Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 71165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
More tears ran down her cheeks as she continued babbling, so fast her words tripped over each other.
“And they make the best margaritas at the main bar. I promise you; you won’t regret going with me. We’ll have to share a suite, of course, but I’ll be busy all day and you’ll hardly know I’m there. In fact, you won’t have to spend much time with me at all. Except during the wedding, of course. And that’ll only last for a couple of hours. We don’t even have to attend the reception.”
The words were still tumbling incoherently out of her, when I pushed myself off the table and walked towards her. Casually, I curled a lock of her blonde hair between my fingers.
She was so startled she stopped talking and went as still as a statue.
The air between us stilled, became pregnant with… something. Her eyes widened and her lips parted. Then, completely unexpectedly, something happened deep in my gut. That place where the first warning of danger usually came from. It was different this time though. This was not a warning. This was a craving. A craving so deep it actually throbbed with life and intensity.
Pretty insane!
My finger grazed her wet cheek and a spark of electricity shot through me. Hell, I hadn’t had such a reaction to a woman in a very, very fucking long time. Perhaps because I had designed my life in such a way that all my sexual interactions with women were meaningless, casual, and deliberately impermanent.
I released the lock of hair and stepped back. “The best Margaritas, huh?”
“The absolute best,” she whispered hoarsely.
“So… a frozen lake and walking trails are on offer?”
“Totally. I’ll even throw in a basket of the most delicious dark chocolate muffins from the local bakery. I swear they are to die for. You could never get enough of Mrs. Sherman’s cakes.”
“Hmmm… I am rather partial to dark chocolate, but… will I have to be nice to the bitch, though?”
A startled expression crossed her eyes, then a tremulous smile trembled onto her lips. A little giggle she couldn’t contain slipped out. “Nope, being nice to Tiffany is not included in the deal. However, you will get bonus points if you don’t fall for her manipulative machinations, which all men usually fall headlong into.”
I smiled lazily. “Ah, one of those.” A female shark. I knew well how to handle them.
A bitter expression crossed her face. “Yes, one of those. She uses her beauty to blind people to her real intentions.”
“I’ll consider myself warned.”
“Good,” she said heartily.
The smell of her shampoo was still in my nostrils. Lemon with a twist of something sweet, apricots perhaps. I had an insane desire to bury my face in her hair. “What weekend are we talking about?”
She bit her bottom lip and winced slightly. “This weekend coming.”
I stared at her plump mouth. An image of me plunging my cock into it popped into my head. “Kind of short notice, isn’t it?”
“I know, but I couldn’t find anyone suitable, until tonight when I ran into you.”
“Who else besides the bitch will I have to convince?”
“My father died three years ago, so there’ll just be my stepmother, Nicole; my half-sister, Olivia; Tiffany, some random family members; and of course, the bridegroom or my unfaithful ex, Steven.”
“Whom you’re still madly in love with, I suppose…”
Her head jerked back and her voice was hard with disgust. “God, no! He’s a selfish, narcissistic, untrustworthy jerk. They deserve each other.”
I hid a smile at her outburst. “So why the elaborate charade?”
She seemed suddenly agitated. “Because I did a stupid thing. I told Olivia I’d found someone and things were going well. I only told her that because I didn’t want her or anyone else to pity me and think I was still nursing a broken heart, but it backfired when Olivia asked me to bring my new guy along, and now I’m committed to bring someone. Either that, or I’ll look like a liar, or even more humiliating, like someone who can’t keep any man.”
“I see.”
“I know it must be impossible for you to understand, but I just want to attend this wedding with my head held high, and once and for all stop the rest of my family from thinking I’m a total loser, or that I’m hurting because I want him back. Also, if I’m honest, I don’t want to give Tiffany the satisfaction of thinking she has something I want.”
“So, the job description is for me to leave no doubt among your family and friends that I’m head over heels in love with you?”
She clasped her hands and nodded enthusiastically. “Yes.”
I should already be in a plane flying back to head office, but being a part of this little adventure was surprisingly entertaining and intriguing.
“Rex Hunter. What’s your name?” I asked.