Page 48 of Mr. Monroe

“We knew this whole thing was a ruse to piss your mom off or whatever. That’s what you asked of me when you invited me to be in a fake relationship with you. That’s what we agreed to, right?” She took a deep breath, and I could tell she was measuring her words carefully. “I never thought—I never wanted for—”

“For it to be real?” I asked, my face dry, my body seriously not knowing how to react to feeling like this for the first time in my fucking life.

“Did you think it would be real when you asked me to lie to your mother for you?” she asked, her voice getting harder. “You think a lie is a good basis to build something real on?”

“No, that isn’t what I thought,” I said, feeling the anger in my belly rise. “Not at all. I’ve always known exactly who you are.”

“Oh?” she said, the anger striking her eyes with even more fire than had been there before. “Well, fuck me, but I actually like who I am. Can you say the same? About either one of us?”

I walked forward, reaching out to put my hands on her upper arms. “I can say the same,” I said, bringing her close to me. “I like you for everything you are.” I caught hold of her left hand and brought it up, examining the ring I’d given her silently. “Don’t ask me how to explain these sudden feelings I’m experiencing because I can’t understand them myself.”

She was completely silent, her mouth slightly open as I lowered her hand. “I—”

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I truly don’t expect you to feel the same way. I took off on some wild fantasy and somehow sold that shit to myself as fucking real. I have no idea why. Maybe it was a defense mechanism that went haywire.”

I let go of her hand, turned away from her, and continued my walk around the edge of the lake.

“Spencer,” she said, walking quickly to catch up with me. “Come on. We barely even know each other. You have no idea who I am beyond some sordid details of my past. You can’t pretend that us getting married would be a good idea.”

“I didn’t mean we should get married,” I said, looking at her sidelong. “Look, all I know is that you’re the first person I could even imagine waking up next to for longer than one morning back when you spent the weekend with me. Then, when we got here, I saw how you were with Stephen and Sloane and Becca, the way you handled my mother…”

Natalia’s lip curled up at the exact moment that mine did, and we lost our composure for a minute as we started to laugh.

“Let’s just say that I didn’t even think I could—or would—want anything that resembled a relationship, let alone a marriage,” I said truthfully. “I thought my parents killed that for me. Shit, I’m not sure if any of this makes sense because I never thought I’d ever want to fucking talk about my feelings with anyone.” I ran my fingers through my hair, wanting to stop this embarrassing display. “I didn’t mean to put any pressure on you. That was not my intention, and that’s the last thing I want. I’d just like to keep you around for as long as you’ll let me. That’s how I truly fucking feel.”

The three or four-second silence was deafening.

“For as long as I can stand you, you mean?” she finally said, but the words had none of the acidity they usually did when she gave me a hard time.

I managed to refrain from barking out Thank God! And instead, I stepped forward and reached up to brush back the strand of hair that escaped her bun and tucked it behind her ear. “Who knows? You’re pretty annoying,” I managed to tease back. “No matter how good the sex is, I might get sick of you first.”

“Nope. I don’t believe it,” she said with that daring vixen look I loved so much. “Anyone willing to embarrass themselves like you just did would hold onto me just for spite. So, I’ve got your ego going for me in this case.”

I couldn’t help laughing. “Oh, now I’m embarrassing myself? I thought I was being emotionally evolved or whatever.”

“Aw, you did?” she said, crinkling her nose with fake sympathy and grinning at me. “Well, you’re wrong.”

“I am?”

“Complete humiliation. Devastating.”

“Well, goddammit,” I said with a loud chuckle. “Is that so?”

“You’re a total sap who is so lucky I didn’t leave you in the lurch right now.” Her eyes opened in fake surprise. “Oh, my God. How humiliating would that have been?”

She looked so cute as she stood there teasing me, knowing she had my vulnerable self by the balls. I wasn’t typically a fan of being teased, but when she did it, I couldn’t get enough.

“I basically have full control over you now, Spencer Monroe,” she teased with smug confidence.

“Is that a promise?” I asked, leaning forward to run my mouth along her jaw.

“It’s a guarantee, husband,” she said, grinning.

I covered her mouth with mine, swallowing the gasp of surprise that she let out and receiving the smile against my mouth. Then, easing her lips open with my tongue, I loosened the bun she’d twisted her hair into and pulled, letting her long hair fall over her shoulders and threading my hands through it.

She brought her arms up to wind around my shoulders and leaned into the kiss, dragging her perfectly manicured nails along the back of my neck and raising goosebumps along my skin. I loved the taste of her, and I devoured that rich, smoky flavor that still held a faint hint of the wine we’d drunk at dinner. She was enough for me to get drunk on and happily.

“So, what do you say?” I asked, mumbling against her lush mouth. “Can I keep you around even after this week is over?”

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