Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 61199 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61199 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
“This is crazy.”
“It’s not, actually.” Alex’s deep voice sounded behind me and I turned to see he was still not wearing a shirt, but there was a difference in him. He seemed settled or content, something like that, but I didn’t know him well enough to know which. “A fake engagement or marriage would be worse for me if anyone found out.”
Dammit, and there goes the guilt creeping in, as if I had anything to feel guilty about. This was Alex’s and Jack’s fault, but I was the one feeling guilty for not jumping into this crazy plan with both feet.
“Listen Sasha, people do this all the time,” Jack explained. “They marry for a variety of reasons and they have for centuries. Love is just one reason, but you know better than most that it’s not always at the top of the list when planning a marriage.”
I clenched my jaws so hard I heard them grinding inside my head as I shot hate darts at him.
“Don’t get upset. Of course, I looked into you and your past. That’s another reason you’re perfect.”
“Yeah? Enlighten me.” Whatever he thought he knew was only what the family publicist wanted the world to know.
“Your parents got married because it was the joining of two powerful families. Maybe over time they grew to love each other, but it wasn’t a love match.”
“What?” Alex dropped down beside me and took Dixie from my arms, leaning back on the sofa to give her a comfortable and warm surface to snooze.
“You didn’t know that your nanny is from a rich family?” Jack laughed. “She has plenty of money of her own, which means no one will dare accuse her of being a gold digger.”
Alex’s frown darkened. “You said your parents were rich, not you.”
“I’m not,” I insisted.
“But you have a trust fund.”
“You do?” Alex sat up, but when Dixie squirmed he leaned back and gave her a soothing pat on the back.
“I have one, yes. But I haven’t touched it in years. I live on my salary.”
Jack clapped his hands together loudly and the sound startled Dixie from her sleep. “That’s what makes you so perfect. A rich girl working as a nanny and living off her meager salary. The people will love you.”
“The salary is hardly meager,” I grumbled, so annoyed I wanted to throw something at Jack’s smiling face.
“You’re rich,” Alex said again.
“Focus,” Jack snapped. “You’re perfect for this Sasha, whether you like it or not. What’s it going to take to get you to say yes?”
I didn’t have a price. There was nothing I wanted, except this. I didn’t want to be real fake married to Alex. I turned to Alex with a plea in my gaze for him to be the reasonable one right now.
“Why can we just tell them that I’m the nanny because you’re a busy professional and Dixie’s mother is no longer with us, or whatever. The point is just tell them I’m the nanny.”
Alex shook his head even before I finished speaking. “Sasha, look at me.”
I didn’t want to look at him. The sight of him shirtless and holding Dixie was too much. It was what my friend Toni would call an ovary-exploder. “Alex.”
“Jack’s right, it has to be this way.”
“Why? There are literally like, ten other options.”
“Because no one will believe that you’re just the nanny.”
“But that’s the truth!” My voice grew in pitch until I was sure there were dogs in the city going crazy right now. This was all so strange, and I was slowly starting to feel like I was in an alternate universe.
“You’re right. It’s the truth, and it would be believable, if it was anyone other than me.” He looked away. “Anyone who knows my reputation won’t believe that I could share a home with a beautiful woman and keep it platonic. They’ll just keep speculating and they’ll believe we’re together even if we tell them otherwise. Let’s give them the story they’re desperate to believe.”
Dammit that did make a weird sort of sense. “And you’re all right with this, just marrying a virtual stranger?”
He nodded, but I didn’t believe him.
“Liar. You’re all right with not dating or sleeping with anyone else for the duration of our marriage?”
His mouth did the guppie dance of uncertainty and I knew the truth. “I can do it.” His gaze met mine and I saw the truth in those depths. For his career, Alex would do anything, and that was something I respected the hell out of him for.
“I need to think about it.” I wanted to help Alex, and Dixie, but I didn’t want to get roped into a situation that was destined to end badly.
“You can’t tell anyone,” Jack growled, an unwelcome reminder of his presence.
“Too bad. I have to tell Serenity. She’s my boss and this little charade will only last a few months, but after that I still have a career to think about. Just because you don’t respect it, doesn’t make it invalid.”