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“We’d have to remain married for an entire year?”
“Yes, for me to receive my full inheritance. A lump sum of five million dollars. I also have my monthly trust fund.”
I watch Chase stand up and then walk back and forth as he thinks over what I said. He turns toward me.
“Alright. For you to get five million, I can commit to one full year. Once you get your inheritance, we could get a divorce.”
“Forgive me for asking this, but won’t it cramp your style? I mean, you are something of a playboy, Chase. You have girls over here all the time.”
“I wouldn’t if we were married. That I promise you, I’m not Tony. I’m not that much of a man whore.”
Val rolls her eyes and looks like she wants to disagree, but she says nothing out loud.
“Chase, what if you were to meet someone? Someone you could care for? What then?”
“Well, then I would... I don’t know, let you know somehow. I would be discreet. I certainly wouldn’t be a douchebag about it. I’d talk to you first.”
“What would you be getting out of the deal, Chase?”
“Besides helping out a good friend? Um... let’s see. My mom has been putting pressure on me and my brothers to find someone and get married. It would give me a year-long reprieve if we were to get married.”
“That’s it? You’re willing to marry me to get out of hearing your mother nag you about settling down?”
“That’s not the only reason, Val.” I give her a direct look. “You mean a lot to me, and I’m willing to give my excellent friend a year of my time so she can collect five million dollars. That is no small thing, Val. That’s a lot of money, life-changing money.”
“It would make you my hero.”
I smile, “I’ve always wanted to play the hero.” I give her a direct look. “Besides, would you do it for me? If the situation was reversed?”
She gets a thoughtful look on her face. Then I see her slowly smile, her eyes clear, and she looks up at me, “Yes, Chase, I would do it for you if the situation were reversed.”
“So, you’ll marry me?”
“Yes, Chase, I’ll marry you.”
I grin at Val. “Good. Then please change out of that horrible-looking dress so we can pick out rings and get a marriage certificate. Your birthday is next Friday, so we don’t have much time.”
Val looks up at me and smiles as well. I see her dimples flash.
“Okay. Give me half an hour, and then I’ll be ready.” She goes to leave and then comes over and hugs me. “Thank you, Chase. You’re a good friend.”
I watch as Val walks out my front door. My eyes automatically go, as they always do, to her lush, perfect ass. Only this time, the white-ruffled monstrosity is in the way. Damn. I try not to laugh. Who in their right mind would think that dress would look good on a full-figured gal like Val? She’s got curves that go on for miles.
I suddenly frown. Did her aunt and cousin pick a dress they knew would be unflattering to Val? I wouldn’t put it past them. Everything that Val has told me about her shit family rubs me the wrong way. Val’s too naïve for her own good.
I didn’t tell her this, but I’m also signing up to be her protector. With an authoritarian family like hers, they will just continue to harass and try to manipulate her. They need to leave her the hell alone.
Val is the nicest person I’ve ever known. The thought of anyone taking advantage of her makes my blood boil. I shake my head in disgust at even the idea of anyone trying to hurt or belittle her.
But I just agreed. No, I volunteered to marry Val for a year. A whole freaking year. Will I be able to keep my promise to myself not to touch her? Damn, I hope so.
Since meeting Val, I’ve tried hard not to risk our friendship. In other words, I’ve kept it in my pants, which has not been easy. I’ve even tried to quench my desire for Val by bringing other girls home. But they all seemed shallow or petty. All of them lacked whatever exceptional quality Val had. In short, none of them were Val.
Will I be able to keep my hands to myself? I don’t want to risk our friendship because that means more to me than sex. Just the thought of sex with Val has my cock twitching.
I can’t believe she was willing to marry someone else without even telling me. It pisses me off that she even considered it. I thought our friendship meant more to her than that. Shit, I almost lost her.
A year of marriage. I wait for the panic to set in. One year of being in a relationship, even a fake one, should have me shaking in my boots. Instead, the thought of being tied to Val for a year does nothing but make me smile. Val is fun to be around. She makes me laugh. She’s like a breath of fresh air and doesn’t realize how special she is to me.
