Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 58952 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58952 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
“Answer my question,” she said softly, refusing to let him off so easy. “Why did you agree to do the bachelor auction for Billie if you had no intention of following through?”
Her pretty eyes stared directly into his, and he shifted his backside against the desk, bracing his hands on the edge in order to resist the insane urge to grip her hips and pull her forward. Toward him, until her figure molded against his—just to feel how her curves aligned against his body. Everything about her was so authentic and natural, from her full lips and those freckles across the bridge of her nose and cheeks, to her small but firm breasts, to the perfect swell of her hips. She didn’t rely on collagen, or silicone, or any artificial enhancements to amplify her beauty and he found that incredibly refreshing and attractive.
She was waiting patiently for him to reply. Considering how open and honest she’d been about her own uncomfortable predicament, and how genuinely caring she seemed about his answer, he decided to share a part of himself he normally wouldn’t.
“I agreed to stand in as a replacement bachelor because Billie rarely asks me for anything.” Of course, his reasons went a helluva lot deeper than that superficial explanation, but divulging even that much of his relationship with his half-sister with anyone was huge.
“And…” He exhaled a breath and opted for even more honesty here. “I guess I just didn’t think through the whole ‘weekend’ thing, and spending it with one woman. I don’t date. I’m not… personable and charming or one to show a woman a good time outside of the bedroom,” he said, giving her his own smirk in return. “And I’m self-aware enough to know it’s wrong to lead any woman into thinking I’m something that I’m not, or that I’ll give them more than just… companionship for a night or two.”
Her brows rose, and he didn’t miss the awareness swirling in the depths of her eyes. “Well, at least you’re honest. But that doesn’t let you off the hook. You weren’t my first choice of a bachelor, but I’m stuck with you, so I’d appreciate it if you’d accompany me to my sister’s wedding.”
She said it with a soft, teasing smile, the earlier tension between them all but dissipated, and damn if that playful look on her face didn’t make his own defenses crumble a bit—what the hell was up with that? When she’d walked into his office, he’d been so adamant about doing whatever it took not to spend a weekend with her, and now, after learning she was trying to save face at her sister’s wedding to her ex, his attitude had shifted.
It was true that he didn’t want to disappoint Billie if she discovered he hadn’t followed through on what was expected of him, but he realized that he also didn’t want to let Lauren down, either, because shockingly, he genuinely liked her. And it didn’t hurt that there was true chemistry between them, which couldn’t be said for the other women he’d dated lately.
As he’d said, he wasn’t anyone’s knight in shining armor, but Lauren wasn’t asking him to be one. She just didn’t want to show up to an unpleasant situation alone, which he could understand. Playing her pretend boyfriend was a simple enough thing to do. It was one weekend out of his life, and then he could consider his obligation to Billie, and to the Future Fast Track bachelor auction, and Lauren, paid in full.
“Okay, I’ll grant you your weekend and play the part of your boyfriend,” he said, doing his best to dedicate himself to the ruse, even if it was something outside of his comfort zone. He wasn’t a man who half-assed anything once he committed himself. “Where do we go from here?”
Her shoulders fell, her relief nearly palpable. “The wedding isn’t until next month, so we have a few weeks to figure out the specifics. Why don’t we set a day and time to meet up and discuss things more in detail?” she suggested. “Maybe get to know each other a little better so we can sell the whole relationship thing and we don’t look like two total strangers who just met?”
He nodded in agreement and did a quick mental rundown of his schedule. He had a business dinner this Saturday with an out-of-town client, but he was free the following weekend. “How about dinner at my place next Saturday?”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Your place?”
He shrugged. “I figure we’ll both need time to learn some things about each other to make this fake relationship look authentic. We’ll have more privacy at my apartment, we can take whatever time we need, and we don’t have to worry about anyone listening in to our conversation.”
A pleased smile curved her lips. “Okay, next Saturday it is.”