Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 87275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
“Sure,” Myla says, hiding her confusion well. “I’ll be back in a bit.”
“Thank you,” Sutton says.
Myla slips through the door, closing it softly behind her.
“Sutton, what’s wrong?” I ask.
“Georgia, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I swear to you that I didn’t know.”
Every fiber in my body warns me of danger—to get up and flee from the scene of a crime I can’t identify. But before I can even question her regarding her apology, the door opens behind her.
“Please,” Sutton pleads, her gaze holding mine. “Please believe me. I didn’t know.”
“You didn’t know what?” I ask, my heart pounding so hard that I can hear my blood pulse through my ears.
Goose bumps prickle my skin as I slowly turn to my left.
No. No, no, no.
“Georgia?” Ripley’s voice is a note too high. “What are you doing here?”
I avoid his eyes and keep mine glued to Sutton. “Is this a sick joke?”
“I’m so sorry.”
My hands press against the cool stone table, and I shove away from it. I stand, wobbling for a split second on my heels, and send a bewildered look at my so-called best friend.
“What is this?” I ask, my voice rising. “Why is he here?”
Ripley steps into view. “Someone needs to explain.”
His eyes capture mine and attack the small amount of composure I still have in my grasp.
“Look, you two, this is a wild, crazy coincidence,” Sutton says, holding her hands in front of her.
“How wild?” Ripley asks, his eyes never leaving me.
“Sutton, I need you to tell me that Ripley is here to drop something off for Jeremiah,” I say. “And he wandered into the wrong room.”
Sutton’s chuckle is almost convincing. “Would you believe that the head of Canoodle Pictures is Ripley’s friend, Jonah Spaulding?”
“Sure,” I say, knowing the story doesn’t end there. “I don’t have a problem believing that.”
I hold my breath, certain that I won’t like what’s coming next.
“And Jonah happened to ask Ripley if he would be interested in—”
“No, he did not,” I say before she can finish. My attention whips back to Ripley. “Are you here to film The Invitation?”
An arrested expression crosses his face. “Are you?”
“Let’s sit down and talk,” Sutton says carefully.
“I can’t believe this.” I spin on my heel and put some distance between us. “There’s no way we can do this now.”
“Georgia …” Sutton begs my name. “Please. Please, please, please. Don’t bail on me. I need you to do this.”
“With him?” I point at Ripley and try not to actually look at him. “You want me to pretend to date him? Pretend to fall in love with him? Are you kidding me? I’d rather live in a world without carbs than spend a minute alone with him.”
Sutton flinches, her face paling. Tears well up in her eyes.
“Can you leave the two of us alone for a minute, please, Sutton?” Ripley asks like the gentleman he is not.
“Did you not hear what I just said?” I ask. “I said I’d rather live a life without bagels than be alone with you.”
Sutton ducks out the door, taking all the oxygen with her.
My chest burns as I watch her disappear. I know how much this means to her and how helpless she must feel right now. I want to chase her and promise her everything will be okay—that I will do everything in my power to make this happen for her.
But I don’t. Because it’s him.
Ripley moseys through the room, rolling the sleeves of his white shirt up his forearms. His legs are clad in dark denim, and his face is freshly shaven. He’s rested, ravishing, and the devil himself.
“For the record, I’m not any happier about this than you are,” he says, his voice strong and full of authority.
“I expected no less.”
“But arguing isn’t going to get us anywhere.”
“Agreed.”
He puts his hands on his hips and faces me. “You need to go out there and tell Sutton you’re pulling out of the project.”
I blink in disbelief. “Excuse me?”
“As much as I’d love to back out of this, I can’t. I gave my word to Jonah and …” He rolls his head around his neck. “Let’s just say there’s more to this for me than just doing a favor for a friend.”
“So you think I can just bail on my friend because that’s what’s easier for you?”
“Frankly, yes.”
I scoff, glaring at him. “You’re such an arrogant asshole.”
“Why? We cannot pull this off without killing each other, and I can’t back out, so I’m an asshole for expecting you to be the one to exit quietly?”
“Frankly, yes,” I say, mocking him. “Sutton is my best friend, Ripley, not just an acquaintance like Jonah is to you. She needs this job. That means you should be the one to walk away.”
He growls, looking at the ceiling. “What did I do to deserve this?”
I move to the other side of the room to evade his cologne.