by Amy Starling
“You never take a woman to bed twice.”
He shrugged.
“So what's this?”
“With you, once isn't enough. I need more.”
I sat up. Tried to fight off my annoyance. “Yeah, well, I need more too.”
“I know. You're looking for commitment.”
“This is what I warned you about. I told you sleeping together would be bad news.”
“How was it bad news?”
Tears misted my eyes. I hadn't intended to let this out, but now, sitting here naked and so vulnerable, I lost control.
“We want different things out of life. You want fun. That means as many lovers as you can handle. All I need is one man who truly cares for me.”
“Pink...”
“Sex is just a game to you. It's more to me. You'll laugh, but when I think of you with another woman, it makes me sick.”
He held my hand. I didn't know what it meant. What to think.
“I wanted to talk, remember?”
“So talk.”
He got down on one knee. What the hell was he doing? Was he... No. No way.
“Can't believe I'm saying this, but here we go.”
He weaved his trembling fingers through mine.
“Let's get married, Pink.”
Chapter 11 - Elle
Married.
I didn't know you could have a heart attack in your mid-twenties.
Jayce was still down on his knee, looking up at me, waiting for an answer.
“Well?”
“You want to get married.”
He nodded. Squeezed my hand.
“To me.”
“Hell yeah. It's the solution to our problem – well, one of our problems, anyway.”
Oh. The will. It all made sense now.
And here I thought, if only for a second, that maybe he had some other reason for his unexpected proposal.
“You want to marry me so we don't lose the property.”
Finally, he got up, wincing as he rubbed his knee. He joined me on the couch.
“Think about it. There is no way I'm going to find some other woman to marry before our time's up.” He shook his head. “No way. Besides, I can't handle it. The whole dating thing, picking through girls just to find one who isn't a total psycho.”
True, Jayce wasn't exactly the most discerning when it came to women. Up until now, all that mattered was that they were pretty. Something he could just take home and have fun with for a night.
He had no earthly idea how to choose an actual partner.
“But why me?”
“It's perfect. You want to save the property. I don't want to get shackled to some nutcase who'll take over my life and drag me down.”
“Is that what marriage is to you? Prison?”
“It scares me,” he admitted. “But we're friends. We're in on this thing together, Pink. All we gotta do is get hitched, wait until the year is up, and then you're free to go.”
“Go?”
“We can split up. Get divorced.”
I shoved him away. Of course, he looked genuinely surprised as to why.
“I'm not getting married just to get divorced less than a year later!”
“What's the problem? It's not like this is a real marriage. We're only doing it to fulfill Debbie's will.” He glared at the floor. “And to shut my stupid father up for once.”
“It is real, you idiot. Once you say 'I do,' once you've got that marriage license, it's a done deal. In the eyes of the law, we'd be husband and wife.”
He retreated to the kitchen with a heavy sigh and dug through my fridge. Looking for booze, probably. He was clearly disappointed when he found none.
“People do this kind of thing all the time. Friends get hitched for the health insurance. Or an American marries some foreigner so they can live in the States. It's not really a big deal. Gotta do what you have to do.”
Just like that news story that gave me the exact same idea weeks ago. It seemed insane then. It was even crazier now that Jayce and I had been intimate.
Because, to me, we weren't merely friends anymore.
“But I don't want to marry because I have to.” My eyes burned. Tried not to cry. “I want to marry for love.”
He scoffed. “You're too sentimental.”
“And you're a complete jackass who will never, ever grow up!”
At last, his smirk faded. He returned to the sofa. Took my hands in his. Still, I couldn't look at him.
“I'm grown up. You just don't approve of the way I live my life.”
“Let's see. Aside from the constant stream of girls drifting in and out of your bedroom, the drinking, partying, getting into fights... Yeah, you're totally grown up.”
“I've got a good job. I pay my bills on time.”
“You own half this building and you barely lift a finger to help me or Heather!”
He bit his lip. “That's not fair.”
“It's the truth.”
“I'm trying, damn it.” He slammed his fist into the table. Lucky it wasn't glass, or it would have shattered into a million pieces.
He hid his face in his hands. Whoa. Did I push him too far?
“I don't like talking about this crap. Guess I have no choice now, or else you'll keep thinking I'm a lazy loser without a care in the world.”
When he looked up at me, his eyes glistened with tears he was trying desperately to hide.
“Debbie only passed on a few months ago. Everybody already expects me to be over it. How can I just... get over losing the only mother I ever knew?”
“Jayce, I'm really sorry.”
He shrugged me off. “And then this property gets dumped in my lap. I'm supposed to pick it up and run the place. Carry on like everything is cool and nothing happened. Well, apologies, but I'm not a freaking robot.”
Guilt washed over me. I'd been too hard on him ever since I moved in here. Giving him endless lists of repairs to make after the maintenance crew quit. Yelling at him when he slept in late because I got up at four in the morning and decided he ought to do the same.
“And yeah, so I drink too much and sleep around with too many girls. So what? Better that than letting myself get depressed. God knows I'd be useless to you then.”
