He nodded. ‘And the same could be said for me. Shall we shake on it to seal the deal?’
And while there might have been a thousand and one more traditional and romantic ways to cement a marriage proposal, shaking hands perfectly suited the sensible, commercial nature of this agreement.
Just business, not personal, and for no longer than a year.
Alice could most definitely live with that.
CHAPTER FOUR
‘YOU COULD CONSULT with a lawyer,’ Thanos offered.
Alice lifted her gaze from the divorce contracts, a look of cool determination in her gaze. For the first time in a long time, she felt as if she was in control of her life, she felt as if things were going to be okay, and she desperately needed to believe that. Already, things were so much better. Two days after her agreeing to marry Thanos, a bed had been made available for Jane Smart at an upscale nursing home, only an hour’s drive from Manhattan.
Thanos had flown Alice to inspect the facility in his helicopter, and she’d been completely floored by how perfect everything was. And how considerate he was, in taking her to inspect it himself.
More to the point, it had all been so easy. Money, apparently, opened doors, and Thanos had the kind of money that made anything possible. He’d smoothed the way to this marriage completely, paying Alice’s rent for a year so she wouldn’t feel rushed to move out of her own place, giving her time to think about where to store her things, what she wanted to take with her into her new life.
And now, in his Manhattan penthouse, he was taking the time to meticulously explain the divorce settlement to her.
If only she were able to give it one hundred per cent of her focus!
If only she weren’t completely distracted! By the spectacularly expensive apartment—all designer furniture, black leather, polished wood, with high ceilings and glistening chandeliers, and a wrap-around balcony that showed stunning views of Manhattan and Central Park.
And beyond the apartment, there was Thanos.
Dressed casually.
In jeans and a simple T-shirt, he was undeniably handsome, but it was more than that. It was his thoughtfulness, his astuteness, his attention to detail and the rich, husky tone of his voice. She found her pulse throbbing ferociously in her veins as she toyed with the pen, so perhaps he interpreted her actions as hesitation, rather than a desire not to keep staring at his pectoral muscles.
‘Do you think I need to see a lawyer?’ she threw the question back to him, turning her attention to the papers once more.
‘No,’ he shook his head once. ‘It is as we discussed. But if you doubt my word...’
‘I don’t.’ She couldn’t say why, but she trusted him. She smiled distractedly. ‘It’s just a big thing to do, you know.’
‘Yes.’ He reached over and curved his hand over hers, so heat spun through Alice. ‘But it is just make-believe, and this contract proves that you have a way out.’
She nodded. ‘I know.’
‘At any point, either of us can file these papers and commence divorce proceedings.’ His smile barely changed his expression. ‘Think of it as an insurance policy.’
She nodded, lifting her hand and running it through her dark hair. It was pulled back in a bun, but suddenly her head ached and she needed to release the tension pain. She pulled the pins out on autopilot, as she did every evening, slipping them into the pocket of her battered leather handbag—which was completely incongruous with this designer space—before running her fingers through the long, dark waves. Her eyes remained on the divorce papers.
It was all exactly as he’d said on the day he’d proposed.
She skimmed the clauses, reassuring herself with growing disbelief of the amount he’d offered, and the property value cap—which was frankly exorbitant!—in the instance that none of his apartments suited her, and finally hovered the pen over the signature line at the bottom.
Her eyes lifted to his and, with the sense that she was stepping over the edge of the cliff, she added her signature.
Thanos expelled a long, steady breath, then stood up from his chair, coming to stand behind Alice and leaning forward so he could add his own signature to the papers. Only, the action brought his powerful frame so close to hers, he was almost wrapped around her, and suddenly her blood was pounding even harder and faster, making any kind of thought impossible. She swallowed to bring moisture back to her instantly dry throat.
‘So, that’s it?’ she murmured, her eyes scanning his.
‘Almost.’
‘What else is there?’
He reached into his pocket, pulling out a black velvet box with a world-renowned jeweller’s name emblazoned across the top in gold writing.