“Says the woman pimping out her body for medical treatment.” I cough and rephrase. “Figuratively speaking.”
She slaps my chest and I grab her hand playfully. “That is not what this is and you know it.” Her face flushes darker. It’s a huge turn on.
“You’re right, I’m sorry.” I’m only half sorry.
“I care about Maisy and Diana seems to think this is the only way to save her.”
“So it’s all Diana’s idea?” I tease.
“Yes. No. Stop trying to confuse me and give me an answer.”
Her lips press together and I want them open, apart and tasting my tongue. “I won’t do anything illegal.” I tell her, although the speed at which she arouses my body makes me reconsider every principal and oath I’ve ever taken.
“We have a lawyer friend, Natalie Croix. Diana works for her as a paralegal. I’ll ask her what we need to do to make this right.”
“Legal and real. We’ll probably have to stay married longer than a year to make sure.” I tap the end of her nose with my finger. She’s cute in a way I hadn’t thought of before, not my usual type if I had one.
“I want Maisy to be in remission.” She’s in my arms and I’m holding her close, close enough her scent makes me a little drunk, and her soft skin makes me woozy to go along with this crazy plan.
“Of course. Besides I can’t practice medicine from jail.”
She thinks about this.
“Right. I love Maisy, but I’d be a terrible Auntie from jail.”
I tip her chin up to look at me.
“I don’t think orange is a good color for you.”
“No? I don’t think it’s good for you either.” Her coy smile makes this troublesome to resist.
“No, not when you blush such a pretty shade of pink.” I tug that lock of hair that doesn’t match the rest and I swear she shivers.
Her hand covers her mouth as she speaks. “So we’re going to do this? For real?”
“For realsies.” I mimic my youngest patients’ words and her head bobs up and down looking anywhere but at me. I hope she’s not having second thoughts. I’ve already had a dozen, and then talked myself out of them. I’m out of options and I don’t bite the hand willing to offer me sustenance. Not yet anyway…
3
Piper
My neck cramps holding the phone to my ear. “So Vegas is out?” I drop my water bottle into my bag getting ready to leave the gym. I find my car keys and swing my bag over my shoulder waving to Jax who is far enough away he can’t hear my conversation while spotting one of his trainees. He’s my best friend who doesn’t know about my plan yet. Guilt weasels it’s way into my head and heart. I’ve told him everything from the time we were five, but this feels different.
“Is that a joke? Please tell me you’re joking. I’m telling you Piper, you can’t go to Vegas or do a quickie wedding if you want this to look legitimate. Those immigration officers are hard asses.” Natalie scolds me. I hear a filing cabinet shut on her end of the call, she’s still at work.
“I’m kidding.”
Once I’m seated inside my car I pick at my nail thinking about my long list of things to do. Milo said we have forty days but it’s been two already so technically we’re on day thirty-eight of the countdown.
“You better be, I don’t need that kind of heart attack.”
“We still need to fill out the application.” Luckily Maryland doesn’t require a blood test to get married. Good thing because I have an appointment with the vampires in an hour to donate blood for Maisy.
“Yes, and then you both wait the mandatory two days before you do it.” Natalie sounds exasperated with me. I’ve been peppering her with a mutiltude of questions the internet couldn’t answer about marrying a non US citizen.
Jesting I say, “Is that the ch
icken shit clause?”