The Arrangement (Omegas of Hunter's Point Book 1)

Chapter 10

Von examined the slip of paper Damian had handed her when he'd dropped her off at the school. Seven digits, scribed in black ink, stared back at her in judgement of exactly what it was she was contemplating.

There was no way that what just happened seriously just happened. Rich guys didn't go around blithely making indecent proposals. That only happened in those trashy romance novels Fancy liked to read. Did it count as indecent, though? He hadn't said anything about sex. He hadn't even implied that he expected their fake relationship to be in any way sexual. Still, who does that? Who just offers to foot the entire bill for continuing education to some girl he met in a club in exchange for pretending to be his mate? It was too unbelievable to be taken seriously. He hadn't meant it. He couldn't have. He was playing some elaborate prank on her. She would accept, and he would laugh at her.

Would she accept? Gods, it was so tempting. The entire post-grad program paid for. She'd have to leave the academy as she couldn't do college classes and teach at the same time, and certainly, she would miss her students, but she'd be doing what she always wanted, teaching at a university. Challenging herself with more advanced subjects, more mature learners, was a heady thought. And a university salary could afford her everything from a better apartment in a safer neighborhood, to a vehicle. She'd have enough to open a retirement account, assuring her future independence, too.

Her dream sat before her, within reach, put there by a man who was almost a complete stranger. All she had to do was help him craft a convincing lie, and live that lie with him in public, and only in public. Would that be so hard?

No, but it would be dishonest. How could she preach the honor code to the kids, then turn around and agree to something like this? Did that make her a bad person? Or just a pragmatic one?

Her mental wanderings were interrupted by the sound of the front door unlocking as Fancy arrived home. "Hi, Von!"

She stood and stared at Fancy, unsure of how to start the conversation.

"I paid the electric bill on my lunch break." Fancy snapped the light on in the kitchen and sighed. "What is it, honey? You look like you've seen a ghost!" She took Von by the shoulders and guided her to a chair at the kitchen table, then dropped into the other.

"Nothing. It's stupid. I'm not going to do it."

Too late, she realized. Fancy's curiosity had been officially piqued. "Nope. You're not getting off that easy. Tell me what's going on."

Von inhaled, deeply, releasing it through her nose. "You remember that guy from the club, Damian?"

"Mr. Hotty Hotpants? Yeah, what about him."

"I ran into him, today," Von confessed.

"No, you did not, either!" Fancy exclaimed, planting her palms on the tabletop, her open-mouthed grin wide and toothy. "What did he say? Was he pissed you bailed?"

"Nothing like that. He...he said he wants to pay for my Master's degree, like, all of it."

She nodded with a knowing smile. "And he wants a BJ for it, or something?"

Gross. "No, he wants me to pretend to be his mate, so he can adopt his nephew."

She frowned. "But he wants you to have sex with him? Is that it?"

"No, Fancy. Gods, get your mind out of the gutter. After a short 'courting' period, he wants me to move in. We'd pretend to be mated until the adoption is approved. Then, that's it. We stage a break up and go our separate ways."

Fancy waved her hand, dismissively. "Pffft! Do it. Ask him if he needs two mates. I'll volunteer."

Von sighed in frustration. "Fancy, this is serious."