From Fake to Forever (Newlywed Games 2)

“Even?”

Her fingers curled around his. It was enough of a truce to force him to spit out the clarification—even though he didn’t want to. He owed her and she deserved what she’d earned.

“I’ll sign the papers.” He swallowed against the sudden burn in his throat. Too late to take it back now. “I’ll get my lawyer to expedite the divorce, and you can be on a plane before you know it. First class, my treat. How’s that for understanding?”

It was yet another lie. In reality, he didn’t understand at all. Because he didn’t want to let her go and it had nothing to do with leverage or sex or anything he could name.

* * *

Meredith blinked. “Just like that?”

It was almost over. She could go back to Houston, divorce in hand, and start figuring out how to scrub Jason from her soul. The faster she got away, the easier it would be to sort out all the confused feelings she couldn’t seem to untangle.

Obviously, he was just as eager to get rid of her. Last night he’d insisted this relationship had an expiration date, which she’d conveniently ignored.

That had been before she’d realized sex and their affinity and all the things she’d dreamed about for two years were somehow connected via her heart.

“Sure.” He shrugged nonchalantly as if it didn’t matter either way. “Once I have the designs back, what else could you do? You’ve succeeded at exactly what I asked for. I’ve got intel on Avery’s plans, and the information is stellar. Better than I could have hoped.”

Jason was conceding. He’d given her high praise and told her she’d nearly fulfilled the terms he’d laid out. The elation should be so great, she shouldn’t be able to hold it back. Instead, she felt as if she couldn’t breathe.

“So you want me to do this one last thing and then I’m done?”

He nodded. “Seems like that’s what I’m saying.”

Fantastic. The timing couldn’t be better. She didn’t know how much longer she could keep being Jason’s wild and crazy go-to girl. Not when the entire time he’d been blowing her mind against the desk she’d been so very aware that she wanted more, wanted him like he was during their stolen moments, but permanently. And she had a hard time not demanding it from him.

For once in her life, she was going to act like an adult and sleep in the bed she’d made. Which wasn’t Jason’s. He didn’t want anything more than sex and honestly, that’s all he’d wanted in Vegas, too. It was all she’d wanted...until she didn’t.

How was she supposed to know that sex would create a deluge of emotions? Or that she’d have no idea how to handle them? That was her own fault, not his, and it wasn’t fair to demand anything of him other than a divorce, especially when she was clueless about what she’d even demand.

Squaring her shoulders, she nodded once. “Awesome. So Avery has a meeting next week with some people about the after-hours project. I don’t know what it’s about, but I do know that Paul is on her case about the bad juju you created with the press release.”

It had given her a thrill to know she’d had a hand in the tightness around Avery’s mouth. The whole office had been walking on eggshells all morning and doing their level best to stay out of Avery’s way. Except Meredith. She’d walked straight into the lion’s den and volunteered to help.

No one had to know she’d done it for Jason as much as she’d done it for the divorce.

“She told me,” Jason offered. “They’re trying to do damage control with a strategic move. I think the stolen designs became a part of it.”

Avery hadn’t shared anything that detailed with Meredith. “I didn’t realize you’d spoken to her.”

He raised his eyebrows endearingly. “Didn’t I mention it? Oh, that’s right. I was a little busy with the desk gymnastics and then wading through the fight that wasn’t a fight.”

The eye roll she shot him wasn’t nearly sarcastic enough. “I’ve been trying to have this conversation for forty-five minutes now. You started the desk gymnastics.”

“You were the one bent over the desk wearing that sexy little dress. Next time, sit down. Or wear a potato sack.”

His teasing tone saddened her a little.

If only things hadn’t gotten so complicated, she’d probably have flashed her nipples in deliberate provocation, hoping he’d get her naked again. But the fact that he saw nothing wrong with flirting in the same breath as informing her she could go home told her everything she needed to know. She’d made the right decision to keep her mouth shut about what was going on inside her.