Page 29 of Tangled Vows

“Marry me.”

I stared up at Easton in stunned disbelief, blinking rapidly. When he said he might have a solution to my problem, this was the last thing I’d expected. He wanted to getmarried? Like actually,legallymarried? I fell back against my desk and my ass landed on the top, my hands curling around the edge.

“Are you fucking insane?” I blurted out, and he winced. Squeezing my eyes shut, I brought one hand to the bridge of my nose and pinched. I hadn’t had enough caffeine yet for this conversation.

“Look, I know this isn’t ideal,” he began, and I bristled. Notideal. Was he serious? “And it’s a bit unconventional, but it’s your best shot at getting the funds to help your mom.” My chin quivered, and I sniffed, trying to suppress the tears. Every time I thought about my mother and the colossal shit storm that was her current situation, I wanted to cry. She meant the world tome, and I’d do anything to help her. But what was his motivation for proposing this sham of a marriage? My gaze narrowed on him, and I pinned him with a suspicious glare.

“What’s in it for you?” He wasn’t doing this out of the kindness of his heart. He would get something out of it too. I had no doubt. He sobered, his features tightening as his lips flattened.

“As you probably already know, my reputation is,” he began, pausing to find the right words, “less than wholesome.”

That was an understatement. Before being traded to the Wraiths, he was frequently in the headlines for being a playboy. Tabloids photographed him with a different woman every time he was seen out in public. They painted him as a libertine with a penchant for beautiful women and no-strings-attached hookups.

“I’m trying to clean up my image,” he continued, glancing away as though he was actually ashamed of his past exploits, “and this is the fastest, most effective way to do that.” Why was he all of the sudden worried about his reputation? And why the big hurry? I needed to know exactly what I’d be getting myself into before I even considered what he was proposing.

Was I considering it?

Of course, it would be only on paper, not arealmarriage, but still.

“This ultimately would be a mutually beneficial arrangement,” he added as though trying to sweeten the deal. That made me even more suspicious.

“If I’m going to agree to this—and I’m not saying I will—I need you to be completely honest with me.” His jaw tightened, but he nodded, so I continued. “Why now? What aren’t you telling me?”

He drew in a deep breath, puffing out his cheeks as he released it. “This is—” he started but then clamped his mouth shut as though he’d said too much. “Can I trust you not to shareanything we discuss here today?” I nodded. “I’m serious, Shayla. This is a big deal. It could tank my career and—” He cut himself off, shaking his head.

His tone was equally terse and desperate. Now I was worried. What could be so bad that he was afraid to tell me? What could make him so desperate, he’d want tomarryme?

“Of course,” I replied without hesitation. I would never betray one of my players’ confidence. “Anything you say in this room will stay between you and me. You have my word.”

He closed his eyes briefly as though he was gathering the strength to tell me. So many possibilities ran through my mind, but what he said next wasn’t one of them.

“I need to start from the beginning.” I leaned forward to listen closely and encourage him to continue. “I slept with my former coach’s wife.” My mouth fell open, and he winced. “I didn’t mean to.” He held his hands up defensively, and I shook away my surprise.

“So … what? You tripped and fell and landed in her vagina?”

He scowled, his mouth flattening in irritation. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Okay…”

“They were separated,” he explained, swiping a frustrated hand over his face. “I ran into her at a hotel bar. We had a few drinks, and one thing led to another. She told me the papers were signed and they were waiting on a court date. I thought it was over.” Genuine remorse filled his eyes, and I regretted my earlier snipe about falling into her vagina.

“They ended up reconciling, and she confessed to sleeping with me. He confronted me one day at practice. With his fist,” he added, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees before continuing. “After that, I got traded. Only a few people know what really happened since it occurred before practice and most of the team was still in the locker room.

“There was a lot of speculation around why I left Boston to join a new team with a losing record. The media buzz eventually faded, but with the Wraiths moving up the ranks, there’s renewed interest in my personal life. A couple reporters have reached out to Roni recently and judging by their questions, she thinks someone is talking. And if it comes to light that I slept with my coach's wife, my public image will be ruined. The fans will turn on me. It’s one thing to be a player, but being a home-wrecker is another story.”

So many questions swirled around in my head. But there was one more that was more important than the rest.

Why me?

That was all I could think as I mulled over Easton’s proposition. I wouldn’t let myself think of it as a proposal. That wasn’t what this was about. We weren’t two people hopelessly in love and planning to spend the rest of our lives together. It would simply be a transaction, a way for both of us to get what we wanted.

Still, of all the women he had to choose from—plenty of whom would be more than willing to become his fake wife—why had he chosen me? Sure, he’d said it would be mutually beneficial since getting married would unlock my inheritance, but why did he care? Did he feel bad for being an absolute pain in my ass the last few months? Had he lost someone he loved to cancer and could empathize with my situation?

Maybe I was reading too much into it. Maybe he’d chosen me simply because he knew he’d be able to walk away when it was over. Because itwouldeventually end. We’d stay married long enough to make it look believable then separate as soon as the media storm died down. A year or two tops. Then we could go our separate ways. He would move on and forget about me, and I’d be able to sleep easy knowing we weren't a hundred grand indebt from medical bills and a second mortgage. I just hoped my mom was still around once the dust settled.

That thought gave me pause. Could being married to Easton benefit my mom? Would it open the doors to better cancer care and opportunities for treatment? I hated to think that way, but people with millions in their bank account had more options than those of us barely making ends meet. Her medical team was great, but could Easton’s clout get us thebest?

It made me feel cheap and dirty to think of using him that way, but if it meant keeping my mom alive, I was willing to do just about anything.

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