Shain Rose

My father's business partner will do anything for the empire they built together...Even marry me.Declan Hardy, All-American heartthrob and retired NFL billionaire, is my complete opposite.He's commanding where I'm cooperative.Spontaneous while I am deliberate.Loud when I stay quiet.The only thing we have in common is that both our names are on my father's will.He'll inherit the fitness and hospitality empire and I'll keep the one thing I hold dear.As long as I marry him-with conditions.One year of a fake marriage.One year of living together.One year of pretending I belong in his luxury lifestyle.But stipulations are never that simple.Especially when I can't tell if his kisses are fake or if I'm pretending when I kiss him back.And as more conditions arise, it's clear there's a fine line between commitment and betrayal... and neither of us knows where that line falls.

Between Commitment and Betrayal

tinica

Did he have this effect on everyone? So dominating and attractive that he could bend most people to his will?

He was angry? Great, I thought. Me too. “Are you going to apologize?” 

“For what?” His nostrils flared as he breathed out. 

“For the scene you caused,” I almost screeched, my composure slipping a little as I pointed toward Wes’s house. “For embarrassing me again.” 

“I don’t really give a fuck what scene I cause. And if that’s embarrassing, don’t go to a dumbass’s house and expect I’m not going to come for you. I’ll come every fucking time, Drop.” He clenched his fists like he was holding onto his fury just as I was.

He narrowed his eyes as the SUV came to a stop in front of my apartment building. “Everly, do me a favor. While you’re in my empire, please don’t wear that fucking jersey and stop going to his place.” 

I sighed. “You should learn to not let things bother you so much.” 

He leaned in. “What’s bothersome to you? Because I’d really like you to feel exactly how you make me feel.”

“I want that damn jersey off you now. It shouldn’t ever be his name on your back,” I growled in her ear. “Take. It. Off.”

At this point, I was considering a new employee dress policy expressly so others wouldn’t stare at her like I was.

The thought of her with anyone made me fucking crazy.

“That’s it. Nice and loud. Give me every one of those screams and come for me. The world is going to know you’re my wife even if you don’t want them to.”

Everly had that quiet magnetism that pulled people to her like moths to a flame.

Obviously neither of them were fully on board with Cade like Clara and I were. 

She nudged me, and when I looked at her, she had tears in her eyes. “If a man doesn’t love me like that, I don’t want him.” 

I nodded, agreeing with her. “It’s really special.” 

“And rare,” Clara added, her red hair blowing in the wind. Her eyes held such a sadness that I found myself leaning in and patting her shoulder. 

Then he said he’d be right back and spun away from me, that little girl squealing as her uncle danced her around in circles and threw her in the air for everyone to see. I swear my freaking ovaries almost burst while watching him. He smiled bigger than life, handled her with more caution than the precious football I’d seen him carry in the highlights reel, and murmured in her ear secrets that made the toddler laugh with pure, innocent happiness.

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