Page 22 of Secret Bet

One of the reasons she wanted to go with him was to seem unaffected. She'd never cry about her own silly heart if she was surrounded. She gulped hercoffee. "Okay."

Again he had those sexy dimples. Rich men shouldn't be granted good looks. It was a double whammy. She held out her cup, and the blasted man had mannersenough to refill it as he asked, "The Biltmore will know the Morgan Enterprisepeople."

"I'm not stayingthere."

"Why not? It's where we put up all the out of townguests."

"I didn't know I wascoming."

"What hotel are youstayingat?"

Her hands shook as she held the saucer. She tried to hide it and gazed out the window again. "TheExtendedStay."

Theglass reflected the frown on his face and read his opinion perfectly. "I'll change your hotel. You should be with the rest of the weddingguests."

Her hotel suited her needs. She was perfectly fine, but her voice sounded like a chipmunk as sheasked, "What?"

"I can't have my date return to some place unacceptable. My mother already disappeared. My sister faked her death. The lastthing I need is more women who up and disappear. So jot down your room number and I’ll have my peoplemoveyou."

All that information overload meant she didn't register anything about his mother or sister. It was all a blur, though she tried to see through it. "You can't buy mePeter."

"We all have our price tags on what we'll compromise on. The rest of the day isn't about buyingfavors for you. This is about ensuring everyone at my sister's wedding is taken care of. I'm still the selfish jerk I always was. Don't forgetthatpart."

She placed her coffee on the table and scratched her head. "I don'tunderstand."

"You will. See you tonight. Accept the dress for the one I ruined on you and the rest of the stuff you need to bemydate."

"I can get my owndress."

"You and I don't live in the same worlds. Don't think of anything as more than armor to protect yourself, like the uniform you must have worn in theMarines."

"I do go to parties in DC with senators and representativesalot."

"Those people all service men like me, Belle. Let my staff do its job so you're comfortable with thecameras."

"Okay, I guess." She feignedinterest in her nails and wrote her hotel information on a slip of paper, though she couldn't stop her question. "Are you sureyou'rereal?"

"Don't worry. There is always a catch with me, and for you it'sakiss."

He sipped his coffee and bit into the croissant like he hadn't said something monumental. She picked up her cup and accepted that near Peter Morgan her heart beat faster,but it wasn't fear. She sipped her cup. "We’ve had progress, youandI.”

“Wehave?”

“Sure. I'm not anxious near you anymore, so that's good, but I also don't promiseanythingelse."

He brushed the outline of his morning beard that he hadn't shaved yet. "Belle, there is something fascinatingaboutyou."

“You keep using that word when you talk about me.” She crossed herarms. She should have been clearer. "Either way though, that kiss probably won'thappen."

"We'll see. Probably means I still have achance."

"Don’t get yourhopesup.”

“I learned hope from you.” He didn't say anything else and her heart raced with the truth. He might be right. For a moment she hoped he'd rip off her shirt and kiss her hard, right now. She sipped her coffee.This fantasy about Peter was new. She had never expected to become attracted to him, but there was no way, she’d let fantasy interfere with cold hardreality.

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