Page 19 of Her Athlete's Wedding Secret

“I’m not a slob. And having a cleaning lady does help. It forces me to be even cleaner than normal because I want the place picked up for her to clean. I don’t like other people seeing my mess.”

“What’s your house like?” Tessa asked.

“I live in a two-story condo at the top of a high-rise building in Manhattan.”

“That sounds fancy.”

“It’s fairly new. I just moved in last year.”

“How many bedrooms does it have?”

“It has three, but I use one as a workout room.”

“It sounds nice.”

“I’m lucky to have it. I just hope I can keep it.”

“That’s all the questions I have.” Tessa picked up her burger and began eating.

“Well, that wasn’t so hard. Did I pass?”

“I’m going to have to think about it some more,” Tessa said.

“Are you serious?” he said.

“I’m just kidding.” Tessa smiled at him. “You passed.”

“Does that mean you’ll marry me?”

“Only if you get me a decent ring and take me on a nice honeymoon,” Tessa said. “That may sound weird, considering our circumstances, but I’ve been watching my friends get married off, and I want the whole romantic experience. I know it won’t be romantic for us, and I understand that, but this is all I get, so I want to make the most of it.”

“I’m sorry it has to be this way for you, Tessa. You deserve better. You should have the entire package. I can’t give that to you, as much as I want to.”

“I get it. Don’t worry about it. I’m just here to get a better job opportunity. But that doesn’t mean I want my chance as a bride to be lame either.”

“You’ll get your chance to have your fancy wedding. We have to convince my coach and the media that this is all real, anyway.”

“How soon would we need to get married?”

“I’d need to be married as soon as we can get a wedding put together. Maybe in a month? I need to be back from our honeymoon so I can start playing football again.”

“So, you’re thinking a July wedding?” Tessa asked.

“Yep. Does that work for you?”

She threw her hands up in the air. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but yes. It works for me.”

“I never thought I’d be this excited to get married, but it means I get to keep my career. Thank you, Tessa, I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”

“You don’t need to thank me. You’re the one offering me an opportunity to pursue my dreams. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement.” As she said it, she felt her cheeks growing hot under Benson’s gaze. He was alarmingly good looking. How could she pretend to be in love with him and not fall for him? Especially with all the romantic things they were about to do. He’d even mentioned a honeymoon. Those tended to be all about the romance. But she’d gotten a clear message from Benson. He wasn’t interested in romance.

And neither was she, right?

---