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It was kind of hot.
But how could this be real?
I tugged my arm, but he only tightened his grip on my wrist. “Please don’t toy with me at a time like this. I don’t think you understand what’s on the line for me if I lose this job.”
Loosening his grasp, he led me to the leather sofa against his office wall, pulling me onto it next to him.
“I need a wife,” he said calmly. “And I want you to fill that role.” More than ever, he appeared deadly serious.
And more than ever, I still couldn’t believe him. “You’re really not playing around?” He shook his head, his eyes never leaving mine. “A real marriage?” Another nod. “Um, would we…” I trailed off, dropping my gaze.
His slow grin made my breath hitch. “Only if you want to. But I think you’ll want to.”
If that was a bet, he’d win it, hands down. My mind was reeling. The entire morning was nothing but getting yelled at and scrambling to fix things with the Swiss company. I believed I’d be walking out of here with my head down and my tail between my legs, not engaged to the big boss.
Something snapped, and I laughed, even though I fully believed by now that he wasn’t joking around. “There’s no way I could do that. I won’t quit school for one thing. And I won’t give up my dreams, even if this mistake leaves a huge blot on my record.”
Once again, I pictured my advisor doing a happy dance as he handed over the notification that my scholarship had been revoked. I’d have to take rent money from Katie and Aleks again now that this paycheck was out the window, and that was something I had really wished I wouldn’t have to do. Homelessness almost sounded more savory, but refusing the money would have also put Brooke in a bind.
“I wasn’t asking you to leave school, or give up your dreams,” he said mildly.
Was it really a choice? Marry my boss or have to live off of Bratva money? Or leave school, lose my apartment, and give up everything I ever wanted.
I snuck a look at him, still staring me down with those eyes I could dive into and swim around in. So calm, so in control. So damn handsome. As intimidating as he was, there was no denying my crush on him.
“If it means so much to you, I can set you up to be my personal assistant so you can keep the course credit.”
He ran his hand up my arm to settle on my shoulder, the heat of his palm sinking through my blouse. His look had changed from intense to fiery, and I felt very close to burning up.
“Say yes,” he urged.
What could I do? Inside, I was quaking as I went over everything again and it all came up the same. Lose the course credit, lose my paycheck, lose the scholarship, lose theapartment, dragging Brooke down with me. Alternatively, I could grovel to Katie and Aleks and accept their dirty money. It was either lose everything or give up my integrity and all my dreams of ever running for office. Or…
Marry my boss.
He pushed my hair behind my ear, his fingers trailing along the side of my neck. “Say yes, Jenna. Marry me.”
Swallowing hard, I made the only real decision I could.
“Yes.”
Chapter 10 - Jenna
Lev and I were in the hall of the courthouse. He lounged on his stiff-backed chair while I sat ramrod straight, hands twisting in my lap. Other people were there for their turn in front of the judge, either for the same reason Lev and I were, based on their nice clothes, or for other reasons, based on how anxious they looked.
Although, anyone looking at me might have been confused about why I was there. I wore a dress Lev had delivered to my apartment last night, a pretty, jade-green confection that would have had me grinning from ear to ear if I wasn’t still in shock over what I had agreed to. While my dress signified a celebration, my face felt like it was cast in cement. Either stuck in a tense smile, like when Vera handed me the small bouquet she’d brought with her, or frozen in awe-struck terror.
My former office manager was being a lot nicer to me now than she was the last time I saw her, being led out of the office by a stone-faced Lev.
Was I really about to marry him? Up until two days ago, he was my boss. A man I had a little secret crush on. Two days. How did he arrange everything so fast? It wasn’t even enough time to come to my senses and change my mind. Not that I could. Nothing had changed in the last forty-eight hours. I was as desperate as ever.
There was no way I could tell anyone what was going on, even though I felt like the world’s biggest hypocrite as far as Katie was concerned. I loved my sister and actually liked Aleks as a person, but I could never reconcile the way he made his living. Here I was, pulling the same thing on her that she did to me. It was easy enough to push aside, as relieved as I was to befree of their dirty money. Thanks to Lev, I no longer had to fear having to quit school due to the lack of it.
In the span of those forty-eight hours, he had taken care of everything, including paying my share of the remainder of the apartment lease. Brooke had been beside herself, and I was certain she didn’t completely buy my story about changing positions to Lev’s personal assistant.
“A live-in personal assistant?” she’d asked.
“That’s how mega-rich people live, I guess,” was all I could say in reply.
