Read Online What Happens in Vegas... by Kimberly Lang - Free Book Online
Authors: Kimberly Lang
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is that you don’t do anything that could get back to my family, or Dallas for that matter, and cause embarrassment for me, my family or the baby.” She paused and bit her lip. Something else was coming…“And you’ll need to sign a prenup.”
Evie had thrown a lot at him in the last few minutes, and he was still trying to process all of the information. She seemed to take his silence as disagreement, though, and reached for a manila file on the coffee table. “I’ll give you a few minutes to read it over, and then…and then we’ll talk more.” She stood without making eye contact and went to the minibar, where she poured a soda with intentional slowness.
Curious, he flipped open the file. It was a pretty standard agreement: anything Evie had before their marriage—and damn, it was substantial—stayed hers. Upon her death, her assets went into a trust managed by her attorney for their child—or children, he noted with surprise. Likewise, everything of his remained his, but without a codicil for the children if something happened to him. She obviously hadn’t told whoever drew up this contract she was pregnant already, because there were clauses regarding her inheritance and her heirs if there were no children from the marriage. Darkly, he realized that she’d left him a nice settlement in case of her death.
If he’d been looking to get married, it would be a sweet deal. But he hadn’t been looking to get married. The baby— his baby—changed everything.
But in case of divorce…“What the hell is this, Evie?”
Nick could tell by the tensing of her shoulders she’d been waiting for him to reach that section.
She faced him with bravado. “That’s your settlement. It’s rather standard, actually, to set a fixed sum for each year of marriage. In our case…well, I wanted to compensate you for the inconvenience of marrying me.”
Inconvenience was an interesting word choice. So was compensate. “Sounds like a bribe to me.”
Her jaw dropped. “It’s not a bribe—”
“Then why is the next clause a nondisclosure agreement that forfeits that money if I talk?”
“I’d like some privacy, some part of my life I don’t have to worry about making the news. That clause isn’t anything out of the ordinary, and the money—”
“I don’t want your money, Evie.”
“But—”
“I believed you when you said you didn’t need my money. Trust me when I say I don’t want yours. I don’t need a stud fee. That deed was done for free.”
Evie turned a shade of red that clashed with her hair. Then she squared her shoulders and looked at him coolly. “There’s no need to be crude. I was only trying to be fair to you.”
Politeness dripped off every word. Watching Evie retreat behind a wall of good manners would be amusing in any other situation, but bordered on absurd now. “I don’t see anything about custody arrangements.”
“Because most people aren’t pregnant when they sign pre-nups, and you can’t make custody arrangements for children that don’t exist yet.” Evie was still unfailingly polite, but he could hear the undercurrent of frustration in her voice. “Those arrangements come with divorce papers.”
Custody arrangements were foremost in his mind at the moment. Damn it. He had a master plan and marriage—to anyone—hadn’t been in it. He was ahead of his schedule, but marrying a spoiled socialite wasn’t on that schedule anywhere. And a baby…
Risk of fallout or not, he didn’t doubt Evie would go home to have this child if he refused to marry her. He didn’t give a damn about her reputation or the “problems” that would cause her family, but it did create problems for him. One, he wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on Evie while she was pregnant. She could do God-knows-what for the next nine months and cause the baby to have all kinds of problems.
He was a hands-on project manager: marrying Evie would give him oversight of this pregnancy.
Secondly, refusing
Evie had thrown a lot at him in the last few minutes, and he was still trying to process all of the information. She seemed to take his silence as disagreement, though, and reached for a manila file on the coffee table. “I’ll give you a few minutes to read it over, and then…and then we’ll talk more.” She stood without making eye contact and went to the minibar, where she poured a soda with intentional slowness.
Curious, he flipped open the file. It was a pretty standard agreement: anything Evie had before their marriage—and damn, it was substantial—stayed hers. Upon her death, her assets went into a trust managed by her attorney for their child—or children, he noted with surprise. Likewise, everything of his remained his, but without a codicil for the children if something happened to him. She obviously hadn’t told whoever drew up this contract she was pregnant already, because there were clauses regarding her inheritance and her heirs if there were no children from the marriage. Darkly, he realized that she’d left him a nice settlement in case of her death.
If he’d been looking to get married, it would be a sweet deal. But he hadn’t been looking to get married. The baby— his baby—changed everything.
But in case of divorce…“What the hell is this, Evie?”
Nick could tell by the tensing of her shoulders she’d been waiting for him to reach that section.
She faced him with bravado. “That’s your settlement. It’s rather standard, actually, to set a fixed sum for each year of marriage. In our case…well, I wanted to compensate you for the inconvenience of marrying me.”
Inconvenience was an interesting word choice. So was compensate. “Sounds like a bribe to me.”
Her jaw dropped. “It’s not a bribe—”
“Then why is the next clause a nondisclosure agreement that forfeits that money if I talk?”
“I’d like some privacy, some part of my life I don’t have to worry about making the news. That clause isn’t anything out of the ordinary, and the money—”
“I don’t want your money, Evie.”
“But—”
“I believed you when you said you didn’t need my money. Trust me when I say I don’t want yours. I don’t need a stud fee. That deed was done for free.”
Evie turned a shade of red that clashed with her hair. Then she squared her shoulders and looked at him coolly. “There’s no need to be crude. I was only trying to be fair to you.”
Politeness dripped off every word. Watching Evie retreat behind a wall of good manners would be amusing in any other situation, but bordered on absurd now. “I don’t see anything about custody arrangements.”
“Because most people aren’t pregnant when they sign pre-nups, and you can’t make custody arrangements for children that don’t exist yet.” Evie was still unfailingly polite, but he could hear the undercurrent of frustration in her voice. “Those arrangements come with divorce papers.”
Custody arrangements were foremost in his mind at the moment. Damn it. He had a master plan and marriage—to anyone—hadn’t been in it. He was ahead of his schedule, but marrying a spoiled socialite wasn’t on that schedule anywhere. And a baby…
Risk of fallout or not, he didn’t doubt Evie would go home to have this child if he refused to marry her. He didn’t give a damn about her reputation or the “problems” that would cause her family, but it did create problems for him. One, he wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on Evie while she was pregnant. She could do God-knows-what for the next nine months and cause the baby to have all kinds of problems.
He was a hands-on project manager: marrying Evie would give him oversight of this pregnancy.
Secondly, refusing
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