“Thank you.” She sighed as she looked back out the window. “It must be nice to be rich.”
I shrugged, again recognizing that I wasn’t very good at appreciating what I had. “I suppose it is. To be honest, I’m so involved with work, I don’t spend mine like Christian does.” I sat in one of the chairs of the sitting area in the bedroom. From there, I could watch Kellie as she enjoyed the splendor of Rome.
“Why?” She turned to me, leaning against the window as she sipped her wine.
“Why don’t I spend my money or why do I work so much?”
“Both.” Her gray eyes watched me and I wondered if she thought I was wasting opportunities to experience life by hiding in my office. Or maybe that was my own subconscious.
“I like to work.”
She arched a brow as if she wasn’t sure that was true.
I seesawed my head. “I feel compelled to work.”
She gave a nod as if she agreed with my assessment.
“But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy it. And I don’t do it for all this.” I waved my hand gesturing to the opulent room. Sure, I liked what my wealth could buy, but I wasn’t one for the fancy lifestyle. I wanted to be comfortable, but I didn’t need to be pampered or spoiled.
“Clearly,” she said with a laugh.
I looked down into my wine. “I suppose I do it because my father doesn’t.”
I lifted my gaze wondering what she thought about that. Her brow furrowed as if she was considering my statement.
“My grandmother built this company and intended him to take it over, but he clearly isn’t ever going to do that. As the oldest, it falls to me,” I clarified.
She sipped her wine, still studying me over the rim. “Your brothers are involved. Well, Hunter and Carter are anyway.”
I nodded. “Yes, but that doesn’t change my opinion that as the oldest it’s my responsibility.”
She seemed to think on something as she came to sit in the other chair. “Are you bothered that your grandmother didn’t make you CEO?”
I had to think about that for a moment. I’d expected her to make me CEO as I was the one who tended to oversee everything, but I couldn’t say I was disappointed that she wasn’t planning to make me CEO.
“No. As they say, two heads are better than one, or in this case three. The advantage that my brothers and I have over my grandmother is that we have more hands and minds working to build the company.”
“That means you have to compromise more too.”
“True, but we see eye-to-eye on most things.” I remembered talking to them about this fake marriage. Only Carter seemed to have a negative issue with it. I realized we were talking a lot about me. “Tell me about you, Kellie.”
She laughed. “There’s not much to tell. Like you, I work a lot.”
I frowned as I realized she probably worked a lot because of me. Afterall, she was sort of working now. “Do I infringe on your personal life?”
She shook her head. “No. If I wasn’t working, I’d probably just be at home. I’m not really one to go out to parties or clubs.”
“Do you live alone?”
She arched a brow and I realized I might be getting too personal. But she answered. “I live with my sister. She’s an artist.”
I remembered she’d mentioned her sister several times. “Do I have to worry about a boyfriend kicking my ass for fake marrying you.” Actually, I wanted to say for kissing her, but it seemed safer to not bring that up.
She scoffed. “No.”
I cocked my head. “You’re not concerned that perhaps there’s a woman in my life?”
She laughed then, and I couldn’t help but laugh too.