Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“Are you sure? Merrick, I’ll never be able to repay you.”
“I’m sure, Court. I already told you I need help with my place. We’ll be spending time together to do that and that will only help sell this relationship.”
“What if you meet someone?”
“What if you meet someone?” I toss her words back at her.
She scoffs as if the idea is the wildest one she’s ever heard. “It’s not like I have men lining up to date me. I’m a quiet bookworm. There’s nothing about me that excites the men in this town.”
“Don’t. Don’t do that. No one talks like that about my girl, not even her.” I keep my tone light, but I hate that she’s talking down about herself. Fucking social media and society, making her feel less than. Any man would be lucky to call her his for real.
“Like you’d date the bookworm,” she huffs.
“I’ll have you know, my brothers’ wives all love to read. In fact, I’ve heard a few comments that it helps spice things up.” I don’t have to see her face to know that she’s blushing. “They don’t give details about their wives and intimacy, but I can come to my own conclusions,” I add.
“Stop.” She’s laughing, and I don’t hate the sound as it filters through the line. I only wish I could be there to see and hear it in person.
“What? How do you think we got here?” I ask her.
“Merrick!” she shrieks, and I wonder if that’s how she would sound as I pushed inside her.
No. I can’t let my thoughts travel there. It’s too dangerous. I’m helping her out of a jam, not seducing her. “Fine,” I grumble good-naturedly. “I’ll keep it PG. For now,” I tack on, knowing she’s going to be affected by my words.
“So, we’re doing this?”
“Yeah, we’re doing this.”
“Dinner with the parents?”
“I guess so,” she exhales into the phone.
“I’ll set something up with mine too. In fact, you should just come to Sunday dinner. We try to do it as much as we can at Kincaid Central.”
“That’s the building connected to the boutique, right?” she asks.
“Yep. It’s Jordyn’s story to tell, but she came into some money and wanted a boutique and a place for all of us to be together comfortably for gatherings. There are a lot of us, and with all the new additions of babies to the family, the extra space is very much appreciated.”
“She’s told me a little of her story.”
“She and my brother fought like hell for their happily ever after. I’m happy for them.”
“Jordyn and your sisters-in-law call you the last man standing.”
I groan. “I’m aware. They’re going to go crazy with this, just a warning.”
“I can handle it. It’s the least that I can do with how you’re helping me.”
“Court, babe, my sisters-in-law are relentless. They have to be since they’re married to my brothers. They’re going to hound you that this—that we could be more.” It’s only fair she, too, understands what she’s getting herself into. “It’s going to be you and me against the world for the next few months. Are you up for the challenge?”
“Yes.”
She didn’t hesitate to give me her answer. “All right then, girlfriend.” I grin. “Set up something with your parents. You can come to Sunday dinner with me.”
“When?”
“Sunday.” Did she not hear me?
“As in the day after tomorrow?” she gasps.
I chuckle at her reaction. “That would be Sunday, yes.”
“That soon?”
“We have three months to sell this, no time like the present. In fact, we should hang out tomorrow.”
“We should?” she asks.
“Definitely. We’re going to have to get comfortable with one another if this is going to be believable.” My mind drifts to the way her eyes heated and her breathing picked up when I got close, placing my lips against her skin.
“Right. Right,” she agrees, and I imagine her nodding as if she needs the action to convince herself.
“We can meet for lunch and spend the day together,” I suggest.
“The day?”
“Do you have plans?” Something doesn’t sit well with me, thinking she might have a date or something. I mean, she told me she wasn’t dating, but I have this overwhelming need to make that clear. “While we’re doing this, it’s just us. No other dates. I’m yours and you’re mine for the next three months. I won’t settle for anything less.” We might be pretending, but I won’t be made of as the sad, pitiful fool that Courtney cheated on.
“I would never.” I hear the indignation in her tone.
“Then it’s settled. You’ll come to Sunday dinner with me and then you’ll set up a time with your parents.”
“Do they know? I mean, I know Jordyn knows, and I assume Ryder. Do the rest of them?”
“Do they know that we’re pretending? Yeah, they know. You’ll be able to relax and not worry about the stress of convincing them you want me.” She mumbles something that sounds like “like I’d have to pretend,” but I’m not sure. Regardless, the comment that I think I heard makes me smile.