Page 28 of Wicked God
The crowd presses in, but I barely notice. My head is a storm: the memory of her mouth on mine, the heat of her skin, the ache of wanting something I can’t have. It all feels like a cruel joke.
Outside, the rain has stopped. The city is slick and glistening, neon reflections bleeding across the pavement. My chest is tight. I lean against the gallery wall, eyes squeezed shut. Olivia’s face flashes behind my eyelids: wide hazel eyes, parted lips as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t. The hurt in her expression when I walked away.
I exhale hard, push off the wall, and head for the car. My fists are still clenched in my pockets, jaw locked. I shouldn’t have left her like that. Shouldn’t have let her see how much she’s getting to me. But damn it, how am I supposed to act like nothing happened? Like we didn’t spend hours tangled together, her body pressed to mine, her breath hot against my skin?
It’s been a long time since a woman got under my skin like this. Less than a week, and Olivia already owns real estate in my head.
“Alex!” Olivia’s voice rings out, clear and strong. I turn around.
Olivia stands several feet away, the wind ruffling her hair, her eyes trained on me, pure determination written on her face.
“What?”
“Can we talk for a minute?”
“We just did.” I arch a brow, letting the sarcasm bite. “And you didn’t have anything to say.”
“Don’t be difficult,” she says, stepping closer. There’s steel in her spine now, a quiet confidence. “I need your help. My sister doesn’t know about the deal between your father and my uncle. Can you help me keep her out of it?”
“And how do you propose we do that?”
She shivers in her dress, arms folded tight, hands trembling. I sigh and don’t even try to control my instinctual reaction. I quickly take off my jacket and give it to her.
The wind gusts again, and Olivia instinctively grabs the jacket, her eyes on me.
“I want you to marry me,” she says. No hesitation. No shame.
“Excuse me?” I choke on the words. My mind scrambles to catch up.
“I know it’s crazy,” Olivia says, voice shaking just a little. “But I must protect my sister and salvage what’s left of her future.”
Part of me admires her cunning, her willingness to sacrifice herself. Another part is furious that she’d use me like this,propose a sham marriage after everything we’ve shared. But mostly, I’m confused as hell.
Was she plotting this from the start?
“You want to marry me,” I say, slow and flat, “to save your sister.”
Olivia nods. “It’s the only way I can keep her safe from all of this.”
I run a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply. “Christ, Olivia. Do you have any idea what you’re asking? Was last weekend all part of this? Was any of it real?”
“None of this was part of the plan. Last weekend wasn’t a strategy. I didn’t even know your last name.”
Against my better judgment, I believe her.
“You confuse me,” I admit, stepping in until there’s barely any space between us. “One minute you’re hot, the next you’re cold. First, you pretend nothing happened, then you’re asking me to marry you. What do you want, Olivia?”
She runs her fingers along my jacket sleeve, eyes clear and earnest. “I need you to marry me for one year. Think about it. If we’re married, our families can’t force either of us into their plans. We’d be in control. After a year, you’re free. No obligations. No games. We walk away, both of our problems solved.”
For the first time tonight, I really look at her. Searching for a lie, a trap, anything but the raw conviction in her hazel eyes. All I see is hope. And a little bit of desperation.
“One year,” she whispers. “No strings attached. It’s a business arrangement with a touch of madness.”
Now I know how the devil sounds when he offers you a deal for your soul.
“Madness,” I echo. I want to laugh at the sheer absurdity of it all almost as much as I want to grab her and kiss her senseless, consequences be damned. “That’s one word for it.”
Chapter 14
