Chapter 19 #2
“Good. Let’s get dressed and take the horses for a ride.
” She climbed off of me quickly, startling me as she did so.
I wondered if it had freaked her out that we’d crossed the line.
But then she gathered her clothes and looked over her shoulder.
“Bring a condom. I want to do that again on the beach right before sunset.”
That was exactly what I wanted to hear.
The last two weeks had been the best I’d ever had. Reese and I had found a rhythm. She was working and had four clients now, which was keeping her busy. But not too busy for all the extracurricular activities we were having.
And by that, I mean mind-blowing, fabulous fucking sex.
I’d never had this much sex with the same person before, and I fucking loved it.
I knew every inch of her body. What made her shiver, what made her horny, what made her cry out my name.
I’d been reading the movie script that the producers had sent over along with the script for season two of Big Sky Ranch, and I was grateful that I didn’t have any scenes with Jessica Carson.
She’d done one final interview, but The Hollywood Moment had released the article with me and Reese, and no one had given Jessica’s final Hail Mary the time of day.
Charles and Sadie had informed me that they were trying to buy out her contract early.
Otherwise, they would be writing her character off in a few months when her contract was up.
So, things were falling into place. People loved seeing me with a girlfriend, but that wasn’t the reason that I was in this anymore.
Hell, I wouldn’t have even agreed to any of this if it weren’t for Reese. But now that I was here, I didn’t want it to end. And with Thanksgiving tomorrow, my time was running out.
She was spending the day with that dick weasel, Carl, today, as all the furniture for his office had arrived.
I’d been half tempted to drive over there and remind him that she was still with me.
But my brothers had convinced me not to do it.
Apparently, Reese needed to come to the conclusion herself.
We took the horses out every day after work now.
We ate most meals together, and we fucked like bunnies at least twice a day.
But at the end of the night, she would kiss me goodbye and go sleep in her room.
And that bullshit rule was starting to piss me off.
I wanted her in my bed all the time. I wasn’t sleeping well lately because I’d wake up thinking about her.
“Hey,” she called out as the door opened, and I closed my laptop and made my way to the front room.
“Hey, Miney.” I scooped her up and spun her around, kissing her neck as she laughed. “How was Dr. Limpdick?”
She pinched my arm. “Not nice, Chewy. But I do have news.”
I led her to the kitchen and poured us each a glass of wine while she moved to the fridge and started pulling out all the makings for a salad and got a pot of water boiling for some pasta.
As I said, we had a routine.
One I’d grown fond of.
I handed her the glass of Chardonnay, and she took a sip and watched me over the rim. “Carl broke up with Christy Rae Lovell.”
A pang hit my chest as if someone had just stuck me with something sharp. Thankfully, I was a damn good actor, and I made an effort to keep my face from reacting. “I see. What was the reason for their breakup?”
She set her wine glass on the counter and dropped the lettuce into a colander and started rinsing it. “He claims he misses me.”
The fucking bastard. Of course, he does. What’s not to miss?
I sipped my wine, moving to the stovetop to drop some penne into the boiling water. Was this it? Was she going to end things with me?
Now I was getting pissed. This fucker says he misses her, and she’s going to bail on me?
“So, what does that mean? You’re going back to him?” I shifted around, crossing one leg in front of the other as I leaned against the counter. I turned my baseball cap backward because I needed to do something to distract my hands from fisting.
“No, Chewy. We have a plan. I’m sticking to it. Unless you’re looking for an early out from our arrangement?”
“Nope. I’m not bailing, Miney.”
“Well, I told him that I’m happy with you,” she said, before turning back to the sink.
My shoulders relaxed for all of two minutes before she said her next statement.
“I mean, we both know how this is going to end, so stop worrying. You’ll leave after Christmas to go to Tokyo, and you’ll go back to being single, just the way you like it.
We’ll end this fake relationship before you go, just like we planned. ”
“Yeah. That’s the plan.” I cleared my throat. Suddenly, I didn’t like that plan anymore. It didn’t give me much time to prove to her that she should be with me.
That she was my girl.
Always had been.
Always would be.
We continued cooking and ate dinner, but the conversation was over. I didn’t like that there was an expiration date, nor did I appreciate that she kept bringing it up.
