“Sure,” she said, stepping past me to go inside.
I turned, in a fog, and looked at her in my apartment. I’d always imagined her here, so I took a moment to appreciate that it was really happening.
The only question was … why?
I shut the door and looked into to the kitchen at the clock on the microwave.
It was six in the morning. Being a bartender who usually worked nights, I didn’t see this time of day unless I was just getting home and about to crash.
“What brings you by this morning?” I asked, watching as she moved around my studio apartment, looking around at the meager floor plan.
It was your basic studio, with a totally open concept.
Her eyes stayed on the unmade bed for a couple beats, before she looked back at me, her gaze snagging on my half-naked body.
She looked long enough, that by the time her pretty green eyes found my face, I was grinning widely at her.
Jazzy flushed, but didn’t cower or avert her gaze.
“I have a proposition for you,” she said.
I arched an eyebrow and replied, “Really,” my tone suggestive.
Jasmine rolled her eyes and said, “Calm down, Hemsworth. You can turn it down a notch. It’s a purely business proposition.”
“Ah,” I said, taking a sip of the coffee.
Cream, no sugar, just how I like it. Hmmm.
“Have a seat,” I suggested, pointing to the well-worn sofa.
“Thanks.”
She took a seat and I sat across from her in my recliner.
“Wouldn’t you feel more comfortable in a shirt?” Jasmine asked, causing me to grin again.
“Would you feel more comfortable if I was in a shirt?” I shot back.
I was pretty sure she was looking at my nipple when she replied in a choked voice, “Doesn’t matter to me.”
“Great,” I said, and leaned back. “So, what’s the proposition?”
For the first time since I answered the door, Jasmine looked nervous.
“Well, I heard about your visa issues…”
“You guys suddenly start hiring biologists at the Lewis Sporting Goods?”
“No, it’s not a job, not exactly. It’s, ah…”
“Hey, Jazzy,” I said, leaning over so my elbows hit my knees. “You can say anything to me, you know that, yeah?”
She stopped fidgeting with the sleeve on her coffee cup and looked at me.
She cleared her throat.
“So, yesterday I told you guys about the house I want, and you made that joke about marrying me … then, Laurel told me you were going to have to leave the country and I figured that would actually be the answer to both of our problems.”
“What would?” I asked, thinking I was missing something.
“To get married.”
“Wait, who’s getting married?”
Jazzy rolled her eyes again.
I swear, I want to kiss her senseless every time she does that.
“Us.”
I blinked.
Then, I moved my hand to the skin on my thigh and pinched it as hard as I could.
“Fuck!”
“What?” Jasmine asked, her eyes widening at my outburst.
“I’m awake,” I muttered, shaking my head and trying to remember if I’d had too much to drink last night.
Nope, I’d pretty much come home from dinner, watched a game on the couch, then turned in relatively early.
“Shane…”
I looked up at Jasmine, giving her my full attention.
“Did you just ask me to marry you?”
“Yes. Look, I know it sounds crazy. But, you want to stay here, and we all want you to. We’re friends, and you know I’d do anything for you. Plus, I really, really want to buy this house. It’s a win/win.”
I took her in, imaging waking up to her every morning as my wife, and, honestly, couldn’t think of anything I wanted more.
Other to stay right here in Cherry Springs, that is.
“Count me in.”
Jasmine
If anyone knew what I was doing they’d probably think I’d lost my mind.
Well, everyone but Shane, apparently, because he was right here next to me, going along with my crazy scheme.
“You good?” he asked, causing me to turn and look at him.
We were currently about thirty thousand feet in the air … on a flight to Las Vegas.
I nodded slowly.
“I think so.”
Shane’s lips turned up and he placed his hand on my leg.
“You know, you can change your mind at any time. We don’t have to do this, we could just go gambling and hang out at the pool until our flight back home.”
I smiled at him, grateful that he was being so cool about everything.
Wait, why was he being so cool about this? Wasn’t he freaked out at all? Didn’t he have any questions? Reservations?
I felt my brow furrow when I asked, “Do you think we should talk this out some more? Set up some ground rules?”
“Yeah, sure, sounds like a good idea,” Shane said easily.
It felt like his hand was searing my skin beneath my jeans, and I was very aware of how close we were sitting.
“You’ve taken this all in stride. Like, just jumped in with both feet. Aren’t you at all worried?” I asked, careful to maintain eye contact and not get distracted by his full lips.
It wasn’t easy. I’d been caught staring at too much of him already, I needed to put a lid on this attraction. The last thing I needed to do was give in to the chemistry between us. That was not what this upcoming marriage was about.
Shane lifted one shoulder in response.
“I’m a big believer in things working out. Sure, I’ve been stressed over my visa situation, but then you knocked on my door and it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Yeah, we have some stuff to work out, but I can’t help and think whatever it is we need to do to make this work, will be better than the alternative.”
I nodded, thinking that was a good way to look at it. Still, I couldn’t help having doubts.
