Chapter 21

Maya’s POV

I spoke the words, and instantly his face went blank—his mouth fell open a little, his eyes widened, one brow shooting up. My palms slicked with sweat, and my chest felt as though it might explode.

His wife.

I knew it sounded outrageous. But I had no other choice. I’d worked for the Brooks family once; I knew the corridors of their power, but I had nothing in writing to prove it. The only way in was to become part of his life in the most permanent way I could imagine—by playing the role of his wife.

And this time, I would do it right.

He cleared his throat. “Are you serious? My wife. You want to be my wife?”

He laughed—first lightly, then mockingly—eyes dancing with amusement. “Miss Maya, I’ve got to say, you have more guts than every man in