I let out a soft sigh, playing with one of Rhodes's curls at the nape of his neck. "It doesn't work like that for me, I have to finish my degree so I can get a job."
"No, you don't," he says, his cheeky grin is back, revealing the deep dimples in his cheeks. "You don't need a degree or a job, I have all the money you'll ever need," he smirks before he dips his head down to the other side of my neck and peppers it with kisses. His words cause my breath to hitch in my throat. He says I don't need to go to school or get a job because he will provide everything for me? Does he really think of us being THAT long term, or is it an empty promise of safety and security that will really fuck things up for me if things go wrong?
"Don't be silly, I've always worked, I have to work. And to work, I need my degree," I reply calmly, trying not to get lost in the thoughts swimming around my head. Thoughts of following Rhodes around the globe, spending my days doing whatever I want, never needing to work again. It would be wrong of me to say that a small part of me didn't want that because I think that everyone does want that in a way. But it would get very old very quickly, and after a while, my days would begin to feel empty. He shrugs his shoulders; I don't know if he really realizes what those words mean, he wouldn't surely be promising me that he would take care of me forever, we've known each other for such a short amount of time.
"Yeah, I get it, I just wish you were going. New York is incredible, it's one of my favorite places," he mumbles with a smile in response. I know he isn't used to people saying no to him, especially since I signed a contract essentially making myself available to him whenever he wants. But we've evolved, things have changed, I can't allow myself to get lost in his life no matter how tempting it may be.
"Maybe you can take me one day?" I ask him. That seems to cheer him up. He nods his head with a soft smile, the sparkle returning to his emerald green eyes. Thank God this didn't dissolve into a fight, I don't want us to be angry at one another especially when he's about to leave for a week.
"Absolutely," he confirms. "What are you wearing tonight?" he asks, his hand on mine as he helps me slide my body off the counter. He follows me into his walk-in wardrobe, where my dress hangs alone in a garment bag at the end of a row of expensive suits. His wardrobe is fairly monochrome, the majority of his clothes with pops of color are found in the drawers to the sides of the racks. Rhodes's fingers touch the bottom of the fabric of the dress, rubbing it between his fingers gently with a wide smile on his face.
"Lovely. You might want to put it on now, we have to leave in about ten minutes," he adds. I nod my head and reach up for the dress, sliding it out of the garment bag. To my surprise, Rhodes doesn't leave the room, instead, he takes up a leaning position in the doorway. I raise an eyebrow at him.
"Do you mind?" I hold up the dress as a gesture.