Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 50620 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 253(@200wpm)___ 202(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50620 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 253(@200wpm)___ 202(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Her confession sent a shiver down my arms. No one had ever asked that of me. Sure, women wanted to date me, but that was because they had ulterior motives. They wanted either money or fame or both. But Clarke wanted me. And not just sex with me, a relationship.
“You could have asked for anything. Pay off your student loans, a million dollars, whatever. I would have said yes to just about anything.”
“Money has no value to me. And I don’t have student loans. My dad is kinda famous, remember? We had plenty of money.”
“Live with me. Make it official. You okay with that?”
“I’m not getting rid of my apartment in DC. My job depends on me being in the capital.”
“Married people live together,” I pointed out.
“Will, I’m a political correspondent. I have to follow the action. Why don’t you move in with me?”
I contemplated my schedule for the first half of the year and nodded. “I guess I could make that work. But when I have practice and home games, I’m staying in Philly. And I want you to stay with me when you can.”
“You travel a lot, anyway. I doubt we’ll see each other much.”
“I also want you to come to some of my games.”
“Don’t get mad when you play the Caps because I’ll be cheering for my home team.”
I wrapped my arm around her and rubbed the top of her head. “You’re such a brat.”
She wiggled in my arms, laughing and shouting as I tickled her. I loved this and how I felt when I was with her. Clarke pushed back, kicking me as she struggled to break free.
“At some point, we have to get an annulment.”
Her words sucked the air from my lungs. Of course, that was the plan. But I wasn’t on board with it.
“Before we do this, we need to come to terms. Three months, that’s all I’m willing to give you. Then you need to figure out how to fix your bad boy image on your own.”
I had no plans of letting Clarke go. She didn’t know it yet, but I was playing for keeps. After years of hating me, I wanted her to know the real me. And I wanted to know the real Clarke, not the woman who only tolerated me for sex.
She was afraid of men. That much I had gathered over the years. Too many men had hurt her, and I was one of them. But I wanted to change, to show her I was not another statistic in her life.
I extended my hand. “Do we have a deal?”
“I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this.”
She bit her lip and sighed as we shook hands.
“I have an idea to find your phone,” I told her. “Have you ever seen the movie The Hangover?”
She chuckled. “You’re joking, right? Who hasn’t?”
“We’ll use my Instagram to piece together our night.”
“It’s a crazy idea. But what do I have to lose?”
Nothing.
Chapter Nine
CLARKE
I’m the world’s biggest idiot, or the world’s biggest pushover. Until today, I’d never considered myself either of those things. So why did I agree to stay married to Will for three months? I could have said one, just enough to help both of us save face with the media.
Three months! That was like an eternity with Will. And why did I ask for something real, when I wasn’t even interested in a relationship with him? What a moron. I thought I’d screwed up marrying the player. Turns out making this deal was an even bigger mistake.
And now I had to go through with it. No matter how much something bothered me, I persevered. I pushed through and saw it until the bitter end.
So that’s what I will do.
Will did not know what my real life was like, only the parts I showed him. Reporters would hound us, asking hundreds of questions about our relationship. How in the hell were we going to pull this off? I didn’t even know anything about him that wasn’t already available on Google.
Will held my hand as we talked to the security guard at the Bellagio. Fear shook through me at the thought of my story getting out. My boss would kill me.
This was my chance to get noticed for my talents and not my father’s legacy. I’d lived in his shadow for too many years and was ready to step out into the spotlight. But now, I’d hitched myself to another famous man. Another person who would block out my light.
Will stroked my fingers when the man told us no one had returned my cell phone. Of course they hadn’t. This was a long-shot. How many honest people came to a place like Vegas? Someone probably found it and sold it to play another hand of blackjack.
After he thanked the man, Will led me toward the exit of the hotel.