Page 6 of Fourth Base with the Alpha
“You,” Kim says to me.
“What?”
“You.”
“I’m … I’m not pretty.”
Hunter snorts and I stare at him, my cheeks suddenly warming. He meets my eye for a minute, then darts his gaze back to Kim. “That’s completely inappropriate,” he tells her. “Isabella works for us.” He knows my name? Shit, I wasn’t expecting that.
“Of course it is inappropriate,” Kim says. “The whole thing is. Asking anyone to fake-date you is fucked up. But it’s necessary to save your face and I trust Isabella over some random girl.”
“I don’t know,” I say slowly, chewing the inside of my still flaming cheeks.
Date Hunter Larsson? Have my face plastered all over the world? Have to go places in public with him? Pretend that we’re in love?
“I am the world’s worst actress,” I tell them both.
“Everyone will assume any awkwardness is nerves. Besides, you only have to do it for a month and then you can break up. Plus Hunter will pay you three times your usual wage–”
“I will?”
“Will pay for all dates–”
“We have to go on a date?”
“And there’ll also be a bonus if you make it to the one-month mark without murdering him.”
“Three times my wage?” I whisper, meeting Kim’s eyes.
She nods. Kim knows about my family’s difficulties, the huge debt looming over our heads. She found me in tears over a bank statement one evening and I’d confessed everything. She’s been finding not-so-subtle ways for me to earn extra cash ever since.
“The bonus will be $5,000.”
“What?” I gasp, noting the way Hunter doesn’t flinch at that figure, barely batters an eyelash.
Kim leans forward and whispers to me. “You could probably haggle for more. He has few other choices.”
I shake my head. I’m not that kind of girl. Besides, $5,000 dollars, three times my salary? It’ll make a serious dent in our debt.
I peer across at Hunter. “What do you think?” I ask him.
“I think it’s a fucked up idea pulled from the warped mind of a crazy witch.”
“But he doesn’t have a choice.”
“I do.”
“Okay, I’ll redirect all the media enquiries to your phone then.”
“Crap!” He lets out a resigned huff of air. “I’ll do it.”
“Isabella hasn’t agreed to fake-dateyouyet, Hunter?”
He squirms ever so slightly on his pixie-sized chair and glances my way.
Those eyes.
Shit. I’ll be a melting puddle of ridiculousness whenever I’m in his presence.
