Page 90 of Dark Wolf Soul
The sound of her voice stops me. I look back and find her watching me from across the living room. Something flashes in her gorgeous eyes.
“Yes?”
“Have you ever seen Pretty Woman?”
“No.”
She looks relieved. “Good.”
28
LEXI
After showering and changing into a pair of jeans and a cropped tee, I sit alone and pretend to watch the movie I’ve chosen. It’s packed full of high-speed car maneuvers and a cast who will do anything to protect the people they care about. The Fast and Furious movies are favorites I’ll watch again and again. Today, I’m too distracted to appreciate it. Grey’s dinner invitation did weird things to my insides—right up until he reminded me this is all part of our game.
I hate how much it hurts to know he’s only taking me out so that the paparazzi can feed our fake love story to the unsuspecting residents of Indigo Hills. Mostly, I hate how much I already care for a guy who clearly doesn’t care for me beyond being a means to an end. We might not be on opposite sides anymore, but that doesn’t mean we’re friends.
All morning, I’ve been replaying the last few days with him, trying to figure out who he really is when he doesn’t think anyone’s looking. It made me think of Claire and how he handed her off to Mia like he’d rescued girls like her before. But I can’t assume anything. Even if he does things like cuddle and cook me pancakes. Because when morning comes, reality has a way of crashing back down around us—a fact he reminded me of when he planned this dinner around the paparazzi.
By the time Mia’s car arrives, I’ve decided two can play this game of politics and pretend. Tonight, I’ll show up to that dinner looking like the arm candy he’s asked for. And if he tries taking me back to bed again, I’ll make sure he knows that, if he wanted dessert, he should have ordered it at the restaurant.
At the elevator, Grey stops me and pushes a small black box into my hands.
“What’s this?” I ask, a lump forming in my stomach as I stare down at the velvet jewelry box.
“Open it.”
I do, hating that my hands shake a little as I lift the lid. The diamond ring nestled inside is bigger than any I’ve ever seen and rips a small gasp from my lips.
“Do you like it?”
“It’s way too much,” I say, my stomach full of butterflies that clearly don’t understand the situation at all.
It’s fake, I remind myself. Just like this relationship. So why do I care so much that he thought to buy me a ring?
“It’s exactly what they’ll expect for the Giovanni princess.”
“Right.” I shake off the feelings threatening to make me look like a fool and wait while he plucks the ring from the box and slides it onto my finger. It’s a perfect fit—which means absolutely nothing.
I flash him a tight smile. “Good guess on the size.”
He doesn’t respond to that. Instead, he pulls out a phone and presses it into my hand. “My number’s programmed in case you need anything. When you’re finished, Mia will deliver you here to get dressed, and then I’ll send a car for you at seven-thirty.”
“You won’t be here when I get back?”
“I have some things to take care of.”
I wait, but he doesn’t elaborate, which is another reminder that I’m not his friend. Nor am I a trusted ally as he claims.
“Fine.” I take the phone and shove it into my bag then step into the elevator. Turning around to face him, I press the button and note the deep frown he’s wearing. But I don’t meet his eyes before the door closes and he’s gone.
Outside, a black sedan is parked at the curb. A male driver with graying hair smiles at me as I approach.
“Miss Giovanni.” He holds open the back passenger door for me to slide inside.
Mia’s already seated in the backseat.
“Hey.” She takes one look at me and immediately zeroes in on the diamond. Not that you can miss it. The thing’s like a giant disco ball sitting on my finger. Or a sun with its own solar system. “Whoa. He went all out.”
