Sweet Texas Fire by Nicole Flockton

But fine, I’ll hear you out.” She sat back down behind her desk. “It doesn’t mean I’m going to agree.”
    “Fair enough. As I was saying, it doesn’t appear to be a difficult process, according to what I read on the website. We get married and then fill out the various forms necessary to apply for the green card.”
    “Are you sure? That seems too easy.”
    “Yep, it is. We may have to wait to get the initial approval, but that’s fine. It’s not like we can do anything about transferring the land for twelve months anyway. The bonus is, by having the green card you’ll be able to keep your job. I’m sure your employers will be happy about that. If they’re not, you can easily find another job with your experience. Also, you can work with me through the whole process of getting the land surveyed and all that we have to do to commence the drilling process. I’m not going to start drilling tomorrow. I’m going to wait until oil is at a better price. We can split up a year after we get married. You’ll have your green card then, so you can go anywhere. Get a job in another state. As part of the divorce settlement, I’ll make sure you get a portion of the profits when I start drilling the oil. Those funds alone could mean you probably won’t have to work ever again. You’ll be able to travel to your heart’s content. What do you think?”
    The more he talked, the more excited he got. She knew it wasn’t excitement about marrying her, but more about owning the land and what was beneath the topsoil. And the prospect of fattening of his already fat bank account.
    “I think you’re insane. This whole conversation is unbelievable. Didn’t you hear me when I said I only wanted to get married once—and only for love?”
    “Sure, I heard that, but this would be a purely business arrangement, not a love match. A sale contract, you could say. You get a green card. I get the land. No hearts involved at all.”
    Charlotte laughed at that suggestion.
    “What if I don’t want you to do anything to the land until after I’m gone? Will that be a problem?”
    “As I said, with the price of oil so low at the moment I’m more than happy to wait until it improves before we begin the process of setting everything up and then bringing in the equipment to dig the wells, etc.”
    “No, what I’m saying here is, what if I don’t want you to do a survey? No touching it until I no longer have any real vested interest in the land.”
    While some might have thought she was being difficult, for her it was more about hoping that maybe, just maybe, Gage would see there was more to the land than oil.
    Yeah, like that would ever happen, and judging by the frown on his face, he wasn’t happy with her suggestion to hold off.
    “I don’t see why we have to wait.”
    “It’s my land, Gage. Not yours. That’s the only reason you need to understand.”
    “Fine.” He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.
    “So the marriage would be a business arrangement only. No sleeping together. Nothing like that.”
    “I would think there would be times when we would have to hold hands and maybe kiss. But yes, it would be solely a business arrangement.”
    Charlotte nodded. That would work. It wouldn’t be a hardship to hold hands and occasionally kiss Gage. He was a good-looking guy, and she was slightly attracted to him. No, the issue would be living with him. Being around him and his ego twenty-four/seven.
    God, was she really considering his idea? It would mean she could stay in the States indefinitely. And did it really matter if she blotted her life’s copybook with a divorce? It’s not as if it was frowned upon these days.
    As proposals went, it was the most unromantic she could imagine, but yes, she really was considering this idea.
    “Well, as I said earlier, I think you’re insane, and I’m obviously crazy, too, because I’m saying yes. Yes, Gage Cooper, I will marry you.”

CHAPTER 9
    Gage checked his watch