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“I’m willing to accept your investment now,” she says, raising her chin. Her eyes remain hard. “But you won’t be a full partner.”
“I see.” I lace my fingers together. “What makes you think I still want to invest? Clearly this business has issues if your best friend can’t even stick around.”
“You freaking asshole,” she says through her teeth, leaning toward me. “Don’t make this harder than it already is. I’m not going to grovel.”
I hold up a hand, trying not to smile. “Let’s not get too emotional, Miss Something. This is a business discussion, after all.”
“You’re unreal,” she says, rubbing her face. “You practically strong-armed me into this, now you’re giving me a hard time. Why can’t you just be easy for once?”
“Easy isn’t fun. But fine, you want easy? I’ll give it to you straight. You know what you have to do if you want me to give you my money.”
Her jaw ticks. “Marriage isn’t on the table.”
“Everything’s on the table.”
“Why do you want this so badly? Because you think marrying me will give your pathetic, empty life purpose?”
I frown slightly. “I wouldn’t have put it like that, but yes, more or less.”
“It won’t.” She says it like she knows better. “Nothing will fix the way you feel except for you. Don’t you get it?”
“I can tell you’re going through something. Maybe we should have this discussion at a later date.”
“There is no later date for me, Nolan,” she says, rage filling her voice now. “You want to force your way into my life? Fine, invest in my business. Don’t get greedy.”
“Not good enough.”
“You’re absolutely insane,” she says, shoving her chair back.
“I’m not.” I keep my tone as neutral as I can. “Only crazy for you.”
That makes her pause. Her face tightens with fury for a brief moment, but it softens as she shakes her head. “That was such a bad line.”
“You liked it though.”
“I guess I did. Maybe I’m as big a freak as you are.” She sinks back into her chair. “You asked me the other day if I think about our night together. And I told you that I do. But I also know we can’t bottle what we had that night, even if we get married and really try for it. What happened that night could’ve only happened that night.”
“I don’t believe that,” I say simply, shrugging. “And I think you’re proving me right.”
“How?” she asks, frustrated.
“Every time you come here, we ending up flirting. No, don’t look at me like that, you know it’s true, and it’s fun. It feels good. That’s what we have. It’s a connection, whether you like it or not.”
“A connection with a psychopath. Lucky me.”
“If I were a psychopath, this would be a lot easier. I’d simply kidnap you and force you to be my wife at gunpoint.”
“Thanks for being such a gentleman.”
“You’re welcome.” I incline my head, grinning.
She groans. “You’re not going to change your mind, are you?”
“I want you to be my wife, Keely. If you want my money, then you need to wear my ring.”
She squirms slightly, looking annoyed. I can practically hear the wheels in her head spinning. Wondering if she could go talk to Ash instead, take the easy money, go the less painful route.
But that’s not Keely. And that’s the reason I want her. A lesser woman would accept Ash’s investment, coast along, do the bare minimum to keep her business running.
