“What about the quarterly budget meeting?”
“I’m sure you can handle reviewing my reports without me. I only get one honeymoon after all.” The corners of my lips threaten to rise.
“You seem to find a solution for everything.”
I don’t miss the double meaning behind his words. “I had a lot of practice picking up after someone’s messes over the years.”
“Do you even pretend to like me anymore?”
“I find it to be a wasted effort. You hate me and I hate you, so why bother acting otherwise?”
He dares to fake his displeasure. “I don’t hate you.”
“I find that hard to believe given our past.” One I will never forget, so long as I live.
“This is exactly why I respect you more than your brothers. Unlike Cal or Rowan, you aren’t afraid to speak your mind.”
“We both have two very different definitions of respect.”
“Regardless, I find your efforts admirable. It’s why I consider you a threat to begin with.”
“Yet I can’t say the same about you.”
He chuckles. “I thought I taught you better than to underestimate your enemy.”
“Please. If anything, I give you too much credit.”
“You might be smart, but you let your need for revenge blind your ability to think clearly. Why else would you marry your assistant of all people? Even I didn’t think you were that desperate for your inheritance.”
Something snaps inside of me. “Talk about her like that again and I swear I’ll make your last twelve months as CEO absolutely miserable.”
I can work with him or against him. For the sake of the company, I’ve been willing to do the first option, but if he continues to insult Iris, all bets are off. She has proven herself loyal time and time again, so the least I can do is defend her from scum like him.
Whatever expression he sees on my face draws a deep chuckle from him.
“Don’t tell me you actually care about her?”
I make an effort to keep my gaze blank and withdrawn.
He slowly shakes his head. “To think I considered you my smartest son. What a disappointment.”
“Is there a point to this conversation or do you solely speak to hear the sound of your own voice?”
“I’m sure you’re aware of why I asked you to come here.” His malicious smile puts me on alert.
“You might have to explain yourself given how disappointing you find my intelligence to be.”
“Consider this a warning from father to son.”
“About?”
“Your grandfather might have provided you with an opportunity to usurp me, but that doesn’t mean you will be successful. I don’t plan on stepping down without a fight.”
“It’ll make my victory all the sweeter.”
He raises his glass of water. “Let the best Kane win.”
I tap mine to his. “He already did.”
“I need you to book a trip.” I stop at Iris’s desk. After spending the entire drive thinking over my father’s conversation, I came to one conclusion.
I need to commit to my role as a doting husband—honeymoon included.
Iris looks up from her desktop with a pinched expression. “To Tokyo?”
“No. Pick a place. Any place with running water and Wi-Fi.”
She looks around the room and under her desk.
“Searching for a hidden camera?”
The faintest smile crosses her lips. “Either that or a wiretap. Just to be clear, I have never nor will I ever take drugs. Whatever green substance you might find in my room is definitely Cal’s.”
“Funny,” I reply dryly.
“Do you ever laugh?” she asks.
“Only when I make people cry.”
Her face contorts as she slams a palm against her chest. “Cal is right. You are a monster.”
“A monster who expects you to have a honeymoon chosen by the end of the business day.”
“A honeymoon? Wow!” She looks far too excited about the prospect for my comfort.
“Don’t get any ideas. This is strictly for appearances.”
“Appearances?” Her grin is snuffed out.
“I’m positive that my father will do everything in his power to delegitimize our marriage. It is up to us to make his attempt futile.”
Her lips purse. “By going on a honeymoon? How is that going to solve anything?”
“It proves I care enough about you to take my first vacation in over a decade.”
She laughs. “You must live such a sad life if you think sacrificing work for a honeymoon is a declaration of your affection.”
“Is it not?” Did she not hear a word of anything I just said? I don’t take vacations. Doing so should silence any doubts about our relationship.
Wouldn’t it?
“No. It’s not.”
I grimace. “I’ll be the judge of that.”
Her eyes roll. “Sure. We can do things your way since you have so much experience when it comes to relationships.” She mumbles something about men always think they know everything under her breath.
I knock my fist against her desk. “Book the plane for Friday.”
“This Friday?”
“Is that going to be a problem?”
She squeals. “No! Even if it was, I refuse to let this golden opportunity go to waste. I haven’t had a vacation in years.”
“At least you finally get something good out of all of this.”
She slaps her desk with a stern look. “You mean there’s supposed to be something better than marrying you? I refuse to believe it.”
I turn and walk toward my door, hiding the grin spreading across my face. Iris is the only person with the ability to make me smile. Not that she knows it. I’ve done everything in my power to hide how much sway she has over my moods.
16
IRIS
If someone told me a month ago that Declan would hand me his black card and tell me to plan a honeymoon, I would have sent them to the nearest hospital to get their head checked. But low and behold, Declan does just that.
“Money is no object,” he says before disappearing behind his double doors.
I squeal as I spin around in my chair.
“Keep it down,” he calls out from the other side of the wood door.
I clamp down on my lips while I grab my cellphone and text Cal.
Me: Guess who is going on a honeymoon after all?
Cal: How did you make him crack?
Cal: Waterboarding?
Cal: Sleep deprivation?
Cal: Sex???
Cal: Wait. If it’s the last one, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.
I laugh as I type up my response.
Me: Your father.
Cal: *Pretends to be shocked.
Me: Do you want to help me plan something?
Cal: I’ll be there in 15.
.
“No.” I shove a dumpling into my mouth.
“But it’s Bora Bora,” Cal replies with an exasperated look.
I shake my head. “Sounds boring.” Good thing Cal can’t see the way my cheeks burn from the lie.