Page 76 of Bitter Heat

He said nothing. He just stood there, staring at her.

“What?” she demanded.

He pushed the papers toward her. She gave him a suspicious glare before curiosity got the better of her. She leaned forward, read the title, and almost fell off the chair.“No.”

He didn’t react to her horrified whisper.

“A prenup?” she choked.

She shot to her feet and swiped the stack of papers off the desk. They fell to the carpet with a dull thud.

“How dare you!”

“This is what we need to talk about,” he said placidly.

“There’s nothing to talk about! Marriage doesn’t come into it. This is about sex and protecting my family from your revenge scheme.”

He crossed his arms and perched on the edge of the desk. “And how do you think we can carry on this affair without people noticing?”

“If you hadn’t fucked me in Black Jade and paraded me through the lobby, no one would know we’re involved!”

“You had paparazzi following you today. That’s how I found you. And where the fuck is your security? I don’t know what Lyle’s thinking, letting you roam on your own.”

“Lyle’s not in charge of my security, I am.”

“That explains a lot. Security isn’t optional. You may be in denial about your status and the public’s interest in you, but I’m not. As the daughter who gave up her rights to the Hennessy fortune and who shies away from the spotlight, you are more interesting and noteworthy than your sisters. At some point, someone is bound to see us together.”

“Why? I spend most of my time at Tuxedo Park, and I’ll come into the city every other week or something…”

Her voice trailed off because, for once, she could read his expression clearly. He was staring at her as if she’d lost her mind.

“Every two weeks?” he echoed. “Within twenty-four hours of seeing you, I fucked you five times and jacked off on you twice.”

Her body tingled at the memory. She paced restlessly with her arms wrapped around herself. “So?”

“So I’m not regulating myself to fucking you every other week.”

“When we were married, we didn’t see each other for months at a time.”

“We lived in different countries, and I was working around the clock.”

“Don’t you still work around the clock?”

“I can afford to take time now to do what I want.”

Her chest tightened. “I can’t marry you.”

“We’re not going to skulk around like we did before. Sooner or later, people will see us together, including your family. I assume you haven’t told your sisters about our deal?” When she shook her head, he said, “If they decide to get protective, it will cause unnecessary drama and media attention. I want us to present a united front. If we marry, they’ll accept it, and society will follow their lead.” He rose and slipped his hands into his pockets. “It also gives me legal rights over you in case you decide to renege on our deal.”

“I wouldn’t renege!”

“You’ve disappeared on me one too many times. If I stick my neck out for your sisters, I’m not accepting half measures from you. I want it all.”

He picked up the prenup, set it back on the desk, and pushed it toward her.

“Look at it. One year. I give you a generous severance once we separate. I promise not to go after Hennessy & Co and will even assist Colette out of this rut she’s in. For now, I retain control of Hennessy & Co until we restore people’s trust in her being at the helm. I’ll direct her toward some solid investments, and once she’s on her feet, I’ll let her buy me out.”

His proposal was very generous but, “A year?” She couldn’t wrap her mind around that length of time. “I thought three months at the most… and only on weekends,” she said weakly.

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