Her jaw worked. “You only showed up so I’d agree?”
Reeling from her accusation, he quickly said, “No, of course not. I wanted to be there for you.”
She crossed her arms. Gone was the woman who’d cried in his arms and told him that she believed the best about him. In her place was a woman who didn’t trust him. “Why?”
“Because…because—” He ran a hand through his hair, and then pulled at his tie. “—I thought you needed me.”
Her jaw softened, but only a little. “I did need someone.”
Jules, he thought savagely. She wanted bloody Jules, and not him, even after the brush off he’d given her. “I’d like to take you out for dinner tonight, around six.”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Yes.”
“I have other plans, with my friend, Isabella.”
He shrugged. “Invite Bella along, or does she know about this Jules?”
Daisy’s eyes narrowed and his heart began to beat faster. He had to stop doing that. “How did you know she goes by Bella? Never mind, I’m sure Zoe told you. She sure is chatty about me.”
She had no idea, he thought grimly. “Well?”
“Yes, she knows about Jules, but not…everything. Besides, Bella is never going to believe that I’ve fallen for you. We’ve been friends since first grade—nothing gets past her. Nothing.” A small smile curved her sexy lips. “So you might want to sit this one out.”
A challenge—he loved this. “I’ll make you a deal, one that you can’t refuse, and more than likely will end up in your favor. Interested?” He knew she loved a challenge just as much as he did, maybe more.
“I’m listening.”
“If I can convince Bella that I’m madly in love with you, then you agree to pose as my fiancée for the next three months. Bills, present and future, all paid off, etcetera, etcetera.”
“And if you don’t?”
“Then I’ll pay you the money anyway and look for someone else.”
Her brow furrowed. “Why would you give me the money anyway?”
Because I’d do anything for you, you daft woman. “For your trouble,” he said lightly. “But there is one condition.”
“I knew it,” she grumbled. “Go on then. Give me your condition.”
He smiled, slowly. “You have to play along.”
“Fine,” she said with a toss of her head. “But you can meet us at Jack’s Fine Italian Dining. No need to drive together.”
“Shall we kiss on it?” he asked, leaning closer. “You know, to make it official.”
Her lashes fluttered and she licked her bottom lip. She took a step closer to him, her eyes trained on his mouth. Oh yeah, she was thinking about their last kiss, and she was thinking of kissing him now, too.
Suddenly, she stuck out her hand and he took it, rubbing his thumb over her skin. He let it slide down to her wrist, where her pulse was beating wildly. Slowly, giving her time to deny him, he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it, dragging his mouth over her skin and savoring the taste and feel.
“I didn’t say you could kiss me,” she gasped, yanking her hand out of his grasp.
He glanced down at her and smirked. Daisy’s nipples were hard against her sweater, and it wasn’t from the cold. The day was temperate. Perfect, really, even if it had started off with a rather solemn visit.
“Ah, but you didn’t stop me either.”
Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times, before she glared at him.
“All you have to do is say the word, and I won’t do it again, except for tonight. See you this evening.” Without waiting for her answer, he turned, got into his car, and drove away. A quick glance into his rearview mirror let him know that she still stood there, staring after him.
Chapter Thirteen
“Explain to me again how you’re suddenly dating Sebastian Romanov,” Isabella said, tawny eyes narrowed. Oh yeah, her best friend’s you’re-so-full-of-it detector was on high alert.
No telling what Haven would have said—if she’d been able to join them.
Bella tapped the table. “I’m waiting.”
“I’ll start at the beginning—when a guy likes a girl, he generally asks her out to get to know her better. Those events are called dates. And sometimes, when two people fall in love after all those dates, they lead to other things like…” Daisy paused, unable to get out the word engagement.
Her phone vibrated and she grabbed it, thankful for the interruption.
“Who’s that?”
“Text from the earl,” Daisy said.
Sorry, I’m running late –S
Oh, I hadn’t noticed. ~D
>:-S
Good. He didn’t need to know that she’d checked the entrance to the restaurant at least a thousand times since she’d arrived, or that her heart had sped up each time she thought he was the one opening the door.
Isabella tilted her head, her nose scrunching up on one side. “I go out of town for two days and suddenly you’re in love?”
“Y-yes.” The blush that heated her cheeks most likely gave credence to her words. Daisy grabbed the nearest roll from the breadbasket, turning in over and over in her hands. “I, we…he—”
“That’s the best news ever,” Isabella squealed, making Daisy drop the poor roll she’d been tearing apart.
“It is?” Daisy asked, nonplussed by her friend’s reaction. She’d thought Isabella would call her out on it.
“Gosh, yes.” Her best friend took a quick sip of water. “The only man you talk to is virtual, and who knows if he’s anything like you say he is.”
“I haven’t talked to Jules since yesterday. He’s acting a little strange.”
“Girl, who cares? You have a real live man that wants to be with you.”
“Well, I care, for one. I don’t—”
Isabella waved a hand in the air, effectively cutting Daisy off. “I’m going to be honest with you, okay? The whole Jules thing is a little sketchy. I mean, I’m sure he’s a really nice person and all, but you’ve never seen him, never talked to him in person… What if he’s really some teenager or a fifty-year-old perv who got a hold of a woman while she was vulnerable?”
All of that and more had occurred to Daisy, but Jules was Jules. He didn’t talk like a teenager and she hoped like hell he wasn’t a fifty-year-old perv. But wouldn’t a perv ask her about what she was wearing? He never did that. “I’m not stupid, Bella.”
“No, but you’re like me, inclined to believe the good about people. Then when Glen broke up with you, you were vulnerable. Who says he didn’t take advantage of that?”
Daisy shook her head. “You know, it would have been really nice for you to have told me all of that nine months ago.”
