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Make her feel like she’s the most beautiful woman in the world.

That won’t be a problem. Nia is the most beautiful woman I know.

Make her feel like you can’t wait to touch her.

Totally easy. I’m desperate to get my hands on her. I haven’t in weeks. My damn well-meaning sister put Nia in her own room, so for the last two nights I’ve lain awake, alone and hard, wondering what Nia is doing on the other side of the wall and if she’s thinking of me.

Make her feel like you can’t wait to slide a ring on her finger.

Again, this shouldn’t be difficult. The more time passes, the more I’m convinced this marriage makes sense. The more I’m certain she’s the right choice. And the more I’m determined to see the stamp of my possession on her.

Make her come every single time you get her into bed.

I want to. I’m ready to try. I worry this sounds easier than it is, though. I lack her experience. I knew what buttons to push with Becca, but Nia is a completely different woman. Sure, the sex between us seemed scorching, but what if we’re not as earth-shattering together as I remember? Anxiety and pent-up need gnaw at me, but if drowning a woman in pleasure is as effective as all three guys swore and our chemistry is everything I recall, then sex is a tool I should utilize now.

Make her feel like she’s got you—body, heart, and soul.

Body, absolutely. I’ll happily devote that to her. The rest of this notion is problematic, however. I don’t think I can love again. Nia is certainly worthy, but once you love someone, logically you no longer have your heart to give to someone else. So…if I loved Becca, how could I possibly fall in love with Nia? It doesn’t compute. But I will be a responsible, faithful, and dependable husband. No one will be more important to me. Can’t that be enough?

“All right,” Nia says finally. “I accept that it’s your turn and you’re probably not going to tell me what you’ve planned for us.”

“I’m not.”

“Meanie.” Her pout deepens. “At least tell me where you went yesterday? You were gone for hours.”

Does she want to know because she missed me? “Didn’t you enjoy your time by the pool with the ladies?”

“I did. We had a lot of fun. They’re great to hang out with and easy to talk to. And very curious about you.”

“Well, Griff, Maxon, and I worked, scouting potential office spaces on the island, just in case.” Which is true, but that’s not all we accomplished.

“Any location you liked?”

“A few. Still narrowing it down. If the Stratus deal falls apart and I end up moving the company to the island, I’ll pick somewhere close to the new house.”

She cocks her head. “Why would it fall apart when you finally have the deal you want?”

“I never trust anything until the ink is dry.”

“But you’re planning to say yes?”

“Why would I say no? Granted, I don’t like the fact they’re trying to lock down all the employees for two years, and Lund has made it clear he’s done negotiating. But⁠—”

“All the employees? Does that apply to me, too?”

“Everyone, unless they leave Stratus before I sell.” I try not to grit my teeth. “I intend to take you with me, Nia.”

She looks wide-eyed. “When are you going to tell everyone so they can start deciding what they want to do?”

It’s a fair question. I don’t have an answer. “As soon as I read through the latest offer they sent, scan the details, and see if they’ve truly met all my terms so I can actually close the deal. You still think selling is a billion-dollar mistake?”

“I think they’ll run your business into the ground in under twelve months because they don’t have the knowledge or the passion you do. How would you feel if Stratus was no more?”

I can’t imagine Douglas Lund would be dumb enough to spend that much money on a company only to kill it off. But hypothetically, it’s possible. Weirder things have happened. “It would suck.”

Years of hard work…gone. Logically, it shouldn’t matter. I will have made an astronomical profit and gotten out at Stratus’s peak—every entrepreneur’s dream. But I admit, I don’t much like that notion.

“It would, and I think you can build the company into something even bigger. But whatever you decide, at least you have a lot of amazing places to choose from once you relocate here.”