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Jesus, I couldn’t afford for my thoughts to go that direction, so I slammed an ice-cold wall against the fantasy and pressed on.
“All right,” I said. “That’s good to know, because if there was ever a breech in that stipulation of the contract, it will be terminated.”
“I get it,” she said. “Anything that mars your public persona or reputation will void the contract. I told you about the one thing I was worried about, unless you think dating alowlybarista will bring you down a few notches, then I think we’re good.”
I smirked, narrowing my gaze at her. “You’re not lowly anything,” I said. “Do you love what you do?”
Aspen considered for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, I do.”
“Then that’s all that matters. As long as you take joy in what you do for a living, it doesn’t matter if you’re a barista or a billionaire. What matters is that you’re happy, so the wholelowlycomment seems more of ayouthing, doesn’t it?”
She pursed her lips at me, and I really liked the way she looked like she wanted to either throttle me or throw her arms around me.
“Fair,” she said, echoing my early sentiment. “There are times I really wish I had more money to give Brecken the life she deserves—hence me sitting in your office, entertaining this ridiculous idea in the first place. But when it comes down to it, we’re fed, we’re safe, and she’s chasing her dream. That’s all that matters to me, and I don’t care how I obtain it.”
“Well, maybe we can help you with the money thing,” I said, and she straightened in her chair.
“Right. About that…you said one million? After hearing all your requirements and how available I’ll need to be, I think it’s worth two.”
I blinked, shock radiating down my spine at the direct shift in conversation. “Are you negotiating with me?” I asked, totally amused by her boldness. “I plucked you out of a crowd of strangers, sweetheart, and you want to ask for more money?”
Aspen shrugged, not at all shying from my response. “You need me,” she said, and my heart jolted.
I really fucking did.
I didn’t have time to track down anyone else, especially when my friends had already seen Aspen and I’d told them she was my girlfriend. I had to see this through, if only to prove to them I was fully capable of being in a relationship, which, for all intents and purposes, thiswouldbe a real relationship.
I wouldn’t be with anybody else, and neither would she. We’d spend a lot of time together, getting to know each other, and at the end of it we’d go our separate ways. If that wasn’t a relationship, I didn’t know what was. The onlynon-relationship part of it was that we wouldn’t be having sex, which, yeah, that sucked, but it was for the best.
“One point five,” I countered her offer, reaching into my drawer and pulling out a checkbook. “One point five million,” I said again. “That’s what you’ll earn at the end of three months as long as all contractual obligations have been held up by both parties,” I continued, scribbling down an amount on the check and tearing it off. “And you can have this now for expenses.” I handed her the check, and she took it, her lips parting slightly as she looked at the amount. “How does that sound to you?” I asked when she remained silent for a heartbeat too long.
Aspen put the check into her oversize bag that she’d hung on the chair. “I think that sounds fair,” she said. “When will I see the contract?”
“I’ll have it to you by the end of the day,” I answered, and we both walked toward the door.
“And what if I don’t like what I see in that contract?” she asked, looking up at me as we lingered in the open doorway.
I grinned down at her. “Like what?”
“What if you slip something in there about me having to clean your mansion or scrub your bathroom floors with a toothbrush? What if it says I’m obligated to give you a kidney or that you’re going to use me as food in some crazy underground rich-guy scheme?—”
A laugh ripped from my lips, and I shook my head. “I saw that movie. It was horrifying.” I shuddered, remembering watching the film alone on one of the rare nights I decided not to go out. “I may have movie-star good looks, but don’t confuse me with that type of man,” I said. “I’ll tell you right now, I havezero interest in hurting you, humiliating you, or putting you to work as a maid. Technically, you’ll be working for me since we’ll be in a mutual business agreement, but you know what I mean. Take your time with the contract, read every line. I’ll even pay for a lawyer who has your best interest at heart if you’d like to have somebody else look at it.”
“I can do that,” she said, and we quickly exchanged information, emails, and phone numbers. It felt almost official between us.
The only thing left was getting her to sign.
“I’ll text you later after I’ve read it,” she said, and then lingered in the doorway, almost like she didn’t know the proper way to say goodbye to me.
I winked at her. “We’ll worry about physical gestures after the ink dries.”
She sighed a relieved breath, and spun out of my office.
I couldn’t take my eyes off the way she held her head up as she walked, as if she owned this building instead of me. Couldn’t take my eyes off the way her luscious hips swayed as she moved. Couldn’t take my eyes off the curves of her body, begging to be touched, caressed, teased.
By this time tomorrow, if Aspen agreed to all the terms and signed the contract, I’d be in a relationship…
I’d be in the first relationship I’ve had in over a decade.
