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“Ah.” I nodded, relaxing into the seat until I realized he just drove us through the gates of a sprawling mansion that spread across several acres of land.
I gaped as the building grew larger the closer we got.
I mean, I knew Nick was rich now, but I had no clue he was this rich.
“Holy sh-molly,” I corrected at the last minute, but Violet wasn’t even paying attention to me. She was staring wide-eyed at the mansion and surroundings as we entered.
“It’s a castle, Mommy,” she murmured with awe in her voice.
“That it is, sweetie,” I said. Larry, the driver, brought us to the entrance, where Nick was waiting for us, wearing a casual button-down shirt and slacks.
Nick opened the car door so that Violet could hop out, smiling gently at her when she did.
“Hello, Violet.”
“Hello,” my daughter answered shyly.
She moved back behind my skirt when I made it out of the car. Nick seemed to note the action, and he frowned as he switched his attention to me. I shrugged at him but was internally pleased. Maybe it was petty of me, but I was happy to see that my daughter was still only completely comfortable around me.
He smirked back with a challenge on his expression. I recognized the look. It meant he was going to try and win her over no matter what.
And he proved it by smiling at her directly and saying, “Should we go in, princess?”
Violet blushed and nodded. As we walked deeper into the house, welcomed by the Victorian decor, Violet asked, “Do you live in a castle, Mr. Nick?”
“Just Nick is fine, Violet,” he said. “And I guess I do. Do you like castles?”
“Yes,” she said, nodding frantically. “I want to be a princess in a castle.”
“But you’re already a princess,” he countered. “And now you have a castle to live in.”
Excitement bubbled out of my daughter. “Really?”
“No,” I said, immediately shutting down that line of conversation. “Definitely not.”
“What kind of wife wouldn’t live with her husband?” he asked.
“We’re not getting that far,” I reminded him. “And I can’t uproot my entire life all because of a temporary arrangement.”
“You’ll be heavily compensated,” he mentioned. “Plus, you’ll get to live in a beautiful house rent-free, with servants and five-star meals at your disposal.”
“I said no,” I repeated firmly. I wouldn’t take any money from him, and I refused to owe him any more than I already did. Plus, if I moved in with him, what would be left of me when it’s all done? And god forbid my daughter gets used to this lifestyle, only to be disappointed when he leaves and she’s no longer his princess. “I’m keeping my apartment.”
I could see he wasn’t fully convinced, but he didn’t argue. “We can table this conversation for another time.”
He probably thought I would eventually back down after seeing just what his mansion offered. He wanted to wine and dine me until I capitulated, seduced by a life of luxury. But he had another thing coming.
As he led us to the elaborately set feast on a long table, I gaped at him.
“What’s all this?”
He smirked back at me. “Dinner.” Then he glanced at Violet and said, “Come on. You can sit in your little princess chair beside me.”
“Okay.” She hopped over to the pink booster seat that Nick had set up close to him. She was too small to climb up, so he lifted her and placed her in it.
I eyed him, but he gave me an innocent look as he sat down. “Come on. Let’s eat.”
The food was admittedly divine. The lobster melted in my mouth, the non-alcoholic wine was pure decadence, and all the bread was so soft that I wanted to just gorge on it. And Violet loved it too. She was usually a picky eater, but she devoured everything Nick put on her plate for her to try.
