selfish. It’s all about you.”
Stone wanted to laugh out loud. He’d never met anyone as selfish as Divina. And, as far as inconveniencing someone, it was Divina who didn’t want to postpone her wedding, refused being seen with him in public. It was the opposite of how she’d acted when they met.
“Okay, so let’s say it’s all about me,” he said. “If Grace agrees to play my wife, will you keep your wedding plans a secret? I can’t have Divina marrying someone publicly while I’m married to her, even though it would be you, not Grace. Do you see what I mean?”
At this point, he wasn’t sure what he meant. He waited for her to answer, but she didn’t. She stood up and walked away, thumbing through the mail like she hadn’t heard a word he’d said. The headache that threatened earlier erupted. He needed to lie down.
He stepped into the room he shared with Grace. She was sitting at a small desk in the corner. He didn’t say anything and she didn’t acknowledge he was there. The springs squeaked when he fell onto the bed. He rubbed his temples and moaned softly.
“Stone?”
He froze.
“It’s not about the money,” she said, not turning around. “I can’t be your wife.”
Chapter 5
“I can’t be his wife. I can’t pretend I’m in love with him. I already feel things I have no business feeling. If I hadn’t nursed a crush on him for so many years, maybe, but I was sitting there thinking how much I wish I’d been conscious for that kiss. The fact it was wrong for him to kiss me didn’t really enter into it,” Grace whined to her best friend the following day.
She and Kayla had spent the last hour curled up on Divina’s living room couch, going over everything that had happened since the wedding, her parents practically forcing her to move in with the happy couple and the offer of one million dollars for a year of being Divina, married to Stone Adams.
“A part of me wants to be his pretend wife, but the rational part tells me nothing good can come of this. I’m going to get hurt in the end. Divina marries Hank, Stone goes on to some new chippy and I’m stuck alone.”
“You’re never alone,” Kayla said. “You have me.”
It was true. Grace and Kayla had been friends since middle school when they’d been cut from the travel soccer team. They’d been attached at the hip ever since. Kayla had seen Grace through rough nights in college and regardless of the miles separating them, they dropped everything as soon as the other one needed them. Kayla had driven through the night when Grace’s boyfriend of a year dumped her for Miss December, college edition.
“I know you’ll always be there for me,” Grace told her. “But I can’t risk being hurt when I know it’s a certainty. He doesn’t want a wife. He wants a trained pony to show off at races and in the media. He doesn’t want me, Grace.”
“How do you know?”
“For one, he married my sister. Two, he offered me a million dollars. I would be his employee. And what would that million cover–smiles? Kisses? Sex?”
“For a million, I’d have sex with him,” Kayla said, smirking. “He’s hot.” She pressed play on the television remote. The interview with Stone from this past weekend started.
“I’m not a prostitute, and neither are you,” Grace said seriously. “This is not Pretty Woman and I’m not Julia Roberts.”
“Fine. I understand… Not the right attitude, but think of what you can do with all that dough.”
“I’ve already told him no.”
“You could change your mind, Grace.”
Grace leaned back on the overstuffed couch and watched Stone on TV. When she’d told him she couldn’t pretend to be married to him, he’d said nothing. After a minute, when Kayla didn’t respond, Grace turned around, knowing he was standing behind them watching her. He was there all right and he was smiling, but thankfully he didn’t acknowledge he’d heard her. Kayla excused herself and left.
Stone wanted to laugh out loud. He’d never met anyone as selfish as Divina. And, as far as inconveniencing someone, it was Divina who didn’t want to postpone her wedding, refused being seen with him in public. It was the opposite of how she’d acted when they met.
“Okay, so let’s say it’s all about me,” he said. “If Grace agrees to play my wife, will you keep your wedding plans a secret? I can’t have Divina marrying someone publicly while I’m married to her, even though it would be you, not Grace. Do you see what I mean?”
At this point, he wasn’t sure what he meant. He waited for her to answer, but she didn’t. She stood up and walked away, thumbing through the mail like she hadn’t heard a word he’d said. The headache that threatened earlier erupted. He needed to lie down.
He stepped into the room he shared with Grace. She was sitting at a small desk in the corner. He didn’t say anything and she didn’t acknowledge he was there. The springs squeaked when he fell onto the bed. He rubbed his temples and moaned softly.
“Stone?”
He froze.
“It’s not about the money,” she said, not turning around. “I can’t be your wife.”
Chapter 5
“I can’t be his wife. I can’t pretend I’m in love with him. I already feel things I have no business feeling. If I hadn’t nursed a crush on him for so many years, maybe, but I was sitting there thinking how much I wish I’d been conscious for that kiss. The fact it was wrong for him to kiss me didn’t really enter into it,” Grace whined to her best friend the following day.
She and Kayla had spent the last hour curled up on Divina’s living room couch, going over everything that had happened since the wedding, her parents practically forcing her to move in with the happy couple and the offer of one million dollars for a year of being Divina, married to Stone Adams.
“A part of me wants to be his pretend wife, but the rational part tells me nothing good can come of this. I’m going to get hurt in the end. Divina marries Hank, Stone goes on to some new chippy and I’m stuck alone.”
“You’re never alone,” Kayla said. “You have me.”
It was true. Grace and Kayla had been friends since middle school when they’d been cut from the travel soccer team. They’d been attached at the hip ever since. Kayla had seen Grace through rough nights in college and regardless of the miles separating them, they dropped everything as soon as the other one needed them. Kayla had driven through the night when Grace’s boyfriend of a year dumped her for Miss December, college edition.
“I know you’ll always be there for me,” Grace told her. “But I can’t risk being hurt when I know it’s a certainty. He doesn’t want a wife. He wants a trained pony to show off at races and in the media. He doesn’t want me, Grace.”
“How do you know?”
“For one, he married my sister. Two, he offered me a million dollars. I would be his employee. And what would that million cover–smiles? Kisses? Sex?”
“For a million, I’d have sex with him,” Kayla said, smirking. “He’s hot.” She pressed play on the television remote. The interview with Stone from this past weekend started.
“I’m not a prostitute, and neither are you,” Grace said seriously. “This is not Pretty Woman and I’m not Julia Roberts.”
“Fine. I understand… Not the right attitude, but think of what you can do with all that dough.”
“I’ve already told him no.”
“You could change your mind, Grace.”
Grace leaned back on the overstuffed couch and watched Stone on TV. When she’d told him she couldn’t pretend to be married to him, he’d said nothing. After a minute, when Kayla didn’t respond, Grace turned around, knowing he was standing behind them watching her. He was there all right and he was smiling, but thankfully he didn’t acknowledge he’d heard her. Kayla excused herself and left.
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