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The role reversal here isn’t lost on me. He’s pleading with me.
“You don’t want to try to fall in love?” I ask him. “Find something real?”
Caleb’s gaze slides away from mine, and there’s pain on his face that shows me this man isn’t the arrogant bastard I thought he was. There’s a shell that’s protecting him from whatever this is. A pain that is down to his deepest core. He doesn’t answer me, his gaze is so far away that I think he might have forgotten that I am even here.
This proposition doesn’t seem like bullshit to me. I’ve always been good at spotting a liar, and Caleb seems sincere. Or as sincere as he is capable of being right now. Is a month of my life too much of a price to pay for my dream? And free of charge? All that money I saved can be mine. I could start a brand new life after this is over. All I have to do is say yes for a month.
Would it really be that bad?
Given the mind-shattering orgasm that he just gave me, I daresay it wouldn’t be bad at all, if sex were a part of the deal. Even if it weren’t, I could live with him for a month.
“Would sex be part of this deal?”
He does look at me then, heat in his eyes. “If you want it to be. I would never force you. This deal isn’t a ploy to extort you for sex or turn you into a prostitute, if that’s what you’re worried about. If you say no sex, then it’s fine. Though we would need to be affectionate in front of my family so they think we’re in love. What do you want? Obviously I have no objection to fucking you like that for a month.”
I bite my lip. The answer my body wants is obvious. But is it smart? Hell, none of this is smart. “With protection,” I say. “I want us to be able to separate without any entanglements.”
He nods, and then smirks. “Agreed. Can’t get enough of me?”
“Honestly, I should tell you no. That there isn’t going to be any sex whatsoever and that you can never touch me again. But if I’m going to sell my soul for my dream, then I might as well have fun, right?”
Caleb snorts. “I’m hardly asking you to sell your soul, Ally.” His gaze is intense now. “If I were asking for that, I’d want a lot more from you. And believe me, you would know.”
I believe him. This man is intense, and I have no doubt that he would be very clear about his intentions if he chose to go after a woman that he wanted to keep forever. There’s a tiny pang in my gut that I immediately dismiss. I’m a means to an end for him. No, we’re a means to an end for each other.
We’ll make the best of it and then go our separate ways. So why do I feel like I’m entering into something permanent and life-changing? Why does this feel heavier than what it is, a simple arrangement to get us both what we want. Maybe because this day has been crazy, full of adrenaline and sex, and I have an over-active imagination. That’s probably why.
I still have a healthy amount of skepticism in my mind, but I find myself feeling more at ease. I can do this. No, I will do this. “Okay, I’ll do it. If you can provide me with paperwork that reflects all of this before we sign the marriage license.”
“Done,” he says.
“Really?” I half expected him to push back, to try to negotiate or make an excuse for wiggle room.
Caleb downs what little remains of his beer. “Yes,” he says. “I’m not trying to trap you, and I don’t want to be trapped. I want this to be crystal clear. No tricks up my sleeve. Paperwork will make sure that we’re both on the same page. It’s an excellent idea.”
“Okay.”
Then that slow grin appears again. “Seal the deal with a kiss?”
My first instinct is hell no. And the second instinct immediately follows and roars hell yes. I realize we haven’t ever kissed. We just did a hell of a lot, but I never felt his lips against mine. Suddenly there’s a tornado of butterflies in my stomach. “Okay.” My heart is pounding in my ears. I feel like a teenager suddenly. Nervous and excited at the same time.
Slowly, Caleb comes around the island and pulls me toward him. “Ready, Ally?”
“Ready,” I say, though I’m honestly not sure.
He starts it off with just a brush of his lips against mine. A whisper of a kiss that spreads warmth across my entire body. Slowly, the kiss deepens. I find myself falling. This kiss becomes the center of my universe and I don’t think I ever want to break away.
