Page 13 of Against The Rules

Now it makes me feel used.

He holds up a second finger. “Two, you said you were going to get cut from the Beaver Cheer team if you can’t be sexier. I can teach you that.”

“Oh, is that right? You have a lot of experience with dancing sexy in a stadium full of people?” It comes out icy, but he just smiles wider.

“No, but I have a lot of experience with sex, and if I remember right, you do not. Now, I’ve never had sex in front of a stadium full of people, but if you’re into that kind of thing…” he trails off, white teeth flashing as he grins down at where I’m still lying on the floor.

I make myself sit up and flop against the wall, crossing my arms. Not exactly in a power negotiation position, but whatever.

Heat floods my face from both embarrassment and embarrassing interest in what he’s saying. Ty Matthews isn’t wrong about one thing.

He is, without a doubt, one of the sexiest men I’ve ever seen in my life. Perfect chiseled features, a body that, now that I know what he does for a living, makes sense, too.

It’s a work of art, powerful and graceful all at once, and it makes my throat feel tight as I stare at him.

“And for me, once we’ve convinced my family that I’m capable of having a relationship, we can pretend to break up and you’ll get a nice divorce settlement.”

I resist the urge to sink face-first into the carpet. “I don’t want to take your money. Makes me feel cheap.”

“Would other wives let their husbands help them out financially?” Ty says it so smoothly, without any doubts, that I narrow my eyes.

Surely he doesn’t really consider me his wife. For crying out loud.

Dammit, though, I would really love to quit my day job. I would really love to make a go of my art without fear of not making rent.

Shiiiit. I cannot actually be considering this.

“What if the cheer team finds out?” I ask weakly.

His dimples appear as his smile grows, like he knows he’s got me.

And dammit, I think he might.

“They won’t. I can be very careful. I will keep it a secret from everyone but my parents.”

“How?”

“We’ll schedule the time we spend together. We won’t go out in public. You can come to my place or I can have a driver pick you up and bring you to—”

“Oh yeah, that will be real sneaky. Just have a limo pull up to my house—”

“I meant an Uber, but I could arrange a limo,” he says, grinning so wide that it catches me off guard, making me laugh.

“This is ludicrous.”

“He’s always been one of my favorites.”

I blink at him. “Huh?”

“We can keep it a secret,” he insists, crouching down next to me, his warm, firm hand on my bicep. “I will make sure you get the business you want out of it, and you’ll stay on the dance team, and you’ll be sexier than ever, and you’ll help me get my parents off my back.”

“Right.” I close my eyes again and lean my head against the wall.

It’s a lot easier to think without his handsome face clouding my good sense.

Except his thumb’s distracting me now, making small, persistent circles across my skin.

It makes me think of only one thing.

---