“And you want me to be your wife?”
“Yes.”
“Uh-huh. And why do you need a wife right now?”
“My grandpa died, and?—”
“Oh, Heath. I’m so sorry,” I say softly.
“I’m not. The old man was a bastard.”
“Oh… okay…”
“His will stipulates that I have to marry before Christmas to get my inheritance.”
I stare at him as he paces.
“My family comes into town in a few days. We can get the marriage license tomorrow and be married by this weekend.”
“I… No one will believe we’re a real couple,” I say, scrambling for a reason not to do this. “I mean, we met an hour ago. We know nothing about each other!”
“We have a few days to fix that,” he says calmly.
“Oh, my god,” I groan, burying my face in my hands.
He’s crazy, but what’s crazier is that I’m considering doing it.
“I’ll give you another ten million to do it.”
I choke on air. “Stop throwing money around willy-nilly!” I snap.
He bites back a grin as he sinks into the chair opposite.
Damn it. With that kind of money, I’d be set for life. I could take care of my grandparents’ house and have money left over. I could give some to Jem to help her out.
Never having to worry about money again is so damn tempting. I chew on my bottom lip as I think it over.
“What would I have to do?” I ask him slowly.
“Pretend to be my fiancée when my family comes to town, then marry me. After that, I’ll get my inheritance, and we can split.”
“When?”
“They come into town in a few days for Christmas, so?—”
“No, I mean when do we split?”
He shifts in his seat, and for the first time since I met him, he looks doubtful.
“We’d have to wait a few weeks at least,” he says finally.
“And you don’t feel bad about lying to your family?”
He shakes his head. “They’re not good people, Sienna. We’ve never gotten along.”
I study him for a beat, wondering if I can go through with this. In the end, the thought of never being stressed or worried about my grandparents’ place again seals the deal.
“All right, I’m in.” I stick out my hand.
