She reached out her hand and accepted the envelope. “It only took us five minutes to get married, no reason why the divorce should take any longer.”
“Glad you see it that way.” He gave a sharp nod, and his hand went to the inside pocket of his suit. “Of course, I’ll want to cover any inconvenience.” He extracted a gold pen and a brown leather checkbook, flipped open the cover and glanced at her. “A million?”
Kaitlin blinked in confusion. “A million what?”
He breathed a sigh of obvious impatience. “Dollars,” he stated. “Don’t play coy, Kaitlin. You and I both know this is going to cost me.”
Her jaw involuntarily dropped a notch.
Was he crazy?
He waited expectantly.
Was he desperate?
Wait a minute. Was he desperate?
She gave her brain a little shake. She and Zach were husband and wife. At least in the eyes of the law. Clearly, she was a problem for him. She doubted the high-and-mighty Zach Harper ran into too many problems. At least, none that he couldn’t solve with that checkbook.
Huh.
Interesting.
This time, Kaitlin did chuckle, and tapped the stiff envelope against the tabletop. She certainly didn’t want Zach’s money, but she sure wouldn’t say no to a little payback. What woman would?
This divorce didn’t have to happen in the next five minutes. She’d be in New York for at least another couple of weeks. For once in his life, Mr. Harper could bloody well wait on someone else’s convenience.
She took a breath, focused her thoughts and tried to channel Lindsay. Lindsay was brilliant, and she’d know exactly what to do in this circumstance.
Then, the answer came to Kaitlin. She raised her brows in mock innocence. “Isn’t New York a joint property state?”
Zach looked confused, but then his eyes hardened to flints.
He was angry. Too bad.
“I don’t recall signing a prenup,” she added for good measure.
“You want more money,” he spoke in a flat tone.
All she really wanted was her career back.
“You got me fired,” she pointed out, feeling the need to voice the rationale for her obstinacy.
“All I did was cancel a contract,” he corrected.
“You had to know I’d be the scapegoat. Who in New York City is going to hire me now?”
His voice went staccato. “I did not like your renovation design.”
“I was trying to bring your building out of the 1930s.” The Harper Transportation building had infinite potential, but nobody had done anything to it for at least five decades.
He glared at her a moment longer. “Fine. Have it your way. I got you fired. I apologize. Now how much?”
He wasn’t the least bit sorry for having her fired. He didn’t care a single thing about her. The only reason he’d even remembered her name was because of the accidental marriage. And he’d probably had to look that up.
She squared her shoulders beneath the dusty T-shirt, determined to take this victory. “Give me one good reason why I should make your life easier?”
“Because you don’t want to be married any more than I do.”
He had a fair point there. The mere thought of being Zach Harper’s wife sent a distinct shiver coursing its way up her spine.
It was distaste. At least she was pretty sure the feeling was distaste. With any other man, she might mistake it for arousal.
“Mrs. Zach Harper.” She pretended to ponder, warming to her stubborn stance as she purposely slowed to note her half-packed apartment. “Don’t you have a roomy penthouse on Fifth Avenue?”
He clicked the end of his pen, slowly lowering it to his side. “Are you daring me to call your bluff?”
She cracked her first genuine smile in three months. He wouldn’t do it. Not in a million years. “Yeah,” she taunted boldly. “Go ahead. Call my buff.”
He stepped closer, and an annoying buzz of awareness tickled its way through her stomach. They stared each other down.
“Or you could leave the divorce papers,” she offered with mock sweetness. “I’ll have my lawyer read them over next week.”
“Two million,” he offered.
“Next week,” she retorted, trying not to show her shock at the exorbitant figure. “Summon up some patience, Zachary.”
“You don’t know what you’re doing, Katie.”
“I’m protecting my own interests,” she told him.
And there was something to be said for that. Seriously. Who could guess what his lawyers had hidden in the divorce documents?
They were both silent. Horns honked and trucks rumbled by five floors below.
“I don’t trust you, Zach,” she informed him tartly. Which was completely true.