Page 30 of Sucker For You

“What?”

“You said. . .legal benefits. If we. . .this. . . it’ll be fraud. If we marry for money and a visa, you’ll be committing a crime.”

Telling a lie.

As would she, of course. Though supposing the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services caught her, she’d only be fined and deported. For privileged cases like hers (female, white, Canadian), imprisonment was rare.

“A crime?” Wes’s eyebrow twitched. Spots of color struck his cheekbones through the bronzing of countless sunburns. “In theory, yeah. But since the law’s put you in a position where you have to swap spit with someone like Chase, just so you’re not suffering? It’s wrong.”

“It’s still—”

“—the law?”

“Yes.”

“Laws get changed all the time. Even if they don’t, that still doesn’t mean they’re always right. If a law’s wrong, how’s it wrong to break it?”

“Because—”

“Morally.”

“Morality won’t hold up in court.”

“True. But a court needs proof to charge us. Erin’s better at logic puzzles than I am, but Ithinkthat means we’ll only have committed fraud if the immigration authorities can establish our real reasons for getting married. I don’t plan on telling on myself to the government,” he said, serious in the surf, but with that persistent smile dancing again at his mouth. Maybe from the kelp tickling his feet? “Those tax benefits, my boat, and appeasing my mother—remember?”

Of course she did.

“Areyougoing to tell anyone?”

Who would she tell?

“No,” she whispered to the wind.

“Good.” His smile broadened. “Then let’s try this a second time: Isabel Wright, will you marry me?”

He asked her with a crooked grin, asked her lightly with his hands in his pockets and his feet planted in the waves. Almost laughing.Casual. As he watched her sideways, the harsh thud of his heartbeat in his ears was anything but.

She was evaluating his proposition.

Proposal.

She was also considering it—consideringhim—with more care than he’d given to his question. When he’d first posed the idea, at least. Five minutes ago he’d spoken recklessly, thoughtlessly like he always did, his tongue moving faster than his brain. Unlike silent, studious Isabel. That hadn’t mattered.He’d just wanted to prove that Chase wasn’t her sole option. That she had choices.

One other choice.

But now?

Legal benefits, theNauti Lass, and his mother’s happy surprise over firecrackers and eggnog were good reasons for Wes to take his proposition earnestly. They really were. Maybe it didn’t matter that these very good, very solid reasons hadn’t occurred to him until after he’d asked Isabel to marry him for the second time. Only in this moment, in her mute review of his offer, did those reasons bubble to the surface of his uncooperative gray matter.

Were the benefits enough for her?

Yes.

But was he?

No, it’s not about that—

“Yes.”