Page 80 of Tempting Miles
His entire face lights up with a smile that probably looks sincere to anyone who doesn’t know him.
But I do. This Easton is in full performance mode—the charmingI'm a nice rich guyact he pulls out whenever he wants something.
“Hey, Easton. I wasn't expecting to see you here.”
My arms cross instinctively over my stomach, my body reacting before my brain fully catches up.
Easton has never been aggressive with me. But after our last interaction, something about him hasn’t felt right.
And him showing up unannounced at my workplace?
Definitely not helping. Feels like a bad omen.
“Well, I kept thinking about your answer to my proposal, and the more I thought, the less convinced I was with your answer.” Easton flashes me a polished smile. “So I figuredI’d come take my best friend out to lunch and ask one more time.”
He doesn’t get to finish the sentence because, at that exact moment, a tall, broad-shouldered, devastatingly attractive construction manager appears beside me.
“Everything okay here?” Miles asks, his hand settling against the small of my back.
My body relaxes on instinct.
“Yes, of course,” Easton says smoothly. “I just came to take my best friend out on a lunch date.”
A strange smile appears on his face.
“Is that so?” Miles asks calmly.
Then he turns toward me, one eyebrow lifting in silent question.
The absolute last thing I need right now is these two getting into some testosterone-fueled showdown in the middle of the parking lot.
“Yeah,” I say quickly, though my voice comes out shaky enough that I have to clear my throat and try again. “Yes. Easton and I have known each other since we were little.”
I hold Miles’s gaze, hopefully reassuring him that I’m okay.
He studies me for a second before nodding once.
“Alright. Have fun.” His hand squeezes my waist gently. “Just remember we’ve got that meeting at two. I’ll be waiting in my office.”
Thenhe presses a quick kiss to my lips and walks away without sparing Easton another glance.
“Ah,” Easton says as soon as Miles is out of earshot. “So you found yourself a little fuck buddy out here.”
The disdain in his tone hits me like a thousand bricks.
“Well,” he continues with a careless shrug. “I guess it won’t matter once we’re married.”
“What exactly makes you so sure I’m marrying you?” I ask sharply. “If I said no before, now I’m absolutely certain that there’s no way I’ll participate in the charade.”
“Come on, Pen.” He smiles like I didn’t just reject him outright. “We have a lot to catch up on.”
What is wrong with him? I just told him—again—that I’m not marrying him, and he’s acting like everything is alright in the world.
When I don’t move, he closes the distance between us. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
I stare at him in disbelief, equal parts stunned and pissed off. Who does he think he is? The man standing in front of me suddenly feels like a stranger.
Still, I force my feet to move and start walking toward his car.
