Chapter 27

• Amanda reflected on what she had just agreed to and why, bringing out the realist in her once more. She could play the good wife as long as she could maintain her small farm, and having a sexual relationship with a man like Ernest wasn't going to be difficult in any way. Even after he had everything and had divorced her for someone more his type, she concurred that they could still be great friends. They were simply friends who had been thrown together by circumstance and were willing to support one another. What made her so concerned about having sex with him, then? Friends with advantages used to exist. Why not make the most of the opportunities while she still had them?
• She relaxed in Ernest's arms, but he could tell she wasn't dozing off. With the wicked step mother and stepbrothers in place of sisters, she truly was a Cinderella. All he wanted was for her to see herself as he did. Whether she was dressed up like she was earlier tonight or just wearing jeans and a button-up shirt, she was stunning. She was unlike any woman he had ever met; she was fiercely independent, funny, and strong. Somewhere in the past two weeks, he had developed feelings for her, and he yearned for more of her in any way possible. He aspired to play the role of the Prince Charming in her Cinderella tale. Never in his life had he been more certain of anything. His hand slowly caressed down her side, a natural movement he was barely aware of as his thoughts continued to roll.
• Amanda turned over and looked at him in the darkness. She was in bed with the man she had fantasised about for weeks now, after accepting his marriage proposal. What was she waiting for? Neither of them was in love. The marriage was a business proposal, so why had she asked him to wait for a romantic wedding night? She leant into him and kissed him lightly.