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We eyed each other, playing the staring game until finally, she looked away. “There’s one thing,” she said finally.
“Anything. Name your price. Or item. I will try my best to get it for you.”
She bit her lip again, looking away briefly before meeting my eyes. “Okay.”
She straightened, holding her back taut. “I need money to enroll in an animation program in New Jersey. I plan to apply in a couple of years so I can save as much as I’d need for the length of the program, which would give us more than enough time for your deal—”
“Done,” I said. “I’ll have the money wired to your account by the end of the week. Just let me know how much you need.”
Ciara blinked rapidly, leaning away from the table as if I had a communicable disease. “Uh…”
“Ciara.” I almost reached for her hand but thought better of it. After all, we had just met, not even twenty-four hours ago, and I didn’t even know how she took her coffee. “Money is a small price to pay—pun fully intended—for what you’d be giving me in return. You would be agreeing to be with me, a man you barely even know, for at least six months, under the guise of a fake marriage. You would have to pretend to be in love with me in front of a whole town of people, most of whom will probably be gossiping about you on the daily. You’d be in the limelight in a way that you undoubtedly have never been before. I’m asking a lot of you.”
“You, too, would be living with someone you barely know,” she pointed out. “And the stakes are much higher for you than they are for me. I’m a nobody in this town. Everyone knows you, though. So I’m getting the better end of this bargain. I even get an upgraded living situation.” She smiled.
I smiled back. “It sounds like we’re equally yoked, then.”
She nodded. “It does.”
Then, she stuck out her hand again. “I’m in,” she said. “Tell me what I need to do.”
Relief engulfed my entire being and made me grin uncontrollably.Thank God,I thought.She agreed.The first step was done; the rest would be much easier.
“Stop making me shake your hand, for one,” I teased, smiling just in case she didn’t get that I was joking. “Are you a hugger?”
She shrugged, though her cheeks got a tinge more pink. “I’ll accept hugs,” she said.
I slid out of the booth, opening my arms wide. “Then get in here.”
She got out of the booth, her awful pantaloons rustling against the plastic of the booth seat, and tentatively came into the shelter of my arms. As she burrowed closer, I was struck by the whole of her. She was by no means short—the top of her head reached my chin—but she felt fragile, in a way. In need of protection. I could feel the bony ridges of her shoulder blades and the slight hold that she had on me.
When I inhaled, I got a noseful of her light perfume and what I presumed to be shampoo. Her scent was a mixture of strawberries and freesias and clean linen, the hopefulness of spring in one breath. I felt myself relax, felt us melting together in a way I hadn’t experienced with any other woman.
But before I could truly relax into the hug, I reminded myself of the goal.You have to make this work, at least for a time,I told myself sternly.You can’t let Zeke get a hold of the estate. It would ruin everything, and he would run your family into the ground.
I had to remember why I was getting married. And it definitely wasn’t because of my fleeting attraction to my fianceé of convenience.
ChapterFive
CIARA
Iparted ways with Nathan at exactly 8:45 a.m., giving myself enough time to get to work. Before I left, we promised each other we’d keep in touch so he could send me the prenup for review and coordinate my moving in.
I didn’t even want to think about what the move would mean for my father. Even though he knew I wanted to enroll in the animation program in New Jersey, that was supposed to be years away. Now, I was planning to move out in the next couple of weeks.
When I finally got to the bookstore, I was out of breath. I had worn my black flats, which were not exactly made for running. Though I couldn’t see my face, I was sure my hair was springing out of its bun and that I was sweating profusely.It’s a good thing I don’t wear makeup,I thought ruefully.
“You’re late.” I spun around to see Daniella standing behind me with crossed arms and a tapping foot.
Daniella was as beautiful as she was mean. She had medium-brown skin that always glowed, and makeup that was model-perfect. Her dark brown hair fell in silky waves and hit her shoulders, feathering out in a way that looked staged. On this day, she was wearing an emerald-green wrap dress that accentuated her figure, and nude pumps that gave the illusion that she was a shoeless Barbie doll. The thought amused me, but I knew better than to laugh aloud while Daniella was scolding me.
“I’m sorry,” I said, even though I knew I wasn’t late. “I got held up at the cafe—”
“There’s no excuse for tardiness,” Daniella snapped. “You’ll have to make it up at the end of your shift. Go put your stuff away. And not another—”
“Hey, Ciara!” a voice called from the entrance.
I turned to see Nathan striding toward me, one of his large, strong hands holding out my art-supplies case. “You forgot this— Oh, hello.”
