Fake Marriage (Contemporary Romance Box Set)

“You don’t annoy me,” I said. Vex. Baffle. Those were better words to describe how she impacted me.

Her brow arched like she didn’t believe me. “So you just like to toy with me?”

I grinned. “There is a certain enjoyment that comes with poking at you, but mostly you intrigue me.”

“Intrigue?” She didn’t buy that either.

“Your turn. Why do you hate me?” I asked. I’d planned to bide my time to learn what made her change toward how she treated me ten years ago, but it seemed relevant to the conversation.

“You know why.” She turned away, looking back out the window.

“If I knew why, I wouldn’t ask.” I watched her, wishing she’d just open up for once. I could almost see the wall she’d built around her. Why was it there? I was the last person she needed to protect herself from. Not just because I liked her, but because I wasn’t the type of guy who hurt people. Sure, I made jokes, and maybe I didn’t take life seriously enough, but there wasn’t a mean-spirited bone in my body.

“The fact that you don’t know shows how insensitive and self-centered you are.”

I jerked, surprised by her words. “Then maybe you should set me straight.”

She sighed. “It doesn’t matter.” She went to the box on her bed and took out some books. “I’m going to finish unpacking.”

My jaw clenched and I wanted to push the matter. Knowing it was fruitless and that I had time, I let it go. “I’m going to grill some steaks. You can toss together the salad,” I said as I moved to leave the room.

“Right. Salad. Woman’s work. Do you even have a refrigerator, or is the kitchen as antiquated as the rest of the place?”

I smiled, even though on the inside her attitude irked. “Careful, honey, your claws are out.”

For a moment, she looked chagrined, but then she smirked. Because I didn’t want to give her more fodder to burn me with, I strode out the door. For the first time, I wondered if this bet was a bad idea. Yes it was nuts, but I wondered if we’d come out further apart than closer together.

Trina had always had a part of her that seemed aloof, and later, as she got older, I could see he had a wall around her. As kids, when she’d come over to our house to play with Sinclair, I remembered how lost she often looked, and I’d wished I could fix that for her. Later, my feelings grew from a childhood affection to something stronger in high school, but not long after that, she’d decided I was not someone she liked. It was possible that this bet would push her even further from me. That’s not the outcome I wanted, but if it was what happened, at least I’d know and I could move on.

In the kitchen, I pulled the steaks that I had marinating from the fridge, and began to prepare them for the grill.

Trina entered the kitchen, and for once, she seemed impressed by my stainless-steel appliances and refurbished country cabinets.

“Produce is in the fridge.” I nodded toward the appliance.

She began pulling out the vegetables. “Bowl and cutting board?”

I pointed to the cupboard with the salad bowl and handed her the cutting board.

She opened the cupboard and frowned as she took out the bowl. She began opening other cupboards and lifting up plates and other items she found there, frowning and putting them back.

“Problem?” I asked.

“You have hardly any dishes, and what you do have don’t match. There’s only a set of three plates.”

I rolled my eyes as I picked up the plate with the steaks. “Here’s a fourth plate.”

She still shook her head.

“I’m only one person. And what do I care about matching plates?” Why was I having to defend my plates?

“Typical man.”

“I can see why you’re not married,” I said as I started out toward the kitchen door to the deck that held the grill.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked tersely.

“It means you're judgmental and unappreciative.” God, this really was going to backfire on me. Between my perceived insensitivity and self-centeredness and her judgmental and unappreciative attitude, we were going to have a long month.