The dogs scurried closer, rubbing their hard little heads against her calves in an obvious effort to comfort her, but Chelle couldn’t stop. The words just poured out, frustration thick with each syllable coming out of her mouth. “I’ve talked to the lawyers, they’re willing to go to court, but at most, it’ll just be a delay of the inevitable. Either I get married and get a judge to agree it’s a valid marriage or Uncle Buckley gets control of the foundation.”

By the time she finished, her lungs tight with fury at how unfair and just plain wrong it all was, the pugs were wiggling and prancing in place at her feet, yapping and howling in solidarity—obviously not knowing who they were mad at, but if Chelle was mad, so were they. And people wondered why having pets was so amazing. They didn’t worry about what other people thought or needed to adhere to some outdated ideas about gender roles. They loved, they were loyal, and when it looked like the shit was about to hit the fan, they were there. If only she could find human beings who were like that—who didn’t only live between the covers of a book.

“I’m sorry, babies, Mommy just got fired up about Uncle Fuckley,” Chelle said in a soothing tone as she pat the now-quiet pugs on their heads before looking over at Nash, nailing him to his chair with a glare. “And no, I don’t need you to explain to me about training my dogs to calm down. I do not need a man to tell me my own business. Not today. Not tomorrow. Never again.”

If he understood that her last statement was to put him in his place, Nash Beckett didn’t show it. Instead, he looked up at her with a confidence bordering on cocky.

“But I know exactly what needs to happen,” he said, sitting forward in his chair, a huge smile on his face. “We have to get married.”

That was the most asinine thing she’d ever heard. Chelle stared at him for a moment in shock before the absolute, undeniable ridiculousness of the idea hit her and all she could do was laugh. It wasn’t a little giggle or a hearty chuckle. It was a big, throw-your-head-back, evaporate-all-of-your-worries-for-a-moment belly laugh that left her breathless with a goofy grin on her face by the time she finally stopped.

“Oh my God. I needed that,” she said, wiping tears from her eyes. “Getting married to anyone—let alone getting married to a total stranger—is what I’m trying to avoid.”