‘Please… please, kiss me,’ I screamed inside. My hormones had taken full control of my body. Still, I had the presence of mind to only say, “Okay.”
His hands inched up gently, cupping my heated cheeks. I closed my eyes when he brushed his thumb across my cheekbones. My heart skipped a beat when his soft lips pressed against mine. There was no urgency in his actions… no sense of dominance. His tender kiss only filled me with sweetness.
When he slid his tongue along my bottom lip, I opened my mouth instinctively. He tilted his head to the side to deepen the kiss. God, he tasted like chocolate, wine, spices, secrets, and dreams.
His hand moved to support the back of my neck. Tingles ran down my spine and I was certain I would have jumped off a building if he asked me to at that moment.
“Mmmm,” he hummed, brushing my lips lightly a few more times before his nose skimmed along my jaw. He placed a small kiss below my ear before whispering, “thank you.”
I couldn’t come up with a suitable response. The man had put me under a spell that I couldn’t come out of. I pulled away from him and leaned back on my seat, trying to recollect the questions I had and the reason I had come to Quentin in the first place.
When he tried to lean forward again, I quickly placed my hands on his chest to push him away. I needed my head clear to think.
‘Think, Willow!’ I urged myself.
“Apologies,” he said after he eased back into his chair. He gave me some space and looked like he was upset with himself. “I didn’t mean to be so aggressive so fast. You’re just irresistible.” He took a strand of my hair and twirled it around his fingers, making sure not to tug at it.
His words knocked some sense into me.
Irresistible? Me?
I remembered how I wanted to know what he was playing at. I didn’t know Nicholas Rowe and within the hour I had exchanged bodily fluids with him. What was I doing? I needed to go back to the original path I wanted to take… quickly.
“Please be serious. I am not irresistible.” I narrowed my eyes in suspicion, trying to figure out why he had orchestrated this seduction scene. There had to be a meaning between the lines I had yet to grasp. “I have seen pictures of you with celebrities in your arm all the time. So, don’t think of fooling me and tell me the whole truth. What is going on here?” I had to be firm to get him to speak the truth.
“Willow, believing everything on the internet is the first thing you should learn about the world.” His intense gaze was back and I had to look at my lack to keep my wits. “And I disagree with your assessment of yourself.”
“As if.” The wine was making me sassy.
After a few moments of silence, he spoke again, “You feel it too, don’t you?”
I knew what he was talking about but I didn’t want to admit it. “Feel what?” I glanced back up at him, and he smiled. He must have seen through me.
“This pull between us. I felt it the moment I heard your voice on the phone.” The sincerity in his eyes made my heart flutter again. “I can’t think of anything but you since I found out you existed.”
I opened my mouth to speak but my throat was dry and nothing came out. He ran his hand through his hair and exhaled loudly.
“Fuck it.” He was talking to himself again, and I smothered the giggles threatening to escape. His eyes flashed as if he had found a reason for determination. “Willow, are you ready to know why you are here?”
“Yes.”
He almost jumped out of his seat and started to pace beside the table. Ever so often, he looked at me and ran his fingers through his hair. It suddenly dawned on me that it was a nervous tick!
The great Nicholas Rowe was nervous!
Virgil’s words flooded my mind. I really did hold more power than I had believed.
I relaxed immediately and took a leisurely sip of the wine as he wore a path on the stone floor. Now that I was the less nervous person there, I had an easier time holding myself together.
“I will begin by disclosing a few things about myself.” He stopped right in front of me. I had to crane my neck to look at him. “I have based all my decisions on my gut feeling. As you can guess, it worked well for me.” He waved his hand to our surroundings and threw me a smirk.
Mr. Cocky had reared his head again.
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, you are a genius the likes of whom us mortals can never compare.” My snarkiness was definitely a product of all the wine I had consumed.
He laughed loudly and some of the tension in his body melted away.
“Now that you know how amazing I am-” he paused to wink. “I will tell you that I am going with my gut tonight as well. Not a word I saw will sound reasonable or conventional. Because it is not.” The disclaimer startled me.
“These last few years I reflected on the life I lead. I appreciate the success I have but I am not getting any younger. I am sure you know that I am thirty-one.” He cocked his brow and I nodded in confirmation. The internet had all the primary information I needed. “My life feels incomplete. What is the meaning of all this wealth if I don’t have anyone to share it with or pass it down to?”
My breath hitched as he finally took his seat next to me. He took my hand in his and softly stroked the back as he watched me intently.
“I have a proposal for you.”
I held my breath and motioned for him to continue. The anticipation was killing me.
“First, I want to assure you that no matter what your response, I will take care of your tuition. If you decline my proposal, you can forget about it and still get funded for your college education without worry. Don’t forget that because I don’t want you to be forced into anything. You will always have a choice.”
I sighed in relief. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about college. Yet, it made me wonder exactly what he was going to ask. “Tell me quickly, Nicholas. I am on the verge of a mental breakdown. I am thinking of the plot of every mills and boons book ever created!”
He bounced his knee nervously and chuckled.
“I want a family. I want children.” It was the answer to my speculations. “And I want you to help me with that.”
‘What?’ My eyes widened as I processed his words.
He wanted me to give him a child. Multiple childs-children. I was right in thinking about mills and boons novels!
He continued when I shifted in my seat. “I know I sound crazy, believe me. I want to kick myself as I say it out loud. But I know it feels right.” He sucked in another breath. I couldn’t move a muscle, probably because I was in shock. “I will compensate you well for your time. We can negotiate the terms and of course, I will give you everything you desire.”
I blinked in confusion.
“For example, if you agreed, I would give you two million just for it.” He was serious!
I swallowed again, trying to moisten my bone-dry throat. The delivery of his proposal wasn’t proud, at least. He didn’t believe I would say no matter what. That kind of cockiness wasn’t attractive and I was glad he wasn’t like that.
“Each year you stay with me, you would receive an additional million. For every child we have together, another two million would go to you. You could do anything you wish to with the money as long as it does not endanger you, our marriage, or our kids. There will be no other restrictions.”
He paused to look at my expression. I didn’t know what he saw, but he continued, “And the money is separate from what I wish to give you. I would still lavish you daily with everything your heart desires or anything I thought you needed or wanted.”
He was laying out the terms but my mind was still stuck on one word. “M-m-marriage?” I squeaked.
He nods. “Yes, of course. I want to be bound to you legally. I want our children to have a loving family with a father and mother dedicated to them. Think of it like an arranged marriage. They have happened since the dawn. of time and often the bride and groom had never met before their wedding day.”
I sat in stunned silence and I was thankful for the time he gave me to process it. I shook my head in disbelief. “It makes no sense to me. Why does it have to be me? There are a million women in the world who would accept this proposal of yours in a heartbeat.”
He shrugged. “I have been burned in the past. I find it hard to trust people and I build walls to ensure I don’t suffer again.” Sadness marked his face and his age showed a little. He didn’t go into his past and I didn’t push for more. Yet, I had to wonder how he got hurt.
“Then, why are you placing your trust in me?” I asked.