I hugged him. He didn't even flinch. Didn't hug me back.
“I had no idea you felt like this. I wish you would have told me.”
“Nah. Bitching about my feelings just isn't what I do.”
As I held him, I thought more about his offer. It was a truly horrible idea for so many reasons. Sure, it would satisfy the legal team behind Debbie's will, and Jayce's dad would get off his back.
But even then, it was no guarantee Shady Acres was safe. There would still be occupancy to worry about.
And the idea of marrying out of duty instead of love made me ill. When Jayce and I finally separated, I'd be a divorcee. I'd have to tell future boyfriends that I'd already been married before. That was sure to turn some of them off.
They'd wonder why I got divorced. If something was seriously wrong with me.
“How much thought did you give this marriage thing, really?”
“Not much. Brett brought up the idea, and –”
I let go of him. “Brett? That creep? He's more of a player than you are.”
“But he's smart. You've gotta admit it, Pink. This could really work.”
The stupid phone beeped again. I checked it as I put my jeans back on. It was a text from Lisa, wailing that the fax machine smelled like burning plastic.
“I don't know. We can't just go down to the courthouse, sign a couple of papers, and go about our daily lives like nothing changed. Everyone will know we're a fraud.”
His stomach grumbled, and he helped himself to the snacks in my pantry. Knowing his appetite, the whole bag of chips would be gone in five minutes. Firefighters sure could eat a lot.
It was annoying, but kind of sexy in a way.
“What we do is none of anyone'
s business.”
“We would have to actually act married. And what about our apartments? Last I checked, most spouses don't live in separate homes.”
He winced as he devoured handfuls of Flaming Hot Cheetos. “Cohabitation freaks me out. I can't even handle a girl leaving her stuff at my place. Sharing an apartment with a woman? Now that is truly horrifying.”
“This is exactly why we shouldn't get hitched.”
“If you ask me, it makes more sense that we do. At least we live in the same building, right? And I think you'd be more sympathetic of my... special needs than some girl I barely know.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Special needs?”
“Y'know. My need for space. Freedom. The ability to do what I like, when I want. And no nagging.”
“What kind of marriage is that? The whole point of it all is sharing your life with the one who loves you.”
He licked the neon-orange cheese powder off his fingers. I probably shouldn't have watched. Even this decidedly non-sexual display made me squirm.
Made me want that mouth of his on me all over again...
“I'll be the best pretend husband you could ever ask for, but I'm not shacking up with a woman. Not even you.”
“Oh, I get it.” I rolled my eyes. “Of course you can't live with me. Then you wouldn't be able to invite random girls back to your place.”
“Elle, come on.”
“This is why it's an awful idea. You're Jayce Reinhard. You don't go back for seconds, and everybody knows it. Isn't that what you always say?”
“Yeah, but –”
“Fake marriage or not, I can't do that.” I sniffled. “I can't sit at home alone while you're goofing off with some other woman in your bed.”
“But we wouldn't really be married. It's just on paper.”
“So you wouldn't be upset if I screwed another man, then?”
He paused, a very strange, pensive expression on his face. I'd never seen him look that way before.
“Yeah, I would. I want to be the only man fucking you. Nobody else. Just me.”
I faked a laugh, but his words made me tremble.
“That doesn't seem very fair. You expect me to stay faithful to you while you flit from one girl to the next? You don't own me.”
He strode across the room, put his hands firmly on my hips, and forced me close to him. Oh, God. Why couldn't I stop getting so absolutely turned on by everything he did?
“Maybe I want to own you,” he growled in my ear. “Maybe I wanna make you mine.”
“While you get to run around town banging every woman you see.”
“There's only one woman I want right now – and I'm looking at her.”
I wished I could believe him.
But we both knew he loathed commitment. He couldn't promise me anything. The first time a pretty girl in a short skirt breezed by him, he'd be off ogling her instead of me.
And I would feel like a fool for ever having had faith in him.
“I'm serious. Marry me, Elle. It's the only way. You know that.”
I couldn't pull away from him. That would require a resolve I did not have.
“This isn't exactly the proposal I always dreamed of.” I held my hand up to him. “There's not even a ring.”
“You want a ring? I'll get you a damn ring. It'll be the biggest, prettiest diamond you ever saw. And nobody will think we're a fraud after that.”
“Jayce...”
He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. “We gotta do this. I have to get myself a bride, or this place is history. My father gets it. And I can't let him win.”
“Is that the only reason?”
“There's nobody else I'd rather marry. If I'm gonna be legally bound to someone, I'd prefer it to be you.”
“That's... not exactly the answer I was looking for.”
He paused in the doorway. “I'm not rushing you. You can take the time to think on it, if you want – but you still know how it's gonna play out in the end.”
“Do I?”
His stare was smoldering. Powerful. He knew what he wanted. He knew he was going to get it.
“Get ready, Pink. I'm gonna make you into my wife.”
Chapter 12 - Jayce
“Three thousand dollars for a shiny rock? Are you kidding me?”
