“I’m going to start tonight.” She sheepishly met Macy’s gaze, knowing how nasty she’d been about moving. “After I call Ruby and apologize.”
“Perfect,” Macy said with a smile. Jaxon had worked miracles, and she wasn’t about to argue with success.
“Hannah, what do you say we exchange phone numbers, and if you have any questions about the house or your room, you can call and ask me.”
Her eyes opened wide and her phone was in her hand in an instant. They made the number exchange, and Hannah beamed, grinning from ear to ear.
And as Macy watched Jaxon earn her sister’s trust, she lost the first piece of her heart to Jaxon Prescott.
* * *
Jaxon had to admit he admired his technique. Getting Hannah’s phone number had been easier than he thought but only because he’d bonded with the teenager. He understood Hannah on a level very few people could. Between his uncle Paul, who owned the Miami Thunder, and his brother Austin, who’d been an All-Star wide receiver, he knew what it was like to be used for who you knew. The idea of anyone taking advantage of Hannah in any way pissed him off and turned his stomach. If she was going through a rough patch with Macy, the very least he could do was provide support and understanding while they were a family.
The word family didn’t choke him as much as he’d have thought. It helped that Macy beamed at him, obviously pleased with how he’d handled her little sister, and a part of him puffed up, knowing she saw him in a positive light.
Hannah had headed to her room, supposedly to start packing, and now he sat in the kitchen while Macy prepared dinner, a roast chicken, red potatoes, and broccoli topped with Parmesan cheese. She’d already invited and convinced him to stay.
As she easily moved around the room, they’d talked about Bri’s wedding ideas and laughed at how easily they’d both agreed to her plans. In Macy’s case, she said she didn’t want to be difficult and there was nothing her friend had proposed that she’d disliked, and for Jaxon, he knew better than to argue when Bri was in tornado mode.
“I need to bring up something awkward,” Macy said while the chicken roasted in the oven. She sat down beside him at the island on one of the barstools beside him.
“Go for it.”
She swallowed hard. “I want to sign a prenup. I don’t want anything from you and I don’t want you to think I do.”
Her words took him off guard. Yes, he was having a legal document prepared despite believing she wasn’t in this for a money grab, but for her to bring it up first? To confirm his gut feelings? That said something about her character and reinforced what he’d thought about her all along.
“Macy–”
“Wait. I need to say this. Please.” She met his gaze and he saw serious intent, so he nodded, and she went on. “I realize we’re each getting something out of this marriage, but it’s not financial for me. Okay, there’s some financial gain, obviously. I mean, we’ll be living with you and–”
“Hold on.” Seeing she was working herself up, he held out a hand. “Yes, we’ll sign a prenup. I have one in the works, but I’m going to make sure you and Hannah are taken care of when the marriage ends. It’s not like I can’t afford it, and you’re doing something for me in all this, too.”
She leaned closer, elbow on the counter. “Are you sure? Because it’s beginning to feel very one-sided.”
“I am absolutely positive. This morning, I received a call from my coach. He wanted to congratulate me on my upcoming marriage and to let me know how pleased upper management was to know I was settling down and my playboy and hopefully brawling days were over,” he said, using air quotes around the words. “So believe me when I say this situation is very equal.”
She blew out a relieved breath. “I’m glad to hear we’re on the same page. And you really don’t have to give us anything when things end.”
Why did it bother him to hear her mention things being short-term? That was the point, after all. Pushing the gnawing feeling in his gut aside, he kept things light. “You’re going to learn that I usually get what I want. So don’t argue, okay?”
She smiled. “Okay. Do I need a lawyer to look over the paperwork?”
“It wouldn’t hurt. You should always have someone taking care of your personal interests. Speaking of lawyers, did you call Johnathan Ridgeway about the custody case? I’m sure he can handle the prenup, too.” He lowered his voice so Hannah wouldn’t hear.
She nodded. “I have an appointment on Thursday at ten a.m.”
“I’ll be there.”
She shook her head. “You don’t have to go out of your way for me.”
“In this together, remember?” Reaching out, he squeezed her hand, enjoying the feel of her soft skin and remembering the taste of her mouth and lips.
Her fingers tightened around him. “Stop looking at me like that,” she whispered.
“Like what?” he asked in a gruff voice.
“Like you want to jump me right now.”
His entire body was rigid with desire, the need for her surpassing what he normally felt when he wanted a woman. Which struck him as odd. Different. Because he was used to the kind of female who overdid everything from her hair to her makeup and whose voice always held a come-on.
Not Macy. She was who she was, no artifice or pretense, although she wasn’t wearing a bra and he’d had to do his best to ignore her perky nipples showing through her dress. But the fact remained, he wanted her more than he’d ever desired another woman. Warning bells went off in his brain. Again he got the feeling this fake marriage wasn’t going to work out exactly as he’d planned.
So when she noted his lust-filled look? Well, she was right. “What if I do want to
