Page 42 of Not So Happily Ever After (British Bad Boys)
“No idea. And youarean expert. You know a lot more about all this stuff than I do.”
“Huh. Not surethat’ssaying much.”
“Can’t you just take a compliment and saythanks, Will.”
She gives a silent laugh and nudges me in the ribs. “If you give me one, I will.”
Challenge accepted. The scent of her shampoo and the soft skin of her cheek against my face are all the encouragement I need. “Last night was the best time I’ve had in two years.”
She snorts like I just told her a dirty joke. “Is that your best effort? Seriously?” She glances around the gallery, which is starting to fill up with tourists, before pulling me outside onto the street. “It’s notallabout the sex.”
“First thing this morning, that’s exactly what you said it was all about.” Talk about knocking me off my arse when she gave me the friends-with-benefits offer. I’d been half expecting her to tell me last night had been a massive mistake, like she did two years ago. Or say it was great, but something never to be repeated.Did I misunderstand?
“Oh. Yes. That’s right.” She shakes her head. “Okay, then. Best sex in two years.Really? Have you been celibate?”
“Jesus. It’s hard work giving you a compliment. I didn’t know I’d have to back it up with statistical analysis.”
She laughs and briefly rests her head on my shoulder. Damn, that feels good. “Sorry. It’s my inner bitch. She does like getting her time in the sun. Shall we start again?”
“It’s too late now, Mac.” I bite down on my grin as she groans.
“Don’t be like that. I’ve had time to think about it now, and as compliments go, it wasn’t too bad. It must’ve been one of your moments. I’ll have to write it down.”
“If that’syourbest effort at a compliment, then forget it. The one you gave me in the pub the other night was better than that.”
“Hey, I’m not a compliments kind of girl. You know that. Growing up with two brothers gave me a nice, healthy dose of cynicism.”
Shit.I’d managed to push her family to the back of my mind, but her throwaway comment smashes through me like a brick.Lucas will fucking kill me if he finds out I’m sleeping with his sister.Like he would’ve two years ago if Mac hadn’t made it clear she didn’t want anyone to know what had happened.
Does she still feel that way?
“Speaking of your brothers…” I turn to face her at the end of the high street, and we wrap our arms around each other. “Do you want me to tell them about us?”
“God, no.” The horror in her voice would be funny if my ego weren’t taking a hit. “You’re joking, right? Why would we tell anyone what we’re doing?”
“I’m not suggesting I tell Lucaseverything.” Not if I want to live. “But if you want to keep it on the down low, that’s fine by me.”
She huffs out a breath. “It just seems a bit weird and pointless, telling anyone, seeing as we’re only going to be together for such a short time.”
“Okay. I was only asking.”
“Well, I mean, it’s not even that we’re going to betogether-together, is it? We’re not dating.” A frown flashes over her face. “Are we?”
Fucked if I know. This is nothing like when I was with my ex. “I don’t know what else we’d call it.”
“Fake dating?”
“That works for me.”
“Until I go back to Uni?”
“Why not?” The more I think about it, the more I like it.
“I still don’t think it’s a good idea to tell anyone. I mean, you know.”
Yeah, I know all right. “I’ve got to warn you. My mates at Oakland have jumped to the conclusion we’re more than just good friends.”
“Oh.” She scrunches up her nose in that cute way she has. “Okay. I suppose that was inevitable. But I mean back home. That would just be awkward, wouldn’t it?”
