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“We have to stage a few public appearances before I officially pop the question, then we can go to city hall and get married.”
I stare at my hand, then my gaze lifts to meet his chocolate eyes. “I need a wedding party. My mother would want one, so she can take pictures to brag to her friends, and it’ll make this whole thing seem more real.”
“Okay, Poppy. But you’re moving in with me tonight. Lake told me about your living situation. Also, she told me about the men at your workplace and how they can’t keep their hands to themselves, so quit your job. You have a choice. You can either be my executive assistant or find another job. I don’t care, but you’re not going back to that sleazy place.” He tilts my chin back and a cloud of emotions swims in his irises.
I bat my eyelashes. “I work for you… Are you sure you want me around that much?”
His gaze roams over my face, down to my breasts, then to my ballgown, and he licks his lips.
“Lunch will be tasty, because I’ll get to feast on your pussy, and I’ll get to put my dick inside you in between meetings.”
I wish we could have sex, but that’s going to complicate things between us, and from how Jasper presents his proposal, it’s a business transaction. We can’t blur the lines. He might be able to fuck me and not catch feelings, but I know I can’t do that.
Arousal pools in my stomach and my heart beats so fast as if I downed five Red Bulls.
“We can’t have sex,” I say in an attempt to diffuse the situation somewhat.
He cocks a brow at that. “Oh, yeah? Why not?”
“Because I’ll get attached to you.”
The waiter pours me another glass and sets a bowl of garlic bread in front of us. I bring the bowl toward me and the steam warms my face. I bite into the bread before setting it down and slapping my hands together, removing the crumbs. Not the most elegant thing to do, but who cares.
More chatter fills the air, people fill up the barstools beside us, a couple makes out right next to me. Their timing is the worst because watching them lock lips urges me to kiss Jasper, and the man knows how to use his mouth.
I shouldn’t be thinking about that, especially after I told him we can’t have sex.
He strokes my cheek with the backs of his knuckles and my stomach flutters.
“I will spend the rest of my life with you. I’ll provide you with everything you need and want. I’ll protect you. Why not get attached to me?”
“Because I’ll end up falling in love with you, and this needs to stay business.”
He rubs the back of his neck. “You’re right.”
He gave in quickly. Too quickly. I’m going to rip the Band-Aid off even though the thought fills me with disappointment. I don’t want him sleeping with different women, but that would make me a hypocrite, and he has needs. It would be selfish of me to ask him to not sleep with other women.
“You can sleep with other women, just don’t bring them to our home.”
The wordhomefeels foreign on my tongue.
There, I said it. It’s all out in the open now.
“No, the only woman I desire to sleep with is the one I’m marrying.” His eyes stay glued to mine. “But if I catch you sleeping with someone else, I’ll break every finger on his hands. No one touches what’s mine.”
“You’re going to be waiting forever,” I shoot back.
I ignore his last statement. Jasper doesn’t strike me as someone with a violent streak.
I need to change the subject. “I need to add something to our agreement.” He nods for me to go on. “We need our own separate bank accounts. I don’t want to share money.”
Link used to lock me out of our joint account if I didn’t behave in the way he wanted me to. In secret, I had to resort to getting my own bank card and started hiding my money from him. For a couple of years, I was trapped in a relationship where he took all my money and used it as a weapon against me. I have to protect myself. I’m not giving up my independence to another man again.
“My job is to make sure you are provided for but if that’s what you want, then okay. I’ll give you an Amex credit card in case you need it. There isn’t a limit on that.”
Shock creeps up my spine. “You’d trust me with that?”
“Why wouldn’t I? You can’t max it out.”
