I stared at him for a moment, then smiled. “Nobody can fall in love that fast.”
He set his wine down on the table. “So you don’t believe in love at first sight?”
“I’m not even sure if I believe in love anymore.”
He cocked a brow. “Why not?”
“I thought I found love once, and it slapped me in the face. I know I need to be more careful next time.”
“I hear you. That’s why I won’t risk my heart again. I, too, was slapped in the face by love. It’s not so fun.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “No, it’s not.”
“So I just keep dating light and fun.”
“Me too.”
He held up his glass. “To a wonderful weekend.”
We clanked classes and said cheers.
“You can sleep on the bed with me,” I said.
His eyes twinkled at the offer. “That’s a very tempting offer. But I don’t think I could keep my hands to myself. It’s best that I sleep on the couch.”
He softly kissed me on the lips and said goodnight.
“Marcus,” I said.
“Yes.”
“There’s nobody here. You don’t have to keep the charade up.”
He kissed my hand. “But maybe I want to.”
Our eyes locked and I touched his face.
“What’s going on between us?” I asked.
“I’m not so sure myself. We’ll have to see where it takes us.”
“I’m not ready for this.”
“And neither am I. But who is to stop fate?”
“I should be running from you. You’re too dangerous for my heart. And I assure you, I won’t let anyone shatter it into a million pieces ever again.”
“If I were just some player like they claim, I’d be taking you to bed this very second. But I’m not. Maybe that should tell you something about my character. Maybe you should give me a chance instead of listening to all of the gossip.”
“It’s best to keep this as a business arrangement,” I said softly. “You’ll get what you want, and I’ll get what I want.”
He gazed deeply into my eyes. “But I’m not truly getting what I want.”
“You can’t do girlfriends.”
“So it’s best I stick to hiring them?”
“There are no ties with fake ones.”