PAPER VOWS Novel Chapter 7

A rich man wants to marry me with no prenup. That’s very suspicious. Many are very protective of their money, especially rich people. Why would Dante want to marry me with no prenup, giving me an option to walk away with his money if we divorce? All this is very suspicious. I have the chance to say no, right here and right now. This is my chance to walk away from this man and never look back.

Instead of telling him that all this doesn’t feel right to me, I ask him to pour me more champagne. Without hesitation, he does so. I gulp down the champagne and ask for more. I won’t lie, his proposal is very tempting. As much as he said he doesn’t love me, he also said he can if I want him to. I want him to love me.

“You have questions, Jade Marshal,” Dante says to me. There is something about how he says my name that I love. I hate being called by my full name, but when he says it, I don’t mind.

“I find your proposal very suspicious, Dante Lyon.”

He answers, “I don’t blame you. It’s not every day a stranger approaches another with a marriage proposal.”

“True, but you are not just a stranger. You are Dante Lyon, who owns clubs all over GoldenRock.”

“Ahh…someone did a little digging of their own,” he says, pouring himself more champagne.

“I didn’t get enough information.”

“What would you like to know?” he asks, his gaze meeting mine. He makes me feel things I haven’t felt in a while. I don’t think I will be able to walk away from all this.

“Where are your parents?”

He answers, “Dead.”

“Do you have any siblings? Uncles? Extended family?”

“Everyone has those, Jade Marshal,” he drinks all the champagne in his glass and pours more. I hope we have a driver since we are both drinking.

“How many siblings do you have?”

“Three that I know of,” he answers. I ask him what he means by three that he knows of. He says, “My father was a man who couldn’t keep it in his pants.”

“I hope you are not asking me to marry you so that you can inherit some money from your dead parents.”

“Low blow, Jade Marshal,” he places his hand on his chest as if hurt. “The inheritance was long shared. My mother died three years ago.”

“Are you and your siblings maybe fighting for the company, and you need to get married to get some potion?”

He chuckles. This is the first time hearing him chuckle. “You watch a lot of TV.”

“Then make me understand why you want to marry me.”

“As I said, if all this is too much for you, then say no to my proposal,” he says, calmly, I hate it. Can’t he see that I am already falling in love in the two days of knowing him?

“Let’s talk about something else.”

“Are you enjoying the dinner?” he asks, pouring me more champagne.

“Yes and no.”

He pushes his chair back and stands, holding out his hand for me, “Dance with me.”

“There is no music.”

“Dance with me, Jade Marshal,” he says, firmer this time. I get off the chair and take his hand. He pulls my body closer to him, I rest my head on his chest as we sway. Lord, he smells delicious. The alcohol is in my head and all the blood in my body is shooting straight to my clit.

“When was your last relationship?”

“A year ago,” he answers. “She couldn’t handle a busy man, so she left.”

“What if I also cannot handle a busy man?”

“You will be free to leave me too,” he answers. I don’t like his tone. It’s like he doesn’t care.

“Were you two married?”

“No.” He didn’t hesitate. I like that. “You will be the first woman I marry.”

“Do your siblings know you want to get married?”

“They don’t, but I will tell them when things get official between us,” he says, spins me around, then brings me back to his arms.

“What if I say no?”

“Then I have no choice but to accept it, Jade Marshal,” he answers.

I lift my head from his chest to look at his face. Should I say yes to his proposal? I want to, but I am scared of the unknown. I get on my toes and try to kiss him, but he places his hand on my chin as if stopping me.

“If we kiss, I will take it as you accepting my proposal.”

I lean in and kiss him; he kisses me back, pulling me closer to his body as if I am not already close. He smells good, and his lips taste like the champagne we are having. Our little moment is interrupted by the waitress clearing her throat.

“The owner said everything is on the house, Mr Lyon. You two enjoy the rest of your evening. If you need anything, just call for me,” says the waitress.

“Let me at least tip you. We are leaving,” Dante reaches into his pocket, takes out his wallet and hands the waitress a fresh hundred-dollar bill.

“Thank you so much. Do you guys need anything else?”

“As I said, we are leaving,” Dante takes my hand, grabs my bag, and we head out. I am glad for being melanin because I would be pink from blushing after that kiss. When we get to the car, Elis gets out to greet us. When did he get here? Dante greets him back, then opens the back seat for me to go in first, and he follows.

Before I can ask when Elis got here, Dante pulls me close and kisses me. “Thank you for accepting my proposal.”

“Would you be able to love me, though? You said love is not your thing?”

“I will try my best,” he promises.

“Let’s go to your house.”

He asks me if I am sure, and I tell him I am. I don’t know why I want us to go to his house, but we are going there. We drive there with me bombarding Dante with questions about our arrangement. From what I got, his father died when he was fifteen from AIDS since he couldn’t keep it in his pants.

Thank God his mother was not infected because it had been years since she and his father had sex. Years later, his mother remarried. His mother then passed away three years ago, and his stepfather followed months later. He says they were old, and old people die. He has three siblings: one boy from his biological father and two more, a boy and a girl, from his stepfather. He is the oldest.

When we get to the house, Dante gets the door for me and leads us in. I cannot get over how big his house is. He first gets us water and leads me upstairs.

“You can use this room,” Dante says to me as we stand by the door. I think this is the room I was in last time.

“What about you? Where is your room?”

“This one,” he says, pointing at the door opposite the one I will be using.

“Goodnight then.”

“Goodnight, Jade Marshal,” he opens the door for me and closes it once I am inside. I stand with my back against the closed door and reach for my phone.

‘Sleeping over at Dante’s.’ I send a text to my sister.

‘I was about to check on you. Are you good there?’ – Giselle.

‘I am fine, a little drunk, if I don’t go to sleep now, I might fuck that man.’

‘Girl you are thirty-six, you can do whatever the hell you want.’ – Giselle.

‘You are right. Goodnight!’

I toss my bag and phone on the bed, kick off my shoes and head out, going to Dante’s room. I don’t care that I have been abstaining. I am an adult, and I can fuck who I want. I knock once and let myself into Dante’s room. His phone and wallet are on the bed along with his shirt, tie and waistcoat. I think he is in the shower. I take off my dress, bra, underwear and go to the bathroom.

He doesn’t even flinch or turn when I walk into the bathroom. Damn, I forgot about my hair, but it doesn’t matter; I cannot back out now. I open the shower door and step in.

“Can I join you?”

“Be my guest,” he hands me the loofah.

I let it slip from my hand. “It fell”

“Are you trying to get fucked in the shower, Jade Marshal, because I will gladly do so?”