Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Let’s do it.”
Individually, each word made perfect sense, but her mind couldn’t quite comprehend exactly what he was telling her. She tipped her head to one side. “Do… what?”
He shrugged. “Get…” His shoulders twitched, and his gaze darted away before sliding back to hers. “Married.”
Her breath caught, and her heart skipped a beat as hope exploded in her chest. “But I thought—”
He slashed one hand through the air. “Forget what I said. I was being an idiot. My boss liked your idea, and he’s already talking to Louis and the studio.”
Part of her wanted to throw her arms around him, and she grabbed the counter behind her to keep herself from doing so. He already looked uncomfortable; she didn’t want to freak him out. Though, honestly, she was lucky he was still around after everything that had happened already.
“There’s something…” He faltered. “It’s a little more complicated than just pretending to be married, though.”
She cocked her head. “What do we need to do?”
He hesitated for a long moment, as if searching for the right words. “Marriage records are public.” He stared at her, his expression bordering on anxious.
“Okay…?” she drew out the word, trying to decipher his statement.
“Anyone can check to see if we’re really married.”
It hit her like a bolt of lightning, and she felt her mouth fall open. “Oh.”
“Yeah.” He looked grim. “So… I’ll leave this up to you.”
She stared up at him. “You’re… You’d really… marry me?”
She watched as a slight tic shuddered across his jaw, and he blinked long and slow before responding. “Yeah. We’ll do what we have to do.”
Her skin went hot as shame assailed her. It was one thing to ask a friend to watch a dog or water plants, but this…? What had begun as a simple deception had quickly become so much more serious.
“I think, um…” She scrunched up her nose to get rid of the burning sensation and blinked rapidly against the moisture that blurred her eyes as she turned away. “I appreciate it. But I can’t.”
“Why not?” There was a hard edge to his voice that sent a shiver down her spine.
“I just can’t.”
One hand wrapped around her bicep and whirled her toward him. “Look at me.”
Only inches away, she had no choice but to do so. She glared up at him. “What?”
“Tell me why you’ve changed your mind.”
“I just…” She dropped her gaze to his broad chest. Dark ink peeked out from beneath the neckline of the tight black tee shirt, and she curled her fingers into a fist to keep from tracing the intricate design. She drew a deep breath. “What would your family say?”
He studied her for a long moment. “They won’t find out.”
So she would be a dirty little secret. “And… how do you feel about this?”
He leaned against the island and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her. “It’s just a few months.”
She bit her lip. “Does that bother you?”
He lifted one shoulder, and his gaze skated over her shoulder and out the window. Finally, he exhaled. “I don’t know.”
“We don’t have to do this,” she said softly, even as her heart plummeted toward her toes. “There has to be another way without forcing you to—”
“You’re not forcing me into anything.” He straightened. “And this is the best scenario at the moment. It creates a diversion while getting you out of harm’s way.”
“What happens when it’s over?”
His gray-blue eyes bore into hers. “We’ll figure that out when the time comes.”
She closed her eyes before meeting his gaze. “Just… promise you won’t regret this?”
He stared at her for a long moment, then finally gave his head a slow shake. “Never.”
“That’s…” She struggled for words, still overwhelmed by his offer.
She didn’t know what had changed over the past eight hours, but she wasn’t going to take it for granted.
She would give Roman literally anything he wanted—pay him whatever she had to—to make this go away.
“I really appreciate this. And I swear I’ll make it up to you. I’ll pay you for—”
“No.” His hand tightened on her arm, pulling her infinitesimally closer to him. She sucked in a breath as he dipped his head until it was even with hers, a fierce expression in his eyes. “I won’t take a dime from you.”
“But I—”
“No buts.” He tipped his chin and held up a finger. “We’re also going to draft a prenup.” She opened her mouth, but he cut her off with a slice of his hand. “No negotiations on this.”
“Roman—”
“No.” He shook his head.
She threw her hands up. “You didn’t even listen!”
He crossed his arms over his broad chest as he regarded her, one eyebrow cocked toward his hairline. “I didn’t have to.”
She scowled at him. “If you think you’re doing this for me, it’s not worth it.
I don’t even own this house outright.” She could tell by his expression that he was wavering, and she continued.
