Page 69
“Are nuns serious?” Elias asked, bemused. “According to the last trivial pursuit game I played, there was one who flew and was quite silly.”
Georgia’s sharp hazel eyes drilled a hole through him. “This is what Emma wants?”
“She’s on board,” he said evasively. “It solves a lot of problems.”
He took another sip of his drink. Mmm, he could grow quite fond of these.
“She might be feeling a touch overwhelmed with the lawyer,” he added a bit more truthfully.
Emma’s eyes had almost crossed when he first gave her thecontract. He’d decided to call his lawyer to come explain it to her before the size and breadth of it scared her off.
“Maybe you can join her and share some insights on the process?” he suggested to George. “Tell her how it went for you.”
“George didn’t sign a prenup,” Rainer informed them.
“She didn’t?” Elias asked, wide eyes rounding on George. “You didn’t?”
“Hey, don’t look at me like that.” She held up her hands. “I offered to sign one.”
Elias was immediately contrite. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Of course you didn’t,” she said skeptically, rolling her eyes at Rainer who didn’t smile, although his lips quirked. “I think I will join Emma and the lawyer despite my lack of expertise.”
She turned on her heel, but Rainer intercepted her, giving her a quick kiss before whispering something that softened the expression on her face.
Elias waited until she had disappeared before turning on Rainer. “You’re marrying her without a prenup?”
“I trust George with my life,” Rainer said with the confidence of a man who’d struck gold in the relationship department. “By the way, you’re not my emergency contact anymore. She is.”
Elias threw up his hands in surrender. “Well, of course she is. I’m just surprised about the prenup given…”
He trailed off, deciding discretion was the better part of valor.
“Because my mother was a gold digger?” Rainer asked, his face carefully blank.
“Hey—” Elias broke off, waving them on. “Fuck it. I said nothing and know even less about relationships than Ian so have at it.”
“True.” Rainer smirked. “As for me, being a product of that kind of marriage makes me even more sure of George. She’d never try anything shady.”
“I don’t doubt it…” Elias conceded, surprising them both. “But I don’t think I’d ever be able to trust anyone quite that much, let alone a woman who’d haveme.”
Elias took another swig of his Scotch. “At least this one is crossing theT’s on his fake marriage by getting a prenup signed.”
“The hell it’s fake,” Rainer laughed.
“What?” Garrett affected innocence. “I told you, Emma needs health insurance.”
His friend gave him a knowing look. “I know that’s true, but tell me—and be honest—what does she get if the marriage sticks?”
Garrett swept out an arm to encompass the penthouse. “I’ve listed all my assets in the prenup and spelled everything out. All she gets is her health insurance and a small stipend. Plus, a small cash settlement if the marriage dissolves.”
“If?” Elias was nearing meltdown—well, as close as the former SEAL got to one. “Not when?”
“Yeah,” Rainer drawled. “Again, what happens if it doesn’t dissolve?”
“No dissolution means the prenup’s clauses never go into effect.” Garrett laughed. “Or do I have to explain basic contract law to you?”
Rainer picked up a swizzle stick from the bar and threw it at him. “Let me rephrase—do you have an end date for the marriage codified in the prenup?”
Georgia’s sharp hazel eyes drilled a hole through him. “This is what Emma wants?”
“She’s on board,” he said evasively. “It solves a lot of problems.”
He took another sip of his drink. Mmm, he could grow quite fond of these.
“She might be feeling a touch overwhelmed with the lawyer,” he added a bit more truthfully.
Emma’s eyes had almost crossed when he first gave her thecontract. He’d decided to call his lawyer to come explain it to her before the size and breadth of it scared her off.
“Maybe you can join her and share some insights on the process?” he suggested to George. “Tell her how it went for you.”
“George didn’t sign a prenup,” Rainer informed them.
“She didn’t?” Elias asked, wide eyes rounding on George. “You didn’t?”
“Hey, don’t look at me like that.” She held up her hands. “I offered to sign one.”
Elias was immediately contrite. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Of course you didn’t,” she said skeptically, rolling her eyes at Rainer who didn’t smile, although his lips quirked. “I think I will join Emma and the lawyer despite my lack of expertise.”
She turned on her heel, but Rainer intercepted her, giving her a quick kiss before whispering something that softened the expression on her face.
Elias waited until she had disappeared before turning on Rainer. “You’re marrying her without a prenup?”
“I trust George with my life,” Rainer said with the confidence of a man who’d struck gold in the relationship department. “By the way, you’re not my emergency contact anymore. She is.”
Elias threw up his hands in surrender. “Well, of course she is. I’m just surprised about the prenup given…”
He trailed off, deciding discretion was the better part of valor.
“Because my mother was a gold digger?” Rainer asked, his face carefully blank.
“Hey—” Elias broke off, waving them on. “Fuck it. I said nothing and know even less about relationships than Ian so have at it.”
“True.” Rainer smirked. “As for me, being a product of that kind of marriage makes me even more sure of George. She’d never try anything shady.”
“I don’t doubt it…” Elias conceded, surprising them both. “But I don’t think I’d ever be able to trust anyone quite that much, let alone a woman who’d haveme.”
Elias took another swig of his Scotch. “At least this one is crossing theT’s on his fake marriage by getting a prenup signed.”
“The hell it’s fake,” Rainer laughed.
“What?” Garrett affected innocence. “I told you, Emma needs health insurance.”
His friend gave him a knowing look. “I know that’s true, but tell me—and be honest—what does she get if the marriage sticks?”
Garrett swept out an arm to encompass the penthouse. “I’ve listed all my assets in the prenup and spelled everything out. All she gets is her health insurance and a small stipend. Plus, a small cash settlement if the marriage dissolves.”
“If?” Elias was nearing meltdown—well, as close as the former SEAL got to one. “Not when?”
“Yeah,” Rainer drawled. “Again, what happens if it doesn’t dissolve?”
“No dissolution means the prenup’s clauses never go into effect.” Garrett laughed. “Or do I have to explain basic contract law to you?”
Rainer picked up a swizzle stick from the bar and threw it at him. “Let me rephrase—do you have an end date for the marriage codified in the prenup?”
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