hair, her nails digging into the soft leather. He

ight. You want me to marry you, pretend to be your perfect

n't even b

he sheer audacity of t

laugh, shaking her head

dn't change. "I p

yes. "And what hap

return to your failing shop, and wait for the bank to take everything from you. Wi

aw cl

st

was right. Hated

ed saving,"

deliberate. "I'm offering you an opportunity. A solution

say yes? What's stopping you from t

s on the desk. The air between them grew c

ice was lower now, almost danger

ran down

s voice have to

t the sudden heat curling in her stomach. "

und the desk, his presence towering over her. Mia fought the urge t

like velvet over steel. "I expect loyalty. And in retu

etrayed her, how her breath hitched at the scent

chin. "And wh

s gaze

tterly void of emotion, "is

rse it

like Xavier Harrington didn't do lo

e reckless part of h

f he could feel

wly. "And how long would

e y

in her jaw. "A

with enough mone

for cracks in his perfectly c

usiness to him.

calculation, she couldn't shake

hing

ing da

considered the impossibl

d she lost

losing herself to a man

f sensing her hesitation.

at least get to see the

the closest thing to amu

e the contract. But understand this-o

rning

rs trembled

d that this was a terrible id

ears of struggling, of barely keeping her head abov

deniable pull of the m

Xavier, meeting

hink ab

something unreadable.