Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 30858 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30858 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Spoken like someone who totally doesn’t have a family. “What part of ‘no’ aren’t you understanding?”
“The part where I’m asking you very nicely.”
“Well, well, well!” A man in an Easter-blue suit walked into the office. “I was just looking for you, Mr. Saint!”
“Who the hell are you?”
“A man who was told you have impeccable manners, so I’ll let this slight bit of rudeness slide.” He smiled. “I’m Jeremiah Reaves from the firm handling your inheritance payout.”
“My apologies.” Nicholas extended his hand. “We were just having a private conversation.”
“Understandable.” He smiled. “I’ve heard I have a tendency to pop up when I’m least expected, so no harm, no foul. Who is this beautiful woman exactly?”
“My soon-to-be wife,” Nicholas said before I could speak. “Jenna—Almost-Saint.”
“Ahhh. Mr. Marshall mentioned you were more gorgeous in person, and that is true. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Almost-Saint.” He extended his hand, and I hoped he couldn’t feel how hot it was from my boiling blood.
Marshall just assumed I would be okay with this?
“Well, there’s been a scheduling issue,” he said. “So I’m here early to do my due diligence on your marriage.”
“No, no, no.” Nicholas shook his head. “I was told the agent would be someone else—someone blind with a cane.”
“You mean Mr. Harrison.”
“Yes, him. I’d rather work with him.”
“Well, he’s no longer available. He’s going sightseeing in Paris.”
“Without eyes?”
“However you want to put it, you’re stuck with me now.” He patted Nicholas’s shoulder.
“Your contract says I’m entitled to take at least four trips with you. I figure one big holiday trip can compensate for all four.”
Nicholas and I exchanged glances.
“You are going somewhere for the holidays, correct?” Mr. Reaves asked.
“Given the fact that Mr. Marshall told me you’re getting married before the end of the year, I’m assuming family will be involved?”
“No, we’re just staying here in New York.”
“Yeah, we’ll just be here.”
We blurted out at the same time.
“That doesn’t make much sense.” He pulled out a folder. “Miss Jenna has a huge family in Washington State. I took a peek at one of her aunt’s Facebook pages.”
“Why are you stalking my relatives on social media?” I asked.
“To make sure this is real, obviously.” He smirked, pulling out a sheet.
I swallowed, feeling like the world was about to open up and devour me whole.
“Right here—your Aunt May,” he read.
“There’s not a peep of excitement in her feed about an engagement, and I went back years.
There is, however, a ‘Please pray that Jenna’s boss gets hit by a bus this year’ post.”
“She’s joking.” I feigned a smile. “It’s just a joke.”
“She seems to have made that same exact joke three years in a row.”
“We’re keeping the engagement a surprise,” Nicholas said.
“We’re going to see her family in Washington for Christmas. We’re staying a few days.”
“Okay. And what about your family, Mr. Saint?”
“That’s not possible.”
“Your mother isn’t available?”
“I said it’s not possible.” His voice went cold. “Drop it.”
“Fair.” He clicked his pen.
“No ring?” He glanced at my hand. “Surely you’ve bought her something by now?”
“She doesn’t wear it at work.”
“Can I see it?”
Silence.
“Is that a yes or a no?”
“You can see it eventually,” Nicholas said.
“Right now would be good.”
“Can you get it from my desk?” he asked me. “Bottom right drawer.”
I walked to his office and opened the drawer, finding a black velvet box.
The glittering pink diamonds were cold against my skin as I slid it onto my finger—perfect fit.
Returning to the scene of the lies, I held out my hand.
“Holy wow,” Mr. Reaves said. “How many carats is that thing?”
“Seven,” Nicholas said.
“Any significance to that number or the type of stone you picked?”
“Her birthday’s November seventh, and she has a tendency to always pick ‘seven’ whenever I ask for a random number.”
He looked at me. “She’s also always liked pink diamonds.”
Him knowing that has to be a strange coincidence…
“I’ll be calling a little later about your joint travel itinerary,” Mr. Reaves said.
“And I expect tickets and accommodations of my own for this trip.”
“And if I say no to this?” Nicholas asked.
“If I’d rather just work with another person in your firm?”
“You can totally wait until my blind colleague returns,” he smiled.
“But then I’ll write that you are rejecting your inheritance at this time and electing to wait until you turn fifty.”
“Looking forward to your call,” Nicholas said.
“I thought so.” Mr. Reaves winked before leaving.
The door clicked shut, leaving the office too quiet.
When I was certain he was long gone, I narrowed my eyes at Nicholas.
“I only need your help for the holidays,” he said. “After that, it’ll just be a couple weeks of light appearances and maybe—”
“I want five million dollars,” I interrupted. “Plus an additional bonus, a new car, and a few other obvious conditions.”
“I need to hear these obvious conditions…”
“We will not touch each other outside of photos,” I said. “We will not share a bed, we will not have sex, and this marriage gets annulled the moment the ink dries on your inheritance.”