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“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I muttered late in the evening as Max held my hand and walked me to the limousine he had waiting for us at the marina. “How did you talk me into this again?”

“I promised to buy all three properties you showed me today.” Max chuckled as he urged me into the open back door.

I sighed. “I’m such a cheap date.”

“Cheap? I’m pretty sure this date cost me roughly five million dollars before dinner.” He snickered. “If this is your idea of cheap, I don’t want to see lavish.”

“Lavish is stuff like the Maldives for a week.” I smiled up at him while I sank deeper into the buttery leather.

“Have you been to the Maldives?” His brows arched while he waited for my response.

I shook my head. “No, but I imagine it’s lovely any time of year.”

“It is. We must go.” Max nodded adamantly. “Next school vacation. We pack up Penelope and go.”

“I already promised her Disney. I’m making payments and everything. I can’t waste that money.” I frowned. “I don’t have the kind of life where I can be frivolous.”

“Then we’ll make the Maldives our honeymoon. Just say when.” His arm slid between me and the seat as he wrapped it around my waist.

“We’re on our first date, and you’re talking marriage.” I rolled my eyes. “You’re impossible.”

“In my defense, I was talking marriage before this.” Max laughed.

I studied him a moment. There was something in his eyes. “I can’t play at this, Max. If I get married again, I need to know this time it’s forever. I need to be sure that Penelope and I will both be happy. I’m no Liz Taylor.”

“I know,” he murmured as he pressed his forehead against my temple. “This is one of the things I like most about you.” He was quiet a moment before continuing. “See, my father didn’t take marriage nearly as seriously as he took his pre-nups. So, while he protected his money, he didn’t think a thing at all about his kids. It was always about the next pretty, shiny new toy with him. Oh, and the toys were his young wives.” He looked at me pointedly.

“I picked right up on that, thanks.” I reached up and caressed his cheek with the back of my hand. “So, why me? You could have any woman in the world. Is this a pity marriage? Is this a business move? I don’t get it.”

The limo stopped before Max could respond. “I’ll tell you in the restaurant,” he whispered as the door opened. He stepped out and offered me his hand.

When I took it, I felt calm and comfortable in a way I’d only dreamed. I glanced at our hands and realized he was staring too. While we walked, I tried to understand what was happening between us.

Once inside, we were quickly brought to the private dining room where we were seated and the doors closed behind us. My eyes widened. Max grinned. “I thought we could use some alone time.”

I hid behind the menu. Soon, Max had placed our order for wine and food and after they collected the menus, I was left to feel exposed. I didn’t know what to say, but apparently, he did.

“You’re real. You’re feisty. You’re sophisticated, elegant, and understated.” He reached out and laid his hand on mine. “You’re intelligent, trustworthy, and direct.” Max stared into my eyes. “These are all characteristics I admire. I might not know you, but that should be half the fun of marriage, getting to know you better, understand you, and growing closer with each passing day.”

I was mesmerized by his words and his touch. Shocked silent by his openness.

“I’ve dated many women. And I told you I’ve never wanted to marry before. It wasn’t a lie or an exaggeration.” He shook his head sadly. “I tried to feel for these other women. There were many my father approved of, even more that he didn’t. I had to have him weigh in because I didn’t trust myself, didn’t know what I wanted. Yet in you, I’ve seen everything I ever needed and more. Does any of this make sense?”

I swallowed hard. “It does.”

“I believe we could have an amazing marriage and a true partnership in every respect. This is what I always wanted, but never thought I could have.” Max eyed me quietly as the waiter returned with our wine, never breaking our gaze. And when the man finally departed, he raised his glass for us to toast. “Let’s drink to our happiness and the future. Will you give us a chance?”

My cheeks flushed as I nodded. “Yes,” I murmured.

Our first course soon arrived and we enjoyed the meal with pleasant dinner conversation. Thanks to the delicious food and help from the alcohol soothing my nerves, my face actually hurt from smiling. How long had it been since I’d done that?

“We have one more stop before we return to the yacht,” Max announced quietly while signing the credit card receipt.

“Where are we going?” I asked, feeling far less anxious than I had earlier in the evening.

“It’s a surprise.” He stood and walked around the table to come pull out my seat.

“I can work with that.” I sighed happily. “You know, this wasn’t so bad.”

Max groaned. “I suppose I can work with that,” he jokingly repeated “Now we’ll see how you feel in an hour.” He winked as he laid a hand on my lower back and walked me out of the restaurant.

As we rode in the car, Max held my hand and studied my fingers. “I need for you to understand how serious I am about marrying you,” he murmured as he brought my knuckles to his lips for a kiss. “I need you to see the kind of life we could have together.”

“Oh, how’s that?” I asked calmly as I rested my head against his shoulder.

“Well, for one, if you wanted, you could stop what you’re doing.”

“I love my work. I could never quit.” I sat up and shook my head. “I need the security of having my own money.” I could feel my heart racing in fear.

“Could I finish, please?” Max sighed. When I nodded, he completed his thought. “I meant you could stop the long hours, the worrying about sales. You could be strictly my realtor. Your hours would be less. Your commission would probably be more. You could still be earning, but you’d be able to be there for Penelope more. That is everything you’d need to ensure you keep custody.”

“And forgive me for my pessimism, but if this goes south, then what happens? I could actually be worse off than I am now,” I reminded him.

“My lawyer can draw up paperwork protecting you, if this eases your concerns.” He nodded seriously. “Or you can use your lawyer, whatever eases your fears.”

I inhaled deeply. “That would make me more comfortable.”

When the car stopped, I realized we’d parked beside a curb and Max was stepping out of the vehicle. Again, he held a hand out to me. And when I finally emerged, I realized we were standing in front of a jewelry store.

“Why are we here?” I began shaking slightly, a combination of fear and excitement. “It’s closed.”

“Is it?” Max smiled as he made a call on his phone. Soon, all the lights came on and the door opened to us. “Come with me. Let’s take one more step toward our future.”