Page 18 of Love or Leave

"It was that or phone sex, but the latter seemed unlikely. Are you really going to come to the concert with me?"

Another long pause, then Antonio’s cultured tone eased over the line once more.

"First, don't say sex to me ever again. If your brother finds out I’ve called you, let alone talked about sex with you, he'd drug me and sell me to organ harvesters on the black market."

Cara snorted as a grin took over her face. "He doesn't know how to sell things on the black market."

"He's resourceful."

She rolled her eyes but smiled at his quickness. "I'm surprised you think so little of your friend."

"Actually, I think very highly of him, which is why I feel like a dirt bag for calling you behind his back."

Cara flopped down on her bed, resting her head on her pillow and staring up at the ceiling. Something about laying back while listening to his voice was incredibly appealing. "So why did you?"

A heavy sigh came through the line. "Something came up and I'm hoping we can make a deal."

"What kind of deal?"

"I need a date—a pretend date—for a family party."

Cara thought back to their first conversation. Well, second. She couldn't actually remember the first conversation she'd had with him on account of the drunkenness.

"Aren't you trying to get back together with your wife? Why don't you ask her?"

"She's already going to be there," he said, his voice heavy. "She's bringing a date."

His defeated tone had her chest squeezing. He was going through a really shitty time and she wanted to help him. But she couldn't see how her tagging along would make things better.

"Sorry," she said. "But if I show up with you, won't that kinda set you back on the whole reconcile-with-your-wife plan?"

Her words barely left her lips before her hand flew to her face.

What the fuck was she doing? Trying to talk himoutof this deal that landed so neatly in her lap in her hour of need?

"I just need a band-aid solution for now. My family is very… involved."

Very involved, meaning prying and gossipy.Got it.

She actually didn't mind that. In fact, she got a tinge of envy toward him. Having a big family that cared about him enough to pry was a good thing.

Max was always there for her, and that was enough. She just hoped one day she could make her own big prying family.

She shook off the run-away thoughts and smiled. Everything was coming together.

"I'm in,” she said with a definitive nod. “When's the party?"

"I have one condition," Antonio said, his tone much more serious than what Cara thought the situation warranted.

Cara smiled to herself. "Do I have to go through a series of agility tests? Kill someone? Solve several riddles? Sleep with you?"

A moment of silence passed, and she imagined Antonio with his chin dropped to his chest and his head shaking back and forth in exasperation.

The image made her smile wider.

"Make that two conditions," he said, his tone grave. "One, you don't joke about anything to do with you and I having sex. In any way. Ever."

She rolled her eyes but in truth, she was happy with the ease of the conversation. "I'll give it my best effort," she said. "And two?"

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