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“You enjoy it,” I observed. “Work, I mean.”
“It’s everything to me,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. “I mean, it’s a lot of responsibility put on my shoulders, but I love it. The focus. The drive. Dad left it all to me and… well…” He shook his head, a strange look passing over his face. “Sort of left it all to me.”
His contented demeanor shifted into something harder—a bitterness I hadn’t seen in Walker before, ever.
“What is it?” I tilted my head and leaned forward.
For the first time since he’d arrived, he seemed almost hesitant to speak. He looked down, staring at his half-eaten pizza with disdain.
“Dad left me everything—but with one fucking ridiculous stipulation. I’m supposed to get married before I can collect on my inheritance.”
Something in my heart seized at his words. Was he seeing someone? Were they that serious? I shoved those thoughts down, letting a shocked laugh bubble up instead.
His gaze turned to me, and he lifted a brow. “What’s so funny?”
“All you have to do is get married? Why is that so awful? You’re the head of Royal Technology. You’re a billionaire. What’s so bad about waiting until you’re married to get the rest of what your father left you?”
“Because it includes controlling share of the company,” he said, an almost pained expression on his face. “And if I let it sit too long, other shareholders will sink their claws too far into the company. Which is something my father should have understood, but I suppose he had his reasons.”
Whatever those reasons were, it didn’t sound like Walker thought they were good ones. Honestly, I was inclined to agree with him. A simple monetary inheritance was one thing; a share of the company was something else altogether. It was strange to think something as huge as controlling interest in the family business could be played like a chess piece—but I’d learned during my high school years with kids from the same kinds of families as Walker that nothing was ever off the table.
“You have any idea what you’re going to do?”
He chuckled, running his hand through his hair. “One idea came to me last night. I’ve thought about it, but…”
He trailed off, and I nudged his foot with mine under the table.
“But…?”
“I already know it probably won’t work.”
I scoffed. “Well, you’ll never know until you try. What’s your idea? It’s your inheritance. You deserve it.”
“Well…” He looked at me, biting his full bottom lip between his teeth. “Well, I was going to ask you, Macks.”
I blinked at him a few times and then laughed. Guffawed, really.
“Good one, Walker. Come on. What’s your real plan?”
“That was my real plan. And since, like I said, I knew the answer was going to be a big fat no, I think I’ve been proved right.”
As I stared at him, it dawned on me that he was one hundred percent serious. Walker J. Prince was honestly considering marrying me to fulfill his father’s strange requirements. Years ago, I probably would’ve jumped at the prospect of walking down the aisle with this man, but now I couldn’t help but wonder why he’d chosen to ask me.
“I—wow. I mean, okay. First of all, why me? Don’t you have a girlfriend or something? A best friend, even? Walker, we—”
“Have a history, I know. And no, I don’t have a girlfriend—and considering the fact that Grant and I are both very, very straight, the best friend thing isn’t an option either. Why wouldn’t I consider you?”
He said it as if it was so obvious. Like it was just as plain as rain.
“Maybe because our history has a bit of baggage attached to it,” I said, my eyes still bugging out of my head. “Walker…”
“I would make it worth your while,” he promised. “It would be a sham marriage, but you would reap all the benefits of being my wife—”
“So, you’re bribing me?”
“No! I’m not saying that. I’m saying this would be a huge favor to me, and I’d be willing to pay you back for helping me with something that’s a personal inconvenience to me and honestly shouldn’t be anyone else’s problem—and wouldn’t be, if not for the fact that my father was obviously insane.”
My mind reeled as I pushed my plate away. I took a moment to steady myself mentally and think through the situation. I knew I shouldn’t even be considering his proposal one teensy tiny bit, but his words echoed in the back of my mind.
