I stare at him, startled. I don’t know how to react with what he said. Does Mr. Acosta really mean it? He wants me to temporarily play the role of his mate? My words are stuck in my throat that I couldn’t say anything. He bends forward and reaches for a folder in front of him.
Then, he asks, “It seems like you’re not prepared with your own offer? Do you need more time to think, or don’t you wanna proceed with it?”
His question causes my back and my shoulders to straighten. My nerves decline to calm down, they keep riffling under my skin. I was the one who unbarred the topic of becoming his fake mate. Why am I having a second thought now? The peculiarity of where this conversation will lead us, shoves the words from me.
“I wanna know what we need to agree upon first.”
He nods before fl
