Fake Marriage Box Set

The thing was, I didn't want to go on another date with him. Maybe it was bad, but I just didn't think that we had that much in common with one another. And the things that we did have in common, like the fact that we were here in Hawaii, weren't the kinds of things that I cared about when it came to a relationship.

“Come on,” Christian cajoled. “Look, I know I didn't give you the best impression of me the last time. But let me make that up to you. I talked to Mark, he's my driver here and a great guy, and he gave me some recommendations. We can go get barbecue down on the beach and watch the sunset, and I won't wear a suit or anything like that.” His eyes coasted over my curves. “You'd still look sexy in a dress, but just a casual beach dress, nothing fancy. I promise.”

I frowned. “There have to be other women on this island who would love to leap into bed with you,” I said. Mina, for one. For a moment, I debated sending him next door to see my best friend, who would probably love to do nothing more than take a tumble between the sheets with him. But for some reason, despite my uncertainty toward him, I felt a bit jealous of the thought of that.

Oh, brother.

“All right,” I said before he could respond to that. “Okay, you can take me out, just one more time though. If I walk away from this one, I'm not going to see you again.”

“That's fair,” Christian said. He smiled down at me. “I'll pick you up at 6 p.m. tomorrow, okay?”

I watched as he started to leave the shop, not even bothering to wait for my acceptance of that time. Just who did he think he was, anyway? But at the same time, I couldn't seem to argue with him. “See you tomorrow,” I said faintly. Then, I shook my head and went back to the massage room, where Mrs. Harris was patiently waiting.

“These walls are very thin, you know,” she said, smirking like the devil incarnate.

I didn't even know that it was possible to blush in all of the places that I was currently blushing, but there I was. “It's not going to lead to anything,” I said primly, resuming the massage where I'd left off.

“All the same,” Mrs. Harris said, settling back against my ministrations. “You might as well enjoy it, while you can. You know that he isn't going to be here forever, but that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy the time that you have. It's like that with a marriage too, you know.”

“That's basically what Mina said,” I admitted. “She told me to just have fun with it.”

“Wise words,” Mrs. Harris said. She laughed a little. “Don't get me wrong, I love my husband very much, but sometimes I wish that I'd had a bit more fun when I was younger, and I think he does too!”

I laughed a little at that, but even still, I couldn't help feeling a bit shaken by it all.

Chapter Thirteen

Christian

Mark laughed a little as he watched me fuss over which shirt to wear. “What are you, a girl?” he taunted.

I held the gray shirt up to myself, watching carefully in the mirror. Then, I held the blue shirt up to myself. “Not a woman,” I said, a bit distractedly. “But I like to look good.”

“Man, you are going to look good no matter which shirt you choose, and you know it,” Mark said, shaking his head. He paused and then offered, “The blue one is better.”

I grinned a little and then tugged it over my head, doing up the remaining buttons. “What are you, a girl?” I quipped.

Mark laughed again. “You think you're finally going to seal the deal tonight?” he asked. “Get some of that sexy Hawaiian ass?”

“I wish,” I groaned, already half-hard at just the thought of it. “She says we need to go on five dates before she'll sleep with me, and unfortunately, I kind of believe that she might stick to that.” I shook my head. “Fucking crazy.”

“Definitely crazy,” Mark agreed, shaking his head in sympathy. “But that's women for you, right? Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.”

“Exactly.” I paused. “You think this barbecue place is the place to go?” I asked.

“Oh yeah,” Mark said. “And I asked Jonie, she's one of my good girlfriends, and Jonie said that she'd love to go there on a date, so I can't imagine a girl not liking it. Totally chill, but great food, and a bit romantic as well. You're going to have a great time.”

“Awesome,” I said, again, not sure why I cared so much to impress her. “One more favor.”

“Shoot,” Mark said.

I sighed, running a hand back through my hair, even though I had just styled it perfectly. Fortunately, the style was a bit messy, casual beach hair. “Look, after the whole thing about money and everything last time, I was just wondering if it would be okay for me to borrow the car tonight, rather than having you as my driver. I'd still pay you like you were driving me, just I wouldn't want Gretchen to know. And you could stay here while I was out on my date until I brought the car back. Hell, order room service, watch something on pay-per-view. This is a nice place, right?”

“Aw, man, you're smitten, aren't you?” Mark asked, a knowing look in his gaze. He glanced around. “Maybe I could have my girl over here, yeah?”

I laughed. “Yeah, sure, just do it on the balcony, or in the bathtub. I don't want you fucking in my bed.”

“Totally fair,” Mark said, looking pleased with my response. “Yeah, no, totally fine.” He dug into his pocket and came out with the keys, which he tossed over at me.