Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55839 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55839 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
He just nods. “Possibly.”
I know Roman isn’t close to his parents, and I’m not sure why. He and Ledger just always change the subject. “Is everything okay with them?” I ask, wanting to know more.
“Everything’s fine.”
I let it go and we drink our wine in silence for a few minutes, until Roman says, “Well, I guess we need to figure this dating thing out.”
“Oh, yeah.” I stare into the bottom of my wine glass, looking for answers. “I guess we should start by going to dinner at places frequented by Eden and Sadie? They are usually around town doing special appearances.”
“Of course they are. Those women are too into themselves not to want to make a big show anytime they leave the house.”
“I can check their social media.”
He pulls out his phone, tapping away at his screen. “No need. I have a friend who might know.”
“A friend?”
He glances up at me for a moment. “Yes.” He looks back down to tap away. Moments later, his phone dings. “This Thursday night at the El Cantina.” He grins. “Looks like our first date will be there?”
“It’s a good thing I love Mexican food.” What I don’t love is the way my pulse skyrockets every time he says our first date. I’ll have to get that under control before Thursday. Maybe take a sedative to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Because this is fake. Nothing more.
FOUR
ROMAN
“Hey,” Ledger says, pushing his muscular frame inside my penthouse.
I shut the door behind him and follow him into my kitchen. “What’s up? Are you working at Club Greed tonight?”
He rounds the island and rests his palms on the marble top. “Yeah. I’ll be leaving here in a few minutes to get down there. I needed to talk to you first.”
It’s crazy to me that Ledger is running Club Greed now that Devereaux is in permanent daddy mode.
“So, what do you need to get off your chest?” I slide onto a barstool. “It’s about Greer, right?”
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
I nod. “I do. Greer wants this case. The only way she can get it is to pretend-date me.”
Ledger studies me, and I know what he’s thinking before he says it. “Are you going to be able to keep your hands to yourself?”
“Probably not.” I don’t lie to Ledger, because there’s no point. “But I’m gonna try like hell to be on my best behavior.”
“Why don’t you just tell her how you feel?”
“What? That I think her body is perfect, and I’d love to do bad things to it?” I crack a smile, but Ledger doesn’t.
“You know it’s more than physical. Just tell her the truth.”
I rest my forearms on the island and lean forward. “What’s the truth?”
“That you’re into her.”
I shrug. “Doesn’t matter. You and I both know what she’s looking for in a man. And it’s not me.”
“Remember that guy Patrick she dated?”
I nod, remembering the jerk she dated for nine months. I wanted to punch him on more than one occasion. “She was always too good for him,” I say.
He crosses his arms. “He was a great guy. I still don’t understand why she turned his marriage proposal down. He was perfect for her.”
My blood simmers to a boil. “He was an asshole.”
“And you just proved my point,” he says. “You look like you want to murder someone because I said he was perfect for her.”
“He wasn’t perfect for her.” My pulse won’t calm down and I try to breathe through my nose.
Ledger gives me a smug grin. “Just don’t fuck this up. You know she deserves to be happy. And if you think you can make her happy, I say go for it, but if you don’t think you can…” He doesn’t finish his sentence because I’m already nodding at him.
“We’re just pretending to date. I don’t need the lecture.”
Ledger rounds the island. “All right, man. I’m heading to the club. You coming by tonight?”
I shake my head. “No, I’m in a committed relationship, remember?”
He laughs, slapping me on the back. “It’s so weird to hear those words coming out of your mouth.”
“It feels weird saying them.”
He walks toward the door, and I follow. Before exiting, he turns around. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but Dad says Mom’s asking for you to come visit.”
My chest tightens. “I don’t want to see her.”
“I know you don’t, but she’s our mother.”
“Yeah, I’ll think about it.”
My brother nods and heads out the door. As soon as he’s gone, I try to take a deep breath, but it feels like my throat is closing up. I rush to my couch to sit down, and a feeling of dizziness washes over me. My heart beats frantically, and my attempts to breathe become more desperate. What the fuck is going on with me?
I knock on Greer’s front door on Thursday night, and when she opens it, my eyes widen. She’s wearing a simple black cocktail dress that hugs her curves in all the right ways. The hem of the dress gracefully falls to just above her knees, revealing toned legs that seem to go on forever. Her silky dark hair tumbles past her exposed shoulders, right to the swell of her breasts.