Page 31 of Rotanev
“Thank you,” I told him, meaning it.
“What are friends for if not to be engaged for favors?” he asked. “Oh, speaking of, don’t forget the agency.”
“I’ll set it up for you tomorrow.” I’d just have to call the Realm Dweller who’d helped me establish my alias here and tell him I needed one set up for a friend. Easy.
“Excellent.” He collapsed onto the bed. “And, Rotanev?”
“Yes?”
“Maybe try taking her for a swim, see how her body reacts.” He shrugged. “Just a suggestion.”
I nodded. “Noted.” It was a good idea. Maybe her inner siren would come out to play if surrounded by the element we both adored. “Consider it done.”
He closed his eyes. “Enjoy.”
With my Kailiani? “Always.”
8
Liani
It was becoming increasinglydifficult not to fall for Nero’s charm.
I kept reminding myself that this was a job, not reality.
We weren’t really dating.
Yet, this certainly seemed like a date with the way the sun beat down on my bare back while I sunbathed topless on Nero’s yacht. He lounged beside me, his beautiful face turned upward, his eyes closed.
“I can feel you watching me,” he murmured, his lips twitching. “See something you like, sweetheart?”
“Yes,” I admitted.A little too much.
This was day three of our arrangement.
Just like the last two days, he’d floored me with having a full itinerary of activities planned that didn’t revolve around constant sex. Given the way we’d started, I’d expected to be fucked a lot this week. While, yes, that still occurred, he also spent time just being with me. Like a couple.
He glanced down at me, his ocean-blue eyes smoldering. “I like you, too.”
My stomach clenched at the words, my heart fluttering stupidly in my chest.Not real. Not real. Not real.
Except, it felt very real.
I was so screwed—literally and figuratively.
I knew not to get attached, that this arrangement was temporary. He’d said so himself the other night when he’d commented on not staying in the city for long. It wasn’t like he could just take me with him.
Although, he’d also said he didn’t do “interim arrangements.”
What did he mean by that?
No. Don’t think too much into it.
We live in the real world, not a fantasy land.
But maybe for these next few days, I could play pretend. Forget Corban. Forget my worries. Just be myself and enjoy life with Nero, for however short it might be. These memories could fuel my dreams for decades to come. Something I definitely needed, if the last few nights were anything to go by.
I shook off the chill trickling up my spine and pushed the nightmares back into their box. They could haunt me at night, not during the day.
