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“You got my note,” I say. “What do you think of the offer?”
“You gave me fifty—no, a hundred thousand dollars. Are you insane?”
“Yes.”
She stares at me in stunned silence. “As a deposit? You’re paying me in full when I haven’t done anything.”
I inwardly groan.
“Miss Winkley, I’ve decided to pay youdouble.Same terms. You’ll get the rest of it when this crap is over and done. Consider it hazard pay for putting up with my temporary madness.”
Those big green eyes cut right through me. Then she slumps back and sighs. I give her a few seconds to process everything.
“…you did all that without knowing whether I’d even agree to the fake fiancée thing at all?”
Hell, don’t remind me.
“Call it an incentive,” I bite off.
“Um, I’d call it ludicrous. Wacked. Kind of dumb,” she says, and finally there’s a bashful smile tugging at the corner of her mouth again. A genuine, honest-to-God smile that lightens her eyes. “I could’ve just cashed the first check and you’d be out fifty thousand smackers.”
My gaze narrows. “You could’ve done that, yes, but you didn’t. You came here with the check. I could’ve easily had second thoughts and clawed it right back, sending you home penniless. Now who’s being dumb?”
She snorts, glancing over at the fresh check, which is still sitting on the counter with the invisible weight of an elephant.
“I have morals, Rory. Shocking, I know,” she spits, shaking her head at me. “I didn’t want to take it before we agreed to anything. And if we couldn’t agree, I figured you’d want that back.”
Huh.
“I appreciate the gesture.” I fold my arms. “Get on with it then. Name your terms.”
She considers it for a minute, biting the end of her thumb. I struggle like hell to look away.
“First thing you need to know is I’m only doing this for the money,” she says, like that’s some kind of crime. I’d have to be fucking nuts to believe that after all she’s done to blow me off, she’s actually interested in anything else. “And… and if you want us to appear in public or whatever, you need to run everything by me first. Give me fair warning. Don’teverwaltz into my store again and expect me to play ball.”
I deserved that.
“Done. No problem,” I say.
“And Dexter?”
I start, not expecting her to use my name.
There’s something hard in her eyes again now—the shyness has worn off, replaced by the familiar quiet anger that fueled her before. Guess talking like adults doesn’t mean she’s forgiven me for barging in on her at the store.
“You will not mess with my family,” she says crisply. “Stay the hell away from my nana unless I give you permission. Clear?”
“Crystal clear.” I nod slowly.
“I mean it. The second you approach them without my permission, the deal’s off.”
“In the unlikely event I lose my mind again, I’ll stand in front of your firing squad without a fight. Of course, that goes for you, too.”
“Trust me,” she says scornfully, “I have zero interest in your family.I’mnot the one desperate to convince everyone we’re in love.”
“I’m only trying to convince one man, really.” I run my hand through my hair. That vulnerability returns, like she’s made of brittle glass. “Look, I’m sorry for what happened before. I had to get to you and I recognized your grandmother from the research I did.”
“Research? You looked me up?” Her eyes flash with disbelief.
