His words came slower, more spaced. “I could save Wade right now, Julia. One press release announcing our engagement. No marriage yet. You said you weren’t ready for that. Only an announced engagement. Giving that information to the world would be the simple gesture that would change everything. We tell the world that you, the Wade heiress, and Donovan Sherman are now engaged. We’ll tell them that I have secured enough stock that together with you, we’ll not only maintain but improve Wade Pharmaceutical...that statement is all it would take. I’m not bribing you. I don’t pretend. I’m not a frat boy who has led you on with an agreement and fucked your best friend.” He pressed himself against me. “I don’t know your friend and I don’t want her. I want you.”

My mouth felt dry. “You’ve had me, Van.”

“One taste of you, ten tastes, one hundred tastes...It will never be enough. That’s who I am. I always want more. I won’t be satisfied until we’re dead.”

“What?”

“Until our last breath, Julia. I can never have enough of you. I’m already addicted. I could fucking take you right now against this cabinet and again after dinner, and I’d want more.”

I summoned my courage to ask one of my million questions. “Have you ever been married?” When his eyes narrowed, I added, “I would understand. Millions of people marry and divorce and find someone else. I would suspect that someone your—”

“Age,” Van said, completing my sentence. “You keep bringing that up. Does my age bother you?”

I shook my head, answering him honestly. “It doesn’t. I want to know you and know about you before I agree to marry.”

“Agree to marry and then get to know me. Agree to marry me and tomorrow before the markets close for the holiday weekend, Wade will set records for its turnaround.”

“No wedding date?” I asked.

“No date. You tell your parents you’re living here, and together we tell the world we’re getting married.”

So many thoughts were running through my brain. “If I announce my engagement before the date of my canceled wedding, the world will blame me for what happened with Skylar. They’ll think it was me who found someone else. I did, but the canceled wedding wasn’t my fault.”

He tilted his head as his palm came gently to my cheek. “Who gives a fuck what the world thinks?”

“I guess maybe I do.”

“You shouldn’t. Don’t. What others think of you is irrelevant. You’re strong and determined. You’re smart and beautiful. Whatever misconception the world has doesn’t matter. They’ll judge no matter what you do. You can’t win with them, don’t try. Agree to the engagement and I promise Wade will turn around.”

“Will you sell when it’s high?”