Shit, I can’t go down that path again.
I was naïve then. I’m not now.
Yes, I fell for his bad boy looks and his prince charming personality. How could I not? He’s a fantasy come to life.
But now, I know what can happen—or what does happen when you get into bed with Tanner Sharpe.
My nemesis.
At least this time, seeing as I’m being forced into bed with him metaphorically, I’m prepared.
I shudder, reliving the memories while I also become slightly disgusted with myself.
I can’t do this shit.
He meets my gaze, and his eyes clear the fog clouding my vision. His lips grow into a smug smirk, almost like he knows what I’m thinking.
Ass!
“And how do you expect me not to murder him?” I ask, now irritated with his presence—again.
God, I hate how he has me dripping wet one second and infuriated the next.
Mark looks straight at me, stern and serious, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Like I said, this is your last and only option. There is no plan B or C. If you,” he says to me before looking at Tanner, “or you fuck this plan up in any way, you will be fired immediately.”
I sit there frozen. They mean business, and there’s no room for bullshit.
The severity of my situation settles in my gut, and again I feel sick to my stomach.
The mix of anger, adrenaline, lust, and disappointment pulsating through my body leaves me feeling defeated and weak.
“Before we leave, you’ll both sign contracts to approve the terms we’ve agreed upon today.”
“Well, we barely had any room to negotiate, so I wouldn’t call it an agreement, more like an ultimatum,” Tanner sarcastically points out to Mark.
Quickly, tension crackles through the room, and Mark’s face turns crimson.
Shit, he’s pissed. Again.
He stands up and hovers over Tanner, looking like he’s about to punch him.
“You’ll agree, or you’ll be fired. You still have a choice. You might not like the options, but it’s a choice nonetheless. You’re lucky we’re giving you any say after what you did. You sank us.” He raises his voice, and he turns to look over at me, saying, “You both sank us. So, we’re giving you the option to agree to our terms. And if you don’t, the door is right there.”
Mark continues to shuffle around some papers, and then hands us two documents, one stating that we agree to the fake marriage plan, and the other laying out the specifics of our probation.
My shoulders sink while reading over them—there really is no other option.
But I will not lose my livelihood because of that asshole. He will not cost me what I’ve worked so hard on.
I need to take control of my responsibilities and become the goddamn CEO I’ve always wanted to be—strong, ruthless, and powerful.
I would do almost anything to keep my company and to run it honestly. And if that requires me to be part of a fake engagement with him, I’ll get it done.
I visibly shake as I reach for a pen, and it takes me more than a few minutes to scribble something resembling my signature on the dotted line.
A second later, Mark snatches the papers out of our hands.