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She arched a brow. “I saw you go for a run. Does that mean you’re tense, too?”
You have no idea. “I could take you to the range if you’d like,” I said, dodging her question. “Shooting is also a great way to deal with tension.” Better than what I want to do with you right now.
“Yeah, well, I’m a horrible shot.” She eased back a step as if realizing we were too close. “I’ll stick to yoga, I suppose.”
“Yoga?” I frowned, not needing that visual in my head.
“I teach a few times a week for some extra . . .”
Cash? She didn’t want me to know about her money issues, but it was becoming glaringly apparent she needed help.
“I have a class after lunch today. And, well, some single women take it.”
I shoved my hands into my pockets. “Does that mean you’re helping me? Is your answer now a yes?”
Natalia turned to the side, offering her beautiful profile but hiding her eyes from me. She tossed a hand through her long, wavy hair and shifted it to her chest. Was she nervous? Trying to hide her emotions from me?
“You’re short on time. So yes, I’ll help you.” She turned to face me again, her eyes meeting mine. “You must admit, this whole thing sounds a little crazy, though. Like the plot of a Hallmark movie. I’d go with Netflix if you were planning to have sex, but since you said you’ll be keeping it PG-rated—”
“More like G-rated.”
She circled her hand in the air just in front of me. “You may not have plans to do more than that one fake kiss, but what if she becomes interested?”
I laughed and lifted my hands from my pockets, reaching for her chin. Her breath hitched at the contact, and I blinked at the realization of what I’d done. But I didn’t let go. “Let’s see if you can even find someone to date me first.” I tipped my head to the door. “In the meantime, am I taking you to your date?” Please say no. “Driving you around is part of the deal. And anything else you need from me.” Aside from tension relief. I couldn’t do that. Not sexually, at least.
“Right, okay. I guess I should go, or Mom will kill me.” Her gaze cut to the photos on my dresser, and I let go of her chin. “But before I officially agree to help you, I need you to answer a question for me.”
Oh, shit. I knew what was coming. The same question she’d fired at me last night.
“Why’d you really convince Anthony not to marry me?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “That’s pretty easy to answer. Because I didn’t tell him not to marry you.” I let go of a deep, uncomfortable breath. “The thing is . . . Anthony lied.”
Faint lines cut across her forehead. “Why would you let everyone believe you talked him out of marrying me, then? Why not defend yourself? Everyone has been pissed at you because of it. I don’t get it.”
What could I say that’d make sense to her? “He’s my kid brother. It’s my job to take the heavy hits for him.”
“Anthony can protect himself. He’s not your responsibility. When will you learn that?”
No, he can’t protect himself. Look at him now. “If he didn’t want to tell you the truth back then, and he needed to use me as a scapegoat, then—”
“And what was the truth?” She stepped forward, her hand going to my chest. My heart was beating borderline erratically at her line of questioning. Would she even notice? And why did I care?
I said too much. “That’s not for me to say. It’s not my place.”
“Oh?” She fake laughed. “But it’s your place to take the blame? The ‘heavy hits’?” Her hand left my chest as she turned away. Unable to stop myself, I snatched her tiny wrist, gently whirling her back to face me.
She was panting a little as she looked up at me, hurt all over again by my brother. And now it was my fault. For real this time. Because I’d been honest. Gave her a partial glimmer of reality.
I should’ve stuck with the lie everyone believed, that I’d advised Anthony not to marry Natalia. And as his older brother, he looked up to me and canceled the wedding.
“I don’t have feelings for Anthony. You don’t get it. That’s not why I want to know,” she murmured. “I just thought maybe you didn’t want him to marry me because . . .”
Because what? I angled my head, waiting for her to finish, confused by the threat of tears pricking her eyes.
Her brows tightened. “Never mind. Forget it.” She forcefully pulled free from my grasp and swiped the backs of her hands over her cheeks, wiping away any possible tears that fell there. “We’ll both just leave the past behind us. Like you said earlier, let’s move on.” She motioned for the door. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have a date waiting for me.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
