Page 28 of A Win-Win Situation

"Okay."

"I also want a recommendation letter, preferably from your uncle, but you will do, too." I scoff inwardly at that remark. A letter from me would give her a great job with benefits she could only dream of.

Her fingers tap against her mug, a sign of her nervousness and her eyes dart around the café, avoiding my gaze. I can feel her anxiety building as she waits for my response.

"Sure."

My own heart is pounding in my chest, a feeling I’m not used to, and I’m unsure of what to expect next. I’m usedto discussingbusinessconditions with stiff men in suits, not marriage conditions with beautiful women in shorts that expose their stunning, tan legs that would look perfect wrapped around my waist.

I clear my throat, straightening in my seat, trying to compose myself. Lord, I really need to focus on anything other than her legs; otherwise, this meeting will end up going in a completely different direction.

"No touching," she says in a low voice that snaps me out of my thoughts. I let her words sink in. How are we supposed to pull off looking like a married couple without touching each other? She reads my face and quickly adds, "I mean, no touchingin private."

"I hadn’t planned on touching you, Leora. Not more than I have to when we’re out and about."

Lies.Every time I see her, my brain seems to conjure up all sorts of situations where we are certainly touching.

"Is that all, Miss Davis?"

"No." She takes another sip of her coffee before continuing, her voice a little more confident now.

"No cheating."

Her request catches me off guard again.

"Cheating? How would I cheat on my fake wife?"

"I know this whole thing won't berealin our eyes, but other people will believe it," she says firmly, taking yet another sip. "I won't be embarrassed like that again, even though this is a fake relationship. If you need to scratch an itch, you do it yourself, or find a way to be very, very discreet," she adds, her hands slightly shaking as she speaks.

Again? Did someone cheat on her? If so, it makes sense why it would be one of her conditions. Regardless, I despise cheating in all forms. There's something incredibly weak about a person who chooses to stab another in the back. It’s simple, if you wantto fuck someone else, you leave the person you’re with first. Easy.

I can see her eyes studying me, trying to gauge my reaction.

"There will be no cheating, real or fake. I'm not that kind of man."

Her eyes widen slightly for a second before she nods, relief evident in her expression.Did she think I would argue in favor of cheating?Why does she look surprised?This woman clearly has the wrong impression of me, and for some damn reason, I want to rectify every wrong thing she thinks of me.

"But it goes both ways, Leora." My tone bears no argument. "You'll be married to me andonlyme."

I pause, studying her face for any sign of reaction. After a moment, she lets out a breath and replies softly, "Okay."

"Is that all?" I ask.

"Yes." Her response is hesitant but affirmative.

A small smile forms on my lips. "So you agree?"

Again, she nods. "Yes."

I take a deep breath, my heart racing with anticipation and uncertainty. "You'll marry me?"

"Y-Yes," her response is low, but it's a yes nonetheless.

"Perfect, we'll get married this Saturday. I need some time to get all the papers together, and you’ll also have to sign a prenup."

The sooner, the better. We need to get this over and done with so we can focus on work.

She stares at me in disbelief. "Saturday? As in, two days from now?" She exclaims.

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