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She caught her lip between her teeth, hesitating.
“Tell me,” I whispered, running my hand up and down her side. “You can trust me.”
“My mother is sick. Brain cancer—glioblastoma. It’s really aggressive, but there’s this experimental treatment that she’s eligible for. Our insurance doesn’t cover shit. I can make the first payment, but beyond that…” she trailed off, looking out the window at the New York skyline. I pulled her to me, wrapping my arms around her and kissing her temple.
“Jesus, Lacie,” I breathed. “I had no idea.”
“Not many people know. Morgan and Vee know, obviously. But it’s not something I really broadcast.”
“You don’t have to marry me,” I said quickly. “I’ll give you the money. How much do you need? You don’t have a car, do you? I’ll buy you a car too, so you can take her to her treatments.”
Lacie laughed, lifting her head and looking at me. “Well now I don’t know. I was kind of getting used to the idea of being your wife.” Her eyes shone and my heart thumped in response.
“Yeah?”
“And you wouldn’t get the money if I didn’t marry you, would you?”
I shrugged. “I’d find some mail-order bride or something. I’m sure I could find someone to take my money and marry me.”
Her eyes widened and a blush stained her cheeks. I chuckled.
“What,” I said. “You jealous?”
She bit her lip again, and then burst out laughing.
“Yeah,” she admitted. “I don’t like the thought of you with someone else. Even if it isn’t real.”
I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “This is real,” I whispered.
“That’s what scares me.”
“It shouldn’t.”
I tangled my fingers in her hair and pulled her close to me, inhaling her scent and kissing her tenderly. Her fingers rested on my chest and my heart beat against them as I kissed her. She fit so perfectly against me and it felt so right to have her there.
When we pulled apart, Lacie was crying. I brushed a tear off her cheek and frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. I just… I was getting ready for my mom to die, you know? Like the prognosis is so grim, and I’m so broke…” she trailed off, and then put her hands on either side of my face. “But now… I have hope. I haven’t had hope in so long, Maddox—”
A sob shook her body, and I held her closer. I brushed the tears away and kissed her trembling body, cooing and shushing and stroking her hair until her sobs quieted down.
When she was still, I caressed her arm with my finger and kissed the top of her head.
“So did we just agree to get married?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Lacie replied, her head nestled on my chest. “I think we did.” She glanced up, and the familiar mischievous gleam was back in her eye. “But only if you pay me. This is a business arrangement, Mr. Knight.”
“Is it?”
“Maybe a bit of pleasure, too,” she grinned.
“I can agree to those terms,” I said, pulling her in for another kiss as my hands roamed over her perfect body.