“Seriously. The process can take a long time, and it’ll cost more to do the paperwork than anything you would get out of it. ”
A small furrow appeared between his eyes, and worry caused his mouth to tip down at the corners. “I don’t like this.”
“I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “You’re already doing me a favor.
I won’t make you jump through any hoops, and I know my word doesn’t mean much, but I promise I won’t try to claim anything of yours, either.
I already owe you so much for protecting me, and…
” She trailed off as the memory of the car accident came to mind and a shiver racked her body.
“Rina.” He waited for her to meet his gaze. “This isn’t your fault. We’re going to do whatever we have to in order to keep you safe.”
She nodded slightly. “Thank you.”
Her heart stuttered in her chest as his huge hands lifted and cupped her shoulders. “I promise I won’t let him near you.”
“I know.” The words came out on a whisper, but she felt them to her soul as her heart raced with a combination of fear and anticipation. Despite their tumultuous beginnings, Roman would never let anyone hurt her.
His hands dropped away. “So, here’s what’s going to happen…”
Less than two hours later, Knox pulled up in front of the house. She watched from the window as he exited the SUV, and a petite brunette climbed from the passenger side. “Who’s that?”
“Vivi. Knox’s baby sister,” Roman explained.
“She’s beautiful.”
Roman threw her a strange look as he moved to open the door, and the duo stepped inside seconds later. Vivi’s eyes immediately landed on her, and a grin lit up her pretty face. “Hey! It’s so nice to meet you!”
She blushed under the scrutiny. She met fans all the time, but it never got easier.
She always felt like she was playing dress up, trying to fill a pair of shoes much too big.
There were so many artists who were much better than her, and she was constantly amazed that people found her even remotely interesting.
Vivi continued. “Ink’s told us all about you.”
She slid a look Roman’s way and caught a tiny smirk lifting the corners of his mouth. Her gut tightened. She wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to know exactly what he’d told them, but she held out a hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Vivi. I’m Irina.”
She waved away her hand and pulled her into a hug instead.
She tensed as Vivi’s arms tightened around her and awkwardly returned the embrace.
Over Vivi’s shoulder, she met Roman’s gaze.
There was something there that she couldn’t quite read.
Vivi pulled back and tossed a look over her shoulder at the guys before turning back to her. “Are you ready for this?”
Not knowing exactly what this was, she nodded slowly. “I guess so.”
“Perfect.” Vivi pulled a camera from the large handbag slung over her shoulder. “Go stand by that wall.”
She did as instructed and watched Vivi glance around for a moment. Her gaze lifted, and every muscle went tense as a pair of dark brown eyes latched onto hers. Though she’d met him a couple of times now, she wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to him. Knox was… intense.
He stared at her as if seeking something, and she forced herself to bear up under the scrutiny. She wanted to assure him that she would never jeopardize Roman, that this was only temporary. Instead, she remained silent and still.
“Ink, come here.”
He moved forward, and she forced her attention back to Vivi. Vivi had the same dark eyes as her brother, but hers were softer, framed by impossibly long lashes that she envied.
“Take a knee,” Vivi directed. Roman followed her instructions and knelt on the floor in front of her. Despite the entire thing being staged, her heart gave a little flutter in her chest. As a little girl, she’d dreamed of the day a man would propose to her and make her his wife.
But she’d never envisioned anything like this. The sight of this huge, dominant man on his knees in front of her sent her ovaries into overdrive. Her legs shook with the urge to throw herself at him, and she locked her knees to keep from tackling him to the floor and having her wicked way with him.
He lifted a tiny black box then threw open the lid, and her eyes widened at the diamond inside.
“Is that…?” Her gaze jumped from Roman over his shoulder to where Vivi stood, camera obscuring half of her face as she took the photos.
“Just go with it,” Vivi called from behind the lens.
Automatically, Irina lifted her hands to her mouth, affecting the stereotypical surprised look. Mostly, though, she was trying to cover her true reaction. She hadn’t expected a ring at all, let alone the good-sized diamond nestled inside the velvet box.
“Good!” Vivi called. “Now, Ink, take it out and slip it on her finger.”
Her hand trembled as she held it out to him, and it took him two tries to get it on properly.
She had a feeling he was shaking just as much as she was.
From his position, his head reached her sternum, and he tilted his chin up to meet her eyes.
Still holding her hand, he gave her fingers a reassuring squeeze.