At that, I grab one of the throw pillows from our couch and hold it against my face as I groan. “Fuck. They’re never going to believe me.”
“Owen’s gonna kill him.”
“Not helpful.” But she’s right. Both of my brothers have always been overly protective of me, but my older one, Owen, took the big brother role to heart. I couldn’t talk to a boy in high school without Owen taking the time to intimidate him.
Kacey reaches over and rubs her palm in a circle over my back. “I’ll help you.”
“I’m a terrible liar!” I shout the realization. “This is an awful idea. No one is going to believe I actually met Asher Caine and immediately fell in love. That’s insane!”
“No, no.” Kacey shakes her head. “We already deemed you sane!”
I lean back against our secondhand couch with a huff. “We’re wrong. I’m clearly the least sane person on this planet. Whodoes this? A fake marriage? What, do I think I’m in one of my romance novels or something?” I drag a hand down my face.
“That’s not a bad idea, actually.” Kacey’s not looking at me anymore, her pointer finger pressed to her chin as she stares off into the distance. She has her thinking face on.
“What?”
“Pretend this is one of the romance books you read.” She meets my eyes, hers sparkling with enthusiasm for this new idea. “Use it as an experiment. Or maybe inspiration? You have a whole year that you don’t have to worry about working. So, use it to your advantage.”
“You think I should write a book about my fake marriage?” My head tilts, not quite picking up what she’s putting down.
“Not like an autobiography or tell all. That would definitely violate the NDA you’ve already violated.” She adds the last part in a whisper. “Use it as inspiration for a fictional story. And then, at the end of the year, you’ll have something to publish.” She snaps for effect. “Dreams come true.”
Thinking about it, my face scrunches. “I write historical romance…”
“So?” she says with clear amusement. “Write contemporary. Or make it historical. I don’t know, the creative part is your department. I’m just the big brain.”
That makes me laugh. “Well, I was already thinking I could just write, write, write all year, anyway, and I maaay have added a billionaire male character to my inspo list as soon as I left his office...”
“See! I told you the universe always provides!”
I snort. She has a way of always bringing everything back to her manifestation journey.
“Oh, and maybe he can get you out of your sex slump too!” she adds, a devious grin twisting up the corners of her lips.
I sink back down into the couch. It’s been a bit since I’ve had sex, something my best friend very much knows about. But it’s harder to find someone to sleep with when you don’t frequent a club that’s dedicated to casual sex.
“No.” I shake my head and clear my throat. “No, sex isn’t a part of it?—”
Kacey’s shocked face cuts me off. “You’re gonna be celibate for a year?”
“Yeah. Of course.” But my words don’t come out too convincing.
“Grace. The guy’s a certified Dom. Opportunity has landed in your lap, bestie.”
“They have certifications for being a Dom?” I ask, knowing that she wasn’t being literal and my taking it as such will annoy her. It does. And she throws a pillow at me.
“Fine. Don’t take my advice. Let your pussy dry up, for all I care!” She stands with a loud huff, walking away from me dramatically.
“Maybe I will!” I shout after her, still laughing as she flips me her middle finger.
But underneath my happy exterior, she’s planted a seed that has me wondering what sex with someone like Asher would be like.
I don’t have a chance to ruminate for long before I get a text from my new fiancé.
Asher
Dinner at my penthouse tonight. I’ll have a car sent to you 7 PM. We can talk over the remaining details.
