No Boss of Mine

The Deal of a Lifetime

He raised a brow, his tone suddenly serious. "Will you marry me and make both our dreams come true?"

Ashley hesitated, a playful smile curling her lips. "Finn..." she began, tilting her head, "You're supposed to get down on one knee."

"But my hands are empty," he replied, shrugging.

"You better not splurge on a fake engagement ring!" she teased, nudging him playfully.

"I'll think about it," Finn responded with a grin. They both chuckled, the tension between them.

"For a fake marriage, I'm glad we get along," Finn said.

Ashley nodded, her tone becoming businesslike. "What a relief. Since this is a business deal, I want to go over every detail."

Finn smirked, gesturing towards the room. "Gladly. Why don't you step into my office?"

They moved inside, Ashley taking a seat at the bar. Finn walked behind it, meeting her gaze as he asked, "What's your poison, Mother Teresa?"

Ashley laughed. "Just some soda."

"Come on now, it's just the two of us here," he teased, pulling out a bottle.

She relented with a playful sigh. "Fine, fine. I'll have rum then."

Finn's eyes sparkled as he set to work. "But you, Miss Winters, carry the weight of the world on your shoulders," he said, pulling out a bottle of white rum. "Tonight, leave it to me."

Ashley's jaw nearly dropped as Finn expertly carved a block of ice into a perfect sphere. Her mind raced. Watching a man work with his hands does something to me...

"Let's talk about rules," she said quickly, trying to refocus.

"I like rules," Finn responded, grinning.

Ashley raised a finger. "Rule number one: don't cheat on me. At least not publicly. And only for the duration of our fake marriage."

Finn nodded. "That much is a given. I have a reputation to uphold." He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a husky tone. "I'm yours...only for the duration of our fake marriage."

Ashley felt her heart skip, but she quickly cleared her throat. "Then we have a deal!"

Finn paused, his eyes glinting. "Not just yet. I need your approval about the money." He picked up his phone, dialing quickly. "Tyson, bring up the contract."

As they waited, Finn poured soda into their glasses. Ashley raised an eyebrow. "You're adding Coke? What is it?"

Finn handed her the glass, his fingers warm against hers. "Bacardi and Coke. I have no idea what you like—or if you even drink alcohol."

Ashley chuckled softly. "God knows I need a drink after today."

They both sat, Finn watching her intently as she took a small sip. She coughed slightly. "It sure packs a punch."

Finn smirked. "And?"

Ashley took a longer drink, feeling his gaze on her. "Well, you get the bitterness of alcohol right away."

With a playful glint in his eyes, Finn asked, "What a way to make a first impression, right?"

Ashley smiled, feeling the warmth between them. "I like it."

"It's also sweet and not hard to like," Finn added, his voice lowering.

Ashley clutched her glass, averting her gaze as she took another sip, the tension building. Just then, a man appeared at the door. "Mr. Jagger," he called.

Ashley straightened, her eyes locking with the new arrival.

Finn waved him in. "Ah, that's Tyson, my assistant." He gestured towards Ashley. "This is Ashley Winters."

Tyson nodded politely. "I'm glad to be of service."

Finn turned to Tyson. "The contract?"

Tyson handed it over, and Finn slid it across the bar to Ashley. "Review it first. We can redraft it as you see fit."

Finn leaned over the contract, his gaze flickering with amusement. "Hold on, the rules we agreed on are already here," Ashley remarked, scanning the document.

"Of course, I'm taking everything you say seriously," Finn replied smoothly, watching her as she continued to read.

Ashley's eyes widened slightly. "It says here I'll get one hundred thousand dollars from the get-go?"

Finn nodded, a small grin on his face. "Yes, consider it a signing bonus. I'm glad no expense was spared to make this beneficial for both of us."

She raised an eyebrow as she scanned further. "And it says here I'll receive another two hundred and fifty thousand the day after the wedding!"

Finn nodded, clearly enjoying her reactions. "And you'll also receive one percent of the monthly profits, so that means you'll get around sixty-five thousand dollars—"

"Per month?" Ashley finished, her voice a mix of surprise and awe.

Finn confirmed with a smile. "At the minimum."

Ashley shook her head, still processing. "You have no idea what a difference that would make for me."

Finn offered her a pen with a charming smile. "Pen?"

Their eyes met as they both smiled. They signed the contract together, sealing the deal. Tyson handed Ashley her copy, and she accepted it with a warm smile. "Please, just call me Ashley. And thank you."

Finn nodded. "Now that that's settled, you'll meet my mother tomorrow."