Page 19 of Phoenix


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I still couldn’t look him in the eyes.Get to the proposition.

My inner voice wasn’t helping.

“I’m not the marrying type. Hell, I don’t even like men. I mean I like them. Big and rugged, with sex oozing from every pore, but that’s not my life.” I wasn’t making any sense, the fact my cheeks were so hot I could barely breathe affirmation. “So, what I’m saying. No, what I’m asking is that since my parents have a date ready for me in the hopes another engagement announcement can be made at the reception, would you be my date?”

There was total silence in the room.

I wanted to crawl under the bed and die.

“Um. I’ll pay you. Now, you’d have to endure a couple days around my family, and that’s no easy task, but I think you can handle it. All I need is to pretend we’re close. Really close. I’m not suggesting you buy me a ring or anything, of course not. But my mother can pick out a lie from a thousand yards away. I figured since we had sex, we might be able to pull it off. That is if you can still stand me this morning.” Now I was almost out of breath. And I still couldn’t look him in the eyes. What was wrong with me?

“Who’s the date?” he growled possessively.

“So, this guy my parents have known for years. He’s older. Not like you where you’re a lot older than me but not too old. He’s really old, like fifty. I don’t want to marry a fifty-year-old man. Okay? I’m young. Carefree. I have my whole life ahead of me and he’ll want kids right away. I can’t do kids. Nope. Not me. There is no clock ticking.”

Shut up. Just shut up.

Oh, God. I felt his presence. He was standing right behind me. I knew he was. A lump formed in my throat, which was so unlike me. This was much more difficult than I’d imagined.

“I know it’s a lot to ask but I’ll pay you a thousand dollars. We can negotiate if you need to. I’m pretty flexible in all areas so—”

Phoenix whipped me around to face him, cupping both sides of my face. Then he captured my mouth, the move so unexpected I was frozen in place. His fingers dug into my skin as if he was determined to take what he wanted. The taste of mint toothpaste sizzled my senses almost as much as the massive hunk who held me in his arms. I pressed my hands against his chest, curling my fingers around his shirt. He had a crazy effect on me, which was disconcerting as hell. Somehow, I knew this was his way of refusing.

When he finally broke the kiss, a sly smile crossed his face. “Did anyone ever tell you that you talk too much, sunshine?”

“Sometimes. Okay, often.”

He backed away, turning toward the door.

Shit. He was going to blow me off.

“Um… was that a yes or one of those ‘nice try’ moments?” I asked, biting my tongue after doing so. Great. I looked desperate. Now I wanted to crawl in a huge hole in the earth.

“Thousand bucks, huh?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“What’s the catch?”

Shit. I hadn’t wanted to tell him the rest just yet. I thought I could hook him then grovel when he found out he’d need to stay at my parents’ house. “Um. I hope you own a suit? I mean, a rugged man like yourself probably doesn’t need a suit very often, but it’s a formal affair. You’ll understand when you meet my mom and dad. Everything has to be just so, especially since it’s my baby sister’s wedding.” When he cocked his head, glancing over his shoulder, the darkness in his eyes created another sense of arousal. I needed to shut that off right now.

“Stop talking. I have a suit. What else?”

I remained quiet, dragging my tongue across my lips. “Oh, you want me to answer. Well, you need to stay with me at my parents’ house for the weekend. That’s a rule.”

The smug look on his face returned. “Fine.”

“And one more thing.” I stood taller, refusing to back down on this. I couldn’t allow the night I’d spent with him to cloud my judgment or interfere with my future plans. “And we can’t do this again.”

“This,” he repeated.

“You know. Sex. We can kiss, a chaste kiss or two. That’s fine. But definitely no sex.”

He lifted a single eyebrow before allowing his gaze to fall all the way down to my useless shoes. “You have yourself a deal, little bird. But I have one condition myself.”

Oh, God. I could only imagine what he was about to say. “Okay.”

“You will do as I say.”

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