AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Fuck it.
“Okay, so hear me out. I need to ask you something. It’s a little bit out there, even for me, but I’m going to do it anyway. So here it goes.”
I inhale deeply before launching into it, realizing as I go that it’s the most insane idea I’ve ever heard of, let alone had.
“A year ago, I was filmed while being intimate with a woman…or two.” Her brows raise slightly, but I keep going. “Okay, full disclosure, there were three.”
I wait for her reaction, expecting judgment, but just receiving another nod to go on.
“Anyway, my position at DeMarco Holdings is held by the grace of my brother, Henry, and our Board of Directors. But recently, my friend, Vaughn, discovered an underground sale of the footage to a newspaper here in Manhattan.”
Rey’s gasp of shock cuts me off.
“Yeah, I know, right? Bad enough that it was done without my consent, but to make money from it too.”
I shrug, blowing out a heavy breath. “Anyway, I needed to let Henry know, and between him and Vaughn, they were able to bury it.”
“Oh, thank goodness for that, Alex. You poor thing.” Reyna’s face is the very picture of concern, despite the sordid story that’s just been dumped on her lap.
“I’m grateful for their help, but Henry blindsided me this morning at the office. He decided that he was going to employ an actress as my fake girlfriend to clean up my image. To dispel rumors and to keep the Board happy.” I roll my eyes exaggeratedly. “Henry is married to Liv, my best friend. The woman is a walking angel. My brother knowsexactlyhow lucky he is to have found her. And so, he’s convinced that I can only be happy if I find the same happiness, clearly.”
“That’s sweet of him, though I suspect the fake girlfriend was a step too far, right?”
I throw my hands up. “Bingo! I’m all for cleaning up my image and keeping the damn Board happy, but employing someone to be my fake girlfriend is just asking for trouble. I mean, people break NDAs all the damn time. They’re not worth shit!”
Reyna’s infectious laughter rings throughout the pub, and I chuckle along with her before sobering to hold her gaze.
“But asking a new friend to pretend to be my girlfriend in exchange for taking over her lita’s expenses isn’t out of the realm of possibility, hmm?”
* * *
REYNA
Alex’s whiskey eyes hold mine with a plea that speaks to my whole self. I know before he’s even finished his sentence that, despite the insanity of his suggestion, I’ll say yes.
Something about this man calls to me, and if I can help him out while making sure Lita is cared for in her final days, then I have no qualms about doing what he asks.
My intuition is never wrong, and it’s screaming to trust my gut here and now.
“I’ll do it.”
His brows fly up in blatant disbelief, and his jaw slackens, making it impossible for me to keep a straight face. He looks so incredulous; it’s endearing.
“Am I insane?” I shrug as I chuckle and answer my own question. “Clearly,yes! However, you’re the one who cooked up this idea, so apparently, we’re two peas in the same pod.”
His bark of laughter echoes through the bar, and he strides closer. “You’ll really do it? I mean, I don’t have a plan, really—”
“I’ll do it.” I tuck my hair behind my left ear, looking up at him from underneath my lashes with serious eyes. "You made yesterdaybearable—no, actually, you made it amazing despite the crap I was dealing with.”
A smile makes the corners of my mouth twitch, and I shrug playfully. “Plus, I mean, it’s not like you’re a horrible person to be around, you know!”
The fact that he simply makes me feel safe, secure, and protected in his mere presence doesn’t hurt either. His defense of me last night had compounded what my gut had already surmised – this man isspecial.
He’s one of a kind.
A smile grows on his face with every word I speak until his feet begin to move, taking him down and around by the end of the bar. His long strides cover the distance between us, and when he finally reaches me, he tugs me into his warm embrace.
My cheek is pressed to his chest, and I can hear his heart beating solidly beneath my ear. Long moments pass, and he lays his own cheek atop my head, his breathing even and slow.
