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I rolled my eyes and waved over my shoulder, walking out of his office. I had never met someone like him before. I didn't know whether I wanted to kiss him or kill him. He infuriated me on so many levels, but at the same time, his games were arousing. The more we bickered, the more pent-up sexual attraction I had for him. Maybe I had made the wrong choice choosing him. I didn't know how I could live in a house with him for several months and not want to choke him out or fuck him constantly.
What had I gotten myself into?
Chapter Eight
Ryder
I carried the last box from the truck up the stairs into her massive house on the water. I took my shoes off at the door and looked up at the high ceilings with the enormous chandelier hanging down. She poked her head around the corner. "You gonna live in the entryway or come in all the way?”
I put the box down on the floor. "I'll be right back. I'm just gonna push the bike into the garage."
"I'll open the door for you."
As I stepped outside, I took in a deep breath of the fresh salty air. I looked around the front yard, perfectly manicured, listening to the waves behind me crashing against the shore. At least it was a beautiful area, and if I was ever there alone, it might feel like a vacation. But who was I kidding? I didn't take vacations to the beach.
I walked over and looked at my bike, groaning at all the dust from the cop's inspection all over it. I had just had it cleaned and waxed before everything happened. The doors to the garage slowly rose, and I pushed the bike inside. Amber was standing on the steps to the door to the house, her hands on her hips. "Looks dirty."
I shot her a glare. "No shit. The cops had to dust it to ensure there was no evidence on it. I'll get it cleaned for tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"Yeah," I said, not looking up. "We're going to my family's house."
"So, you want me to ride on the back of that thing all the way there?"
"They aren't going to believe it if we ride up in your princess chariot," I said. "They know I wouldn't marry a girl that was afraid of motorcycles."
"I'm not afraid," she said defensively.
I smiled to myself. "Sure."
"Whatever," she scoffed. "Just make sure you're ready for dinner at my parents' house tonight."
"I'll be ready," I replied. "I got your ten pages of notes about your family. You need to breathe and stop stressing out so much."
She blinked at me. "I wish everyone would stop telling me to stop stressing out."
I sighed and stood up, walking over to her. I ran my hands down her arms and leaned in close. "Is this better? I'm not a very good fake boyfriend."
"No," she said, swallowing hard. "You are not."
"You're beautiful," I whispered. "Strong. And you're doing what you think is right for your family. So take a deep breath."
I had leaned in so close she had closed her eyes. I smirked. Part of me wanted to kiss her, but the other part enjoyed playing games with her. I then slapped her on the ass and turned back down the steps to my bike. "Good. I'll be ready."
She huffed and snarled before turning and slamming the door. I chuckled to myself, knowing full well I was being an ass, but it was who I was. I didn't mean any harm. However, I did notice that the more I played games with her, the more I wanted her. It was like fighting made some weird sexual attraction between us. That was going to be hard to shake off for the next however many months I was playing house with her.
But no matter how good of intentions I knew Amber had, and no matter how I knew she had a good heart, I couldn't give in to the feeling creeping up inside me. Every time I did, I could see the face of the girl I had once lost. The pain was still there. I could still remember what it felt like to lose someone I loved.
I put the cloth down and took a deep breath, pushing the thought from my mind. I was doing this because I had a weak moment, and now I was stuck with the decision. I wasn't going to let myself go down this rabbit hole over and over again in my life. The fact of the matter was, I was better off alone. And when I was done with this whole thing, I would go right back to it. At least the company would get the boost we had needed for a while. A big contract like the one she talked about with her father's company would give us the capital to start expanding.
That was the company's next step anyway, expansion. Companies died when they didn't grow, and we weren't going to let ours get anywhere near that. The press about the murder was bad enough for us, and we needed something to boost the company again. So, no matter why I chose to say yes, my motivation was going to be the company, not Amber. That was far too dangerous.
I hung the cloth over the bike and headed inside, needing to start getting ready for dinner. I hated meeting people, to begin with, but this was going to be torture. Her father sounded like every other old company owner. He was too proud to let go, had control issues, even with his own family, and a bitterness that ran deep. Miserable but doable. I had been around those kinds of men ever since the company went public.
I knew that Amber was afraid that I didn't know what I was doing, but I was going to shock her with just how well I could fit in with her kind of people. Of course, I may have been born and raised in a meat factory. Still, I was an educated man with a multi-billion dollar company. If Amber thought she hated me now, she was really going to have a taste of her own medicine when I walked in with the manners of a gentleman -- and the confidence of a man like her father. It was almost worth the expression I would see on her face.
Amber
