so soon? You didn’t think to ask him to wait a while just to see what he’d say?”
Ugh, now I was going to have to tell even more freaking lies than I already had. “He didn’t push me into marrying him in Vegas, Melinda. He said he’d like me to, but that he’d give me a fairytale wedding back at home if that was really what I wanted.”
“Then why didn’t you wait?”
“Because it wasn’t really the dress and reception and flowers that I wanted. I just wanted him. I’ve always wanted him. Travis isn’t the nice man he pretended to be. He neglected to tell you a few things. Like that he’s well aware I know about all this. Like that he’s been trying to cause trouble between me and Dane for a while. Like that Dane’s trust fund would be divided between his brothers if he didn’t meet the conditions to access it. Travis just wants his share. He isn’t concerned about me. He wants me out of the way, even if it means ruining my and Dane’s marriage.”
Melinda’s expression softened slightly. “Poor Dane. To have his own brother working against him like that …” She exhaled heavily. “I can’t say I’m totally convinced that Dane’s rush to marry you wasn’t prompted by the conditions of the trust fund. It just seems too … iffy for me. And I’m shocked that you’re so wrapped up in him you don’t even care if he proposed so soon for the right reason.”
“And if it had been you and Wyatt? Would you have asked him to wait just to prove to you that what he felt was real?”
She hesitated. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“I like that I can help him access the trust fund. Dane’s a man who has pretty much everything. But this is something that I can do for him that he wouldn’t have been able to do himself. And if we later divorce at some point, I won’t regret that I helped him.”
“Vienna …”
“You said you believe he cares for me.”
“I do.”
“Then can’t that be enough?”
She turned away and thrust a hand through her hair. Seconds ticked by as she said nothing. Finally, she faced me again. “It won’t be enough for Wyatt. He’s a suspicious creature. He’s going to want to talk to Dane about this.”
And that “talk” would no doubt get heated fast. “I’d imagine that’s what Travis hoped for.”
“What?”
“That you, Wyatt, and Simon would all turn on Dane. Just bear that in mind when you tell Wyatt what Travis told you, and ask Wyatt to bear it in mind, too.” I escorted Melinda to the elevator. I waited until it began to descend before heading to Dane’s office.
I knocked on the door, and he quickly bid me to enter. I walked in, closed the door behind me, and leaned back against it with a heavy sigh.
His brow quirked. “Problem?”
“Travis has been up to his old tricks again.” I pushed away from the door, took the seat opposite him, and brought him up to speed. “Melinda doesn’t suspect that the marriage is fake. She believes you ‘care’ for me; she’s just not so sure that you married me so soon purely because you care for me.”
His expression hard, Dane drummed his fingers on the desk. “I suppose I should have seen this coming.”
“At least Travis never went to Simon. We’d have found ourselves facing Deacon for sure. He likes to settle things with his fists.”
Leaning back in his chair, Dane rubbed at his jaw … just as he’d rubbed my pussy that morning to get me wet before he took me hard in my bed. I shook off the memory fast, set on keeping work and play completely separate—something which wasn’t proving to be easy for me, but Dane seemed to find it simple enough. Then again, he’d never struggled with our attraction. It was a wonder my ego was intact.
“We should tell Simon, though, just in case Travis decides to,” he said.
I frowned. “You’re serious?”
“We need to do damage control. Invite your father and foster parents to our house tonight. I’ll tell them about the trust fund and convince them that it wasn’t the motivation behind my proposal. I’ll also make it clear that neither Travis nor Hope’s word can be trusted.”
Ignoring the tingly feeling that the statement “our house” had given me, I said, “I’m not sure it’ll be so easy to convince them. I have plenty of faith in your acting skills, but I know