Page 22 of Unstable

She watched as a slight tic shuddered across his jaw, and he blinked long and slow before responding. “Yeah. We’ll do what we have to do.”

Her skin went hot as shame assailed her. It was one thing to ask a friend to watch a dog or water plants, but this…? What had begun as a simple deception had quickly become so much more serious.

“I think, um…” She scrunched up her nose to get rid of the burning sensation and blinked rapidly against the moisture that blurred her eyes as she turned away. “I appreciate it. But I can’t.”

“Why not?” There was a hard edge to his voice that sent a shiver down her spine.

“I just can’t.”

One hand wrapped around her bicep and whirled her toward him. “Look at me.”

Only inches away, she had no choice but to do so. She glared up at him. “What?”

“Tell me why you’ve changed your mind.”

“I just…” She dropped her gaze to his broad chest. Dark ink peeked out from beneath the neckline of the tight black tee shirt, and she curled her fingers into a fist to keep from tracing the intricate design. She drew a deep breath. “What would your family say?”

He studied her for a long moment. “They won’t find out.”

So she would be a dirty little secret. “And… how do you feel about this?”

He leaned against the island and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her. “It’s just a few months.”

She bit her lip. “Does that bother you?”

He lifted one shoulder, and his gaze skated over her shoulder and out the window. Finally, he exhaled. “I don’t know.”

“We don’t have to do this,” she said softly, even as her heart plummeted toward her toes. “There has to be another way without forcing you to⁠—”

“You’re not forcing me into anything.” He straightened. “And this is the best scenario at the moment. It creates a diversion while getting you out of harm’s way.”

“What happens when it’s over?”

His gray-blue eyes bore into hers. “We’ll figure that out when the time comes.”

She closed her eyes before meeting his gaze. “Just… promise you won’t regret this?”

He stared at her for a long moment, then finally gave his head a slow shake. “Never.”

“That’s…” She struggled for words, still overwhelmed by his offer. She didn’t know what had changed over the past eight hours, but she wasn’t going to take it for granted. She would give Roman literally anything he wanted—pay him whatever she had to—to make this go away. “I really appreciate this. And I swear I’ll make it up to you. I’ll pay you for⁠—”

“No.” His hand tightened on her arm, pulling her infinitesimally closer to him. She sucked in a breath as he dipped his head until it was even with hers, a fierce expression in his eyes. “I won’t take a dime from you.”

“But I⁠—”

“No buts.” He tipped his chin and held up a finger. “We’re also going to draft a prenup.” She opened her mouth, but he cut her off with a slice of his hand. “No negotiations on this.”

“Roman—”

“No.” He shook his head.

She threw her hands up. “You didn’t even listen!”

He crossed his arms over his broad chest as he regarded her, one eyebrow cocked toward his hairline. “I didn’t have to.”

She scowled at him. “If you think you’re doing this for me, it’s not worth it. I don’t even own this house outright.” She could tell by his expression that he was wavering, and she continued. “Seriously. The process can take a long time, and it’ll cost more to do the paperwork than anything you would get out of it.”

A small furrow appeared between his eyes, and worry caused his mouth to tip down at the corners. “I don’t like this.”