“Right.” She laughed louder, an edge of hysteria to the sound. “And when it’s all said and done, we’ll get a divorce and it’s over? How is that going to improve his image?”
“By then it won’t matter so much. The two of you together will have healed his damaged reputation and he’ll come out of it a changed man. You can then walk away—with a very fat sum of money, I might add.”
Her face was flushed. Had their earlier kiss put roses in her cheeks? Her gaze flashed to Jared, those golden brown eyes lingering for a moment and she nibbled on her lower lip, as if contemplating what to do next. That little gesture was going to drive him out of his mind if he didn’t watch it.
“Just…consider it,” Harvey said. “We can meet with you again tomorrow. Bring the lawyers and have a contract agreement hammered out, detailing everything that would be expected of you, the monetary agreement and so forth.”
She flinched. Probably didn’t like hearing it phrased like that, but damn. This was a business transaction, which meant money would pass hands. It couldn’t be avoided. “I don’t like the idea of being paid for this,” she said.
“You need the money, right?” he asked gently. He knew what that was like. He’d grown up poor, his football future the only shining light at the end of the tunnel for him and his dad. And when he’d hit it big, he’d bought his dad a house and made sure he was financially sound.
“It’s just, the studio was my grandma’s.” Her eyes grew darker, full of sadness. “She died over a year ago and it’s my last connection to her.”
Sympathy filled him, swift and consuming. Breathing deep, he reached out, settled his hand over hers for the briefest moment, felt the jolt all the way to his bones. He barely touched her and he reacted. “I can help you keep it,” he said quietly. Jared realized right then he didn’t want to deal with anyone else. Didn’t want the possibility of auditioning a bunch of skanks for the chance to be his pretend wife. He wanted this one.
And no one else.
But he was saved from saying anything else when Harvey leaned forward, an expectant expression on his face. “Shall we set up an appointment first thing tomorrow morning? So we can go over the formal agreement?”
“I never said I was going to agree.”
Harvey’s smile was brimming with confidence. “You’ll agree. You won’t be able to resist.”
Sheridan’s gaze cut to Jared and she didn’t say anything for a long, telling moment. The longer she looked at him, the more uncomfortable he became. “Fine,” she finally said. “But I’ll be bringing my lawyer.”
Chapter Five
Sheridan flipped through the thick pile of papers, skimming them, losing focus quickly so that the words blurred. She’d already read the documents. So had her lawyer, the incomparable Walter Cavanaugh. Talk about thorough. The man hadn’t let them get away with a thing.
She trusted him—after all, she’d known Willow since they were in elementary school. His first bit of advice had been to try and talk her out of it. When she hadn’t budged, he’d reassured her before they walked into Jared Quinn’s lawyer’s office that he would get her the maximum amount of money she deserved for such an outrageous and life-altering plan.
And he did. The total amount she’d receive was staggering. The first check—30 percent upfront was what Walter had negotiated—sat in her purse. She needed to go to the bank at lunch and deposit that sucker. Knowing it just sat there made her extremely nervous. But relieved. Sending her mom a set amount every month, nothing too outrageous, would keep her happy, financially sound, and not too suspicious. The studio’s business would pick up, too, so then she’d understand.
And then she’d marry Jared Quinn and her mom would really understand.
Sheridan knew she should call her. She hadn’t talked to her mom in weeks. They’d fallen into the habit of not talking a few years ago. But her mom was too busy living her life, spending frivolously, behaving like a teenager. They’d done a complete role reversal. And not like she could tell her mom what was going on—she could only imagine what her mom might do with that sort of information.
The entire situation made her a little sick, the legalities of it, the seriousness of what she was about to embark on. But she’d done it. One week after that meeting at her studio, she’d signed on the dotted line, and soon, she would become Mrs. Sheridan Quinn, wife of the famous quarterback for the San Jose Hawks.
The money had been tempting, she couldn’t argue with that. And the chance to bring her business into the next stratosphere also held massive appeal.
But it was the man who had pushed her over the edge. Pretending to be married to Jared Quinn was a temptation she couldn’t resist. Which was why she’d put the no-sex clause into the agreement—one that Jared didn’t know came at her request. The one that would keep her strong and ensure she didn’t do anything stupid.
Any sort of sexual contact was grounds for dissolution. She’d asked Walter to include it to protect herself and he’d readily agreed to the idea. In fact, he’d encouraged it, saying the clause was the perfect way to protect her from doing something risky. She’d known Walter since she was a child and he was protective of her. Because she’d never really had a dad, he was the man she looked to for guidance growing up, and she appreciated him watching out for her. It all came together rather easily after that.
Walter hadn’t backed down from the clause whatsoever when they’d been in the midst of negotiations. And Harvey hadn’t batted an eyelash when it was brought up. Neither had Jared’s lawyer, though he’d at least raised an eyebrow.
Jared had looked momentarily stunned but recovered quickly, which filled her with relief. He’d agreed to it, nodding as if it were his idea all along. Of course, how could he protest the clause? He’d look like the world’s biggest jackass. It helped that Walter made it appear he was the one who insisted on the clause by acting as her lawyer and looking out for her best interests, while she had nothing to do with it. When, really, she had everything to do with that clause.
Inserting it into their marriage agreement was the smart thing to do. That night with Jared had been too magical—and dangerous, especially to her sensitive heart. Not to mention the crazy kiss outside the studio, the one that had left her reeling when he finally let her go. She couldn’t risk falling for him any further. Not that she was falling for him per say, but it would be so easy.
Too easy.
She’d been hurt enough the past few years. Taking care of her neglectful mother, mourning the loss of her grandmother, trying her best to keep her new business afloat. She needed no more trouble, no more heartbreak.
Jared Quinn had heartbreak written all over him.
Holy shit, she thought. Willow was going to kill her. She couldn’t tell her friend the truth, couldn’t admit she was getting married in a few days’ time. The secret was bubbling inside of her, dying to come out, and she didn’t know how much longer she could stand it.