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As she approached, I urged myself to relax. To ease that desire to be near her.
“Good afternoon,” I piped up, catching her attention.
“Hi,” Sara said in return as she pulled a small smile. A look of apprehension moved through her eyes as she stepped closer to my porch.
I knew that feeling well, and I couldn’t blame her. We hadn’t exactly aired out what happened between us, and I left her place before that could even happen.
“How was work?” I asked, testing the waters. I really did want us to be civilized around one another, even if it was awkward initially. I hoped she could see my genuine intentions.
“It was good,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “Busy, but good. And you?”
“The same,” I returned, feeling like I was fumbling it already. But I sighed and stood up from my seat to lean against the railing, not far from her. “Listen, I hate to do this so soon, but I need to call in a favor.”
Those beautiful brown eyes tracked my face, but I couldn’t read what was moving behind her eyes. She looked curious, at least. “What’s that?”
A good sign, at least.
While it would’ve been so easy to explain what happened with my mom before, I couldn’t ignore the guilt that resonated in my gut. I didn’t want to use her, but at the same time, I couldn’t come up with any other way to get my parents off my back.
Not only did we come up with an arrangement to solve our issues, but we also slept together. It hadn’t been part of the plan, but it was still something to keep in mind.
I let my desires get the better of me, and it was causing me to strain against the need to reach out and brush her cheek. To pull her back into me.
But I didn’t feel entirely bad about it, as it was keeping her ex out of her hair too. At the very least, she did agree to it.
Letting go of a breath, I straightened myself out.
“My mom was bombarding me about future dates again, and I had to tell her. She wants you to join us for dinner, and she’s very anxious to meet you,” I said, studying her closely as I spoke.
A look of surprise overcame her, but Sara didn’t flinch too hard about it. “You told her so soon?”
I swallowed back the dryness in my throat and nodded. “I didn’t have a choice. She was very … determined to send me on another date, and I couldn’t take it anymore.”
Sara nodded in consideration, and a small smile crept onto her lips. “We need to be convincing like we said, right?”
Her acceptance was enough to ease away the doubt I previously felt.
I mirrored her expression, pleased by the reference to our previous conversation before we both gave in to that sudden lust.
“Honestly, it likely won’t take much to convince my mom. She’s been unbearable about seeing me with someone, I’m sure she’ll eat it up,” I added, surprisingly glad we weren’t bickering for once.
Sara cocked a brow in question. “Why are they so adamant about you being in a relationship?”
It was a sincere question, and I figured I owed her somewhat of an explanation if I was recruiting her help.
I shrugged. “I think it has to do with my old brother. They used to dote on him the same way until they lost communication. As far as I know, he ran off to the city and never found a wife. Their pestering probably drove him insane.”
“And now they’re afraid you’ll end up the same,” Sara concurred, seeming to understand where I was coming from.
Nodding, I didn’t expect to share something like that with her. “Lucky me.”
It had been so long since I had last seen Dane that I often forgot I even had a brother. I often felt like an only child, even if I grew up with him. Not having him around left a strange pit in my family, and I knew it crushed my parents to not speak with him. I knew how much it pained me.
I looked up to him once. I wanted to be exactly like Dane and follow in his shadow, but the day he left, things weren’t entirely the same.
With only me left to parent, I received the brunt of their overbearing natures.
“I’m sure it isn’t easy for them. But is having a mate something you want?” Sara prodded curiously.
