Page 43 of Not So Happily Ever After (British Bad Boys)
“We’re going to date and have sex, and you’re not even going to tell Brooklyn?” Not that I’ve seen her in years, but as far as I know, she and Mac are still BFFs.
She leans back against my arms, although she doesn’t relax her hold on me. “I’m talking about our families, Will.” Which answersthatquestion. “And Duke and Margo, obviously. I mean, can you imagine the nonstop questions if they all found out? It’s not worth the hassle, seeing as this is just a temporary thing.”
“You’ve made your point.” I’m not sure why her obsessive insistence that we keep this a big secret is starting to bug me. Her logic, after all, is sound. Hell, Iagreewith her. I mean, we’re adults, and I shouldn’t give a crap what her family might think, but I do. “We’ll keep this to ourselves. Okay?”
Her smile is enough to make me forget everything but the promise of what’s going to be the best time of my life.
She gives me a lingering kiss. “Let’s go back to our pod.”
Chapter Thirteen
Mackenzie
I don’t want to leave.
It’s Sunday lunchtime, the car’s packed, and I’m giving Lucinda a hug goodbye.
“It’s been lovely meeting you,” she says. “And if you can bring Harry with you the next time you visit, that’d be brilliant.”
I laugh. “Don’t hold your breath.”
She sighs. “Worth a shot. Hey, you.” She gives Will a hug. “Look after yourself. See you next month.”
We get in the car, and as he drives out of Oakland, I heave a loud sigh. “You never did take me canoeing.”
He shoots me a teasing grin. “Are you complaining?”
Hell to the no.I’ve never had so much amazing sex in my life. It’s a miracle I can stand up straight. But since I’m sure he’s fully aware of just how fantastic he is in the sack, I’m not going to stroke his ego.Because I did more than enough of that every time we shagged.“I like canoeing. It’s what clinched the deal for me.”
“Tell you what. I’ll make up for it the next time we visit.”
A warm glow spreads through me. It’s like we’ve fallen back in time to when we used to get on so well with each other. Except, this time, there are added benefits.
Friends with benefits.
And there’s a deadline. My warm and fuzzies fizzle and die. This time next week I’ll be going back to Oxford, and our fuck-buddy arrangement will be over.
There won’t be a next time because…well, there just won’t.That’s why I don’t want to leave yet.Because being here is a bubble in reality, where we can just fool around and pretend the outside world doesn’t exist.
And the only reason I’m not looking forward to going back to real life, where we’ll have to stay under the radar, is because I haven’t got him out of my system yet.
Sure, it is.
I ignore the voice of sarcasm slithering through my head.Don’t respond to his unspoken question, either.He didn’t mean it the way it sounded. He’s perfectly aware of our expiration date.
For once I listen to myself. “I had a great time. Thanks for inviting me.”
“Any time.”
And there he goes again. Saying something that can be taken more than one way. All he means is “you’re welcome.”
It’s not like this is the start of a big romance. Even if I did want things to be different, they can’t. I have to pick up my grades and make sure I don’t fail. And he’s made it clear he doesn’t want a girlfriend. Not just because of what his ex did to him, but because he’s still building his future.
The way I’m building mine.
We only have seven more nights before I return to Uni, and I’m damn sure I want to make the most of them.
“What’re you doing tonight?” Great. Subtle as a sledgehammer. Then again, it’s not like he needs to freak that I’m a clingy girlfriend.
