Page 67 of Ruthless Contract
“Yeah, yeah. You owe me. I’ve got something I need to discuss with you and Cas later. It’s not important. So, no rush.”
“Call me when you’re ready to meet. Oh, and Monique’s appointment is at one. Don’t be late. And if she’s feeling chatty, talk to her. Don’t be all Silent Rome. And...”
“Send it to me in a text,” I muttered, then ended the call.
He was treating his fiancée like a houseplant with a list of instructions to make sure she stayed alive. Shaking my head, I turned over onto my back and stared at the ceiling. So much for spending my day working on codes.
Now I had to spend the day looking at flowers and listening to Monique talk about wedding décor. I loved and respected my sister-in-law. But she was in full bride mode, and every other word out of her mouth was something about the wedding.
This was going to be a long day.
At exactly twelve-thirty, I pulled into the driveway of Raz's beach house. The Gulf stretched behind the property, sunlight dancing across the water. I sat there for a moment and appreciated the view.
After I told Raz that I needed a break, I would move out to my own beach house and rest and relax. Hell, I didn’t have to wait until I told him. I could send some of the housekeeping staff out today to get the place ready.
First, I had to prepare for an afternoon of flowers.
Killing the engine, I climbed out and headed up the walkway. I knocked on the front door and waited. Moments later, thedoor opened. Monique stood on the other side, wearing a brown spring dress and beige sandals, holding a beige purse.
Her dark hair fell over her shoulders in waves, and she was sporting a huge grin. She looked like a woman ready to go shopping for wedding flowers. And apparently, flowers were important to brides.
“Good afternoon, Monique. You're looking as lovely as ever,” I told her.
Her smile widened.
“Thank you, Rome,” she said as she stepped outside and pulled the door closed behind her.
After locking it, she turned toward me.
“You're looking as handsome as ever. I’m sorry, Raz forced you to accompany me to the floral shop. I told him I was a big girl who could shop by herself. But he said I shouldn’t have to do wedding shopping alone. If I’d protested, he would’ve canceled the board meeting to come with me. So, I gave in.”
I chuckled. “No problem. I'd rather be here with you than on bed rest.”
Not true. But that earned me another smile.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
“Better.”
That wasn't a lie. As we reached my vehicle, I opened the passenger-side door for her.
“Thank you,” she said as she climbed inside.
After closing the door, I walked around the front of the vehicle and got behind the wheel. Once I started the engine, Monique gave me the address to the florist. I plugged the address into the navigation system and pulled away from the beach house.
“Stefanie, Julian's girlfriend, recommended the shop to me,” Monique said.
I nodded while focusing on the road.
“I've been talking with the lady who owns the shop over the phone. But today is the first day I get to meet her.”
“Hopefully she lives up to the recommendation,” I said, being engaging, the way Raz told me to be.
“Oh, I'm sure she will.”
There was no missing the excitement in her voice. Monique was genuinely looking forward to this. I didn't understand it. But then again, I didn't understand wedding planning in general.
I’d listened as she talked to Raz about her plans for the wedding. Raz had seemed engrossed in the conversation, while it sounded like a foreign language to me.
