Page 187 of Modern Romance January 2025 1-4

He thought he did. He thought he knew everything and wouldn’t listen to alternative ideas. The only way washisway.

She watched Ramon step closer to her. ‘Dad’s financial issues don’t make marrying off Ashleigh the right thing to do.’

Ashleigh shouldn’t be driven out of the only home she’d known. Shouldn’t be expunged from the family like Elodie had been.

‘Don’t worry,thatwedding will not happen.’

But Ramon wanted another one. Her heart thudded.

He frowned. ‘You still look worried.’

‘Of course I’m worried.’

‘Don’t be. I’m a good guy, helping save your sister.’

‘By taking advantage of—’

‘No onetakes advantage of you, Elodie Wallace. You’ll get what you want as much as I will from this.’

She stared at him. What she really wanted wasselfish.

‘Say yes and you’ll have more than you need to help your sister,’ he said. ‘You’ll have your own business. You’ll be able to secure Bethan’s job too. I understand she also walked out on her marriage.’

‘That’s right.’ She tilted her chin in defiance of all his damned invasive research. ‘We have our own divorced wives club, actually.’

‘Of course you do. Does it have a name?’

‘You mean your team didn’t find that out for you? FFS.’

‘Quite.’

‘No, that’s thename.’

‘Standing for the obvious.’

‘We’re the Forever Free Sisters. Meaning we’re going to be free—frommarriage—forever. None of us are making that mistake again.’

‘And with me you won’t be,’ he said. ‘You’re an astute woman, why not get what you can from me?’

‘My body is not for sale.’

‘Sure, but your signature could be. That’s all I’m paying for. Your signature on a wedding certificate.’

She swallowed. It was a little more than that. It was her name. Her honour. But she’d destroyed both of those things herself, hadn’t she?

‘We both have pasts. We both know what we’re getting into. We both know our affair is as inevitable as our next breath,’ he said harshly. ‘So why not extract some additional benefit to our being together?’

He thought she was something she wasn’t, but if he knew the truth of her first marriage, if he knew how she’d faked most of those photos, how inexperienced she actually was—especially compared to him—would he still suggest this?

Elodie swallowed. He was more powerful. More experienced. More everything. If she told him and if he still wanted to proceed with this crazy plan, then she would lose what little power she had. So he couldn’t know.

Because she’d spent most of last night regretting that she’d stopped him touching her.

Her loss of control had been shocking. Yet because of that she now knew he wouldn’t demand more than she was willing to give. Not physically. She’d inadvertently tested him in the course of her own confusion and overwhelm. He’d stopped the instant she’d asked him to. He would again. So maybe she could fake her way through this. He never need know the extent of her inexperience and along with securing Ashleigh’s future, she would get somethingshewanted. Him. Just for a little while.

‘Come on, Elodie.’ He crowded her as he had last night. As if he couldn’t stand to stay at a respectable distance from her for more than three seconds. ‘You know it’s going to happen.’

‘Are you trying to seduce me into saying yes?’

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