I nod. “That’s true.”
“Then I don’t understand. If your father is blackmailing you to join the board with him, how are you getting around that? And what does it have to do with Sabrina?”
I glance up at her, and Sabrina gives me a gentle nod. I lick my lips. “Sabrina is the future CEO of Pine Investments. Her company has plans to merge with Skynet. Basically, dear old dad doesn’t trust Ryan anymore and wants to stack the board against him by bringing on Sabrina and her father.” I take a breath. “And he wants Sabrina and me to present a united front by getting married.”
His teal eyes widen until he looks like a Disney character. “What? Like an arranged marriage?”
“Er, yes?”
His head swivels to Sabrina. “And you’re okay with this?”
Sabrina laughs. “Absolutely not. No offense to your man, but he’s not my type.”
“Not your type?” Jeremy sputters, his stance turning defensive. “Are you crazy? Marcus is hot as fuck.”
“I’m sorry?” I say around a laugh as my stomach does a weird fluttery thing.
Sabrina snickers. “I like him, Roy. He’s like an angry kitten.” She turns her attention back to Jeremy. “I like ladies, darling.”
Jeremy stares at her for a beat, and then his eyes light with understanding. “Ohh okay, so wait. Back up. Then how does this marriage thing work? Are you actually going through with it?”
“No way,” I say firmly.
“But what about Sebastian and Charlie?”
“Well, it turns out Sabrina is also looking to fuck overherfather so that she can be with her partner, so we made an agreement to fake it until we make it.” I take a breath. “I have someone looking into Ryan’s affairs and, therefore, Skynet’s shadier business practices so that we can eventually flip this blackmail situation in a way that benefits us.”
“So it’s not real?” he asks hesitantly.
I squeeze his fingers and bring them to my lips, kissing the tips. “It’s not real, Starlight, but . . .” I give him a serious look. “Now you understand why we have to keep us quiet a bit longer, right? Ryan can’t find out this is fake any more than my father can. Ryan will use us against my dad, and my dad will use us against my siblings.”
“Hold up,” Sabrina cuts in. “What kind of shady stuff?”
I glance at her apologetically. “Right now, nothing more than some money laundering connections, but it sounds like he’s onto something worse. I promise to tell you more soon. I know it affects us both.”
“Jesus,” Jeremy mutters. “This is heavy. But I guess I’m glad it’s not just because you’re . . . ashamed of me or your sexuality.”
I pull him into my chest and squeeze him tightly. “I was never ashamed, Jeremy. I was scared and confused. I still am. But that’s not the main reason why I wanted to keep us a secret. It’s bigger than us. It puts other people in danger—my siblings and now Sabrina, maybe even you.”
His face presses into my shirt, and his voice comes out muffled. “Me?”
I kiss the top of his head, his hair soft beneath my lips. “I just worry that if Ryan or my father sees you as a threat, they’ll do something to hurt you. It’s an unknown that I don’t want to risk.”
“I have a girlfriend, Laura,” Sabrina says. “She’s just as worried as you are, but we’re going to fix this. Marcus and I have a plan.”
“A plan?”
She nods eagerly and pats the couch. “Sit, and I’ll tell you all about our engagement.” She leans closer, lowering her voice. “You can even help me pick the ring.”
I feel a hint of relief when Jeremy gives her a shy smile and moves to sit next to her because I’m pretty sure she just won him over.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
JEREMY
Istare at the list in my shaking hand while I stand in front of Marcus’s closed office door. I could have sent it to him by email, but I want to see him, despite the fact that Iknowprofessional robot Marcus is on the other side of that door. Ever since I met Sabrina last week, he’s progressively become more paranoid. Maybe I’m a sadist. I wish I could just talk to boyfriend Marcus instead. He’s less of an uptight dick.
At this point in a design job, Ishouldbe celebrating. I finished the hardest part. We’ve reached the execution stage, where I recommend the companies that can actually complete my client’s vision.
