Page 45 of The King Contract
“I know, but I feel bad.” I shrug. “I was selfish. I’d like to say I’m not the same person I used to be, but I don’t know if that’s true. Maybe I’m worse.”
“Oh, please.” Millie hands me in the bowl of popcorn. “You were never a bad person, Noah. At school, you were driven and focused and you were never mean to me. Or anyone for that matter. I might not know you that well, but from what I’ve seen, you’re a guy who’s made some mistakes and is trying to make upfor it. You’re self-aware enough to know you messed up and were self-absorbed as a teenager. Newsflash, most teenagers are.”
She smiles at me. A kind, sincere smile and some of the guilt I’m harbouring about my actions recently lessens a little.
“Thanks, Maelstrom.”
“God, Jamie Lee Curtis is so hot,” Millie groans as her gaze falls back to the television. She shoves her hand into the popcorn bowl sitting in my lap. “I can’t wait for the dance scene.”
Holy shit.It’s an instant reaction that nearly causes me to shoot to my feet in a violent rage. I shove the bowl back to Millie, who catches it in surprise. “Here, take it.”
“Alright, geez.” She takes the bowl. “I told you I can’t help myself with the popcorn.” She shoots me a smile, but it fades at whatever she sees on my face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, it’s all good. Be back in a sec.” I launch myself off the sofa and bolt out of the room, heading straight to the ensuite of my bedroom. Millie’s going to think I’ve got diarrhoea the way I ran out of there. I nearly broke my neck tripping over her to get away.
It’s a normal, visceral reaction. Any healthy man would’ve reacted the same if a woman put her hand near their pants and groaned like she groaned.
When I reach the bathroom, I turn on the tap and splash cold water on my face. It’s not like I didn’t think Millie was attractive before this. Obviously, she’s beautiful. I’ve thought it several times. But my mind has been so focused on the pretending part of our arrangement I hadn’t even considered viewing her as anything other than a business partner.
Looking back at the last couple of weeks, I realise how easy it’s been hanging out with her. We’ve butted heads a little, but most of the time, it’s been a breeze. Like we’ve been friends for years. But I thought a whole heap of non-friend-like thoughts the minute she madethatnoise, followed bythatmovement.
An image of Millie tossing the popcorn off the sofa and straddling me flashes through my mind, and I slam the tap off.Get it together.She didn’t sign up for me to make moves on her. I’m paying her at the end of this. Making a move would be like paying for sexual favours or something, right? I can only imagine her face if I tried to make a move on her. She might think this whole thing is a ruse to get into her pants.
I adjust my crotch and do my best to banish the sexy thoughts from my mind as I head back to the living room.
Millie looks up as I approach, and I don’t miss her confused expression as I lie down on the part of the couch adjacent to where she’s sitting. Considering we haven’t moved from each other’s sides all night; it makes sense she’d be puzzled.
“Is everything alright?” Millie leans forward and places the popcorn on the table.
I give her my best smile. “Yeah, I’m good.”
Ignore my raging hard-on.
“Okay.” She frowns in thought, watching me as I pretend to get engrossed in the movie, but really, I’m trying to calm my thoughts and ignore the flash of hurt that ripples across her face at me sitting away from her.
17
MILLIE
Stay where you are
Ouch.
I know this is only fake-dating, but Noah’s done a complete one-eighty. One minute we’re sitting side by side, laughing and joking and having a meaningful time, and then he returns from the bathroom a different person. He sits away from me, barely making eye contact and not talking. Maybe he got an upsetting text message or sensed I was enjoying the closeness, and it freaked him out. The mojitos are not helping me assess this situation clearly.
For the next ten minutes, there’s tension between us. Noah’s staring at the TV, but I can tell he’s not taking it in and I’m so busy glancing between him and Arnold Schwarzenegger my neck starts to hurt.
“Did I do something?” I finally ask, my blood pulsating in my ears.
Noah glances at me. “Not at all.”
Liar.
The unmistakable sound of keys in the front door ricochets down the hallway, Callum’s voice singing out as he clambers inside. “Holy shit! It’s mental out there!”
Noah bolts upright. “Get over here.”
My nostrils flare. “No.”
