THE CONTRACT

I stood at the bar, still trying to process the fact that I'd actually asked a complete stranger to be my fake boyfriend.

Henry looked at me for a moment, then leaned casually against the counter.

“Fake boyfriend?” he said. “Princesa, I charge two hundred an hour for that.”

I blinked.

“Two hundred?”

Henry's mouth curved into a teasing smile.

“You got that kind of cash, princesa?”

I ignored the way he said the nickname, as if he'd already decided it belonged to me.

“I was thinking...” I hesitated. “A flat f*e. Three days.”

Henry stared at me.

Then he laughed.

“Three days? With this face?” His eyes moved over me, slow and deliberate. “That's gonna be expensive for you.”

I crossed my arms.

“Name your price.”

That made him stop.

For the first time, Henry looked directly at me without joking.

Then he gave me another slow once-over and smirked.

“I don't want your money.”

I frowned.

“Then what do you want?”

“Three rules.”

He held up one finger.

“You break one, I leave you alone with your sister.”

My expression changed.

“Rules?”

Henry nodded.

“One: You do exactly what I say.”

I stared at him.

“Exactly?”

“Exactly.”

He leaned a little closer.

“If I tell you to kiss me in front of your ex, you kiss me.”

My eyes widened.

“No questions.”

I wasn't sure if he was serious.

The annoying part was that I couldn't tell.

Henry raised a second finger.

“Two: Nobody knows it's fake.”

His voice became more serious.

“You sell it like your life depends on it.”

He paused.

“Because it does.”

I swallowed.

This man was impossible.

Confident. Cocky. Completely comfortable with himself.

And somehow, he was making me nervous without even trying.

I shook off the feeling.

“And three?”

Henry's smile returned.

He leaned closer, his voice dropping into a teasing tone.

“Three: Don't fall in love with me.”

I stared at him.

He looked completely serious for about half a second.

Then his smirk widened.

“Every girl does. It gets annoying.”

I almost laughed.

Instead, I rolled my eyes.

“Don't worry.”

I gave him a dismissive look.

“Not my type.”

Henry's smile didn't disappear.

If anything, it grew wider.

“They all say that, princesa.”

He paused just long enough to make sure I was listening.

“Every single one.”

I shook my head.

I couldn't believe I was standing there negotiating with a man who was clearly far too pleased with himself.

But I needed this.

I needed someone who could walk into my parents' house beside me and make Ian and Ruby believe I'd moved on.

And Henry seemed very good at pretending.

“There’s one more thing,” Henry said.

I looked at him.

“What?”

“I cook Christmas dinner at your parents' house.”

I blinked.

“In that apron?”

Henry glanced down at the apron and smirked.

“In this apron.”

He tapped it lightly.

“It’s my trademark.”

I stared at him for a moment.

I hadn't expected that.

But if he was willing to come home with me, pretend to be my boyfriend, and cook Christmas dinner for my family, I wasn't about to argue about his apron.

I took a breath.

“Deal.”