The Arrangement (2 page)

Ted had just finished telling
them a story about having to question residents of a neighborhood about a string a robberies. One of the residents, a ninety year old man, had seen nothing wrong with conducting an interview with the police entirely nude. Everyone’s eyes naturally turned to Asher as their laughter died down. He arched an eyebrow and shrugged. “When I work, I work. When I play, I play. I don’t mix the two.” He loaded his fork with Lo mein and shoved it in his mouth.

Ariadne wondered how much work he actually did.
After all, he was employed by his father.

“Well, speaking of play, are you seeing anyone special?” Erika asked.

“Nope,” he said with a rakish grin. “
But I’m always on the lookout. Got someone in mind?”

“
Don’t
,” Ted interrupted before Erika could suggest anyone. “Trust me it never turns out well.”

Asher laughed that husky, sexy laugh of his. “He’s right.”

Ariadne shook her head. She didn’
t care to know the details of Asher’s dating life, but she knew him well enough to never be foolhardy enough to set him up with a friend. Whenever she’d ever met any of his exes, they always seemed to fall into one of two categories. Either they hated him and wouldn’t hesitate to run him down with a car or they still loved him and would do just about anything to get him back.

“And what about you? Weren’t you dating someone when I last saw you?”
It was a moment before she realized that Asher was talking to her.

“Oh, he’
s busy planning-” Erika began.

Ariadne quickly cut her off. “He couldn’t come.” She sent Erika a significant glance. She didn’t want Asher of all people to know that she’d been dumped. Again. Her record with relationships was less than stellar.
Somehow, she’d thought this time would be different. And indeed it had been. This one had crashed and burned in such a spectacular fashion she was likely to never forget it.

Asher arched an eyebrow, but he didn’t say anything for which she was relieved.

They sat in silence, avoiding eye contact for several awkward moments.
Ted and Erika, kissing and giggling, had retired to their bedroom, leaving the two of them to find their own entertainment. Finally Asher sighed and settled back into the sofa cushions. “We’re going to have to get used to being alone. It’s bound to happen again. You can’t go running out of the room every time you think you might be alone with me.”

Tensing on her end of the sofa though an entire couch cushion separated them, she glared at him. “Is that supposed to be some sort of veiled reference?”

He smiled. “Not this time.
Truce, remember?”

She nodded, but thought it best that she call it a night. She could read until she got sleepy. It would be better than sitting in painful silence with Asher.

“So what was it Erika was saying about your boyfriend? He’s the guy you were with at New Year’s right?”

“I don’t want to talk about Daniel.”

“Another one bites the dust, huh?”
He sounded sympathetic but he couldn’t hide his satisfied smirk.

“Why do you take such joy in my misery?”

He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. “That’s not true.”

“You’re smiling.”

He slid his hand over his mouth and she could hear the rasp of his five o’clock shadow.
“I don’t want you miserable, but I could have told you that wasn’t going to last.”

Her brows rose. “Oh, really? Why not?”

“He was a stuck up bore. You were never going to do anything spontaneous or have any fun with him.”

“Oh, yeah? That’s how much you know. He surprised me greatly by dumping me for my cousin.”

“I’m sorry. He was a fool. How long ago was this?”

“March.”
Though she had never been close to her cousin Janice, to find out that she had been screwing her boyfriend behind her back had been a shock. “And to make matters worse, I’ve heard through the family grapevine that they’re going to announce their engagement at the family reunion next month.” It was a family event she wouldn’t be able to avoid no matter how much she might want to. And she didn’t know why she was telling him all this. He was the last person who would sympathize with her over an unfaithful lover. Hell, he’d probably cheated on his girlfriends and committed worse. She must have had too much wine after dinner or she’d baked her brain on the beach today to be confiding in him.

Asher winced. “That sucks.
Are you going to go?”

“I’ll never hear the end of it if I don’t
go. I need to get used to the idea of them as a couple. It’s better that it happen sooner rather than later.”

“Fuck, if it were me, it’d be never.”

“I can’t avoid my family forever. And who are you kidding? You’d walk in there with another girl on your arm and pretend like none of it had ever happened.”

He laughed. “You’re probably right.”

She wished she had the nerve to do something like that. But not only did she not know any single men who’d be willing to go to a family reunion, she didn’t know anything about picking up men. She’d simply have to suffer through this year’s reunion. And maybe next year’s depending on when Daniel and Janice decided to get married. She suppressed a sigh. She wouldn’t worry about that now. By then, she might be dating again.

Asher
’s spring green eyes were sympathetic. “But you’re not like me. It’s not so easy for you, is it?”

Standing, she shrugged. “I’ll survive. I’m going to bed. See you in the morning.”

Chapter Two

“I think I may have a solution to your problem.”

Ariadne looked up from her book, her eyes dragging up Asher’s strong calves and thighs, over his
ripped stomach and muscled arms. He wore dark purple swim trunks with a black stripe down the side. As her gaze met his, Asher’s lips quirked upward in a smirk.

Sparing him a glare, she returned her attention to her book. “I don’t have a problem.”

“Move over.”

“What?” She frowned as he sat on her beach towel,
shoving her over to make room for himself beneath her umbrella. His sun warmed skin lined up uncomfortably with hers. She scooted over farther to avoid touching him. “What is your deal?”

His eyes were earnest as they met hers. “That’s what I wanted to discuss with you. I can help you with your ex.”

She rolled her eyes. “Asher, I’m not interested in any of your jokes.”

“Hear me out. This isn’t a joke.”

She sighed. “Might as well. That’s the only way I’ll get any peace from you. Tell me, what is your brilliant idea?”

“Marry me.”

