My eyes avoided hers, and I rubbed my forehead, trying to think my way around the subject. This was the last thing I wanted to discuss with her—especially now. Especially after all the vulnerability and insecurity she’d revealed to me last night.
And her words. I’m not ready for your world.
She had no idea what “my world” was demanding of me—and of her. What I’d been trying to protect her from. And the mere thought of holding that back any longer was making me want to fold up in my chair.
“What did I mean by what?” I asked stalling.
She sank into the seat on the other side of the desk, opposite me, a frown creasing her forehead. Even when I was irritated with her and she was obviously annoyed with me, she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on.
My throat tightened so that I could barely swallow the emotion that rose up. And suddenly, a flash of memory—that moment last night when she’d told me she couldn’t do this. That cold fear chilled my veins. I dreaded that she’d say it again, or worse—act on it. My chest tightened as I remembered those warm tears I’d wiped from her big brown eyes when she’d cried into my t-shirt.
Her voice was quiet when she spoke. “You said that I had no idea about your choices and something about having to fend things off for us. What does that mean? There’s obviously something going on that you aren’t telling me.”
I rubbed my forehead, staring out the window. The bright sunshine glinted off the water of the back bay, and even in the chilly late fall weather, boats bustled toward the harbor and the ocean.
“Adam…please tell me.”
Unsure how long I’d sat staring out that window while she waited for my answer, I was yanked back into the present by her plea. She was leaning forward, both palms pressed flat to the desk, eyes wide with concern.
I took in a deep breath and then let it go. Tell her? Or blow it off and risk another confrontation? Let her have her way with the wedding and keep the prenup issue hush-hush?
A new headache threatened, blossoming behind my eyes, my temples. I didn’t want to think about it. With my eyes closed, I muttered, “It’s not a big deal. A small conflict I ran into with the board of directors. It will resolve itself.”
Her brows came down in a frown, her eyes still glued to me and a very plain I smell bullshit expression all over her face. “A…conflict? With the whole board or only with Jordan?”
I stiffened at the mention of the name, and her eyes flashed as if she’d hit on something she’d been searching for. “It is something to do with Jordan, isn’t it? I’ve been trying to find out what. I should have asked you weeks ago.”
I blinked.
“Or maybe I should ask him?”
My jaw clenched so tight that it ached. I spoke to her through clenched teeth. “Don’t you dare talk to that bastard.”
Her jaw dropped. “Uh. What?” Was she shocked that I’d forbidden her from speaking to my former best friend? Or was she shocked at the general animosity in my voice? My fist clenched at my side as I realized that in my weakness I’d let loose more than I’d planned.
“What the hell is going on? He’s your best friend.”
“Nope. Best friends are supposed to have your back.”
“And he doesn’t?” She let out a breath and slumped in her chair, staring at me like I was an alien species brought to Area 51 for examination. “Enough of this. Tell me what the hell is going on, or I’ll pick up the phone and call him and air our dirty laundry. You should know better than to keep important secrets from me.”
I laid my head against my chair, eyes darting up at the ceiling. She was right. It was way past the time for keeping any more secrets.
“Jordan wouldn’t stand behind me versus the BOD when they were pressuring me to do something I didn’t want to do. So yeah, I’m pissed at him.”
Silence from her end then the drumming of fingernails against the desktop. I tilted my head at an angle to get a glimpse of her, hoping the answer would satisfy her, while knowing it probably wouldn’t. She was watching me like a hawk.
“And what was the issue? Does the board want you to sell more shares in the company or something?”
“No.”
She hesitated longer. More drumming. I knew the determined expression on her face. She was on the scent of something and wasn’t about to give up. Exhaustion gripped me, and all I could think of was how much I wanted to go to bed and lie down and sleep for a week rather than discuss all this with her. My body might force me to give in before I could think about any other options. Shit.
“You might as well tell me what it is. I’m not going to let you go to bed till you do.”
My eyes closed. “Cruel woman.”
She bit her lip. “Adam…”
“All right, all right. The BOD is pressuring me to sign a prenuptial agreement.”
“Okay, and…?”
My eyes popped open again, and my gaze found hers. She was staring at me with that expectant look on her face, resting on her elbows against the desk, her fingers laced in front of her. Her reaction was completely bewildering—as if I’d told her I needed to zip down to the grocery store to get a carton of milk.
“And…that’s it. Jordan sided with the board instead of helping me fight it. And they were getting ugly about it.”
“Like—how ugly?”
“Like threatening to remove me as CEO…”
She blinked. “But—why wouldn’t you want a prenup?”
I rubbed the tense muscles in my neck. This was a puzzling reaction that I hadn’t anticipated.
She waited while I wondered and tried to think my way through the brain fog. My body may have been wanting to shut down and go to sleep, but my brain was now skipping along as fast as it possibly could. Which right now, admittedly, was suboptimal brain speed.
“Because I don’t want to be forced to sign something about my personal life. And I don’t want to force you to sign to prove to the world that you aren’t a gold digger.”
Her brow scrunched. “You mean…to prove to you that I’m not a gold digger, right?”
I shifted in my seat. “I don’t think—”
She held up her hand. “Calm down. I know you don’t think that. But you assumed I’d think this was an excuse in order to get me to sign. Hence all the cloak and dagger, the hiding it from me.”