Atlas by D. J. Krimmer
One protective tattoo artist. One chronically ill lawyer. One fake marriage that feels way too real.
“I said, marry me.”
Atlas:Marrying Lauren Locklear was supposed to be a practical solution.
She needed insurance. I needed her safe.
Easy.
Except nothing’s ever easy with Ren. She’s stubborn, guarded, and convinced no one could love someone like her.
But I do. I always have.
And now that I’ve got her in my life, I’m not letting go.
Ren:
I’ve made some reckless decisions.
Like saying yes to marrying the man I’ve secretly crushed on for years.
It’s not real. It’s a paper marriage.
Except it doesn’t feel fake when he’s looking at me like that.
It feels like everything I’ve ever wanted.
Atlas is a reverse grumpy-sunshine, marriage-of-convenience romance between a fierce tattoo artist and a woman who’s forgotten how to feel safe—until now.
"I said, marry me.”
Atlas
Lauren Locklear.
She has no idea that I would do anything for her. She doesn’t understand the mountains I would climb just to keep her safe.
That’s okay though, I’ll make sure she does.
She thinks she’s weak, and given the lack of love and support from those closest to her, I can understand why. That changes now, I will make her see the strong woman I see when I look at her.
I’ve pined for her in secret, wanting nothing more than to show her what she could have. But with my past still haunting me, I knew it would be best to stay back.
That is, until she needs access to health insurance and I see a solution to both her problem and my dilemma. All she has to do is say yes.
Ren
I’ve done something stupid.
Something reckless.
Something everyone will judge me for and I’m risking everything.
My family. My career. Myself.
I’m always too much to handle and the men I’ve allowed into my life have always reminded me of my shortcomings, even when it’s their fists doing the reminding.
No one has ever truly cared for me, loved me.
And then Atlas Hart asks me to marry him in order to save my life.
This isn’t love. It’s barely a friendship, or so I thought. But as the days go by and I see what he so selflessly risks for me, I cannot help but think that maybe… this could be more.