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I struggle to keep a grin off my face. “Oddly enough, no. Zero.”
Charlie reclines his seat a few inches, and I realize he’s already slid the seat back as far as it’ll go. The guy is like Dash: long legs.
“Sounds like we’ll learn together then.”
I nod, accelerating as the light turns green. “You know, everything my grandma is demanding we do, I think it comes from her idea that long-term associating and building shared interests will keep a marriage going. Since this isn’t real, we could approach it as friend bonding. By the end of this thing, you and I will be best friends.” I drum my fingers on my steering wheel. “Or we’ll hate each other.”
“I don’t see how I could hate you, Luna.”
That draws a dark chuckle out of me. “Just you wait.” Wanting to get off those confusing topics, I switch us back to casual chatting mode. “How was your flight?”
“I got an emergency exit aisle. That was nice.”
“Uh, because you’re worried about a water landing?”
Charlie laughs as he leans his head back on the headrest. “No. I trust pilots and flight technology. No, I like them for the leg room.” He pats his thigh, and I can’t help noticing how his pants hug his legs tight.
Charlie Keller is a well-formed man on the lanky end of the spectrum. He’s tall and lean, towering without being imposing.
Some women might enjoy the challenge of climbing him.
Not me. Nope. Definitely not his future wife.
“Still couldn’t sleep though.” He sighs. “It’s going to take me a while to get off Germany time.”
“You tired? You should nap. I’ll wake you up when we get to my place.”
“You don’t mind?”
I glance over to see his lids already drooping. “Nope. Go forth and sleep.”
Charlie reclines the seat the rest of the way, and in less than a minute he dozes off. As he slumbers beside me, I get an almost protective sensation. Like I’m keeping my future husband safe when he’s at his most vulnerable.
More like I’m desperate to figure out a way to pay the guy back for this amazing favor he’s doing me.
How could he not want money?!
The fact that he’s continued to refuse me paying him drives my mind on a winding trip. Money is all my family ever cared about. How to make a buck off of anything.
Thank god, my father doesn’t know about the inheritance. I’m not sure how much my life is worth to him, but I’m guessing it’s less than $300,000.
A half-hour later, we pull up in front of the small, white house I bought with my own money two years ago.
The place isn’t huge, but I like the cozy little structure.
And it’s mine, which is the most important part. Earned every square foot of it.
The engine quiets when I turn the key. Charlie doesn’t immediately rouse. I take a moment to examine him. He has a round face, but interesting angles appear when he smiles. And Charlie smiles a lot. Must’ve lived a charmed life to have so much joy in him.
I’m not jealous.
Well, maybe a little.
But I wouldn’t want to take his happiness from him.
His hair is cut close to his head in a fade that darkens from his ears to his crown. I wonder if the contained cut is his preference or chosen for his corporate job. Maybe he’ll let his hair grow over the next year, allowing some kinky curls to develop.
The idea of us spending an entire year together is wild.
