Page 50 of Reckless
“Because I’m not subtle, so if you answer it, it sounds believable.”
I hated how correct that was.I looked down at the page and let myself think.
“Because,” I sucked in my lips and then let them out and said slowly, “we both know what your family is like and I don’t have family so I’m wary to rock the boat on yours as you now have all my friends.”
When I looked up, he was watching me in that unreadable, attentive way that made my skin pull tight.He reached out and brushed my arm gently.“Go on.”
I hated more that I wanted to.I liked his touch.
“We didn’t tell anyone because your family turns everything into a production,” I said.“And I didn’t want to be made into entertainment.”
Something moved behind his eyes.
“That works,” he said.
I wrote it down before I could think too hard about why that answer had felt true enough to bruise on the way out.
“What about the girls?”I asked.“If they ask why I didn’t tell them?”
“You didn’t want them in it before you knew if what was happening between us was real.”
I looked up.He got it.
I wrote the sentence anyway because it was the best answer.
“Fine,” I set down the pen.“Britney is my best friend.I am not doing this if the price is looking her in the eye and acting like I’ve lost my mind completely.”
His gaze narrowed.“What are you asking for.”
“If she corners me,” I said, “I reserve the right to tell her enough that she doesn’t feel like I’ve betrayed her.”
“Can you keep her quiet so she doesn’t blow this plan out of the water?”
“Well, this will be a growth experience for both of us.”I nodded and said, “I told her we were meeting today for terms and this is important for me.I will ensure we stay on track.”
The server appeared again, this time with some little bowl of olives and warm bread no one had asked for.
I stared at it.
Because that he’d drawn a line there told me more than he intended.He wasn’t worried about Britney.He was worried about loss of control.
I wrote the rest of the rules, then looked back over the page.
No sex.It looked sane.
Except I wondered if I should break that rule with him.No other man ever tempted me to think like that.
He scooted closer.“Now we make it believable.”
Something low in my stomach tightened.“Excuse me?”
His gaze moved over the page, then back to my face.“If this is going to hold through the weekend, we need to know what we look like together.”
“We look deeply unfortunate.”
He ignored that barb with maddening ease.“You react physically when you’re surprised.”
“I do not.”
