After Mimi recovered from her shock at my revelation and read through Ronan’s contract, she opened the tin of marijuana that always sat against the back of her workbench, rolled herself a thick joint, and lit up.

“Sure you don’t want a toke?” she asked. “I’ve never seen you this stressed.”

I shook my head. “You know I never smoke anything. I tried marijuana once in college, but it did nothing for me.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing,” she said, leaning back and exhaling a stream of smoke toward the ceiling. “This is an Alaskan strain called Manatuska Thunderfuck, and it’s as mellow as a good lay. Not to mention perfectly legal, thanks to the joys of medical marijuana.”

“Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

She brought the joint to her lips and took another hit. “So this marriage is all about Ronan getting access to his fifty-million-dollar trust fund,” she said. “Who are the Kingsleys, anyway?”

“I’ve never met the rest of the family,” I said. “But here’s what I know from Cara. Her grandfather founded a Wall Street firm, Kingsley Capital, which is the source of the family fortune. Her father, Carter Kingsley, owns the firm and controls the money. Carter’s three children—Ronan, Cara, and Aiden—have equal shares in a trust fund that was set up for them by their grandfather with their father as trustee. They get access to their money when they marry or turn thirty-five—whichever happens first.”

“Wait a minute,” Mimi said. “I’m no expert on trust funds, but why can’t Ronan just borrow against his trust? Why does he have to get married?”

“It’s complicated,” I said. “Ronan and Cara’s mother died when Cara was born. A year or so later, Carter married a Manhattan socialite named Veronica, who’s the mother of Aiden, the younger son. Veronica’s always hated Ronan and Cara—but especially Ronan. She sees him as competition to her own son. Due to Veronica’s manipulation, Carter and Ronan don’t get along either, and Carter has long refused to allow Ronan to borrow against his trust for any reason.”

“But isn’t it Ronan’s money?”

“Yes, but until Ronan marries or turns thirty-five, Carter controls the trust, and as trustee, he would have to sign off on any loan against it. Cara suspects that Veronica’s ultimate goal is to convince Carter to leave all or most of his fortune to her son, Aiden, and to deny her stepchildren as much of their inheritance as possible.”

“Trust funds, inheritances, and an evil stepmother,” Mimi said. “How rich are these people?”

“Carter Kingsley’s on the Forbes list,” I said.

Mimi’s eyes widened. “Cara’s father is a billionaire?”

“He is.”

“When I met Cara, she didn’t strike me as a spoiled rich girl,” Mimi said. “You can tell she comes from money, but I never would have guessed that her father’s a billionaire.”

“Cara would take that as a compliment. She’s nothing if not down-to-earth, and she’s one of the most unselfish people I’ve ever known.”

“Well, with fifty million coming his way, Ronan can afford to pay you a million bucks to marry him.” Mimi stubbed her joint out in the small clay bowl she kept on her workbench for that purpose. “And two years isn’t as long as you think. If you can make it work, you should do it.”

“I’m tempted. That kind of money would change my life. But I have to consider the long-term implications. If I go through with this fake marriage, at the end of it, I’ll be a divorcée, still searching for Mr. Right. And while I’m in no rush, I do want a true marriage and children someday. Will a divorce in my past make men see me as damaged goods?”

“Some will,” Mimi said. “But Ronan’s contract specifies an amicable, no-fault divorce. Anyone who judges you for that doesn’t deserve to be with you—and you sure as hell don’t want to be with him.”

“I hadn’t thought of it that way, but you’re right. And marrying Ronan would certainly solve my financial problems.”

“It would. I’m glad you’re taking this opportunity seriously, because it’s tough for creatives like us to make a living. I was pushing forty before my jewelry business became successful enough for me to quit waiting tables at night. Ronan’s offer seems solid, and it could secure your financial future.”

“I agree. But I have questions about the risks involved, and I only have two days to make a decision. When I contact Ronan, I need to be prepared to request any additions or changes I want to the agreement.”

Mimi tipped her head back and looked thoughtful. “Why don’t you send Cara a copy of the agreement and set up a working lunch tomorrow with the three of us?”

“That’s a great idea,” I said. “I can pick up sandwiches and coffee from the deli down the street, and we can eat at one of my worktables.”

“Since Cara knows everyone involved, her support will be invaluable,” Mimi said. “If the three of us put our heads together, we should be able to figure out any necessary changes to the contract.”

* * *

The following day, Cara, Mimi, and I sat down around one of my worktables that I had set up with our sandwiches and coffee.

“Have you had a chance to look at the agreement?” I asked Cara. When I’d called her the previous evening, she hadn’t picked up, so I’d sent her an e-mail with the contract attached. When she’d e-mailed me back this morning to confirm lunch, she’d written that she’d been at a fundraiser the previous night, which explained why she hadn’t answered her phone, but her e-mail hadn’t said a word about the contract.

“I read it this morning before I e-mailed you,” she said. “And when I did, I saw issues that needed to be discussed face-to-face. There’s no point in going forward with the contract as it stands.”

“Why not?” Mimi said.

“My brother’s delusional,” Cara said. “In this contract, it’s crystal clear that Ronan expects to continue his current lifestyle.”

“The agreement stipulates that neither of us can bring sexual partners back to Ronan’s apartment, which seems fair enough,” I said. “I don’t plan on hooking up, but why should I care if he does?”

Cara looked at me and then at Mimi. “Neither of you have met my stepmother, Veronica,” she said. “You don’t know what she’s capable of.”

“Tell us,” Mimi said.

