Page 56 of Wicked Dares
“Yeah. I am. I’m okay.”
“I feel bad that you had a terrible time at my company. But I’ll be honest—I’m glad you won’t be going back. But I guess that depends on what I say, doesn’t it?”
“Maybe.” I take a sip of the wine. It’s smooth and warm, richer than I remember. “I want to know a little bit more about what you need me to do. Can we start there?” I ask as if I might say no.
I already decided I’m not going back to work on Monday. So, this isn’t really a choice anymore. If I leave here without agreeing to his offer, I’ll have nothing.
I had the job lined up at Vale Global two months ago. I just needed to find an apartment—which I did—and save up some money—which I also did. But not having a job to replace what I spent moving to New York throws everything out of sync.
Levi sips his drink and sets the glass down on the counter. “We have six events to attend, but it’s not as simple as that. We’ll be spending the last two weeks in Texas.”
“Texas?”
“Yeah. At Arthur’s vineyard.”
Two weeks with Levi on a vineyard, pretending to be a couple. And, of course, we’ll have to share a room. And a bed.
Heat creeps up my neck. I take another sip of wine to hide it and still my nerves. Those things are just details. Details I can’t worry about.
“Okay. I can do that.” I nod with confidence even though my heartbeat has tripled.
“There’s also the other stuff. On one hand, there’s Arthur. On the other, the press.” He pauses. “Arthur Lockwood is nofool and not a man to trifle with. I suspect he made this request because he doesn’t quite trust me yet.”
“What’s not to trust?”
“He thinks I’m a playboy.”
I hold his gaze, trying to read between what I can see. “Are you?”
It’s a good question. Part of me would like to know the answer before I get in too deep.
Realistically, the answer is staring me in the face.Playboyfits the man I met at the club and the whole dares thing.
“Not anymore.” The words land like a real confession, putting a stop to my assumption. There’s no lie in his eyes. All I see there is truth.
I think this is what unsettles me most about him. For a man who looks like temptation, he somehow manages to be painfully honest when it matters.
“Some labels stick, though,” he adds. “Men like Arthur don’t want a playboy running their business.”
“That’s kind of understandable.”
“I can’t argue.” He studies me. “He likes you, though. You sold him the vision. But I think he wants that final assurance.”
I nod, more understanding of why Levi needs me.
“In regard to the press,” he continues, “the instant we attend that first event, they’ll be all over us. So, we pretty much have to put on a show for the entire six weeks every time we’re in public. Outside of that, we have no relations.”
“No relations?” I know what he means, but I want to clarify.
He dips his head. “No kissing. No touching. No…sex.”
His tone stays professional.
I stare at him for a long moment, wondering if it’s that easy for him to forget how we met. And what we did that night.
“So, essentially, we start over,” I say. “We pretend the club didn’t happen.”
“Yes. Think of it as another game.” He flashes me a boyish grin. “When it starts, it starts. When it’s over, it’s over. Except this time, once we’re done, we go our separate ways.”
