Page 131 of Charming Deception

I haven’t gone to bed at the same time as her in almost two weeks now. Not since those first two sleepless nights.

I don’t trust myself lying next to her when we’re both awake. And not trusting myself is a deeply uncomfortable situation to find myself in.

It’s not one I’m well acquainted with.

Worse, even, is the fear that she won’t trust me. That the more I avoid her, the more she’ll pick up on the vibe that I have something to hide, and the less she’ll trust me.

I came to see my sister because I need to talk to someone about this fucked-up situation. And who else can I talk to? Not Cole. Not about his sister. And not my brothers; they’d just bust my balls about the challenge, and accuse me of fucking her.

And the rest of my friends… they’re all “playboys,” like me. Millionaires and billionaires, CEOs and hockey players and celebrities. Some married, some single, but they’d all bust my balls, too. And anyway, none of them know that my engagement is fake. I don’t really want to spread that truth around.

With every day that passes, I just get more protective of Megan, and my relationship with her. And I won’t risk exposing us like that.

The less people who know the truth, the better.

Savannah knows I’m coming, but she doesn’t look up. She was the most reserved of all my siblings at dinner two weeks ago, when I introduced them to my fiancée, and I still haven’t heard from her about it.

Meanwhile, Harlan and Damian have both dropped in on me at some inopportune moment to grill me on my obviously fake engagement.

They also asked me why I felt the need to get engaged now, while I’m in the midst of my challenge. I told them that was why—because it’s helping me win the challenge by keeping other women at bay.

They were not convinced.

But then I told them Graysen insisted I get engaged, and that pretty much shut them up. News of my engagement to hockey star Cole Hudson’s sister has effectively outshone other online gossip about me; my siblings have all seen the media coverage of our fairy-tale romance by now. As it turns out, Sweet small-town girl gets twenty carat diamond ring from billionaire bachelor makes major headlines, and public interest is ravenous for it. We already have hashtags, memes, and a lame celebrity couple name. (Megason.) And no one in the family would ever question that Graysen had decided a fake engagement for public appearances was a grand idea.

But I’m not surprised that my sister has stayed out of it. She has enough on her plate right now. I don’t blame her for leaving the cleanup of my scandalous sex life to Graysen.

Her high-heeled shoes are kicked off beside her desk as I approach. Her glossy, dark hair hangs partly over her pretty face. She’s wearing a long-sleeved red dress with a zipper up the front. A power dress. It hugs her generous curves, and makes her look at once strong and sensual.

I used to tell her she was fat when we were kids, when I was mad at her.

Brothers can be assholes.

Savannah not only survived us but often singlehandedly held our shit together. She picked up an unfair amount of the burden of mothering all four of us, even her older brothers, when our mother checked out.

She deserves some kind of award.

I keep telling Graysen to lighten her workload. He leans on her too much.

“Your boss never lets you go home or what?”

She makes an annoyed sound and barely glances up from the paperwork she’s poring over.

I wander over to the table where a 3D model of the resort sprawls. Someone has affixed a tiny black Jolly Roger flag to the upper tower, where we’re standing right now. “I see Harlan’s been here.”

Savannah makes another annoyed sound.

“You know, just because Graysen lives here, doesn’t mean you have to.”

“I don’t. But I do have a grand opening to plan, and somehow my brothers keep fucking it up. Get this. Graysen insists he’s bringing The Bitch, as if they’ll still be together next spring, Damian insists he’s bringing ‘several special guests’ even though I keep telling him he needs to bring one date for the dinner, and Harlan says he’s not coming. At all. Do you believe this shit?”

“I really do. It’s the reason I didn’t volunteer to oversee the grand opening.” I stroll over and drop into one of the chairs facing her desk. “Also, you should prepare yourself for the fact that The Bitch, as you call her, is going nowhere. She’s got Graysen’s balls locked down so tight, we may never see him smile again.”

Savannah gives an aggrieved sigh. “Speaking of men and their sex parts. I have a question for you.” She strolls over to the bar cart and starts pouring. “Can you please stop screwing every celebrity I invite to the gala?”

“You asked that so much nicer than Graysen did.”

She hands me a whiskey and looks me in the eye. “Congrats again on your engagement. Does this mean you’ve lost the game?”

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