“It was tongue in cheek. I might be a great fuck but I’d be the world’s worst husband.”
“You’re not exactly helping your argument. And where on earth did you get that ring?”
He shrugged. “After we spent all day together, I realized something. I enjoy your company, a lot. Us getting married will fix your visa problems. And I’m in dire need of some good PR.”
I felt my insides flip. “Are you sure this isn’t some sort of April fools joke?”
“It’s January.”
I cleared my throat. “Stranger things have happened.”
“I don’t joke around about these things, Cat. I take my fake marriage proposalsveryseriously.”
I stared at him for a moment.
“That sounds weird out loud, doesn’t it?”
I nodded, but inside, I realized I was actually considering Dustin’s proposal. The truth was: I was desperate, and I was seriously considering this. “So it’s a fake proposal? Or a serious one?”
“It’s arealfake proposal. For all intents and purposes, to the outside world, we’re a real couple.”
“So I’m just a figurehead for you to get some good publicity.”
“That’s a plus, yes. But just hear me out. We’ll stay together for the next, say, six months. That’s enough time that the hockey season will be over, and we’ll be able to straighten things out with your visa. So, it’s a win-win.”
“And you’re not going to be running around fucking your puck bunnies making a fool out of me?”
He laughed. “That gets tiring after a while. You’re gorgeousandsmart. So I’ll actually enjoy just hanging out with you, too. And, yes, speaking of rabbit creatures, we’ll be doing a lot of what they do. It’ll be like friends with benefits ...”
“With rings. And with a very public marriage.”
“Now you’re getting the picture,” he grinned.
“You know I’m smart,” I said. “But how do you know if we’ll have good chemistry in bed?” I asked with my hands on my hips.
He grinned evilly, then pressed my body into the wall, running a hand from my midsection down to my thigh. “You really think we won’t have amazing chemistry? Well, why don’t I prove it right now?”
I felt frazzled. “I’m kidding. This is not going to happen. This is crazy. I barely know you!”
“I don’t understand why you’re being so resistant to this idea. You stay in the country and keep your visa. We’ll have a prodigious sex life, and I get to stay on the down low from the public eye. Thebenefitof being with you is not having to waste time with those puck bunnies.”
“Why do you waste time with them right now?”
He exhaled loudly. “I like to fuck. A lot. As far as weaknesses go, it’s one of mine.”
My body, which had been temporarily relieved by Dustin’s tongue on the kitchen counter, was realizing that I still hadn’t beenfullyrelieved of my nine-month sex drought. And that I was being somewhat illogical because my body craved him in every way.
I walked to the bar, poured a couple of shots of tequila, and handed him one. I needed to revive my buzz to think this through clearly.
“So if we went through with this, when would we do it?”
“So that’s a yes?”
“It is if you prove you’re serious.”
Pulling out his cellphone, he dialed some number and said a few words. “Yeah have a car out front. Perfect.” Then he turned to me. “You said you’d do anything to fix this little immigration papers problem. Well, consider me your genie. And I’m granting you this first wish.”
I thought hard about my life, and hope started to bubble up from somewhere deep within me. I was after something higher, and it dawned on me that there wouldn’t be another shot at something like this.
