he’d ever opened up to. The only woman who’d loved him for him. She was brighter than the Mexican sun, and he needed her. His wife. In his world.
“I’m here for you. Nothing else,” he said.
Her big, bright eyes met his. Creamy skin and dark hair that was so silky he could feel it just from memory. It was longer now. And that itch in his hand doubled. He needed to touch her soon, or he just might have to cut his damn hands off.
“What does that even mean?” she asked.
“It means I want you. Just like I did the moment I met you. Same as the moment you married me. I want you.”
Her lips parted, and it made him think he had a chance.
“No.”
Damn.
“Grant, we were crazy. We were caught up. We have two different lives. I’m sorry you came all this way, but I’ll get annulment papers.”
“Too late,” he said. “We’ve been married over six months. It’d be a divorce.”
She glanced away briefly, like his admission had caught her off guard. Which gave him another flare of hope. He had to test her, though, to make sure.
“So you must not have looked into divorcing or annulling the marriage?” he asked.
She glared. “I’ve been busy.”
“Uh-huh. A two-second Google search is a big time commitment. Sounds like maybe you have no intention of leaving me. You wanted me to come for you and stay married.” That sponge of pride started growing again.
“Whatever,” she mumbled. “I’ll get the papers drawn up soon.”
He nodded and looked around. His mind was working double time to find a solution, because he couldn’t lose her again. He needed a chance to make this work with her. He’d already lost his father. The one other person he cared about. Hannah was all he had left. The warmth in his cold, sterile world.
“So you won’t even consider staying married?” he asked.
“There’s no point, Grant.”
“You don’t want me?”
