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“Are you offering?” Myles asks with a wry grin.

“No.”

This time I know he’s joking. There’s zero chance he’d even joke about marrying me.

“Listen, I’m not trying to be impulsive, Juniper.”

I can’t finish my bagel, not after his little bomb he dropped, suggesting that we date. No, fake date. It doesn’t matter what you call it, nothing good will come of it. “You’re not trying to be impulsive?” I repeat. “You’re just trying to what, get me to sleep with you, post about it, and fix your image? Next time, don’t assault your brother.”

I stand, leaving the kitchen, and grab my cup of coffee. I head to the front door, yanking it open. “It’s time for you to leave, Dax.”

I can’t help but address him by his last name, making things even more formal between us.

His gaze tightens, and he stands, taking the hint. He heads toward the door as Rowan comes strolling down the hallway. “Hey,” she says, a huge smile on her face. “Am I interrupting something?”

Myles and I both answer at the same time.

“Yes,” I say.

“No,” he says.

Silence falls on us as Rowan glances briefly at Myles and then back at me. I let her inside my apartment. “There are bagels,” I say, gesturing to the kitchen.

Myles clears his throat. “Think about what I said.”

“I have, and the answer is still no,” I say. “Thanks for the coffee and bagels.” I slam the door in his face.

“What was all that about?” Rowan asks, glancing back at the door and then at me.

“Nothing, he’s just trying to convince me to be his girlfriend.” I gesture at the breakfast spread he brought over this morning.

Fifteen

Myles

“How was your date last night?” Conrad asks, prying me for information while we’re both gearing up to go out on the ice.

“Am I supposed to be thanking you?” I glare at Conrad. He’s the reason I went out with Juniper. She wouldn’t have had the money to waste on a date with me if he hadn’t handed her a check written out to the charity.

“It wouldn’t hurt.” Conrad grins. “If you two get married, I fully expect to be your best man.”

Rolling my eyes, I lace up my skates. “Let’s not go that far. It was one date.” For a beat, I consider telling Conrad about Zuri and her suggestion to fake date Juniper, but think better of it.

The less people who know, the better.

My skin crawls just thinking about playing house with Juniper Snow. It’s not as though the girl isn’t attractive, she’s gorgeous, but she’s also difficult, stubborn, and a major pain in my ass.

And how are we expected to act romantic without getting caught screaming at one another? She will yell at me at some point, it’s inevitable. The girl has a short temper and a mouth on her that I’d really like to kiss.

Kiss her to shut her up.

That’s the only reason I want to kiss her.

I’d love to see her expression, the look of shock on her face, assuming she doesn’t slap me or knee me in the groin.

Fake dating her is a terrible idea.

I shouldn’t have even shown up at her door this morning, but Zuri got in my head, and the idea that Juniper could help my career, it’s not something I could just push aside.