knew how much time passed before the sound of Max's secretary settling in at her desk in the outer office finally broke the stillness.
"Well, are you going to do it or aren't you?" Max demanded, no longer trying to hide his exasperation.
There was a brief silence.
Sam spoke first. "I want it understood that no one is to know this isn't a real marriage."
If he actually went through with this insane idea, he didn't want Cole to know what he'd done. It would be hard enough to get his younger brother to take the check without him knowing the full circumstances of how Sam had acquired the money.
"As I'm sure Max told you, one of the provisions of the will is that this should be a genuine marriage." Since Nikki was very carefully not looking at Sam, she missed the sharp look he shot in Max's direction, a look that made it clear that he had not been informed of this particular fact. "Of course, in our case, it would only have the appearance of being genuine," she continued, "even if the will didn't require it, I'm not particularly eager for the world to know I had to get married in order to receive my inheritance."
"That includes my family," Sam said. "As far as they are concerned, we'd have to appear to be a normal couple."
A Norman Rockwell kind of family . Nikki remembered Max's description and wondered if it was possible that the hostile, scruffy, irritating man in front of her really came from that kind of family.
"I think I could manage that," she said. "If you can manage to convince my friends and family that you married me for something other than my money."
The reminder stung, making Sam's response sharper than it should have been. "I think my acting ability will stretch that far," he said smoothly.
The color that tinted her cheeks made him regret the words. He was marrying her for her money, dammit. It shouldn't be so aggravating to be reminded of that fact.
"I hope so'' was all she said.
"So you're agreed that the marriage is to appear real," Max said.
"I haven't agreed to a marriage," Nikki pointed out sharply.
"Neither have I."
Max reached for another antacid and chewed furiously. "Look, I'm not a white slaver. I'm not going to force you two to get married. But as your attorney, I'm going to point out that this is the perfect solution to both sets of problems and that I think you're a pair of fools if you walk away from this opportunity. And as your friend, I'm going to tell you that you're acting like a couple of idiots. Now, are you going to get married or aren't you?"
There was a long silence.
"I don't like him," Nikki said without looking at Sam.
"I'm not wild about you either, honey."
Max threw up his hands. "You don't have to like each other. You just have to get married! Are you going to or not?"
There was another pause.
Sam shrugged. "I'm game if she is."
Nikki nodded slowly. "I can't believe I'm saying this but, all right, I'll marry him."
"Don't act like you're doing me a favor, honey," Sam snapped.
"I am doing you a favor. And don't call me 'honey.'"
"You're doing each other favors," Max said, verbally stepping between them again. "You need each other, and for the next year, you're going to be living together. You might as well get used to the idea."
Sam glared at Nikki, thinking he'd never met a woman he disliked more. Or one with better legs.
Nikki glared at Sam, thinking it was a shame Max couldn't have found her someone a little less overwhelmingly male. And wasn't it a good thing she didn't find him in the least bit attractive?
Max looked at the pair of them and wondered if his own sanity would survive the next year.
Chapter 2
O nce an agreement, however grudging, was reached, it didn't take long to work out the details of the arrangement. Aside from the fact that the bride and groom detested each other, the only possible barrier to the upcoming nuptials was the necessity of convincing Nikki's grandfather's attorney that they were getting married for the usual
"Well, are you going to do it or aren't you?" Max demanded, no longer trying to hide his exasperation.
There was a brief silence.
Sam spoke first. "I want it understood that no one is to know this isn't a real marriage."
If he actually went through with this insane idea, he didn't want Cole to know what he'd done. It would be hard enough to get his younger brother to take the check without him knowing the full circumstances of how Sam had acquired the money.
"As I'm sure Max told you, one of the provisions of the will is that this should be a genuine marriage." Since Nikki was very carefully not looking at Sam, she missed the sharp look he shot in Max's direction, a look that made it clear that he had not been informed of this particular fact. "Of course, in our case, it would only have the appearance of being genuine," she continued, "even if the will didn't require it, I'm not particularly eager for the world to know I had to get married in order to receive my inheritance."
"That includes my family," Sam said. "As far as they are concerned, we'd have to appear to be a normal couple."
A Norman Rockwell kind of family . Nikki remembered Max's description and wondered if it was possible that the hostile, scruffy, irritating man in front of her really came from that kind of family.
"I think I could manage that," she said. "If you can manage to convince my friends and family that you married me for something other than my money."
The reminder stung, making Sam's response sharper than it should have been. "I think my acting ability will stretch that far," he said smoothly.
The color that tinted her cheeks made him regret the words. He was marrying her for her money, dammit. It shouldn't be so aggravating to be reminded of that fact.
"I hope so'' was all she said.
"So you're agreed that the marriage is to appear real," Max said.
"I haven't agreed to a marriage," Nikki pointed out sharply.
"Neither have I."
Max reached for another antacid and chewed furiously. "Look, I'm not a white slaver. I'm not going to force you two to get married. But as your attorney, I'm going to point out that this is the perfect solution to both sets of problems and that I think you're a pair of fools if you walk away from this opportunity. And as your friend, I'm going to tell you that you're acting like a couple of idiots. Now, are you going to get married or aren't you?"
There was a long silence.
"I don't like him," Nikki said without looking at Sam.
"I'm not wild about you either, honey."
Max threw up his hands. "You don't have to like each other. You just have to get married! Are you going to or not?"
There was another pause.
Sam shrugged. "I'm game if she is."
Nikki nodded slowly. "I can't believe I'm saying this but, all right, I'll marry him."
"Don't act like you're doing me a favor, honey," Sam snapped.
"I am doing you a favor. And don't call me 'honey.'"
"You're doing each other favors," Max said, verbally stepping between them again. "You need each other, and for the next year, you're going to be living together. You might as well get used to the idea."
Sam glared at Nikki, thinking he'd never met a woman he disliked more. Or one with better legs.
Nikki glared at Sam, thinking it was a shame Max couldn't have found her someone a little less overwhelmingly male. And wasn't it a good thing she didn't find him in the least bit attractive?
Max looked at the pair of them and wondered if his own sanity would survive the next year.
Chapter 2
O nce an agreement, however grudging, was reached, it didn't take long to work out the details of the arrangement. Aside from the fact that the bride and groom detested each other, the only possible barrier to the upcoming nuptials was the necessity of convincing Nikki's grandfather's attorney that they were getting married for the usual
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