“I appreciate it.”
Her stomach dropped.
“I’ve gotten us into a mess,” she said, words tumbling out faster. “This is going to cause trouble. I shouldn’t have butted in?—”
“You saved my rear tonight.”
“I ruined things?—”
“Nah.”
She blinked at him, thrown completely off balance.
“Um,” she said, grasping for the most immediate, logical concern. “When your wife gets here—and I’m assuming she’s on her way or?—”
“That’s the problem,” Marcus said, and the words were a mere whisper, right before his voice lowered even further. “I’m not married.” He glanced around the hallway instinctively before looking back at her, his expression serious. “I meant it when I said you saved me. I never thought they’d enforce that stupid clause. I didn’t think they’d evenask– and now I’m stuck.”
Harper sucked in a sharp breath.
“Oh my gosh, they absolutely will,” she hissed in a hushed voice. “Toby told me—Toby the real mascot—that one of the higher-ups straight up said they pass on players who are single, won’t get married, or already have too much personal drama. They almost passed on Boucher and?—”
“What?” Marcus’s eyes widened.
“You didnothear that from me!” she yelped, jabbing a blue furry finger into his chest without thinking.
They both froze, staring down at it.
Then they looked at each other.
And burst out laughing—short, nervous, completely unhinged laughter that came from pure panic rather than humor. When it faded, the reality rushed back in just as fast. Harper swallowed, her chest tight again.
“So… what are we going to do?” Her voice wavered despite her attempt to sound steady. “What areyougoing to do?”
Marcus exhaled slowly. “We keep it up. We stick to the story.”
Her stomach twisted. “Or…?”
He looked up. Crystalline sea green eyes met her brown ones as her breath caught in her chest at the bewildered, resolved, and nervous look on his face. Her own intestines were tied in knots, so she understood completely whatever mess of emotions he was swimming in. He hesitated just long enough for dread to bloom from her anxiety as he spoke the words that she never imagined hearing anytime soon, much less today, wearing a blue fur suit.
“Or,” he said quietly, “we could get married – for real. What are you doing tomorrow morning?”
“Apparently, saying my vows with my fake husband,” she whispered nervously, nodding. She might not have expected this, might be nervous, and might be terrified to be jumping into a massive mistake that couldn’t be undone easily, however, one thing was true.
She wasn’t stupid.
And Marcus Shaw wasbeyondhot.
Okay, maybe that’s two things that were true,she thought wildly as he drew in a breath, nodding and then clasping her furry hand, walking her back into the charity auction – together.
“Fake it until you make it, right?” he said under his breath and shot her a nervous look.
She nodded.
5
HARPER
Yeah,last night was not what Harper expected.
