Page 16 of Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Taking a deep breath, he launched right in. “I have a proposal for you.”

She waited a beat, taking another drink from her martini before waving her fingers. “What?”

“That’s it.” He shrugged. “I’m proposing. Marriage.”

Her jaw dropped, green gaze going wide. Then her lips twitched, and she began to laugh. He started to smile, but his humor died when she doubled over, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

“Oh my God, Del. Thank you.” She sat up, wiping the tears that had leaked out. “I needed a laugh.”

“I wasn’t joking.”

Her mirth dissipated. “Wait…what?”

“I’m serious. Do you want me to get down on one knee?” He started to bend when she lurched over the bar, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and dragging him back up.

“Stop it.” She glanced around, but no one paid them any attention. “What the hell, Delta?”

Leaning in close, until their noses were inches apart, he spoke in hushed tones. “Look, you need a husband. I need cash. We can solve both our problems.”

She shook her head. “Are you suggesting I buy a husband?”

“People mail order brides, don’t they?”

“Yeah, but those are strangers they’ve never met. I know you. We’re…friends.”

She didn’t sound too sure about that.

“Besides,” she continued. “What the hell do you need money for?”

He shoved a frustrated hand through his hair. “I need a down payment for a restaurant.”

“Restaurant?” Her brow furrowed. “You’re leaving the distillery?”

“No, I want to add a restaurant to the distillery, but my brothers want me to have the startup funds and…no one will give me a loan.”

Chapped his ass to admit it, but desperate times called for humiliation. He needed money, and she had plenty available.

“So you’re offering to be my…?”

“Investment.” He glanced around, but no one was paying them any attention. “Look, you need a husband. I need startup funds. I’ll pretend to be the doting hubby if you loan me the cash to prove to my brothers this restaurant is a good idea. You’ll be a silent investor and make your money back within five years. Plus more. It’s a win-win.”

“But, we don’t even like each other.”

“From what I gather, most married people don’t.”

“Del.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes tight. “Be serious.”

“I am.”

At his stark tone, she glanced up.

“Think about it, Cassie. You need a husband. One who isn’t a total dick like the douches you’ve been meeting in here the past week.”

“Hey,” she protested. “They weren’t all bad.”

He raised a brow, and she grimaced.

“Okay, fine. They were all terrible.” She dropped her head onto the bar. “Ugh, I hate online dating.”

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