Page 23 of A Bossy Proposal

And here we go again. Another transaction.

It’s all men want from me. Give them something and they’ll give me something in return.

But this one is new, and I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “One million dollars to be your fake fiancée? Me?” I swallow hard, trying to process the information. It’s a lot to take in.

“You.”

“Why me?” I ask. Not sure why I’m not jumping at the chance, considering one million dollars will let me control my life. At least, afterwards I will.

One million dollars…enough to get rid of my problem.

He looks at me, his eyes searching mine. “Because you’re smart, beautiful, and you won’t cause any trouble.”

Goosebumps pop on my arms because West Davenport called me beautiful. Then reality hits because he also thinks I won’t be a problem.

I raise an eyebrow. “And how do you know that?”

“Because I trust you, and—” He shrugs nonchalantly. “I’ve been watching you, Amelia.”

My heart skips a beat at his admission. Watching me? In what context? But before I can ask, he continues.

“This will be a temporary arrangement,” he says quickly, as if sensing my unease. “One year and when it’s over, you’ll have one million dollars. If there is a reason I have to extend, I’ll pay you another one million dollars for each month you stay.”

My mind is racing as I try to make sense of this proposal. One million dollars could change my life completely. But at what cost?

Giving up my life for one year to be West’s fake fiancée? Pretending to be in love with him?

It feels wrong on so many levels.

And what if I fell in love with him?

And then there’s sex.

My face heats.

I swallow hard, my mouth dry. “How will it work, exactly?”

West leans back in his chair, the leather creaking. “We’ll make a big announcement of our engagement. My father will ask questions, but I’ll tell him he pushed my hand.”

“Pushed your hand?” I echo, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” he says with a slight smirk. “I’ll say we’ve been secretly seeing each other for a little under a year. It’s believable, given how much time we spend together. My brother will back me up.”

I nod slowly, trying to process the information. “And the finer details?”

“We’ll work on those if you agree,” he says, his gaze locking onto mine. “Where we met is easy. It was at Henry’s house. He is a mutual friend.”

“I was there with Felix,” I add. This will never work.

“And I stole you from him,” West tells me.

I chuckle. “You’ve got it all worked out. Our first date...all of it.”

“It’s all coming together, like it was meant to be.”

I smile.

A million dollars is a lot of money, more than I’ve ever imagined having. But pretending to be engaged to West Davenport is risky. If anyone finds out who I am, my already precarious life could implode.

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