Page 3 of The Imp Act

CHAPTER THREE

ENZO

I’m up early the next morning, prepping a special breakfast. If I’m going to propose to this woman, whom I’ve only known a few hours, I should at least set the scene. I put out a couple of bowls of fresh fruit—berries, melons, and grapes—to complement the star of the show: chocolate crepes, complete with powdered sugar. I also make a pitcher of mimosas, since champagne will be called for to celebrate our engagement…I hope.

Noelle comes downstairs at the perfect time. I’ve just plated the crêpes and poured the drinks.

“Good morning,” I say. “I hope you slept well.”

She grins at me. “I did, thanks.” She’s wearing nothing but the white button down I discarded last night but, instead of looking like a wrinkled mess, she somehow looks alluring.

“What’s all this?” she asks, looking at the table.

“It’s breakfast,” I respond.

“Seems awfully fancy, but who am I to complain?” She slides into a chair. “It smells amazing in here. Is there anything better than the scent of fresh pastry?”

Gingersnaps , I think to myself. I clear my throat. “Well, I have to admit, I may have had an ulterior motive here. Hence the fancy.”

She pops a strawberry into her mouth. “Color me intrigued,” she says as she chews.

“I have a proposition for you,” I say. “Well, a proposal, I guess you might say.”

“I’m all ears.” She props her elbows on the table and leans in, obviously intrigued.

I sit across from her. “You mentioned you recently graduated from fashion school. Should I assume you have some student loans?”

She laughs. I like that her laugh isn’t dainty. It’s a full guffaw, and it’s cute. “That would be a safe assumption. Boatloads of loans. Here’s hoping my fashion line takes off so I can pay them back.” She crosses fingers on both hands and waves them in the air, a plea to the universe, or maybe to the fashion gods.

“I think I can help you with that. I realized last night: You have something I need, and I have something you need. We could make a deal.”

Her smile fades and she furrows a brow. “Okay. I’m listening.”

“I don’t know how much you know about me,” I say, ‘but I have plenty of money. Enough to cover your bills and then some.”

She still looks skeptical as she takes a sip of her drink. “Pay my bills, huh? And what would you want in return?”

“That’s easy,” I say, giving her an easy grin. “I want you to marry me.”

NOELLE

I choke on my mimosa and lean forward, coughing and gasping.

“You want what ?”

“I want you to marry me,” he says again. “I know it sounds crazy, but it would only be for a year. A marriage of convenience, if you will.”

I raise a hand to stop him from saying anything else as I gather my thoughts. Kaliya’s story from last night is coming back to me. Something about his mother pressing him to get married. That has to be what this is about, but I want details. Why on earth would he choose me ? A woman he barely knows? “I’m gonna need more information.”

He nods. “Of course. If you’re not familiar with imp society, this might not necessarily make a lot of sense, but the short version is that we’re a matriarchal species and my mom has decided it’s time for me to get married. She wants me to marry some fancy imp girl, because it would be good for the family’s reputation. I have no interest in doing that. If I’m getting married, I’m choosing the woman, and honestly, I’d like to choose you. I like you. We had fun last night. I think we could get along for a year and then we both get what we need.”

That’s it? He like s me? We had a fun one-night stand, so I’m marriage material? I blink at him, trying to get my brain to re-engage after he broke it. “So let me get this straight. I just have to marry you, and you pay off my bills? And then in a year, we divorce?”

“That’s the basic idea, although it’s a little more complicated than that. We have to be convincing in the marriage. Act like we’re truly in love. Put on a show for all the world to see. My mother can’t know that it isn’t the real thing.”

I lean back in my chair, contemplating. “But that’s just in public. What about in private?”

“Well, we’d live here together, unless you object. We wouldn’t have to put on the lovey-dovey show if we weren’t being observed, but my mother is crafty and determined. She’ll probably find a way to keep an eye on us. So we might end up sharing a bedroom, but you wouldn’t be pressured to do anything you didn’t want to do. Sex wouldn’t be part of the arrangement, but we would have to be monogamous. That’s a hard rule. And since I’d be covering your expenses, you could turn all your focus to your fashion line.”

It sounds too good to be true. Live with a hot guy for a year while my bills are paid? Yes, please.

“What about my apartment? There’s a fee for breaking my lease.”

He waves a hand in the air. “Not an issue. I can cover that. And you can move whatever furniture or belongings you want here. The rest can go in storage that I’ll pay for. Truly, money is not an issue here. You’d be doing me a huge favor, so covering expenses is the least I can do.”

I run a hand through my hair, trying to look at things from all sides. It’s insane, it will require a year of lying, and it sounds…kind of fun? And definitely good for my bank account.

“You’re a pretty convincing salesman, Enzo. We need to talk it over more, really iron out the details, but if it’s as straightforward as you’re saying, then I’m in.”

His face lights up, and I cut into a crepe and pop the bite in my mouth.

“There’s only one thing you said that I object to,” I say.

“Okay…”

“Sex will definitely be part of the arrangement. I’m not about to be celibate for a year. Not if I’m literally living with you. Do you not remember last night?”

I swallow my bite and grin at him, and he howls with laughter.

“I knew I was gonna like being married to you,” he says.