Page 104 of Between Now and Forever

I cross my arms and glare at the him before I turn away and glare at the wall. My eyes drift around the room as I contemplate my options. I take in the speckled white wall and the concrete floors of the windowless room. Right now, being subject to Duke’s goodwill feels like a huge upgrade from this place.

“I want a job. A good one at Wolfe. It doesn’t have to be high up, but it has to be decent enough to allow me to pay my rent and save some money every month.”

“You don’t need to worry about rent. My house is big enough for both of us.”

“I want my own space,” I say, my expression and tone making it clear that this is my red line.

A pleased smile crinkles the corners of his eyes and he nods approvingly.

“Done. Those are reasonable things. And as long as you toe the line, I can get your father to say yes to both of them.” He smiles and I hate the triumph I see there. But, I don’t have any better offers. No one else is looking for me.

“You get to come home, do what he says, make him believe that you’re sorry and ready to cooperate. We’ll start spending time together, sitting together at functions, and then we’ll tell everyone we’re dating. We’ll do this for a few months, then we’ll get engaged. We’ll set a date for a year after that.”

I blanche.

“A year? Why a whole year? Let’s pretend to date for a month, get engaged and then run off to Vegas. Get the clock running ASAP.”

He shakes his head, his smile indulgent, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “This can’t look like anything other than you and me falling in love and getting married. The trust rules are clear, no marriages of convenience or the inheritance will be voided.”

“Oh God.” I groan. Can I pretend to be with him for close to two years?

Yes, I can. I have people who need me.

I stare at him as my decision knits together inside of me.

“So, if I said yes, what would happen next?”

He leans back in his chair.

“You’ll need a makeover. I’d like you blonde. And, I’ll also pick your clothes. I want you dressed a lot more conservatively.”

I squint my eyes in a “say what?” expression. “That’s excessive.”

He shrugs and picks nonexistent lint off the sleeve of his navy-blue blazer.

“That’s my line in the sand. Not a lot to ask, and honestly, it’s what they’ll expect. I wouldn’t date a woman who looked and dressed like you…you used to.” His eyes run over my face and head, and I’m keenly aware that my shorn hair hasn’t exactly grown in straight.

“I’d like to make it look as real as possible.” His hand reaches out to cover mine and his thumb swipes the top of it.

“We should get comfortable being intimate, touching each other, kissing… and who knows?” He raises his eyebrows and his lips curl in a suggestive smile.

Unease prickles and “I-I’m not going to sleep with you,” I say and flush.

He lets go of my hand and reaches across the table to cup my face.

“If you want something, truly want it, you’ll do anything to get it. And spending the next couple of years being who he expects you to be, is a small price to pay for the rest of your life.”

He extends his hand for me to shake.

I feel like I’m standing on a sinking ship. Either way I’m going to end up in the water. If I stay where I am, I will surely drown. But if I jump into the water I’ll be chum for the sharks. My chances of escaping unscathed are slim. But, I’m a pretty good swimmer and unscathed is better than dead.

Either way. It’s time to pay the piper. Carter is a world away and not thinking about me. And even if he were, there’s nothing he could do for me. I feel relieved that I’m finally free of this fantasy I concocted about him.

Mind made up, I put my hand in his.

Just like that, we have a deal.

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