Page 4 of Rescued By Love

“I should go,” she says and starts to turn around, but my hand on her wrist stops her.

“Marry me,” I blurt before I can think better of my words.

She blinks at me slowly, her pretty hazel eyes clouding over with confusion. “What?”

“Marry me,” I repeat, jamming my hands in my pockets to repress the urge to pull her body back to mine. To bury my fingers in her hair and ravage her supple lips and… Stay focused, Derek!

"It's purely a business arrangement," I continue, keeping my voice level. "A marriage contract, if you might. I'll pay you a million dollars to stay married to me for a year."

“Why?” she asks, shaking her head slowly.

“My mom has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and she doesn't have much time left. Her only wish is to see me find love and get married before she… leaves,” I explain, pushing the word past the lump in my throat.

“I'm sorry about your mom,” she says softly then shakes her head. “But I don't think this is right. You... we'll be deceiving her.”

"You don't understand," I say, raking a hand through my mouth as my stomach tightens in frustration. It's been a week since Mom informed me about her illness, and I'm still struggling to accept this new reality.

“I've been selfish for too long,” I mutter with a self-deprecating snort. “I guess I thought she was always going to be around. Now that…” I trail off with a ragged sigh. “I've got to do this for her.”

I hadn't meant to be so honest, but something about the genuine compassion in her eyes touches something deep inside of me, leaving me feeling raw. Vulnerable.

She sags against the door with a soft sigh. "But why me? You don't even know my name."

“It could as well be anybody,” I reply, looking strained into her eyes. “So why not you?”

“Okay.”

“Okay?” I ask, blinking at her in surprise. “Does that mean you're in?”

“Yeah.”

She sounds tired. Resigned, even. And I feel my chest constrict at the deep sadness in her gorgeous hazel eyes. I'm suddenly overcome with an overwhelming desire to know this woman, to protect her from the world. Maybe even myself:

"So…" I drawl lightly. "Will you tell me your name now that you're about to be my bride?"

She looks at me, her lips tilting upward in the barest hint of a smile. “Grace,” she replies. “Grace Winston.”

Grace. A name as beautiful as its bearer.

Chapter Three

Grace

"What are you doing, Grace?" Abbie asks softly, her eyes filled with concern.

It's the day of my wedding, exactly one week after Derek's unconventional proposal in his house. Every day since then has been a blur of activities, from meeting Derek's mom and having dinner with his friends to getting whisked around for the contract signing and wedding preparations. I moved through each day in a daze, barely giving myself a moment to consider the weight of my decision.

Because I'll probably regret it.

I read everything I could find about Derek Sawyer on the internet and discovered he's even more powerful than I imagined. Apart from Echoes Nightclub, he owns a bunch of other clubs, bars, and hotels in the city and several other parts of the world. He's considered one of the most influential businessmen in Chicago with friends in every business sector. There are countless photos of him with several women in his arms: models, actresses, and business executives, all smiling brightly at the camera. They all looked so happy to be with him.

I should be happy too. Right?

I mean, Derek Sawyer is the kind of man I would never have dreamed of getting married to in my lifetime: powerful, wealthy, and incredibly hot. Yet here I am in a luxurious wedding dress, waiting to be announced as his bride. I should be excited about the prospect of walking away from this whole thing with one million dollars in my bank account.

But here in the chapel's waiting room, minutes away from walking down the aisle, I feel like I'll go into full-blown panic mode at any moment. It doesn't help that Abbie is asking the very question I've avoided asking myself for the past week.

“Grace?” Abbie prompts, searching my face. “I asked what you're doing.”

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