He looks at me warily. “What do you mean?”
“Anastasia and I have agreed to an… arrangement. A marriage of convenience. Appearances for our families, freedom in private.”
“She mentioned something like that,” he says. “I didn’t believe it was possible.”
“It’s not just possible. It’s necessary.” I lean back against the car door. “I have someone, too. Someone I’m not willing to give up.”
Understanding dawns in his eyes. “The assistant. Rowan.”
I don’t deny it. “Anastasia and I marry as planned. Our families get the alliance they want. But you keep seeing her, and I…” I pause, thinking of Rowan, of her pulling away, of the distance between us. “Well, that’s my problem to solve.”
Daniel studies me for a long moment. “And what do you want in return? Because there’s always a price.”
Smart m