“Okay,” I began, reaching into my travel bag to pull out my notebook. I opened it to the notes I’d jotted down last night. “So, we’re on our way to Vegas to get married … check. Once we get back, I’ll put the offer in on the house. Hopefully we can get a quick close, and move in by the end of the month. Once we know, we can put in notice with our current apartments and schedule movers. In the meantime, we need to get to know as much about each other as we can, and come up with a good story for our whirlwind romance.”
I looked up to see Shane grinning at me.
“What?” I asked, wondering if I had some powdered sugar on my face from the doughnut I’d grabbed in the airport.
“Nothing. I just think it’s cute you made a list.”
“Lists help make sure you don’t forget the details,” I replied, a little too defensively.
“Lists are sexy,” Shane agreed, which brought me to my next few points.
“Also, you’re going to need to stop that,” I said, pointing my pen at him in a swirling motion.
“What?”
“Flirting. You can’t flirt with me because it confuses things. And, you can’t flirt with other women, because it’ll look like you’re not serious about me.”
“Flirting’s part of my DNA.”
“Well, do your best to stop.”
“I’ll try.”
“Thanks. We also have to talk about exclusivity. I don’t expect you to be celibate for the next five years, but I’d really appreciate it if you were discreet.”
“Five years?”
“That’s what I read, but we can talk to Reardon to find out for sure. I think once you have been a resident for five years, you can apply for citizenship. Once you have that, you’re home free.”
“So, you plan for us to stay married until I’m a citizen?” he asked, his eyes warm, yet intense.
“Well,
yeah, however long it takes. This needs to be beneficial for both of us … We each get what we want.”
Sure, it would put any plans I had to start a family and have a real marriage on hold, but the whole point of this agreement was for me to get the house and Shane to get to stay in the US permanently. It would be shitty of me to try and move forward without ensuring we were both successful.
“Are we telling your family?”
I chewed on my lower lip.
This was a question I’d been asking myself repeatedly.
“I’m not sure. I don’t want to lie, but I also don’t want to put anyone else in a sticky situation, you know?”
Shane nodded.
“If not, we have to convince them that we’re in love, or they’ll know something’s up. Especially Dillon.” I tapped my pen on my chin as I thought about it. It made my stomach hurt. I seriously hated lying to my family and I’d have to be a great actress to fool my twin. “We’re heading to Gabe’s camp next week for setup. I think that would be a good time for us to really sell them on our relationship. They’re gonna be surprised, maybe skeptical, at first, but I bet we could pull it off.”
“I’ll have to talk to Annabeth about getting the time off.”
I gave him a pointed look. “If we tell her we are using it as a kind of honeymoon, she’ll be pushing you out the door. Aunt Annabeth is dying for me to get married. The only Lewis cousin not in a serious relationship … She’ll be over the moon.”
“Okay, but, you’ll have to put flirting back on the table. No way will anyone believe we’re together if I’m not all about you. That goes for physically as well. How do you want to handle that part of it?”
My stomach did a little summersault at the thought of PDA with Shane.
“Well, yeah, in public, we’re going to have to be convincing, but in private, it’s hands and hot looks to yourself.”
I put in that last bit because, seriously, the way he was looking at me right then was hot enough to singe.
“All right,” he said, his grin a little wicked. “I can keep my hands to myself, if you can.”
Shane
I’d been to Vegas a couple times over the years, but had never stayed in a hotel as nice as The Venetian.
Jasmine said she picked it because they have a chapel on-site and she could get some kind of hookup from work, which was fine with me. My normal tours of Vegas included cheap hotels, getting free buffets, and losing my money at Black Jack, so this would be a nice change of pace.
See how the other half lived.
I tried not to gawk and look everywhere at once, like a total tourist, but when we walked into our suite, my eyes were wide and my jaw was on the floor.
“This is unbelievable,” I said, taking in the lush furnishings and the view of the Strip. “It must cost a fortune to stay here.”
“One of our best clients comes here all the time and has so many high roller perks that he lets us stay here for free,” Jasmine said, falling back onto one of the two queen beds with a bounce.
I had the sudden urge to crawl into bed next to her, but I walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked out instead.
“What time’s our appointment?” I asked, talking about the wedding.
“Tomorrow morning. That gives us a chance to make sure everything is squared away, and have a little fun tonight. Our flight back home is a couple hours after the ceremony.”
I nodded. We’d already discussed the schedule, I just felt like I had to keep confirming the details. It still seemed like I was walking in a dream and unreal that this time tomorrow I’d be married to Jazzy.
“Want to get cleaned up and head out? Get a bite to eat and hit the casino?”
I looked over my shoulder at her and said, “Sounds great.”
She let out a, “Yay,” and picked up her backpack.
Once she was in the bathroom, I crossed the room and grabbed my duffel off the floor. Since we were only staying one night, we’d both packed light.
I took out my wrinkle-free button down and toiletry bag. By the time Jasmine came out, looking refreshed and beautiful as ever, I was sitting on my bed replying to a message from Gabe.
“Gabe just asked me over for poker night tonight; they’re throwing it together last minute. He’s gonna know I’m not working. What should I say?” I asked her, not wanting to misstep and taking her lead, since it was her family.