The jeweler smiled and put the ring back in its case. He was mocking me, I could tell. Felt like punching him in his smug face.
“Perhaps we should look over here. I'm sure we can find something more in your price range.”
He adjusted his glasses and straightened his suit. Rich-people music played from the speakers overhead. The room even smelled like money.
I was used to this crap from living with dad. Still made me uncomfortable.
I seriously hoped Elle would appreciate this.
“Dude.” Max shuffled along behind me, his eyes wide. “You are not getting married.”
“That's the plan.”
“Sir, if you'll just step this way.”
I reluctantly followed the clerk to another case. These rings were nice, but I wanted one with the biggest, most sparkly diamond money could buy.
Too bad the rings here cost more than a couple month's rent.
“This one here is a princess cut. 14-karat gold band – or we can go with platinum, if you prefer.” He dropped the ring into my palm and watched me closely, as if he thought I'd steal it. “Prices start at just $999.”
Yet another good reason to stay a bachelor.
Wait a sec. Gold or platinum? I had no idea which Elle liked best. Though we were friends, there were lots of things we didn't know about each other. Probably should work on that before signing the marriage license if we wanted this thing to look legit.
“Jayce, bro. I don't understand. Talk to me, man.”
I shoved him away. “I'll explain later.”
Except I couldn't, not really. Elle made me promise not to tell another soul the truth about this. If someone found out we were just playing house, she said it could blow up in our faces.
We'd only have to keep up the lie for the rest of the year. I could handle that.
“Do you like it, sir?”
“It's great, but... Still a bit much.”
He frowned and took the ring back. “I see. Well, we do have a fine selection of cubic zirconia...”
“No!” I growled, maybe a little too loudly. “Elle deserves a real diamond.”
Everyone in the shop went silent. They all stared at me, the odd duck who didn't belong. Me, with my torn jeans and the dark tattoos covering my entire arms. Bet they thought I was gonna rob the place.
Max chuckled and pulled me back from the counter. “C'mon. Let's go get some fresh air for a second.”
“But –”
He grabbed the tail of my shirt and yanked me out the revolving door. Outside, I stormed off to my truck. Maybe I'd have better luck elsewhere.
But Max wasn't letting me go without an explanation. I couldn't believe he'd been out shopping at the same time I pulled into the Kay Jewelers parking lot. Now what?
“All right. What's going on?” He crossed his arms. “You ain't been going out with the boys much these days. Just a few weeks ago, you had girls hanging on you at the club.”
“That I did.”
“And now... This? Who the hell are you marrying? What woman would even put up with your sorry ass?”
“Elle.” I swallowed hard when I thought of her. “She's one of my very best friends.”
He grunted. “Must not be that good of a friend if she doesn't know the real you. Either that, or she's desperate.”
We were both desperate – for different reasons – but I couldn't tell him that.
“Wait a minute.” He faked a loud gasp. “You knocked her up, didn't you?”
“No!”
Max cackled. “You did. You got her pregnant, and now she's demanding you get hitched and support the kid. Man, your life is so over.”
I shoved him into t
he road. He kept on laughing as a car almost ran him over.
“I didn't get anyone pregnant. I just... Love her, that's all.”
The words sounded strange and fake and hollow, even to me. How was I gonna get anybody else to believe that when I could hardly believe in love myself?
“You do realize this is the 21st century, don't you? No need to shack up just 'cause the girl has your baby. I mean, hell, do you even know for sure it's yours?”
Max lucked out that he was one of the only guys who could beat me in a fight. Otherwise, I would have socked him in the jaw.
“There is no baby. Believe whatever you want, but I'm marrying her.”
“Oh.” He shrugged. “When?”
We hadn't planned that far ahead. In fact, I wasn't even sure yet what Elle wanted to do. What if I spent my whole paycheck on this ring she was crying about, and she turned me down?
“Soon. It's not gonna be a big ceremony or anything. Maybe we'll elope.”
Some of Max's other friends, guys who I didn't know, waved to him from the car. He grinned and clapped me on the back painfully hard.
“Well, sorry to hear that, man. You're still coming to my party on Saturday, right? I hear Candy and Cocoa are gonna be working that night.”
The thought of having two strippers in my lap wasn't all that appealing anymore.
“I'll be there, of course.”
“Good. Better get it all outta your system before you're married.” He headed for his ride. “I still can't believe you. Out of all of us, you're the one who spoke most loudly against it.”
“That was then.”
“It was a month ago!”
Guess a lot of things changed in that month.
It was a relief when Max sped off, but this was far from over. He'd blab the news to all the guys down at the station. Come Monday morning, I'd be taking a lot of shit for this.
Didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was winning. Showing dad I wasn't a loser. Keeping the property out of his greedy hands.
And making Elle happy.
Maybe we weren't in love, but I still wanted her to be happy. Marriage was this huge deal to her. I didn't know how to handle that.
But I was sure gonna try.
First, I had to get the girl her ring. Couldn't have a wedding without one, right?
