Page 51 of Wed to You

Chapter Eight

“This isn’twhat we agreed to.” Chelsea pushed the legal papers back toward Jagger and his New York lawyer, Alexis Fairchild. They were sitting on the back terrace of Jagger’s home, four days before the wedding.

“You want more?” Alexis’s dark eyes narrowed.

Chelsea got the feeling her relationship with Jagger was deeper than that of lawyer and client. There was a protectiveness emanating from Alexis. Why doesn’t he marry her? Clearly, they had history, and she was a better match for Jagger. She was tall, slim, and gorgeous in an expensive-looking black and white summer dress.

“I don’t want any of it.” Chelsea understood she had to sign a prenuptial agreement, but she’d expected it to say she didn’t get anything in a divorce. She was already getting her home and student loans paid off. She didn’t need him paying thousands of dollars a month in alimony until she married again.

Alexis turned to Jagger, her brows furrowed and her mouth quirked to the side in confusion. Or maybe she thought Chelsea was an idiot.

“Can we have a minute?” Jagger nodded to Alexis.

“Sure thing.” Alexis stood and headed back inside.

Jagger’s smiled bordered on amusement. Why was her refusing his money so funny?

“Chelsea, this isn’t a lot of money, especially when I think about how you’re helping me. More importantly, if I don’t offer anything, people will be suspicious. Remember, this has to look like we plan to be married forever.”

She sank back in her chair. Getting married, even a fake marriage, was much more complicated than she’d thought. Had Lexie and Mitch signed prenups when marrying their rich New Yorkers? “Can’t you just say you’ll pay off my house like we agreed to?”

He shook his head. “Just sign this. When things end, we can look at terminating it at that time if you still don’t want it.”

“If I decided I did want it, you’d be okay with it?”

He nodded. “It’s not that much.”

She closed her eyes because, in her world, it was a fortune. It served to show just how incompatible they were.

“Please. Sign it.”

She blew out a breath, picked up the pen, and signed.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

A few moments later, Alexis reappeared, carrying a large glass of white wine. “It’s signed. Excellent. Now it’s your turn to get scarce, Jagger. I want to get to know your fiancée.”

Chelsea hoped he understood her expression was saying, “Don’t leave me.” Either he didn’t get it or didn’t care.

“Be nice.”

Once he’d left, Alexis turned to Chelsea, her dark eyes scrutinizing her until Chelsea thought she might blurt out the truth.

“I’m just trying to get a sense of the woman who finally stole Jagger’s heart.”

“I know. Hard to believe he’d fall for a gal like me.”

Alexis sat back in her seat. “Oh no, it’s not hard at all.”

“Really?”

“You seem surprised by that.” She lifted the goblet of wine to her lips.

“I’m not like the other women he’s dated.”

“Thank God for that.” Alexis lifted her glass as if toasting God. “For the record, Jagger’s never really dated. At least not in the traditional sense.”

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