Stroke of Luck - Opal Carew Page 0,81
know you were just looking out for me, and that means a lot to me.”
Quinn drew her forward and slid his arms around her. She rested her head on his chest, and her gaze now fell to Austin. He smiled and nodded. He was rewarded by a small smile turning up her lips.
She drew back from Quinn’s embrace.
“And that dream didn’t mean anything. I don’t have any lingering feelings for him, except what you’d expect for someone who hurt me.”
The glitter in Quinn’s deep, blue eyes told Austin that he’d love to get his hands on Maurice and make him answer for that pain.
“Now I’ll answer your question about why I’m wearing the engagement ring,” April said.
Quinn drew her to her feet and guided her to the couch with him, then, when they sat down, slid his arm around her protectively.
“When he told me he wanted to talk to me, I was going to turn him down,” she said, “but I wanted to know what he was up to. And I needed to find closure. When we sat down for a drink, he apologized for his actions and promised never to cheat on me again. He started offering me money by paying back the hotel debt and returning the equity in my town house. He even offered a huge bonus payment that I would receive if I married him.”
Why the hell would the guy be throwing around all that cash to win April back? He didn’t love her. That was clear from his affair and his subsequent treatment of her. Yet he was spending a lot of money to try to get her to marry him.
An idea prickled through Austin’s brain. “How huge? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“Half a million dollars. But I don’t want his money. I just want the debt cleared and the equity in my house that I worked so hard to build.” She turned to Quinn. “He insisted I wear his ring again and that we talk tomorrow once the money shows up in my back account.”
“April, did Maurice ask you to sign any papers leading up to the wedding day?” Austin asked.
“Yes, a prenup.”
“Anything else?”
* * *
A prenup. An image flashed through April’s brain. Quinn sliding a small piece of notepaper toward her. There’d been a sentence or two scrawled on it … she couldn’t remember … but at the top was written PRENUP in Quinn’s distinct block printing.
Her stomach twisted. Even drunk and spontaneously marrying her in an essentially fake wedding, he had protected himself with a prenup. Not that she could blame him. It just … hurt.
“April? Is something wrong?” Austin asked.
“No, I just…” She shook her head. “A memory from Saturday night.”
“When we all got married?” Quinn asked.
She nodded.
“Anything you want to share?” Quinn coaxed with a smile.
“No,” she said a bit too quickly, still reeling from the mélange of feelings swirling through her. “It was just a flash. Nothing substantial.” She turned to Austin. “I’m sorry. What were you saying?”
“I asked if you signed anything besides the prenup.”
“Yes, there were other papers. He signed over some properties and one of his companies to me. He said it would help with taxes.” Her eyes widened. “That wasn’t illegal, was it?”
“No, not illegal, but that’s what he’s worried about. You still own those things. And with the amount of money he’s offered to get you back, I take it they’re worth a hell of a lot.”
She shook her head. “But I assumed since we didn’t get married that they’d revert to him. The date of ownership was set at the day after the wedding.”
“It sounds like he was depending on the prenup alone to get the holdings back if you wound up getting divorced, never imagining the wedding itself wouldn’t happen.”
“So it sounds like you just became a multimillionaire,” Quinn said.
“I don’t want his properties,” April said. “I’ll tell him so tomorrow. I just want to be rid of him.”
“You should wait a little longer and make him sweat,” Quinn suggested.
“Whatever you decide to do, if he asks you to sign any papers, will you let my lawyer look them over?” Austin asked.
“Yes, thank you.” She smiled. “Now why don’t we forget about all this right now and just enjoy the rest of our day together. What would you like to do?”
* * *
After a long but wonderful day April would never forget, they stepped into the suite, and she slumped on the couch. They’d gone on a helicopter tour of the