Page 149 of To Tango, with Desire

“Right.” It took me a minute to recover, to get my brain working again. “I want to draw up a business contract between us whereby I’m a silent partner in the expansion of your fashion label. I want to acquire store fronts to help get your brand, your designs out there around the world. Wait, let me finish. I’ve seen your sketches. I know there are hundreds of pages of designs, from blazers to evening wear, that just sit in that folder and don’t see the light of day.

“Your business online is getting bigger, and while you’ve hired some people to help with that job, it’s going to get to a point where it’s going to have an even bigger global reach. And I want to be the one to help you get there.

“So, I’m proposing that I’ll help fund the expansion in exchange for shareholdings and to be on the board of directors. For now. I’ll most likely take a step back in the future. I want to make it clear that the majority of this expansion is yours. You’ll keep that majority until you wish to make changes down the track. And that’s up to you.”

Amira shook her head. “You really are incorrigible, you know that?”

If she left me, we would still have this. I’d still see her. Be her business partner.

If she left me . . .

Fuck.

“I’ve been called much, much worse. But out of your mouth, sweet Amira, I take it as a compliment.”

“You’re a sick man.”

I laughed now. Appreciating her. Wanting her.

“So?”

“You said you’d stay out of my business. We made a deal.”

I shifted, feeling a sliver of guilt. “We did. And I haven’t touched your business. I don’t want to make any changes to what you’re doing. I just want to help you make your dreams come true. All the decisions are yours and yours alone.”

“Why are you doing this? Don’t you have enough businesses in your portfolio?”

“Never. And to answer your question, because I want to. Because you’re important to me, Amira. Your talent is rare.”

“You’re not in the fashion industry.”

“I’ve spoken to many designers since we wed.”

She was surprised by that bit of news. “And?”

“None of them compares to you. You can have that, if you want it. You can have a global empire. Just let me give you my business expertise. Let me talk this through with you and you can then decide whether you want it or not. But I have a feeling from what you’ve shared with me, that this is your next step. This is your dream. Let me make it come true. You’ve done the hard work, so let’s kick it up a notch, ‘coz this shit is going to get harder.”

Amira frowned. “I’ll take a look at the plans, at your proposal, then I’ll think about it.”

“That’s fair.”

I breathed a sigh of relief and showed her the proposal, what the vision would be, and how much it would cost to achieve it. For every protest and question, I had an answer. I’d never been more prepared in my life.

I wanted this for her. I wanted it so much, I hadn’t realized that I’d been nervous. My heart was humming in my chest in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time.

I realized then, that I wanted her to need me. On some level, I wanted this fiercely independent, smart, and competent woman to lean on me. Up until now, I thought that if I gave her this, if I could help make her dreams come true, that it would prove how much I respected her. How much I cared.

But it was personal.

The need I had, the desire I wanted from her wasn’t based on contracts and money.

But love.

I wanted her to want my love, to want me so much that there would never be a thought of leaving. How stupid I’d been. How foolish to think that our marriage contract would stop her from ending things. It was the business of the heart. That was something worth more than any contract in the world.

And while I wanted her to pursue every dream, while I wanted to make that come true for her, I wanted, no, I needed her love more.

My conversation with Maryam from long ago rose to the surface. Damn it, the woman had been right. I understood what she meant now.