Releasing a loud and exasperated sigh, Ariadne opened her book
again, determined to ignore him. When would he ever grow up?

“I’m serious, Ari.”

“You don’t get to call me that.”

He snatched her paperback out of her hands and held it out of reach. “Would you just listen?
Do you want to show up at your family reunion alone and defeated while your cousin flaunts your ex in your face?”

The thought was unappealing. Though she didn’
t know if Janice would be so cruel as to purposely rub her relationship with Daniel in her face, just his presence there with another woman would be humiliating.

“
If you marry me, then you’ve effectively proven you’re over the doofus. Instead of showing up and being the object of pity, you’d have one up on them. You could show them that they didn’t break you.”

“What you’re suggesting sounds fantastic except for one problem.”

He grinned.
Ariadne suppressed a shiver. He had a rather predatory smile that never failed to make her suspicious. Sharp white canines bracketed otherwise straight ordinary teeth. “Only one, huh? I sense a yes coming. What’s holding you back?”

“That I’d be married to you.”

His smile was replaced by a scowl.
“I’m not going to be the only one abiding by this truce,” he warned. “If you want to trade snipes, I’m game. Just let me know, but quit sneaking them in and thinking I’m going to keep taking it without retribution.”

“Okay, I’m sorry, I’ll do better. But come on! The two of us getting married? Who would believe that?”

“They’ll believe it because we have history.”

“A hateful history.”

He shrugged. “People will say that it was repressed desire.”

“People are idiots,” she spat.

Again he shrugged. “What does it matter so long as it helps you?”

“And why would you want to help me? What do you get out of this?”

One knee raised, he leaned back onto his elbows. “I’ll be helping my dad.”

She frowned. “What does your father have to do with this?”

“He’s decided to run for governor.”

“Really? Wow.”
She’d met David Hollister on a few occasions. He’d always seemed like a great dad. He was patient and kind. From what she’d heard, though he was a busy attorney, he’d always made time for Asher.

“Yeah, wow. I told him that he was too honest for politics, but he’s made up his mind.”

“Well, he has my vote.”

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.”

A breeze blew a lock of her hair into her face and she brushed it aside. “How does marrying me help your dad?”

“My dad’s background is as clean as a whistle. Even after mom died, he didn’t really date until Terri. I on the other hand…”

He didn’t have to go on. His exploits in high school and college were legendary. “You’re worried your past will impact your father’s chances?”

“The competition won’t have anything else to use against him. Terri’s daughter Tara is his campaign manager. She suggested that I
get married to prove that I’ve settled down and that my life is more stable.”

As she recalled, Tara had had a major crush on him in high school. She wondered if Asher knew. Or if he cared. He’d been the dream date of every girl in their high school. Well, with the exception of her. “Wouldn’t an engagement be just as effective? We don’t have to get married.”

He shook his head. “I’ve been rumored to be engaged before. It’d be too easy to brush off as another rumor.”

It struck her what an incredibly unselfish act this was on his part. He was doing this for her and for his father. And
everyone knew how much he enjoyed variety when it came to women. “Wait. You do realize that you’d have to be faithful to me. If we get married and you cheat, it will be definite prove that you haven’t changed.”

“I know.”

“How long would the marriage last?”

He smiled. “So you’re considering it?”

“More like feeling it out. How long?”

He shrugged. “A couple of years
, maybe more. It takes a while to build up a campaign. And we’d have to stay together throughout the election.”

“And you think you can be faithful or at least discreet for that long?”

His eyes narrowed. “I can be faithful. And I’d expect you to be also.”

She grabbed a handful of sand and allowed it to stream out of her
loosely clenched palm. She watched it form a pyramid. “That won’t be a problem for me.”

“Despite what you think of me, I haven’t been that guy since college.
I admit it. I was a screw up. It would be a shame for my teenage antics to jeopardize my father’s career.”

She believed that he was committed to this idea and that he wanted to do this for his father.
“I need to time to think about it.”

He nodded. “I understand.” He cleared his throat, his gaze focused on the water. “So…are you still in love with this guy?”

“Daniel? No. I know that’s over. Even if I was
still in love with him, I don’t think I could ever forget what he did.”

“Good. You deserve better.”

She studied him through narrowed eyes. “You don’t have to butter me up. I said I’d think about it.” Which was more than she should do. She
had strong beliefs in the sanctity of marriage. Was a phony marriage really necessary to protect herself from a few days of embarrassment? She’d be stuck with Asher—a man she’d actively avoided since high school—for two years.

He pulled his shades down from the top of his head and dropped them onto the bridge of his nose. Standing, he brushed sand from his flanks. “Thanks. Let me know soon. And I wasn’t butterin
g you up. You…” He shook his head. Offering her a slight smile, he took off on a stroll down the beach. His shoulders were broad and his waist was trim. He had one damn sexy silhouette. Women turned to stare after him. Ariadne heaved a sigh.

“I heard that,”
Erika said with a laugh. She’d been frolicking in the water with Ted when last Ariadne had checked. So tied up in her conversation with Asher was she, that she hadn’t noticed her friend’s approach. “Could it be that you’re finally softening towards Asher?”

Ariadne rolled her eyes. “Not likely.” She nibbled her lower lip. What would Erika say about his proposal? Her friend would no doubt think she was crazy for even considering it. She probably was, but still…the idea of walking into the reunion with him on her arm had taken root. Instead of being an object of pity, she could cause a sensation. Asher was rich, gorgeous, and sexy. He was annoying as hell, but she couldn’t deny that the man was a catch. Imagining the looks on Janice and Daniel’s faces, she thought it might be well worth it.

Erika sat down, taking up the space that Asher vacated. “I’m glad to see the two of you getting along.”