Four Week Fiance(36)
“What do you mean crazy?”
“I mean crazy, twisted, Nine and a Half Weeks type of shit.”
“That wasn’t that twisted.” I laughed. “Don’t blow things out of proportion.”
“Mila, you know his contract is crazy. Isn’t that why you called me? I thought this contract was for him to convince the board of directors that he’s not a playboy and that he wants to settle down? Why does he need all this extra shit?”
“That is the point of the arrangement. But I guess he wants to experiment as well.”
“Is this really what you want, Mila?” Sally’s voice softened. “I know you’ve wanted him forever, but is this really what you want?”
“Things can change. Maybe he’ll want to make the engagement real,” I said hopefully.
“Are you sure you would want that?”
“I don’t know.” I sighed and then jumped up. “Look, Sally, I want to go and have a bath. I’ll call you later.”
“Call me after you talk to TJ,” she said. “I want to know exactly what he says and what gets stricken off of the contract.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said and hung up quickly. I looked down at the contract again and flipped the pages until I stared at the paragraph that had given me the most pause. The part of the contract that had stood out the most was that I had to trust him, even if I felt my life was in danger. Why would I think my life was in danger? That scared me more than it thrilled me. Trusting him with my life was something I did implicitly, but to have it in a contract made me wonder if there was something about him that I couldn't trust.
I didn't care if he was into a little role-play or something—that could be hot—but what if he wanted to choke me or something? I wasn't sure that I was down for that. Why would a contract state that I was to trust him in all endeavors?
I walked into the bathroom and started running a bath and took a deep breath. I looked into the mirror and studied my face, not altogether displeased at my reflection. I looked confused and pretty—or, as Cody would put it—pretty confused. I leaned forward and studied my eyes and lips. Did I look like someone who had just had a crazy weekend? Did I look like someone who was contemplating signing a contract to be TJ’s fake fiancée even though I really had no idea what I was signing? I wasn’t even sure if I cared. I turned back to the bath and put my hand in it to test the water to make sure that the temperature was perfect. I grimaced as the cold water touched my skin, and sighed. I turned the faucets off and walked back to the living room. The water tank was out of hot water. I’d have to wait twenty minutes and try and run the bath again.
Beep beep. I looked down at my phone and froze when I saw TJ’s name on the screen. He’d sent me a text message. I grabbed my phone and tapped the screen so I could read what he’d written.
I miss you already.
Sure you do.
I do. Did you think about the contract?
You have a one track mind.
Why do I think you’re not talking about sex.
How did Barbie take the talk?
How do you think?
She pushed her boobs in your face.
Are you psychic?
Funny! Not!
Did you make up your mind about the contract?
You said we could go through it first.
Can I call you now?
I was about to have a bath.
Can I come over then?
You wish.
Yes, I do.
Call me.
Ring ring.
“That was fast,” I said as I answered the phone with a smile on my face.
“You did ask me to call.”
“Well, if we’re going to be technical about it, I only said that after you asked if you could call me,” I said, feeling light-headed.
“What’s bothering you about the contract?” he asked me, changing the subject.
“You’re really interested in me agreeing to this contract, aren’t you?”
“What do you think, Mila?”
“I want to know why you had a contract with my name on it already.”
“What do you think, Mila?”
“I want to know if this is a plan you’ve had for a while?”
“What do you think, Mila?”
“I think if you don’t stop saying that, I’m going to scream.”
“I’d love to hear you scream.” His voice deepened. “I’d love to hear you screaming out my name as I—”
“Yeah, yeah, TJ.” I rolled my eyes into the phone, though I couldn’t stop myself from shivering slightly at his words. “You want me in your bed. You want to make me come. You want me to make you come.” I paused and took a breath, but he interrupted before I could continue.
“It seems like you know me inside and out.” His voice was smooth and I wondered what he was thinking.
“No, I don’t. That’s why I want to discuss the contract with you. Why exactly do you need access to all my personal information?”
“So I can make sure you’re not cheating on me.”
“How can I cheat on you if the relationship is a farce?”
“The engagement is a farce. The relationship won’t be.”
“Oh.” I bit my lower lip and mumbled. “So I’ll be your girlfriend?”
“No.” He sighed. “Not exactly.”
“Okay. So I’m just meant to let you have power of attorney over everything in my life. I’d think you were after my money if I had any and you weren’t a millionaire.” I laughed.
“I’m not after your money, Mila.” He sounded amused. “Your body, yes. Your money, no.”
“What does the clause mean that I need to trust you?” I said softly. “Even if trusting you means I’m scared for my life.”
“Is that what’s bothering you the most?” he said, the words sounding smooth and light as if what I’d just brought up was of no significance to anything.
“Yeah, that’s bothering me. What exactly would you be doing that would have me scared for my life?”
“It’s a general contract, Mila. I just want to know that you’re giving everything to me and not holding anything back.”
“What would I be holding back?” I frowned into the phone. “And you didn’t really answer my question.”
“For this to work, I need to know that you will give me the benefit of the doubt. I don’t want to control you. I don’t want to dictate your everyday life to you. I just want to know that you’ll be open to suggestions of different things.”
“What different things?”
“You’ll see.”
“I don’t want to see. I want to know.”
“There are some things you can’t know right now, Mila.”
“What can I know?” I sighed.
“You can know that I want you very much. You can know that this engagement will benefit both of us. You can know that I will not do anything that will hurt you.”
“But you’ll put me in harm’s way? Possibly?”
“I would never put you in harm’s way.” He sighed. “Though you might always think that.”
“You’re scaring me, TJ. I don’t understand what you’re asking. How can I say yes to something I don’t really understand?”
“You can say yes if you can answer to these three things,” he said softly. “If you want to help me. If you want to make love to me. If you want to be taken into a world of passion and excitement that you never knew existed before.”
“When would I have to move in with you?”
“If you say yes—now, tonight,” he said, and I wasn’t sure if he was joking.
“Tonight? I haven’t even packed.”
“You won’t be needing clothes, so that doesn’t matter.”
“TJ! What?”
“I’m joking, Mila.” He laughed. “I’m not having you move in with me so you can be my sex slave, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“I’m not worried about that,” I said softly. “If anything, you’ll be my sex slave.”
“If you say yes, we can get you on the pill tomorrow.”
“You’re so eager for me to get on the pill.”
“It’s safer. There may be times and situations where a condom won’t be the easiest thing to remember or put on,” he said softly, and I froze.
“What does that mean?”
“It means exactly what I said it means.” His voice lowered. “Can I come over?”
“Come over for what?”
“To discuss the contract further.”
“You’re not really answering any of my questions, TJ.” I sighed. “I don’t see the point of you coming over, just to further ignore me.”
“Have dinner with me tomorrow,” he said in a deep, sexy drawl. “Have dinner with me and let me take you on a date. I won’t ask you about the contract or your decision unless you ask me to talk about it.”
“I don’t know.” I sighed and rubbed my forehead. I wasn’t sure it was a good idea to go and see him before I’d made up my mind. And I wanted to make up my mind when I was in a rational state instead of in the throes of want for him.
“Just dinner, Mila. That’s it. No hanky-panky.”
“I don’t believe that you can have dinner with no hanky-panky.”
“I mean, I can’t promise I’ll stop you from feeling me up.” He laughed.