I ignore the jab. “I need to work.”
“You want to keep cleaning the OWM building?” he asks, flabbergasted.
“No. Why would you think that?”
“If you could get some other job, you would have taken it.”
My face heats with embarrassment. “Well, I can’t spend my entire day doing nothing.”
He scowls. “I suppose I can see what’s available.”
“I don’t want a pity job. I…” I bite my lip, then say, “What I really want is to go back to school.”
“For real?”
“Of course. I’ll just go to some community college nearby.” That should give me time to explore what I want to study. My old major is out of the question.
“Fine. I’ll have an account set up for the tuition and fees.”
“You don’t have to.”
“My wife will be provided for.”
His tone is hard and leaves no room for objections. Besides, a small, selfish part of me thinks why not? He’s got the money and is offering to pay. I can always pay him back later when I finish my degree and get a job.
“Anything else?” he says.
I clear my throat. “Yeah, um…I’m not a professional prostitute. So I can’t guarantee that, you know, I can play this Gigi the way you want me to.”
His knuckles turn white around the steering wheel.
“I don’t know who she is, but I’m guessing I look like her—”
“I will not call you by your real name.” His voice is hard, unyielding.
“Fine. But I can’t pretend to be somebody else. I can’t give you the illusion that you’re with another girl.”
“Relax.” He glances at me, giving my body a once-over. “I’m sure you’ll do just fine as yourself.”
I’m skeptical. And my brain’s telling me I’m being crazy and stupid and ridiculous to even consider this. “I want the whole thing in writing, so there’s no ‘he said, she said’ over what we agreed to.”
“Done.”
“And I won’t sleep with you until after the wedding ceremony,” I say.
“You don’t want a taste of what you’ll be getting?” His gaze skims over me again, leaving a trail of tingling nerve endings behind. “Not even a little curious?”
“No,” I rasp out although my body’s screaming for a touch…a taste. Just a little bit.
“I’ll send you the time and place so we can put everything down in a proper contract with a lawyer, and arrange for movers next week to get you out of your place. Tell your boss you quit on Monday.”
“That soon?”
He cocks an eyebrow. “You want to live in that crappy apartment any longer than you have to? Scrub more toilets?” When I don’t answer, he nods. “Okay, then.”
“But not until we have a signed agreement.”
“You’ll have it on Monday. We will marry on Tuesday.” He pulls back into my driveway.
Without waiting for him, I start climbing out. I don’t care when we marry or any of those details. This is just a transaction.
As I’m closing the door, he says, “Think about what you’re going to wear for the wedding, and all the positions you want to try on our wedding night.”
Jesus. The positions…
Heat sears through me, leaving me aching and wet. My breasts feel swollen and heavy, and my bra is suddenly extra constricting.
I draw in a shaky breath. If he’s half as good at sex as he is at kissing, I might not even survive the wedding night.
Chapter Twelve
Elliot
After I drop her back at her place, I come back home. My cock’s harder than steel, and jacking off won’t do a thing. My dick and hand have become BFFs in the last five days.
Damn it. It’s not like me to actually pursue a woman. Women come to me, easily and freely, not the other way around. I don’t even have to crook my finger.
I can still smell her. The apple-scented shampoo in her hair, the sweet natural fragrance of her soft flesh. Her bright emerald eyes and slightly parted mouth said she wanted me too. It was all I could do to let her go rather than screw her brains out in the car.
If Ryder were in town, I’d go out with him and party, but the bastard is still out of the country. I grab a half-empty bottle of scotch and pour myself a full glass. I really need a drink.
My phone rings. I raise my eyebrows when I see Ryder’s name flash on the screen.
“Well, think of the devil. What the hell’s going on?” I say.
“Hello to you too, bro. Have you gotten into a lot of trouble while I’ve been gone?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t be me if I behaved,” I say. “You still with Paige?”