Her answer is almost instant. “I’m saying that I’d like to cash in on rule number four-point-five.”
I cock a brow, unable to help the smile that tugs my mouth. I was not expectingthat.
“Oh?”
“Fake relationship but very real, very good sex.”
I nearly choke.
Dear god, I’m dreaming, aren’t I?
“Presumptuous.”
“I know I’m good,” she says pointedly.
God damnit.
“I’d be the best fuck of your life, Red.” I lift my hand to cupher cheek and she leans into it. She fuckingleans into it. “It might complicate things.”
“I’d say you and I are already pretty complicated.”
I want to laugh, but I can’t. Not when she’s looking up at me like that. Not when she’s so close that I can smell cinnamon on her skin. Not when that mouth is saying all the things I have been desperate to hear.
I want her so fucking badly. There hasn’t been a day since I hit that idiot that she wasn’t my first thought in the morning, that I wasn’t constantly thinking about ways to make her smile in my direction. It’s been her since that very first moment and I'm terrified it’ll be her forever.
“You might be right.”
“You chomping at the bit to fight one of Declan’s best friends is complicated,” she continues, stepping even closer.
As I drink that comment in, I get a really bad feeling that I was the fool tonight. Her expression screams ‘mastermind,’ and I think I played right into her hand.
“Did you use EJ as a pawn tonight?” I ask. She smiles a bit, trying to suppress the truth from showing on her face. I see it anyway. Clear as day. Fuck, she’s crazy. “You’re evil.”
“He was in on it,” she tells me, like that makes it any better. She reaches up to wrap her arms around my neck. “Don’t give me that look. He told me that you look at me like I’m the only woman in the world, and that you talk about me like every little thing I do is utterly remarkable. He made me realize I don’t want you looking or talking about anyone else like that. He helped your case.”
Alright, Dalton. You’re back on the ‘good’ list. For now.
“Did he have to touch you to make his point?”
“Somebody should be touching me,” she says quietly, angling her head as she leans a bit away from me. It’s aninvitation, I see it in her eyes. My fingers dig into her waist. My body, my soul, and my existence always seems to chase hers.
This is the moment. The first time we’ll kiss and it won’t be because of that piece of paper in the drawer. This will be my first real kiss with Arden Doll. The rest? What follows? The universe is in control.
“Sign me the fuck up.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
arden
The momentI overheard him talking so casually about our relationship was the moment I realized that I was no longer okay with the idea of this thing between us being fake. I am not ready to admit that part of it yet, so I just owned up to the fact that I want very, very real sex with Carter Forkerro instead.
The rest will have to be dealt with later.
But he doesn’t kiss me.
Carter sinks to his knees in front of me instead, those sinful blue eyes peering up at me as if this is common practice, as if he’s used to being on his knees before women. A pang of jealousy strikes through me. Has he been on his knees like this for someone else? How frequently? Was it the pretty girl with the black hair from the bar?
I’m about to go down the rabbit hole, but then he's hiking my foot into his lap with a gentle touch, and he begins to slowly undo the strap of my heel while his eyes burn into mine. Suddenly, whoever was before me doesn’t matter. I have him now.
