Page 11 of Modern Romance Collection March 2025 (1-4)

“Would you like to invite anyone to the wedding?” he asked innocently.

She hadn’t agreed.

But you’re going to, aren’t you?

She didn’t want to, but she didn’t know how to say no to something that would potentially set Rhys up for life. It would make Mom’s life easier, her own as well. She wouldn’t constantly feel the need to take every single job. Maybe, just maybe, she could ease the pressure that sat on her chest every single day whispering to her that she was failing everyone while desperately treading water.

Sinking a little deeper every year. Keeping the overwhelming loan for Rhys’s education from her friends so they didn’t worry. From Rhys. He was so sure he was grown, so sure he could take care of himself.

But he had no idea. Atnineteen, he had absolutely no idea.

All she had to do to make sure he never found out was pretend a little bit for one year. Was that really all that different than working her ass off for years? It would still be work. She’d just be working for the devil.

Temporarily.

Temporarily.

A person could withstand anything—evil, pain, et cetera—temporarily.

“I will not be inviting anyone. This will be the most embarrassing and lowering moment of my life. I wish to have no witnesses.”

He laughed at that, deep and resonant. As if anything about this was anything to laugh at, to enjoy.

“I will need to see all the papers first,” she told him tersely. “Everything spelled out, just as you’ve said. I want my loan paid off before I say I do, as leverage.”

He didn’t balk. “I live to serve.”

“You live to ruin.”

“You’re going to have to work on your pillow talk.”

It was more than enough. She hadn’t eaten anything, but still she pushed back from the table and stood. “I have to go somehow break the news to my mother. I want the papers. By tonight. I won’t say ‘I do’ until they satisfy. Until the loan is paid off.”

“Aye, aye, captain.”

She didn’t trust his easy agreement atall, but she didn’t know what else to do about it. She’d have Your Girl Friday’s lawyer look over the contract, no doubt find whatever underhanded thing he was trying to accomplish, and then she could laugh in his face.

Hopefully after he paid off her loan.

She turned to walk away. To not be in his orbit so she didn’t have to think too deeply on what she’d just agreed to.

“Oh, there’s one little thing we did not discuss,” he called after her, his voice lazy.

“What?”

“Consummating the marriage.”

She whirled around to face him. Was hemad? But he was smiling at her, in that very…male predator type of way. Like he’d even want to… Well,shedidn’t and never would. So. “Never.”

“Don’t issue a challenge, Lynna,” he said, still so lazy and unbothered. “Ilovea challenge.”

For a moment she felt simply caught in the laser focus of his dark gaze. Then she remembered herself and whirled away again. “You’ll love being a corpse then,” she offered as her parting shot.

And then she hurried back to her room so she could call her mother, call her friends and have everyone talk her out of this insanity.

* * *

Athan straightened the tie of his tux in the full-length mirror. Everything had worked out. After longer than he’d liked, and a few more negotiations than he had planned on, Lynna had signed the papers. He had paid off her loan.

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