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She didn’t have a choice.
…
Jared paced t
he living room, glancing at his watch yet again. Women. What the hell was taking Sheridan so long? They needed to leave. Soon. If they were late, Charlie would have his ass. And Coach Walsh would be standing right behind him, ready to finish off whatever Charlie left over.
His coach had ridden him hard the last few days. His shoulder was killing him, not that he’d tell a soul. And that damn Flynn Foley was launching balls like they were nothing, throwing them farther with a neat little spin. It was fucking killing Jared, watching that go down.
And Jim Walsh freaking knew it.
He was tired of their concern. Tired of seeing it in their faces, hearing it in their voices. They already prepped him that he wasn’t going to play much on Sunday. It was a preseason game, so that was the tactic they usually took, but he wanted to play. Fuck, he needed to play. He needed a win that weekend. Not just on the field but off as well.
“How do I look?”
Sheridan’s sweet voice pushed him out of his thoughts and he turned, going completely still as he drank her in.
The dress was short. Strapless. And appeared to be completely covered in gold sequins. They matched the color of her hair, hell, even the color of her eyes, making her look as if she glowed. Her hair was down, which he preferred, cascading in effortless waves down her back and his ring flashed on her finger as she waved a hand at him. “It’s bad, huh?”
He slowly shook his head. “Definitely not bad.”
“Is it too tight? Too short?”
Yes and yes but he loved it. Though he wasn’t sure if he wanted anyone else to see her in that dress. “You look…” He was at a loss for words.
“Stupid? Too much gold? Hookerish?”
Okay, she was stressing out for absolutely no reason. “Hot,” he finished with a slight smile.
“Oh.” Her cheeks turned pink, which he thought was cute as hell. “Thank you.”
“How do I look?” He held out his arms. He wore black trousers and a white dress shirt, open at the collar. He’d thought about wearing a suit but knew he’d be uncomfortable. Contemplated throwing on a tie but thought, the hell with it.
“Good.” She cleared her throat, her gaze gobbling him up. “Great.”
The heat in her eyes was answer enough. Despite the fake marriage deal, they had chemistry brewing between them. There was no denying it. “Are you ready to go?”
She nodded, all that pretty, golden hair sliding across her bare shoulders. As she approached him, he caught a shiny glint on her skin and realized she must’ve sprayed herself with some of that shimmery stuff women liked to use. He’d noticed it before on other women, had never really cared one way or the other about it.
For whatever reason, he was filled with the sudden urge to see all that glittery shine up close and personal.
They left the house, slipping inside the limo that waited for them. Her nervousness was noticeable and he wished he could reassure her. They hadn’t seen each other much since the wedding ceremony and oddly enough, he felt more uncomfortable with her now than he had a few days ago when they talked at her studio.
It was…weird. Knowing she was his wife. That she wore his ring and bore his name and lived in his house. Despite it being fake, he had someone else to consider now. A beautiful, sexy woman who tempted him the more he looked at her. Probably because he knew how good it was between them, yet he couldn’t have her.
Crazy.
The limo pulled out of the circular drive and onto the road, headed south toward downtown Carmel, where Charlie’s new restaurant was located, not far from Sheridan’s gallery. Hundreds of people were expected that night. He hoped like hell there wasn’t going to be a bunch of paparazzi there, but he knew that was wishful thinking.
Glancing in Sheridan’s direction, he noticed she stared out the window, a forlorn expression on her face. She looked like she was being dragged to her death.
Scrubbing a hand over his face, he asked, “Are you all right?”
Sheridan flashed him a shaky smile. “I’m fine.”
Hell. Even her voice trembled. Reaching across the bench seat of the limo, he grabbed her hand, earning him a startled glance. “Are you nervous?”
“Of course, I am.” She rolled her eyes, her slender, cold fingers clutching around his. “This is our first appearance as a married couple. We have to look like we’re…in love.”
