“What are you doing here?” I asked, reaching for my tea, mostly so I had something to do with my hands.
He slid a contract that was about as thick as a dictionary toward me. “This prenup says neither of us are entitled to anything the other owned prior to the marriage. It protects both our assets. You should have a lawyer look it over to make sure you’re happy with everything.”
I scanned the first page of legal mumbo jumbo. The smart thing to do would be to have Sam look at it before I signed anything, but then I’d have to tell Sam about this arrangement.
When all was said and done, Danielle Towler was a fake persona. Sure, I had an ID and could legally get married, but I could also vanish off the face of the planet and it would be impossible to trace me. If anyone tried, they’d probably find my social security number belonged to a dead woman somewhere or something. Honestly, I didn’t know. Sam had been the one to get me all the necessary paperwork.
No matter what I signed, Hayden wouldn’t really be able to do too much damage to me.
“Do you have a pen?” I asked.
“Danielle, there’s no rush. I want you to be sure.”
“It’s okay. I trust you.”
He glared at me, wisps of frustration winding around his aura.
“Pen,” I repeated, holding out my hand, palm up.
He continued glaring at me but placed the pen in my open palm.
“Did you really come all the way here in the middle ofthe day just to give me this?” I asked as I signed my name and pushed the stack of documents toward him.
“No.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. “I also came to give you this.”
There was only one logical reason he’d be giving me a tiny jewelry box, but I still sucked in a shocked breath when he flipped the lid up to show me the ring nestled inside—a single pear-cut diamond set in a plain golden band. There were no smaller diamonds or other frills to distract from the giant rock that looked like it had to weigh five pounds.
“Danielle Towler, will you marry me?”
His words broke through the shock enough for me to smile. “Did you just propose to me in a bubble tea shop?”
“Technically, I think I proposed to you on the front stoop of your building. Without a ring. Like a douche.”
“Proposing without a ring doesn’t make you a douche.” A piece of jewelry wasn’t important when it came to asking someone to share their life with you. “I had more of an issue with you not asking if I was single first.”
“Just take the damn ring, Sunday School.”
I shook my head. “It’s too much.”
“You’re helping me inherit billions. I can afford to give you a diamond.”
“That’s not just a diamond, Hayden. I’m not going to be able to lift my hand.”
A slow, satisfied smile curved his lips, and my breath caught for the second time in three minutes. There was something downright wicked about the way he was looking at me.
“I know,” he said in a low voice that made my stomach dip.
“Wh-what?”
He didn’t answer as he reached across the table and took my left hand in his. A second later, he was sliding the ring onto my finger, where it sparkled like a beacon in the light filtering from the picture window of the café. It was impossible to miss, a neon sign announcing to the world that I was taken.
Hayden lifted my hand to his mouth and pressed a soft kiss directly next to the ring. The scrape of his beard was rough against my skin, and I almost shuddered. Why did this have to feel so good? It was just a freaking hand kiss.
I really needed to get a grip if we were going to pretend to be in love for the next nine months or however long it took for Hayden to secure his inheritance.
Because no matter how it felt, none of this was real.
Soft material slippedthrough my fingers. Some sheer fabrics were stiff or scratchy, but this one felt like water against my skin. It would make the perfect top layer on the skirt, light and pretty without changing the shape of the dress.
