Page 90 of Betting on the Bad Boy
“I don’t know.” Dante moved toward me and drew me into a hug. “Three days isn’t that long.”
I let myself lean up against him. He felt solid...safe. I should kick him out, but I didn’t have the energy. Besides, he’d already seen me at my worst when I answered the door. It’s not like I needed to impress him. That was one of the benefits of a sex-only arrangement.
His lips grazed the top of my head, and I pulled back to look up at him. “What’s that for?”
“Jeez, Faith. Can’t you let me be nice to you for an afternoon?”
I shook my head and turned away. Being nice to me would only make things more difficult, especially when I had to confess there was someone threatening to expose my alter ego. “This isn’t part of our arrangement. Sex means sex. No soup, no kissing. No being nice.”
Dante found the bowls and filled them with the steaming soup. “I know you don’t feel well, so I’m going to ignore that. Now sit down and eat your damn soup.”
I wobbled to the table and dropped into a chair. Dante set a bowl and spoon down in front of me, then sat down across from me.
As I dipped my spoon into the bowl, I peered over at him. I felt stale and stinky, and he looked so fresh and healthy. If I were looking for love, he’d be on the short list. I already knew he was amazing in bed, not to mention what he could do on a pool table.
Although my taste buds weren’t exactly working and I couldn’t smell a thing, the soup was hot, and it looked delicious. So now he could cook, too? Too bad I wasn’t in the market for a boyfriend.
After a few spoonfuls, I pushed back from the table. “Thanks, Dante. The soup was great. You should go now. Don’t you have stuff to do?”
“I don’t have to go into the office today, and I don’t work at the bar until later tonight. I’ll just clean up the mess in the kitchen. Do you want to go lie down?”
“Yeah.” I dragged my heavy limbs over to the couch and buried myself under the blanket. Mr. Darcy hopped up next to me and turned in circles before nestling up against my stomach.
Dante sat down on the edge of the couch. “I almost forgot. This was tucked into your door when I got here.” He handed me a large manila envelope.
I reached a shaky hand out to get it.
“Need some help?” Dante made a move to take it back from me, and I yanked it away.
“Thanks, I’ve got it.”
He stood up and went back to the kitchen as I slid a single typewritten sheet from the envelope. The familiar lines detailing the scene at Meemaw’s blurred as tears leaked down my cheeks. I turned the paper over. The back was blank. I folded the paper up and put it back in the envelope, then slipped it underneath the couch cushion. Who was doing this and what could they possibly want?
I took in a ragged breath and dabbed at my eyes with a tissue. My hand glided over Mr. Darcy’s silky fur, eliciting a soft purr as Dante moved around my kitchen, washing dishes, putting ingredients away, and humming to himself. I tried to fight the wave of utter exhaustion dragging me under. It was no use. I closed my eyes and drifted into a dreamless and troubled sleep.
Dante
I finished dryingthe stock pot and found a place for it in the cabinet. Faith sure hadn’t been very excited to see me. Not exactly what I was expecting. When I’d made my list of how to win her over, I’d hoped for a different reaction. In the damn book, Harrison made homemade pasta for Eleanor and felt a crack in her hard exterior, like she’d let him in a bit. Not so with Miss Hardass over there. Evidently, she would be a tougher nut to crack. I still had a few more items on my list. I’d just have to wait for the right moment for my next attempt.
Why I was actively pursuing her remained somewhat of a mystery to me. I still wasn’t ready to go all-in on a relationship, but maybe taking it a little beyond our just sex agreement wouldn’t kill us. I’d probably be moving on in a few months. As long as I didn’t get too close, I could still keep my heart in check.
I grabbed my bag and moved toward the living room. Curled up into a little ball, Faith didn’t even take up half the couch. I plopped down on the vacant end and pulled out my laptop. Mr. Darcy stretched, then walked over to nudge underneath my arm. I ran a hand down the cat’s back.
Faith may not want me here, but I’d brought enough work to keep me busy through the afternoon. As she stretched out her legs in sleep, I slid her blanketed feet onto my lap. She might not like it, but I wasn’t going anywhere, at least not until the end of the semester.
CHAPTER 45
Faith
“You guys are like a couple,”Jess said, swinging her backpack onto her shoulder as she stood up from a table at the student center.
“No, we’re not,” I said. I finally felt well enough to get back to my teaching schedule. That cold had knocked me out for a week, and I still wasn’t operating at one-hundred percent. Jess and I had met for lunch during a break in classes. She couldn’t seem to understand the relationship, or lack of one, that Dante and I shared. “We’re not in a relationship. It’s just sex.”
Jess raised an eyebrow. “Just sex? He’s over at your place all the time.”
“Yeah, just for sex.”
“You mean to tell me that you guys are doing it every night of the week?”
