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“We have three months to sell this, no time like the present. In fact, we should hang out tomorrow.”
“We should?” she asks.
“Definitely. We’re going to have to get comfortable with one another if this is going to be believable.” My mind drifts to the way her eyes heated and her breathing picked up when I got close, placing my lips against her skin.
“Right. Right,” she agrees, and I imagine her nodding as if she needs the action to convince herself.
“We can meet for lunch and spend the day together,” I suggest.
“The day?”
“Do you have plans?” Something doesn’t sit well with me, thinking she might have a date or something. I mean, she told me she wasn’t dating, but I have this overwhelming need to make that clear. “While we’re doing this, it’s just us. No other dates. I’m yours and you’re mine for the next three months. I won’t settle for anything less.” We might be pretending, but I won’t be made of as the sad, pitiful fool that Courtney cheated on.
“I would never.” I hear the indignation in her tone.
“Then it’s settled. You’ll come to Sunday dinner with me and then you’ll set up a time with your parents.”
“Do they know? I mean, I know Jordyn knows, and I assume Ryder. Do the rest of them?”
“Do they know that we’re pretending? Yeah, they know. You’ll be able to relax and not worry about the stress of convincing them you want me.” She mumbles something that sounds like “like I’d have to pretend,” but I’m not sure. Regardless, the comment that I think I heard makes me smile.
“We will need to practice, so be prepared for me to treat you as I would if you were truly mine.”
“What does that mean, Merrick?” There is a slight tremble in her voice.
Does she think I would hurt her? “It means I’ll be holding your hand. I might even need to kiss you.”
She inhales sharply. “But they know.”
“And we need to practice to convince your family.”
“But—I don’t want them to think less of me.” Her confession is quiet.
“Never. I’m not going to exploit you, Courtney. I’m going to play the part you’ve asked me to play. I don’t half-ass anything, even if that means we pretend in front of my family.”
“Maybe we should just... not. I can call my mom and confess my sins.”
“Does the thought of my hand on yours or kissing me repulse you so much you’d confess to her?”
“No, it’s not that. Not at all,” she’s quick to assure me. “But—you have to kiss me.”
My mouth hangs open in shock as anger courses through me. “And you think that’s going to be a hardship for me? Do you actually think that me getting to have a gorgeous woman on my arm, calling her mine, touching her as if she’s my world, and tasting her lips is a hardship? Think again, Courtney. I thought I said no more?” My voice is stern, because fuck me, I hate that she thinks any time with her would be a chore for me. She’s gorgeous, and her personality is sweet as fucking apple pie. I’m sure she tastes just as sweet. I lick my lips with the thought of being able to find out for myself without the usual strings of a relationship.
It's not that I’m against them, but they are a lot of work and if I don’t see forever with the woman, I don’t waste my time. My efforts will be for my wife, and well, Courtney, apparently.
“Lunch tomorrow?” she asks softly.
“I’ll be at your place at noon.” She doesn’t ask me how I know where she lives. Willow River is a small town.
“I’ll be ready. Thank you, Merrick.”
“You’re welcome. Goodnight, sweet Courtney.”
“Goodnight.”
I wait for her to end the call before I drop my cell phone on my lap. I’ve never in my life waited for someone to hang up before me. I refuse to think about that. This is just a weird situation we’ve found ourselves in. It’s only natural I treat her as I would someone who was special to me, all things considered.
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