Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 113142 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 377(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113142 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 377(@300wpm)
“It’s true. Bradley isn’t interested in settling down right now. He uses me as a cover, and he dates other women—” she chuckled mischievously “—lots of other women, he tells me. He just does it quietly.”
I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that he didn’t want Ally. It didn’t seem possible. “He has no romantic interest in you?”
“No.”
“Or you him?”
“I love him the way I loved Ollie. Like a brother. Nothing more.”
“And you’re seeing him on Saturday?”
“Yes. He’ll pick me up, we’ll make an appearance for a while, and once that’s done, he’ll drop me home.”
“No one ever gets suspicious?”
“We talk and text sometimes so we know what each other is doing. Then if we’re asked, it sounds like we’re seeing each other. Sometimes, he’ll come up, and we watch a movie or talk. A couple of times, he’s taken me to a bar or dinner, and we purposely take our picture and he posts it on Facebook where he knows it’ll be seen.”
“Have you kissed him?”
She sighed. “Yes. I told you we dated.”
“Did you like it?”
She shook her head. “There was nothing there—no spark.” She took in a deep breath. “I didn’t feel the way I do when you kiss me.”
“Which is?”
“Like I never want you to stop.”
“Good answer,” I huffed, still annoyed, yet finding my anger dissipating in the face of her explanation.
“How long ago did you start going out?”
“About seven months ago.”
“So, you’ve been fake dating him for seven months?”
She shook her head, peering up at me with an impish grin. “No, I played hard to get, so we’ve only ‘fake dated’ for about four months.”
My lips twitched. She wanted me to laugh with her and see how simple this was. Two friends helping each other.
“Was this your idea?”
“No, he suggested it. I thought it was a bad idea, which is why it took a while for me to agree. But he was right. My mother, Ronald, and his dad backed off. It’s made things easier for me.”
“Why him? Because he’s a doctor? The right kind of people?” I sneered.
“He comes from old money, yes. Just like Ronald. His father is well-known and respected.” She sighed. “It’s the sort of match he approves of.”
“In other words, he gets something out of it too.”
“Yes.”
“I don’t like it. I get it…but I don’t like it.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why do they want you married off so badly?”
“Then I’m not their responsibility anymore. They know there’s a good chance Bradley will move to another city at some point—he has his sights set to go out west. They can ignore me completely then because I’ll be someone else’s problem.” She shrugged. “Out of sight, out of mind. Any embarrassment I cause, they can blame on someone else. It’s all about image with them. If it weren’t, Ronald would have turned his back a long time ago.”
It was also about control and punishing her, but I kept my thoughts to myself.
I crushed her to me, holding her tight. “You’re not a problem or something to be given away. Stop thinking like that.”
She clung to my waist. “Not to you.”
I held her for a long time. When I pulled back, I stroked her cheek. “Friday night, then? Or better yet, would you come here after your lunch?”
“I’ll probably sleep.”
“That’s fine. I can watch you sleep.”
“Pervert,” she mouthed with a grin.
“When it comes to you, definitely.” I caressed the back of her neck, kneading the tense muscles. “But I don’t want to wait until Friday to see you again.”
“Really?”
“Really. I’m not sure I can wait until tomorrow.”
“How will—”
I shook my head, interrupting her. “We’ll figure it out, as long as you want it.”
“I do.”
“You don’t have to go, do you?”
“I have things I need to do,” she murmured, not sounding convinced.
“I know, but you could stay a little longer?” I asked quietly, running my finger along her jawline and down her neck, making her shiver. “Maybe go for a walk or have a little nap?”
I helped her off the stool, surprised when she wrapped her arms around me, staring up at me beseechingly. “Bradley is just a friend, Adam. Please don’t be upset with me.”
“Ally, I’m not.” I barked out a humorless laugh. “Even if he weren’t, I have no right to tell you who you can or can’t see. We’ve only just met.” I fisted her long braid, feeling the softness of her hair on my skin. “As much as I want to have that right, I know it’s too soon. I acted like a jerk. I’m sorry.”
“I’ll cancel.”
“No. You have to go, and I assume he does too. So, you go together, the way you planned—” I pulled her flush to my chest “—as friends.” I dropped a kiss onto her head. “Do you have any other dates planned?”
“There are a couple of events coming up.”