Page 66 of The Christmas Trap

“Of course, to gain my inheritance, I need to marry.” I narrow my gaze on her. “I was serious when I said you should become my wife.”

Her breath stutters. But she doesn’t protest. Which tells me, I’ve come a long way since she almost turned me down outright when I last suggested this.

“And you need a husband, so you can go through with your wedding and avoid embarrassing yourself in front of your family and your friends."

She purses her lips.

“Surely, you’ve arrived at the same conclusion. Isn’t that why you texted and asked to meet me?”

She looks away. Her chest rises and falls. She seems to be gathering her thoughts, and when she finally turns back to me, her face is composed. “You’re right. Having thought over your proposition, I must admit, there are certain advantages I see in going ahead with it.”

Finally, fuck. If she’d told me she wasn’t interested in thisarrangement, then I’d have found another way to get her to marry me. You’d better believe it.

Victory tastes sharp and sweet, before I rein in my emotions. No complications, remember? Get married. Get access to my trust fund. Move on with my life.

I compose myself. “But?” I tilt my head.

She blinks.

“I sense a but coming on.” I rest my elbows on the arms of my chair, then touch my fingers together.

“But I have some questions.”

I force myself to relax my shoulders. Almost there. All you need to do is answer her satisfactorily, and then this gorgeous woman will be your wife. Of course, I’ll never let myself fall for her. That’s the one emotion I will not let myself indulge in. But in every other way, she will be mine.

“Go on.” I jerk my chin. “What do you want to ask?”

20

Lark

“Is this going to be a real marriage?”

He regards me steadily. “It’s not going to be a pretend marriage.”

Right.Maybe some part of me had held onto the hope that us marrying each other would be in name only?

On the other hand, I've been fantasizing about him, and now, I don't have to feel guilty about it.

He leans forward in his seat. “Don’t look so terrified. Marrying me can’t be such a horrible prospect?”

Heat flushes my cheeks. “Of course not. But it’s all very confusing.”

“It needn’t be. I’m suggesting we marry each other, and that our marriage is for real.”

O-k-a-y."So, it’ll be a real marriage. Between—" I point between us.

He nods. "I’d be your husband. You’d be my wife. And while we may not have started out in the traditional sense of theword, we’ve gotten to know each other. And this way, we'd get to know one another better.”

He raises one eyebrow, and my skin prickles.

“After we get married.” For some reason, it seems important to emphasize that.

He nods. “Who knows, you might even begin to like me.” He half smiles, but his expression is serious.

I worry that I like him already.

He’s demonstrated there are layers to him. He’s not the hard-nosed, CEO he likes to portray himself as.