“When Ronan announces his intention to marry Ava, Veronica’s going to be as suspicious as hell. And she’s nothing if not a hub for gossip. Although she spends most of her time at the Southampton estate, she has tons of bitchy friends in Manhattan. If Ronan’s out screwing around, Veronica will hear of it.”

“From everything you’ve ever told me about Veronica, I get that she’ll be suspicious from day one,” I said. “What I don’t know is what she’ll do about her suspicions.”

Cara pursed her lips in thought. “Initially, she’ll deploy her usual tactics. She might invite you to lunch or tea and cross-examine you about your relationship with Ronan. Or she might drop in on you and Ronan at his apartment, which needs to look like you share a bed—but that’s manageable. I know Ronan’s apartment, I know what Veronica will look for, and I’ve already figured out how to stage everything.”

“So lunch, questions, and a drop-in or two,” I said. “With your help, I think I can survive that.”

“But if Ronan’s behavior gives Veronica any reason to believe that your marriage is fake, she’ll make it her mission to find proof,” Cara said. “I wouldn’t put it past my witch of a stepmother to hire private investigators to trail you and Ronan around with cameras. And the minute she gets her hands on evidence suggesting the marriage isn’t real, bye-bye trust fund. She’ll take her evidence to my father, convince him to sue Ronan, and the day that suit is filed, Ronan will lose access to the trust.”

“What does losing access mean?” I asked. “Does Ronan get to keep the money he’s already taken out?”

“Not necessarily,” Cara said. “My father has a fleet of lawyers at his disposal, and if he turns those sharks loose, all bets are off. Shutting off Ronan’s access to the trust would only be the beginning. They could also launch a lawsuit aimed at recouping whatever money Ronan’s already taken from the trust.”

“What’s the point of a lawsuit?” Mimi said. “Won’t Ronan get the money when he turns thirty-five, anyway?”

“He will,” Cara said. “But between now and then, a lawsuit could land him in even hotter financial water than he’s in already. And destroying Ronan’s business would be a dream come true for Veronica.”

“We can’t let that happen,” I said. “You’ve told me how hard Ronan’s worked to build Kingsley Tech.”

“Could Ava be sued as well?” Mimi asked.

“Ronan would be the primary target,” Cara said. “But it’s possible that my father’s lawyers would sue Ava for the return of any money she receives from Ronan.”

“Because that money could be viewed as coming from the trust?” I asked.

“Exactly,” Cara said. “That’s why if you and Ronan go through with this marriage, you need to commit to it one hundred percent.”

“A lawsuit could destroy both Ronan and me,” I said. “You’re right, Cara. While I have no desire to control Ronan’s personal life, it’s far too risky for either of us to have affairs.”

Mimi sipped her coffee and nodded in agreement. “It’s unfortunate that you and Ronan have to limit your freedom,” she said. “But with Veronica watching for any opportunity to take you down, there’s no way around it. The two of you have to put your sex lives on ice—unless, of course, you decide to have sex with each other.”

“Not happening,” I said. “Casual hookups aren’t my thing. If doing this right means swearing off sex for two years, I can cope. I haven’t been with a man since my ex-fiancé, and while I do miss sex, I’m capable of living without it. The question is whether Ronan’s willing to do the same.”

“It needs to go in the agreement,” Cara said. “No hookups whatsoever. On either side. If Ronan refuses to make that commitment, walk away. I want to help my brother, but there’s no point in creating a situation that’s doomed to blow up in everyone’s face.”

I made a note on my notepad. “No hookups, then.”

“Not strong enough,” Mimi said. “This agreement needs to be rock-solid, which means some kind of penalty if either of you break it.” She raised an eyebrow at me. “No woman should stake a nickel on a wayward cock—let alone a million bucks.”

“That’s a great idea,” Cara said. “We need to protect Ronan against himself.”

“How about if I edit the termination clause?” I said. “It already states that breaking the agreement will result in an immediate parting of ways, followed by a quick, no-fault divorce. I can just add financial penalties for whoever breaks it.”

“That should do it,” Mimi said.

“There’s one more thing that worries me,” I said. “So far, I’ve met Ronan twice, and I feel like I’ve seen two different men. At Blacktail, he was relaxed and conversational. He was someone who I could live with. Yesterday, when he came here to offer me this agreement, he was another person. Not that he was rude or anything like that—more abrupt and aggressive.”

“That’s his business persona,” Cara said. “As men go, my brother’s a nice guy. He’s kind and generous. Within the limits of his testosterone-fueled brain, he can even be thoughtful. But he’s also a ruthless negotiator, and he likes to win.”

“If I go through with this, which Ronan will I be living with?” I asked. “Mr. Nice Guy or Mr. Negotiator?”

“Mr. Nice Guy,” Cara said promptly. “With occasional flashes of Mr. Negotiator, if you try to share a television remote or play a video game. Ronan’s got a hardcore competitive streak. When he makes up his mind that he wants something, he sets out to get it—and there’s no stopping him.”

“Fortunately, Ava’s no shrinking violet,” Mimi said with a chuckle. “If she and Ronan get into a battle for the remote, my money’s on Ava.”

“I have my own television, which I’ll put in my room,” I said. “No TV-related conflicts will disturb our marital harmony.”

Cara laughed. “Good call. Because when it comes to determination, you and my brother might as well be twins. Just think of this as moving in with the male version of you.”

I rolled my eyes. “Except I’m not a whore.”

Cara’s lips parted in a wide smile. “If Ronan signs the revised agreement, for the next two years, neither is he.”