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She rolled her eyes. “I don’t like this idea. At all.”
His eyes narrowed. “How will my family believe this is real if we don’t live together?”
Though she hated to admit it, he was right. “Fine. But I want a room on the opposite side of the house from you. And I want to be able to come and go whenever I want. If I want to have people over, I want the freedom to do that.”
“People?” He gave her a pointed look. “As in men?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You can’t bring men home, Merritt.”
She didn’t actually plan to, but she didn’t want to put her whole life on hold if she didn’t have to. “Before, when I asked what if I met someone, you said I could take a lover on the side, remember?” She smirked.
He didn’t seem to find that amusing. “That was a joke.”
“Well, what if I meet the one while we’re married?”
He snorted, but she ignored it.
“What am I supposed to do? Tell him about our situation and ask him to wait for me?”
“Yes.”
“Yes?”
“This is part of the price of getting what you want.”
She stood and paced back and forth as she thought about it. “And you don’t get to bring women home either.”
He chuckled, and her eyes darted to his.
“Of course not, Merritt. I’m all yours.”
She ignored the hint of flirtatiousness in his voice. “All right. I agree to live with you in your house in Malibu.”
“And go home to Michigan with me if I need you to.”
“I’d rather not.”
He looked at her curiously. “Why not?”
“Personal reasons.”
“Well, that’s where my family lives, so …”
She dropped into the seat beside him again. “Fine.” She couldn’t hide the exasperation in her voice. If she went to Michigan, she would have to visit her parents, and she didn’t want to do that with a fake husband in tow.
“And my brother’s wedding is in Montana next month. I need you to go with me.”
The thought of meeting his family made her nervous. They were the Schultz family, after all. Their company was huge, and she was more than a little intimidated at the thought of meeting them. “Okay,” she managed.
“Thank you,” he replied.
“What about payment?” she asked. “I’m not doing this for free.”
Gus laughed. “I know that. You’ll get it in three installments.”
She didn’t like that at all. “Why?”