and lying to God was not a possibility. “Didn’t you tell him we had irreconcilable differences?”
“Yeah. He told me to reconcile them.” Linc waved that away. “Forget that.” He leaned forward and presented his sentences carefully to her. “The house I’ve got has four bedrooms. You could set up your studio in one and paint all day. I’ll support you. All you have to do is show up at campus functions and be a wife. That’s all. You don’t have to do anything else in Prescott that you’re not doing here.” He frowned over what he’d said, nodded to himself, pulled his cup back, drank some more coffee, and winced. “I’ll make the coffee though.”
Daisy tried to think rationally. It wasn’t her strong point at the best of times, and it was even worse with Linc sitting across from her in the all too attractive flesh, so she concentrated on the basics. “Let me get this straight. Essentially, you want me to marry you for your money. As God is your witness, if I marry you, I’ll never be hungry again?”
Linc thought about it. “That pretty much covers it.” No, it didn’t.
You probably haven’t noticed, but I have
this thing for your body
, she told him silently. She took a deep breath. “What about sex?”
Linc blinked at her. Her dark hair tumbled over her shoulders and he wanted to tangle his fingers in it and pull her toward him. That was a bad idea, which was a shame because it had tremendous appeal. “I told you, you don’t have to do anything in Prescott that you’re not doing here.”
Unless you want to,
he thought, looking at her big brown eyes glowing at him.
I want to.
Daisy folded her arms and leaned back, and it was just his bad luck that she folded them under her breasts, and there went his mind again. “What are you going to do for sex?” she asked him.
He needed a different topic fast. “That’s my problem, and I’ll solve it. Don’t worry about it.”
“You’d cheat on me? What would Crawford say?”
Linc thought of Crawford and his faculty wives. “He’d probably say ‘Way to go, son.’ College professors are not known for their fidelity.”
She stuck out her chin at him, and his gaze traveled down the curve of her throat.
“What about me?” she asked.
“You? Sex?” He hadn’t thought about her having an affair. Or, rather he had thought about it, but he had thought about her with him. Some other guy? He didn’t like it, but he couldn’t afford to scare her off. He shrugged. “Be discreet.”
“Sure, that’s always been one of my specialties.” She took a deep breath. “You know, I’m not sure I wouldn’t like to pretend to be married for a while. I can’t do it for real, the vow would be a lie to God, but I think I could pretend. It sounds sort of… secure.”
He nodded, nudging her down the road to Prescott. “Security I can give you. And we could get married by a judge. No God in the ceremony at all.”
She thought about it. “When’s midnight?”
“Midnight?”
“You know. When Cinderella turns back into a pumpkin. Midnight. When we stop being married.”
“Oh.” Linc hadn’t thought far enough ahead to worry about an end. “I don’t know.”
Daisy pursed her lips. She had great lips. Forget her lips. “A year? Lots of marriages hit the skids after a year. Or maybe the end of the school year. June. That’s ten months. I’ll flounce off at the end of June and leave you to be consoled by your adoring students and Little Gertrude.”
“Ten months is fine. Whatever.” He was having trouble focusing again. “Will you do it?” He suddenly straightened and patted his jacket pocket. “Wait a minute. Let me do this right.” He pulled out the daisy ring they’d used the last time they were in Prescott and offered it to her, and for some reason, his hand shook. He took a deep breath. “Daisy Blaise, will you marry me?”
Daisy felt her throat catch as she looked at her old ring, the tiny sapphire blinking in the
“Yeah. He told me to reconcile them.” Linc waved that away. “Forget that.” He leaned forward and presented his sentences carefully to her. “The house I’ve got has four bedrooms. You could set up your studio in one and paint all day. I’ll support you. All you have to do is show up at campus functions and be a wife. That’s all. You don’t have to do anything else in Prescott that you’re not doing here.” He frowned over what he’d said, nodded to himself, pulled his cup back, drank some more coffee, and winced. “I’ll make the coffee though.”
Daisy tried to think rationally. It wasn’t her strong point at the best of times, and it was even worse with Linc sitting across from her in the all too attractive flesh, so she concentrated on the basics. “Let me get this straight. Essentially, you want me to marry you for your money. As God is your witness, if I marry you, I’ll never be hungry again?”
Linc thought about it. “That pretty much covers it.” No, it didn’t.
You probably haven’t noticed, but I have
this thing for your body
, she told him silently. She took a deep breath. “What about sex?”
Linc blinked at her. Her dark hair tumbled over her shoulders and he wanted to tangle his fingers in it and pull her toward him. That was a bad idea, which was a shame because it had tremendous appeal. “I told you, you don’t have to do anything in Prescott that you’re not doing here.”
Unless you want to,
he thought, looking at her big brown eyes glowing at him.
I want to.
Daisy folded her arms and leaned back, and it was just his bad luck that she folded them under her breasts, and there went his mind again. “What are you going to do for sex?” she asked him.
He needed a different topic fast. “That’s my problem, and I’ll solve it. Don’t worry about it.”
“You’d cheat on me? What would Crawford say?”
Linc thought of Crawford and his faculty wives. “He’d probably say ‘Way to go, son.’ College professors are not known for their fidelity.”
She stuck out her chin at him, and his gaze traveled down the curve of her throat.
“What about me?” she asked.
“You? Sex?” He hadn’t thought about her having an affair. Or, rather he had thought about it, but he had thought about her with him. Some other guy? He didn’t like it, but he couldn’t afford to scare her off. He shrugged. “Be discreet.”
“Sure, that’s always been one of my specialties.” She took a deep breath. “You know, I’m not sure I wouldn’t like to pretend to be married for a while. I can’t do it for real, the vow would be a lie to God, but I think I could pretend. It sounds sort of… secure.”
He nodded, nudging her down the road to Prescott. “Security I can give you. And we could get married by a judge. No God in the ceremony at all.”
She thought about it. “When’s midnight?”
“Midnight?”
“You know. When Cinderella turns back into a pumpkin. Midnight. When we stop being married.”
“Oh.” Linc hadn’t thought far enough ahead to worry about an end. “I don’t know.”
Daisy pursed her lips. She had great lips. Forget her lips. “A year? Lots of marriages hit the skids after a year. Or maybe the end of the school year. June. That’s ten months. I’ll flounce off at the end of June and leave you to be consoled by your adoring students and Little Gertrude.”
“Ten months is fine. Whatever.” He was having trouble focusing again. “Will you do it?” He suddenly straightened and patted his jacket pocket. “Wait a minute. Let me do this right.” He pulled out the daisy ring they’d used the last time they were in Prescott and offered it to her, and for some reason, his hand shook. He took a deep breath. “Daisy Blaise, will you marry me?”
Daisy felt her throat catch as she looked at her old ring, the tiny sapphire blinking in the
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