At the end of the day, how could she still want to go back to that asshole when we’d been so good together?
Now I was actually pissed off.
“You’re awfully quiet,” she said, standing and clearing our plates.
“Yeah. I’m a little tired. I think I’m going to call it a night.”
We’d had sex every single night since the first time, so I knew she wouldn’t like that I was bailing on her.
She studied me, a look of surprise crossing her features. She placed the back of her hand on my forehead and rolled her eyes. “No fever. You feel just fine.”
I’d never been good at dealing with anger, so I’d walk away for now, and hopefully, by tomorrow, I’d be over it.
But she wasn’t getting to spend one minute with my dick tonight.
I’d never been one to withhold sex, but I sure as shit wasn’t gracing her with his presence tonight.
“Okay. Well, let me know if you need anything.” Her green gaze searched mine.
“Nope. I think I just need some space tonight.”
Yeah, that ought to get her thinking. I wasn’t just some fake boyfriend she could use and then go back to Dr. Lame-Ass and use all her new mad sex skills on him. Hell, no.
None of it would work without me because we were just that good together.
Her gaze narrowed. “Some space? I see. Take all the space you need, Chewy.”
And with that, she loaded the dishes into the dishwasher like they’d committed a crime against her. Handling the utensils aggressively as they banged around in the sink, slamming the door closed to the dishwasher with force, and then stomping through the room to get her coat.
“Where the fuck are you going?” I hissed.
She glanced over her shoulder. “I’m going out and getting some space.”
She was not going to pull the reverse pissed-off tantrum on me. I had two sisters. I knew this game better than anyone.
I was the one who was pissed.
She didn’t get to be pissed.
“Don’t let the door hit you in the ass,” I growled as I stormed down the hallway to my bedroom.
I took a hot shower and came out to see if she was home, but the house was dark. I peeked in her room, and she wasn’t in there.
The fuck?
I glanced out the window, and her car was still in the driveway.
Did she have that bastard come pick her up?
Was she going to cry on his shoulder about her fight with her fake boyfriend?
I was fuming as I sat up on the couch, waiting for her like some lovesick fucker.
That was exactly what I was now, wasn’t it?
I was in love with my best friend.
My fake girlfriend.
Here she’d worried about her falling for me, and I’d been the one to fall.
I reached for the blanket my mom had brought over for me and Reese yesterday and shook it out to cover me while I sulked on the sofa.
My mom had come over under the guise of bringing a present.
I knew her well, and she’d come to see what was going on between us.
She and Jenny were both suspicious. They’d been asking a lot of questions, and we’d denied all accusations that our fake relationship was anything more than that.
We’d both acted offended that they’d think we’d do anything to risk our friendship.
They’d apologized, and we’d both felt pretty shitty for lying.
But now I was starting to wonder if I was the only one that thought this relationship wasn’t fake anymore.
I scratched at my arms and looked down to see red spots covering my arms.
Motherfucker.
Could this night get any worse?
I texted my mom as I glanced at the clock and saw it was after ten o’clock at night, and I didn’t want to call and risk waking her.
Hey. I have hives. I think it might be the new blanket. What do I do?
Mom
Oh, Finny. I’m so sorry. Check the tag. Is there wool in that blanket? I didn’t think to check it.
I glanced down and found the tag, and sure enough, it was almost all wool.
Yep. It’s wool. And now my hands are covered in spots.
I sent her a photo.
Mom
Take two Benadryl right now. I’m so sorry. I’m going to burn that blanket.
This is what happens when you buy a phony gift to come spy on your kid.
Mom
Very funny. Also true. I’m sorry. Do you have Benadryl?
Yeah. And that’ll be good because it always knocks me out.
Mom
Warn Reese that you’re taking it. It always makes your sleepwalking worse.
I wouldn’t warn Reese because she was out partying with her ex. One day of Carl being single, and she couldn’t get out of here quickly enough.
You got it. Love you.
Mom
Love you, honey.
I tossed the blanket in the laundry room and went to the bathroom to find the medication. I popped two pink pills in my mouth and fell face down on my bed.
I hoped that sleep would take me fast because I couldn’t get my mind off where Reese was and what she was doing with him.
And I fucking hated that I cared so much.