Pretend You're Mine (Inked Hearts 3)

Her phone buzzes. She grabs it. Stares. “Not her yet.” She chews. Talks with her mouth full. “Okay. This is good.”

I bring a spoonful of curry to my lips. Creamy coconut, ginger, lemon, gangal, crunchy carrots. “Fucking amazing.”

She picks up her knife and cuts her burger in half. “Please.”

“Please what?”

“It’s so… healthy.” She motions to my plate. “Vegetables, shrimp, brown rice.”

“You only pretend to like that orange chicken?”

“No. I…” She twirls a purple strand around her finger. “But don’t you ever want something bad for you?”

“What do you call this—” I motion to her cell.

“You don’t want to do this. I had to talk you into it.”

No. I want it too. There’s a monster in my gut dying to make Penny jealous. To show her how little I need her. How much better off I am without her.

But that’s an ugly impulse.

One I should reject.

“You do want it.” Her eyes light up. “Ryan Maddox. Desperate to make your ex jealous.” She smiles. “You’ve finally come to your senses.”

“I’m thinking about it.”

“Good.” She looks to my plate. “Now, we can work on your lunch.”

“I ordered this ’cause I want it.”

“But what about french fries—”

“It’s a travesty. This place doesn’t serve french fries.”

She laughs. “Ice cream?”

“Sure.”

“Sure? All ice cream rates is ‘sure’?”

I shrug. “It’s not sex. It can only be so good.”

“What about sex?”

I arch a brow. “What about it?”

She takes a bite of her burger. Talks with her mouth full. “Oh my God,” She chews. Swallows. “This is amazing. Not sex. But—” She takes another bite. Offers me what’s left of the half. “You want some?”

I shake my head.

“Your loss.” Two more bites and she’s done. “Have you been with anyone since Penny?”

“No.”

Her eyes go wide. “You’ve gone a year—”

“Fourteen months.”