Page 85 of Pretender

“Why?”

“Do you really want me to go into that here?” I ask.

He lifts his hands slightly, palms angled towards me. His discreet ‘calm down, Linnea’-move, which makes my skin crawl as much today as it always did.

“So you’re okay then? With … this?” He gestures to himself, Harriet, and her sizeable engagement ring. It sparkles as she not-very-casually brings her hand up to brush an invisible hair away from her forehead.

Jesus Christ, that thing is so large I’m surprised she can lift her arm. Henry and his ostentation.

“Congratulations,” I say through clenched teeth, while trying to smile.

Fuck, I just gave him what he wanted.

“Thank you, we’re very happy,” Harriet says, and Henry snakes his arm around her waist, curling his lips up.

“Okay. Is that it, Henry? We’re about to go.”

“Not leaving on my account, I hope?”

I shake my head, biting down hard.

Not everything is about you, arsehole.

“Linnea never enjoyed socialising,” Henry tells Harriet, who responds with a twitch of her mouth. “Too bad you don’t have a business partner anymore.” He makes a mock sad face.

“She has me,” Aiden says, and I hold back my protest. I don’t want to have anyone like that. Besides, I don’t really. I don’t know up or down of this fake relationship anymore—the only thing I’m clear on is I can’t lean on another man.

“We’re not leaving. We’re going to play croquet,” I say, dragging Aiden with me, but I overhear Henry saying something to Harriet about wanting to play croquet as well.

“For fuck’s sake,” I mutter under my breath as we walk out of the tent towards the croquet field again.

Aiden stops me and flashes me that easy smile of his but with a mischievous glint in his eye. This wicked expression does something to my insides that I don’t dare linger on.

He juts his chin towards them. “Let’s play with them.”

They’re already on their way. What is their deal?

“He’s such a sore loser, you wouldn’t believe it,” I mumble. “I don’t want him sucking the fun out of our day.”

“Oh, Linnea, I’ll be the one sucking the fun out of his day.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

fucking legend

AIDEN

“Henry, you’re following us?” I ask, grinning as widely as I can. He pauses, blinking at me, and just like in the tent, his attention flits to my hand gripping Linnea’s waist. My Linnea, is what this hand tells him.

She’s got her well-practised poker face on again, and I miss the natural smile she shared with me earlier. And that laugh. Fucking hell, I could listen to that on repeat for the rest of my life.

I made her laugh so hard she cried.

The day could have ended after that first croquet match and it would’ve been a success.

Except, I do have one more thing on my bucket list, and it’s being served on a platter for me now.

“Harriet, I presume?” I ask, reaching out my free hand to his fiancée. “Aiden Aurellan.”