Page 14 of Married to Murder
I shrugged. “I live very well off of my income, but seventeen million dollars is a lot to just dismiss. I don’t have anywhere near that kind of money. I could start my own business with that sort of dough.”
“You don’t want to work for your family’s business anymore?”
“It’s not that exactly. But Trenton’s Treats is a well-oiled machine. I sometimes feel like I’m more in the way than anything else. Plus, I’ve done the same thing for so long, I’m ready for a change.”
“What kind of business would you want to start?”
I squinted, trying to think. “I’m not sure.” I glanced down at him with a smirk. “Maybe a chain of surf shops?”
“Pfft. I’m serious. What are you passionate about?”
“I’d have to give it some more thought.”
He laughed. “You’ve had almost thirty years to think about this.”
“I know. But the last two I’ve known I probably wasn’t going to get married in time. I’d sort of given up hope.”
He sat up and kissed me softly, and I pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. When it ended I felt breathless, and his eyes were warm as he said, “Makes me sad to think you’ve got nothing to be passionate about, or that you’ve given up.”
“Me too.” I chuffed. “That’s a lot of money. I’m pretty pissed off that she won’t change the terms, and my mom and dad are at me every day, freaking out that time is running out.”
He scowled. “Well, what are you supposed to do? Run out and fall in love on cue?”
“Exactly. That’s what I keep saying to them. They don’t listen.”
He sat up further and scooted up to the headboard. I followed suit, nestling beside him with our shoulders touching. He hugged his knees and stared off into space as if deep in thought. “Maybe you should hire a matchmaker.”
I grimaced. “God. I don’t want to get married just to please that old woman. What is wrong with her?”
“Yeah, that would be pretty painful—to be married to someone who’d then expect you to be madly in love with them, when all you needed was a spouse.”
“Torture,” I groaned.
“But you’d probably get a lot of takers if they knew the payout.”
“A lot of gold diggers.”
“She knows you’re gay, right?”
“Yes. She doesn’t care. She knows gay marriage is legal.”
“Jesus.” He rubbed his face roughly, and then he grinned. “Maybe you could arrange a marriage of convenience.” His husky laugh rang out. “Like in the old days.”
The second he said that, a little light bulb went off in my head. I frowned and hesitated, trying to think of any reason why I shouldn’t share my idea. I cleared my throat. “You don’t have a boyfriend, right?”
He huffed. “You think I’d have sex with you if I did?”
My face warmed. “No. Sorry.”
“I’m not that kind of guy.”
“Yeah. I know. I’m sorry.” I gave a jagged laugh. “It’s just I have this insane idea, and I was trying to be sure you don’t have any entanglements.”
“What kind of insane idea?” He sounded uneasy.
“Well…” My heart thumped as I held his wary gaze. He would no doubt think I’d lost my mind, but I had a feeling, if I could just get him to listen to me, he’d see it was in his best interest too. “Now, just listen and don’t overreact.” My voice wobbled.
Tension bunched in his shoulders, and he narrowed his eyes. “Whoa. Wait a minute…”
