Page 32 of Billionaire Grump's Baby

He has to be joking.

I feel faintly lightheaded at the way he’s casually throwing money around, and faintly sick at the way I’m rejecting it. But if I do a good job on his book, I could have more than money.

I could have the connections and reputation I need to launch the next stage of my career.

I take the notebook from Luke and sign it. Then I hand it back to Luke.

He hesitates.

I wait.

Finally, he swears under his breath, but signs it. “You drive a hard bargain, Hazel Dawson.”

Then he tosses the notebook and pen down on my bed, pulls the ring box back out of his pocket, and opens it.

Luke takes the ring and slides it on my finger. “We can get it resized, but you should probably wear it in public...”

He trails off as he realizes the same thing I do. It fits perfectly.

I flex my hand. “Maybe it’s a sign.”

His eyes jerk up to mine.

“That our plan is going to be a success,” I hastily elaborate. “Fake marriage. Hurrah!”

He rolls his eyes and steps back, which basically brings him up against the door.

I knew my apartment was small, but I didn’t realize how small until Luke Dewinter was standing in it.

He reaches for the door handle. “I need to make a call. Pack whatever you need for tonight and meet me on the sidewalk. I’ll have movers get your stuff tomorrow.”

My eyes widen. “Wait. You want me to move in with youtoday?Why?”

He shrugs, the cocky asshole in him rising to the surface. “Why not? Besides, if I leave you in this deathtrap and you get murdered, I’ll have to find a whole new fake wife.”

I grab the journal off the bed and throw it at his head, but I’m too slow. He ducks out into the hallway, shutting the door behind him. The journal hits the door with a halfhearted thump and slides down to the floor.

As I bend to pick the journal up, the ring on my finger snags my attention.

I’m really doing this, I think.

I had a writing professor once who recommended that if we ever had writer’s block, we should try doing something we’d never done before. He swore that novelty could change your perspective and get the creative juices flowing.

I look around the tiny apartment I’ve been cooped up in since I lost my magazine job, and let out a disbelieving, rueful laugh.

Faking a marriage to Luke Dewinter is a terrible idea. But it might be the thing to finally help me break through my writer’s block and get my career back on track.

I just hope it’s worth it.

12

LUKE

For better or worse, I’m a good judge of people.

I’m successful at work because I know how to hire the right people and bring out the best in them. I’ve got a bad reputation with certain board members because I can see right through them, and they don’t like that.

That’s how I know that if I give Hazel too much time to think about the deal we just struck, she’ll talk herself out of it. I could see it in the way she kept frowning and nibbling at her bottom lip as I explained my plan to her.

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