Isabella grabbed her hand. “I’m sorry, honey, and you’re probably right, but I thought Jules was what you needed at the time. And now…”
“Now I don’t need him because there’s a real live man who’s interested in me,” Daisy mumbled.
“Exactly.” Isabelle beamed, giving Daisy’s hand a little squeeze before she let go. “I’m freaking thrilled for you.”
“As am I,” Sebastian said as he slipped in the booth to sit beside Daisy. He caught her hand and turned it to kiss her palm. “Missed you, darling.”
Of course he took the opportunity to kiss her. She hadn’t told him no and, per their deal, she wasn’t supposed to tell him no, because they had to look like a couple in love. Gah! But he hadn’t said that she could do her darndest to trip him up.
Too bad Haven was out of town this week, having gone to a wedding in Alaska, of all places. The town she would be staying in still had dial-up internet and no cell phone towers, only satellite connection or something like that
“What did you miss about me the most, sweetheart?” She batted her lashes at him and raised her wine glass to her lips, taking a sip.
“Listening to you hum whilst you bake.”
Daisy almost spit the wine all over his fancy suit. Instead, she forced the liquid down and smiled. How in the heck did he know that about her?
Isabella’s eyes widened and she smacked the table. “Isn’t it crazy how she always does that? And if it’s something she really likes she breaks into—”
“Song,” he finished.
God, she was really going to have a talk with her cousin.
Shaking her head, Isabella laughed. “But the words are so, so wrong.”
“At least she’s in tune.”
“Lucky you,” Isabella said with a wry smile, and then she turned to Daisy. “Have you shown him your Harry Potter collection?”
Daisy shot Isabella a look. Was nothing sacred? “Not yet.” Slicing Sebastian a glance, she tipped up her chin, daring him to make fun of her.
He rubbed his chin. “So that was Hedwig on your desk.”
Daisy blinked. He knew who Hedwig was? “Um, yes.”
“You’re totally outed, sweetie.” Isabella laughed. “One time she made me drive two hours just to get a limited edition—who was it again—Hagar?”
“Hagrid.” Not that her best friend actually listened. Oh no.
“Assertive and persuasive, eh?” Sebastian chuckled. “Tell me more about this trip.”
Frowning at the two of them as they shared stories about her, Daisy pulled her hand from his grasp. Great.
Sebastian’s smile turned from nice to positively sinful. Of course, Isabella noticed. Her cheeks got all red and she did that little hair flippy thing that men liked.
Jealousy, that evil bitch, tried to nudge Daisy into throwing the bread basket at her best friend. Wait, she didn’t give a rat’s tail about Sebastian’s flirting. He could flirt with everyone that caught his eyes and it didn’t matter to her. What mattered was finding out why Jules had blown her off.
Giving herself a mental shake, she took several breaths, and then dug into her pasta. Let Sebastian convince Isabella he was in love, without her help, because it didn’t seem like he needed it. She’d just sit here and watch the—
Sebastian turned to her, his eyes blue as the summer sky instead of their usual frosty lake. So blue, they were, and growing darker by the second. His gaze dipped lower, to her breasts. Her nipples responded, tightening to hard points.
“Isn’t that right, love?”
At that moment, she’d agree to anything he said. “Uh-huh.”
He turned away, breaking the spell she’d been under. Oh God, she’d just said he was right. She was so going to have a talk with her libido.
“If you’ll excuse me, I have an important call to make.” He kissed her cheek and, despite everything, her body got all happy and tingly from it. “Although I don’t know how I’ll survive without you near me.” Sliding his gaze to Isabella, he grinned. “I’ve become quite used to having her at my side.”
Isabella sighed dreamily while Daisy forced herself not to puke up what she had eaten. He made her sound like his favorite pet.
As soon as Sebastian was out of earshot, her best friend grabbed her hand. “I totally approve of this relationship.”
Of course she did. “You don’t think I’m being too impulsive?”
Isabella snorted. “In less than twenty-four hours, I’m heading to the Bahamas to elope, without having told anyone but you and Haven. What do you think?”
A little feeling of disloyalty snaked through Daisy. “My lips are sealed.”
“Who knows—maybe I’ll come back from my honeymoon and you’ll be engaged. Then we get to plan your wedding of the century.” Isabella lifted her glass in the air. “Here’s to true love.”
Here’s to true lies, Daisy thought glumly. The only thing Sebastian loved was Romanov Industries, not that that mattered to her. Nothing he did mattered to her.
Except, he’d saved her from embarrassment with Glen. He’d sat with her by her parents’ grave and held her. No one had been around to witness that. The street had been virtually deserted when Glen and Nina had shown up, and the cemetery wasn’t exactly a town hotspot.
And Sebastian had sounded completely sincere when she’d asked him about why he’d done it.
They clinked their glasses together and Daisy fought the urge to spill her guts.
Her phone vibrated. She fully expected another text from Sebastian, but it was a reminder to get her tail down to the library. “Cheese and crackers!”
“What?”
“The hors d’oeuvres are already there and ready to go. The library wanted something simple since only twenty-five guests RSVP’d.” Grabbing her purse and slipping on her jacket, she slid out of the booth. She reached into her wallet and pulled out enough money to cover her tab, placing it on the table. “But I promised to help hand out the listing of items as people arrived.”
“I’m in charge of the money.” Isabella followed her to the door. “One of the volunteers had to cancel, so I’ll get to be with you.”
“Yay!” Flashing a genuine smile, Daisy texted Sebastian as she waited for Isabella to put on a coat.
Headed to library ~D
Which one? –S
Only one ~D
Figures -S
The cold March afternoon air went straight thru the gap in Daisy’s coat. She quickly buttoned it, and then turned to her best friend. “Wanna walk with me?”