“Continue?” I question. “But what does that mean?”
He pulls back to smile at me.
“Why not stay married?” he asks. “For real this time?”
His question stills my heart. Does Brent really want to be with me? I’ve known for some time now that I have feelings deeper than those warranted by a fake marriage, but until today I never truly considered a future with Brent because I didn’t think it was possible. After all, this man hired me with his eye on one goal only. But now, it seems he’s saying something else.
Inside, I’m ecstatic, but I don’t want to move too fast in case I’m misinterpreting this unexpected turn of events. I try to hold my ground and keep my wits about me. Staring into those blue depths, I shake my head no.
“I can’t, Brent,” comes my soft voice. “I can’t marry you for real.”
He looks shaken and pauses.
“No? But why not?” he asks in a husky tone. I hate giving him this answer, but I know I have to hold tight to my ideals.
“I can’t marry you for real because you don’t love me,” I state in a firm, quiet voice. “While I enjoy spending time with you and waking up to you each morning, I always promised myself to marry for love. I know it sounds really corny, but I deserve the fairytale marriage I dreamed of as a little girl, and I’m so sorry, but I can’t settle for less.” I sniffle a bit, waiting for him to say something. When he doesn’t, I rush on.
“You have to understand that love is important to me,” I say in a quiet voice. “After all, I worked as an escort for years, so I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. I’ve been on dates with men who were rich, charming and witty, but it was never real. I want, no I need, something real, and I can’t settle for less. I can’t settle for an illusion of love just because we get along well, Brent. I won’t settle for less. I won’t sell myself for dross when there’s gold to be had in the world.”
The CEO nods, his handsome face serious.
“I understand what you’re saying, sweetheart, and I see now that it’s been my mistake.” My heart shudders at these words, but he won’t let me look away, my chin caught in his hands. “Sansa, honey, obviously I wasn’t clear enough because I love you, pretty girl. I’ve fallen in love with you, and that’s the primary reason I want our marriage to work out. I can’t imagine a life without you, and it has more to do with compatibility, any deal we struck in the past, or the CEO position. It has to do with you. I love you, Sansa Carson, and I want to be with you in every way that a marriage implies.”
My eyes widen upon hearing his words and my mouth falls open, but I can’t speak. I can’t believe the words falling on my ears because I never realized how badly I’ve wanted to hear those words from Brent’s lips, and my heart shudders with a sudden tremor of gratitude and passion. Then, my husband takes my hands into his own and kisses them reverently.
“I started falling in love with you the moment we met at the Hotel Verve,” he confides. “I’ll admit, I pushed that feeling down and tried to ignore it at first because I was single-mindedly focused on landing the job at my family’s company. But over time, it became harder and harder to ignore my true feelings for you, and everything about you just clicked too. My family loves you. You’re smart and ambitious, with your own career and own dreams in life. And you’re a wildcat in bed, honey, which is exactly what I need. I want a woman who’s curious and willing to explore, and who indulges my deepest fantasies, but whom I can wake up with the next morning too. In short, I began to think I’d be an idiot to let you go.”
I pause, sniffling a bit. “Things do seem to work pretty well between us, don’t they?” I finally say in a low voice.
He grins.
“Incredibly well,” he reiterates. “More than well. He holds me close before gently sinking to one knee. “What do you say?” he asks, a gentle smile crossing his lips. “Will you be my real wife, Sansa? You already have the ring, but I’m happy to buy you another one as a token of my love.”
I look at him, shocked momentarily, my body going still. Is this really happening? I look down at Brent’s hopeful expression and suddenly, the dam breaks in my heart. I bend to press my lips to his while the tears begin again. “Yes, yes of course Brent. I love you more than anything, and I’d love to become your wife for real this time.”