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Tyler smirked as he came around the table to stand next to me. He enjoyed reminding me daily that I could change my mind about stepping down. As far as he knew, I had never been the marrying type, and whatever my fiancé was offering me to marry him wasn’t worth it. Tyler wanted me to marry for love.

What Tyler couldn’t understand was that I’d loved once before and I’d never risk my heart again. And the best way to prevent another heartbreak was to marry the very man who’d shattered my belief in fairy tales and happily ever after.

“But Commander, the troops will never be the same without you.”

“Stop saying that or I’ll punch you,” I growled. “You know how much I hate that title?”

I was never going to live down the name a combatant had given me during a contentious negotiation. The man had tried his hardest to intimidate me, thinking that pointing a gun in my face would scare me into complying with his demands.

Well, it had scared me, but I’d trained myself not to react. After all, I had a habit of walking into situations that had a potential to cause an international incident.

When I’d calmly informed the man that his compound was surrounded by my army of hired guns who wouldn’t hesitate to protect me, he laughed and said I was a worthy opponent even if I was a woman.

“What title?”

“Tyler,” I warned. “Can it with the Commander shit. I have enough on my mind as it is. Let me have these last moments in my office without thinking about the circus that has become my life.”

I turned my gaze to the flawless diamond surrounded by sapphires adorning the ring finger of my left hand and shuddered.

Could I do this? Could I be with Ashur Minesh Kumar, the most powerful man in the nation? Could I become first lady without fucking it up? Could I sleep with a man who made me remember the past but didn’t love me? Could never love me?

My gaze moved to the cover of a news magazine. A polished couple stared out from the pages. The man with rich chocolate eyes, breathtaking good looks, and impeccably groomed style stood with a petite woman who barely came up to his shoulder. There was a headline that read, “First comes an election, then comes marriage, will babies be next?”

A prickle of goosebumps broke out over my skin.

“If you agree to marry me and start a new political dynasty, I will happily sign over half my fortune.”

“What do you mean, start a political dynasty?”

“Exactly what I said. I want children. Help me win the election, give me two children, and you can save the world with your endeavors without ever worrying about funding again.”

“So, you want me to give you petri dish children? That doesn’t sound too bad.”

“No, Tara. I want them the old-fashioned way.”

Tyler set a hand on my shoulder, pulling me from my thoughts. “Commander is who you are, Tara. The agent who will take down an assailant before they knew what hit them. The negotiator who will face off against the scum of the earth to save one life. The woman who is willing to move heaven and earth to help a friend. Just in case you’ve forgotten, with all the chaos of the election and now the wedding, I thought I’d remind you of who you are.”

If Tyler only knew that my marriage would allow me to continue my public human rights work until the day I died. Then again, he couldn’t know. That clause was part of the deal—no one outside of my fiancé and his best friend, Veer George, the current vice president, would ever have any inkling of the details of my relationship.

Eighteen months ago, when we’d agreed to the bargain, love was the last thing on our minds.

Ashur needed a wife, one who would balance his very conservative-leaning tendencies and make him appeal to the voters the then-sitting ultra-conservative president, Henry Edgar, had alienated.

According to Ashur, I was the perfect candidate as an uber-left-wing save-the-world liberal. Especially since I’d navigated a situation where I’d gone toe to toe with Edgar and come out the hero and more internationally renowned than ever. Then there was the fact that we had been childhood sweethearts. This part of our history would give the storybook second-chance romantic solidification to our relationship.

Ashur had offered me fifty percent of his net worth in exchange for marrying him. What he hadn’t known was that I was fully funded by Solon and could do my various humanitarian projects without a second thought.

I’d agreed to his proposal because I needed power. Especially the power that came with a high net worth and allowed me into circles only the elite could ever hope of being included. Among this group of people hid the financiers of the operations that I’d made my life goal to stop.

“You’re one to talk, Mr. Secretary of State. Last I checked, your position as my eyes and ears on the ground disappeared the day you accepted your new job.”

“What was I supposed to say? Ashur is the first president in history to truly fill all high-level positions with people from all political associations and not just his. I’m more useful now than I ever was before.”

“So am I.” I lifted my chin in challenge but knew the lie for what it was. I’d become the pretty face behind the man. A role I’d never ever thought I’d fill.

“That is the furthest thing from the truth, and you know it.” He dropped his arm and turned his gaze to the ominous building down the street from us. “No one will question why I’m meeting with leaders of international organizations or heads of state. It will be a requirement of my job. You, on the other hand, live under a microscope. You are the American version of rags-to-riches to first lady. Everything and anything you do will forever be scrutinized.”

“I know.” I sighed. “The days of making midnight runs for pizza and ice cream are things of the past.”