Anyway, I'm off," Alex declared. Only after he'd gone did Tag speak.
"You fucking did it. You had sex with Merina."
"She's my wife." Reese pushed his chair away from the conference room table unable to hide a very wide, very proud grin. He buttoned his jacket and Tag stood with him.
"Proud of you, Clip." Tag nodded his approval, using an old nickname.
Clip was short for paperclip, and Tag had started in on Reese the day he put on his first suit. Being teasingly labeled as the pencil pusher back in his twenties had irked Reese, and Tag had been happy to needle him. Now the title held no venom.
"Careful," Tag continued. "Girls get attached. They want more."
"Thank you, Tag. I'm sure as a man who has perfected the hookup and breakup, you have loads of advice." Reese lifted an eyebrow.
"Hey, I'm just looking out for you. There is a reason Dad is still single."
"Because he's focused on work," Reese said.
"And there's a reason you've had Bobbie send flowers and a note of cease and desist to every date you've had since Gwyneth…" Tag trailed off. "Sorry."
"Relax." He put a palm on his brother's shoulder. Mom had been a worrier. Tag came by it honestly. "This marriage has an expiration date. When it's over, so is the sex. Merina understands that."
Not only had they sweated out their problems in bed, but she'd also hopped up and went right to work afterward. She hadn't been clingy or emotional, and was no longer crying in the shower, so he was glad about that. She more than understood what was between them, and Reese was happy to let her use him physically.
"There are always strings," Tag said, genuine worry fusing his features into a mask. "Once you're crowned CEO, she might not appreciate you blowing her off."
"She's making out like a bandit, Tag." Reese pulled the office door open. "Her hotel will be in her name, free and clear. She couldn't care less about my position at Crane save for the fact it's getting her what she wants."
The second it was out of his mouth, a niggle of doubt reared in the back of his head. Was that true? Merina wasn't cold or calculating, and she'd put her personal reputation on the line to help him reach his goal. Marrying him was a great sacrifice on her part.
Despite his doubts, Reese said, "I'm sure of it."
"You deserve to be CEO." Tag stepped out of the office door, his voice just above a whisper. "Just…make sure you don't get too attached to your wife.
"I know what I'm doing." Reese stared Tag in the eye until his brother ran a hand through his long hair and sighed his exasperation.
"I know you do." Tag nodded and started down the hall, Reese behind him. Before they crossed the threshold into the foyer, he turned to give one last harbinger of what was to come. "And, Clip?"
Reese stopped.
"You can fuck her. But don't fuck her over. She's not one of your one-nighters."
On that, they agreed. Merina was something else entirely.
* * *
Merina stopped advancing across the hotel lobby when she heard her name. She turned to find Arnold's kind, smiling face.
"Your cards came." He lifted one from the business card holder on the front desk.
She plucked the card from his fingers. There, beneath the Van Heusen's regal gold Phoenix logo, was her name. Her new name.
MERINA CRANE, MANAGER
Seeing her new last name in black and white made her palms sweat. Somehow that business card made things more official than her marriage certificate.
Because you had sex with him.
Yeah, well, she refused to feel guilty about that. Already, three people pointed out how nice she looked today, one of them her bar manager who'd commented, "Marriage looks good on you, Merina."
If they were in this together, they may as well enjoy themselves.
"Thank you, Arnold. I didn't even think to change the cards." Especially since she'd change them back in a few months.
"You have your mother to thank." After a long pause, she returned the card but before she could leave, he spoke again. "I always wondered how different marriage was for women than men." His smile turned wistful. "My wife had to leave her family and move to my house. Change her name to my last name. And let me tell you, she was not excited about becoming a Woodcock." A deep, warm chuckle reverberated from his chest.
She laughed with him and faced the desk. He rarely spoke of his wife. If he had a story to tell about her, Merina wanted to hear it.
"Adeline was a strong woman, but she was old-fashioned. She said that things were supposed to be like that according to God. A woman submitting to her husband. Did you know that verse doesn't mean what people think it means?"
Merina rested her elbows on the high counter, taking advantage of the quiet lobby to listen to another of Arnold's life lessons.
"People think it means to come under someone's control, but that's not the translation. If a wife submits to a husband, she's giving him a gift. She's giving him the opportunity to be a man. Without that lesson, he won't be strong. Instead, he will be weak and in response, she will feel as if she has to protect herself. That's not the way it's supposed to be." He shook his graying head. "Just because you women can protect yourselves and be your own warriors doesn't mean you should. Men need a chance to do that too. To protect and love you makes us better."
"I…never thought of it that way," she admitted. But then again, had she ever dated a man who wasn't perfectly willing to let her handle the hard things? To let her handle everything? Corbin came to mind. He was definitely not the chivalrous type. He had no problem watching her work hard and taking her money.
Reese on the other hand…
Her face heated as she remembered him saying Ladies first in bed last night.
"Love suits you, Mrs. Crane." Arnold smiled and handed her the business card she'd just put back. "Hang on to that."
"Adeline was a lucky lady," she said with a sad smile. Would she find a pure love like Adeline and Arnold had shared?