Page 65 of Fireworks & Forehead Kisses

“It’s theonlyreason I want to get married.”

“Bullshit.”

“Excuse me.”

“You wanted to go on television and marry a stranger.”

Damn. This argument was coming together as I went along. Ashley had taken my grandmother to the pier to film an audition for the reality show. Which meant Carrie, my Carrie,had wanted to go onMarried by aMatchmaker.

A jolt of jealousy struck me from nowhere.

Over my dead body.

Whoa. Where had that thought come from?

“That’s different,” she argued.

“Why is that different?”

“Because in that scenario, professional matchmakers would be arranging a marriage that could grow into love. At least I would know that my husband and I would want the same things.”

“You mean fifteen minutes of fame or, at the very least, a bigger social media following?”

“What are you…that’s not?—”

“You can’t tell me that’s not why people go on those shows.”

“That’s not whyIwanted to go on the show.”

“I believeyou,but how could you ever know that isn’t why the stranger you would be marrying isn’t going on it?”

I could see the wheels turning in her pretty head. She wanted, so badly, to argue with me, but she couldn’t.

“You clearly wanted to be married. I need to get married. You know I’m not a psychopath, and we’re clearly compatible in some aspects of marriage.” At the mention of ourcompatibility, her cheeks flushed. “That’s more than you’d know going into a marriage on that television show.”

She took in a shaky breath, and I could see that she was actually considering my ludicrous proposal. Her phone rang; she pulled it out of her purse and answered it.

“Hello, oh, okay, yes, I’ll be right there.” When she put it back, she said, “It’s my niece; I have to go get her from school.”

“Just promise me you’ll think about it. I’ll send you my terms.”

“Terms?” Her brows furrowed.

“Yes, terms.” What sort of marriage wouldn’t have terms?

“How romantic,” she said beneath her breath as she turned to leave.

It wasn’t a no. She wasn’t turning me down outright.

“Romance can be negotiated,” I stated as she opened the door.

I noticed her shoulders tense, and I couldn’t help but grin. When the door closed, I sat back down in my chair. I wasn’t sure what had just happened or what was going to happen, but I knew one thing for certain: my life was better now than it had been before I walked into that sunroom and Ashley turned around.

23

ASHLEY

Declan Wolfe was Big.Big was Declan Wolfe. How was that possible? I honestly felt like I was gettingPunk’d, or I was onCandid Camera. At any moment, someone was going to tell me that this was all a big prank.

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