Soon to be my family.
Wow. The thought of being related to the Lewises sounded like a dream come true. We were already mates, but family? That would be amazing.
I frowned, feeling the first twinge of doubt about this whole arrangement.
What if they find out the truth and are pissed at me, not just for lying, but for using Jasmine to get what I want?
“The truth. Say you already have plans for a game … in Vegas. Gabe will be so jealous,” she replied with a laugh. “We may as well start dropping hints now, since this is going to be the vacation that supposedly sealed the deal for us.”
I felt her hand on my arm and looked up to see Jazzy staring at me, her face full of concern.
“What happened? Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, I was just wondering how mad they’ll all be when they find out this is fake,” I admitted.
“Hey.” Jasmine sat down next to me. She’d changed into a long summery dress, which billowed around our feet. “They’re going to be fine. And, if anyone says anything, well, it was my idea, not yours, so they can be mad at me.”
“I don’t want that either,” I said, taking her hand in mine. “And, I wouldn’t hide behind you, or let you take the fall.”
“You wouldn’t be. We’re partners now, right?” She nudged me with her shoulder. “I’ve got your back and you’ve got mine.”
“Yeah … I like that.”
Our eyes caught and I suddenly became hyper aware of the fact that our legs were touching and I still had her hand in mine.
I wondered what she’d do if I leaned in and took her mouth.
Would she meet me halfway? Kiss me back? Or would she punch me in the mouth and reiterate her hands-off rule?
I was about to find out when she cleared her throat and stood up suddenly.
“You ready?” Jasmine asked, turning quickly. But, not before I saw her flushed cheeks and slightly dazed expression.
“Let’s do it,” I said, rising off the bed.
“I saw a craft burger and beer place downstairs.”
“Perfect.”
I followed her out and onto the elevator, my mind still on how badly I wanted to kiss her.
I knew she wanted to keep things casual, what with her rules about flirting and such, but I was pretty observant, being a bartender and all. And, if there’s one thing I know, it’s when a woman wants to be kissed.
I whistled a happy tune as we rode the elevator down and found our way through the hotel to the burger joint.
“What are you so happy about?” Jasmine asked, probably thinking I’d done a one eighty from before.
Rather than answering, I gave her a wink and ushered her into the restaurant.
She just shook her head and walked inside, leaving me grinning behind her.
I had a new mission … to get my blushing bride to make our marriage more than convenient.
I wanted the real deal.
Jasmine
Things had been going surprisingly smooth between Shane and me.
Well, other than the minor lapse when I’d been seconds away from launching myself at him.
Luckily, after that moment on the bed before dinner, we’d both kept to the no hands or hot looks rules.
We’d had dinner, then gone to the casino and played a few games, before sitting at the bar in the center of the slot machines and having a couple drinks before hitting the hay.
We’d done a little more getting to know you, like…
“What’s your favorite animal?”
Goat for me, dog for him.
&
nbsp; “I’ve never lived anywhere where I could have a dog, and I’ve always wanted one,” he’d said.
Noted.
“Do you like that vegemite stuff?”
He hates it.
“Which Lewis would you take to a theme park?”
Reardon.
We’d steered clear of any sexual or provocative questions, instead just getting to know each other on a basic level.
It had been nice.
Now, however, I was starting to sweat. All I could do was hope my deodorant held up.
“You good?” Shane asked.
I stopped fidgeting with my hands and glanced at him.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine … It’s just, this isn’t quite how I pictured it, you know?”
I knew I was being silly. This was all my idea, after all, but once we’d arrived at the chapel and I saw the big bouquets of flowers and a woman wearing an actual wedding dress, with family in attendance, I realized what I was giving up.
“I always thought my dad would walk me down the aisle and Laurel would be my maid of honor. I didn’t want a huge wedding or anything, but I did want all of my family there, and I’d always pictured something outside in Cherry Springs. Maybe at the gazebo…” I gave him a small smile and shrugged. “Don’t worry, I’m not having second thoughts, just a moment.”
Shane put his hands on my shoulders and turned me toward him.
“We don’t have to do this if you’re having second thoughts, Jazzy.”
“I’m not … Are you?”
“No, not at all. But, don’t worry about our plans or me having to leave. If at any moment you change your mind, just say so. I’ve got your back, remember.”
“Thanks, but I’m good. Promise.”
He nodded and added, “And, you know, there’s no saying you can’t still have the wedding of your dreams one day in the future.”
I gave him a half-hearted nod, but couldn’t help but think there’d be no point after this.
“Ma’am, we’re ready for you.”
We looked over to see the woman who’d checked us in standing by the counter. After that, everything was a whirlwind.
We went into their smallest chapel. There was no fanfare. No flowers, music, or Dillon and Gabe cracking jokes on the sideline. With chapel staff as our witness, and a slick-looking man as our minister, Shane and I were married in a less than five-minute ceremony.
Too Dangerous: The Lewis Cousins, Book 5 Page 3
