Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 108173 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108173 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
He glowered at her and she quailed inwardly, striving to maintain an impassive expression. She’d never seen him look so pissed off before.
“Why would you think that?” His voice was dangerously even, despite the fury in his eyes.
“Because I thought it would be temporary. For the board only and all that.”
He gave her a look. One teeming with disgusted disbelief. She knew she wasn’t fooling him, but she would cling to the lie as if it were the very last life preserver from an already sunken ship. It was the only way she could think of to save face.
“No, you married me because you think you’re in love with me.” She hated the snide inflection in his voice. Surely, he understood that saying it like that made her less likely to sleep with him?
“As I said before, if I felt that way at any point—and I’m not saying I did—rest assured I’m re-evaluating my feelings with every passing second, thanks to these thought-provoking exchanges.” She was proud that she managed to keep the wobble out of her voice.
“This was always meant to be a real marriage, Lilah.”
“Oh? Your idea of a real marriage seems to be sorely lacking in the love, honor, and cherish departments, Ben. And I don’t want whatever soulless, icy substitute you imagined we would have. We can stay married for a year and then separate. That should be long enough for Gramps to think we made a proper go of it. And by then you should have settled into your role as CEO.”
Something flashed in his eyes, something unreadable, but oddly vulnerable. Lilah wasn’t sure what to make of it, but before she could properly assess the look, it was gone and his eyes had frosted over again.
“Like you said, we can play happy families for Gramps and the board,” she continued, satisfied that she seemed to have hit some kind of nerve. “We can pretend to be blissful and content. But that’s all it’ll ever be. Pretend.”
“That’s not what I want.”
“I don’t care what you want,” she told him, still clutching her bodice tightly to her chest. She was happy that she sounded braver than she was feeling.
“Of course you don’t,” he sneered. “Because you’re a selfish, pampered little brat. You always have been.”
“So why go to the extreme lengths of marrying me? Why saddle yourself with such a selfish, pampered brat?”
“I married you because I had to…” he paused and then swallowed, looking a little sick before continuing, “This marriage was always going to happen, and I—we—might as well fucking try to make it work. Cyrus wants it. It makes him happy and I promised him that I’d take care of you. Remember? I mean to keep that promise. For the rest of my fucking life if need be.”
“How noble and self-sacrificing of you. But I don’t need you, or anyone, to take care of me.”
“Your grandfather obviously thinks differently, or we wouldn’t be here.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Because you’re a fuck up, Lilah! You always have been. You’ve had so many opportunities just handed to you on a silver platter. And you’ve squandered them all. Then again, why do anything useful with your life when you don’t have to, right? You’re Cyrus Beckett’s only living family but unlike the old man, you have no work ethic.” The unfairness of that accusation ripped her breath away. This man really didn’t know her at all. She’d literally worked herself nearly to death to maintain her highly successful business, and he had the nerve to look down on her for taking one goddamned holiday in the last five years!
“Then again, why should you have any work ethic?” he continued to rant. “When you can sit at home eating chocolates all day if you wanted to and get even richer doing that? You’re spoiled. You’ve always been spoiled because Cyrus loves you, and he would let you get away with murder. Everything you ever wanted, you got. I was the one thing you couldn’t have. But you even got me in the end, didn’t you?”
“I don’t want you.”
“You can keep lying to yourself all you like, Lilah, but we both know the truth, don’t we?”
“I had a crush on you back when I was a dumb kid who didn’t know any better and was swayed by good looks instead of good character.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my character.”
“You’re a jerk.”
“And you’re immature.”
“Get out! I’ve had about all I can stand of you today. Just get out of here and let me have my shower in peace.”
“I’m leaving, but we’re not done with this discussion. Whether you like it or not, this is a real marriage.”
“It’s not. I want a divorce!”
“Well, you can’t have one. Not without breaking Cyrus’s heart. And you’ve damned well disappointed him enough in his lifetime.”