Page 34 of Broken Pact

“As my girlfriend, it’s important for you to know my real name.”

Her brows crowd low over her eyes and she stares at me like I’m speaking a foreign language.

“Why didn’t you tell me that before? When we were—” She waves her hand in the air, fluttering her fingers to fill in the blank.

“Because you weren’t my girlfriend then.” I keep my answer simple even though there’s more to say. I have so much more to say. But I’m trying to sway her to my side here, and I know I won’t do that by going down memory lane.

“But I’m not your girlfriend now?” She says it like a question, tilting her head to the side. “Are you okay?”

I push off the tool bench. “I’m doing great. See, I had some time to think last night?—”

“When you were camped outside my house like a stalker,” she interjects, her tone dry.

Ah, so she did see me. I shrug. “When I was playing the role of your boyfriend. Quite well, actually.”

“What’s your point,” she says with a huff.

“It worked, didn’t it?”

She tosses her hair over her shoulder and glances around the garage. “Well, yeah. But that was just last night. I was in a bad situation, and it was a . . . temporary role.”

Bad situation. She doesn’t know half of it. “What if it wasn’t?”

She stills, her gaze flying to mine. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that we should make this more permanent.”

“What?” she gasps.

“Our fake relationship.”

18

CORALINE

“Absolutely not.”

“You didn’t even think about it,” he volleys.

I spare only a glance at him, because I know if I look too long, I’ll get distracted by the . . . whole package. And I do mean package. Those coveralls he’s wearing look like they’re painted on, open and hanging from his hips. And that tight black tee he’s wearing leaves literally nothing to the imagination. He looks like he belongs in one of those hot guy calendars.

“I don’t need to think about it. We’re not making a fake relationship permanent. That’s . . . that’s just a regular relationship,” I stammer out, my cheeks flushing with warmth.

There’s a little flutter inside my chest. But I’m almost positive it’s a reaction to too much caffeine today. Definitely not because he’s proposing we keep up some kind of charade.

“Nah, baby. It’s the answer to all our problems.” He grins, so proud of this little revelation of his.

I arch a brow and cross my arms over my chest. “I wasn’t aware we had shared problems.”

He steps closer, the fresh scent of ocean breeze floating around me. “You’ve got an overbearing ex, yeah? If you’re with me, he’s not gonna bother you anymore.”

I shift my weight to my other foot, trying to ignore the way my heart quickens at the mention of Grant. “He’s not really bothering me. Last night was a fluke thing.”

“Hm. I’m not so sure about that. Here, come take a look at this.” He raises his hand, fingers curled to beckon me. “Please,” He murmurs.

I hum under my breath, appreciation brimming in my veins. “I do like to hear you beg.”

He arches one dark brow, his full lips curling into a slow smile. The same lips that were all over me last night. A hot flash of arousal washes over me as the memory slams into my mind, unbidden.

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