Page 62 of Crazy Little Thing Called Love

“Isn’t real?” Del’s gruff voice finished for her.

“Yes.” The word ripped from her throat, getting harder and harder to say. It wasn’t real,

they weren’t real. Just because they had sex a few times—more than a few—didn’t make this real. Sure, the sex was amazing, connective, explosive, best sex of her life ever. But it didn’t make this any more real than it started out.

Right?

“I just don’t want to look like a fool.” But she was afraid she already was. A fool who’d

developed feelings for her fake fiancé. Deep feelings.

“You’re not a fool, Cassie. No one could ever think that.” His voice softened, the gentle

tone soothing her.

“But if we make this big, fancy show of a wedding and then,” she lowered her voice,

cupping her hand over the end of her cell, “get a divorce, people will talk.”

“People always talk. It’s because they can’t mind their own business and discussing other people’s failings makes them feel better about their own shitty lives. Screw them. Who cares what they think?”

She did, because Kismet was the only home she’d ever known, and she enjoyed being liked by the charming, quirky, and sometimes difficult people of this town. When she first came here, she heard the gossip about her, the whispers of pity for the poor little girl who’d lost her mother. The one whose father didn’t want her. She never wanted to be talked about like that again, and if they made a big to-do about their wedding then separated, she knew she’d be pitied once more.

“We don’t have to invite the town,” Del said,

“Yes, we do.” Didn’t he see what a disaster it would be if they didn’t? She hurried to her car, driving the few blocks to her house and hurrying up the front porch. “It would be career suicide if we didn’t. For both of us.”

Oh God, she was hyperventilating, and not from the brisk climb up three tiny stairs. She wasn’t in the best of shape, but she could handle a few steps. No, this lovely panic attack came directly from this whole situation becoming too real and far too out of hand from what she first imagined. Taking out her keys, she started to jam them in the lock, but her hands shook so much they slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor.

Before she could reach down to pick them up, a soft, sensual voice from behind her spoke, “Need help?”

CHAPTER 21

Del smiled at the wide-eyed stare Cassie gave him.

“Del? What are you doing here?” She still spoke into her cell.

“You sounded upset, so I came to check on you.” He gently pulled her phone away from her ear.

Recovering from her shock, she scowled at him, sliding the thin device into her purse.

He chuckled at her prickly response as he grabbed her fallen keys. “Here, let me.”

Del fit the metal key into the lock. Cassie allowed him to push open the door and shuffle her inside, not speaking until they were both locked away in the shelter of her house. She threw up her hands, walking over to collapse on her living room sofa. He followed, remaining standing in case she needed tea or ice cream or booze.

“I cannot believe we didn’t think of this,” she said, rubbing circles into her temples.

“It’s okay, we can figure this out.” They didn’t need to invite the whole damn town. Maybe just half.

“It was bad enough when we were lying to your family, but now the entire town will want to celebrate with us, congratulate us, root for us! And it’s all a lie!” She grasped her head in her hands. “They’re all going to be so disappointed when we divorce. So, so mad.”

Who cares what the town thought? It’s not like Kismet was full of saints. He knew half a dozen residents who had gambling problems, a few stepping out on their spouses, and last year Kismet’s one and only lawyer had gone to prison for embezzlement. In the grand scheme of things, their divorce would only be gossip fodder for a week, max.

“Cassie, it’s going to be fine.”

Pulling her head from her hands, she glared up at him. “Easy for you to say. Everyone loves you. You’ll still have your family after we split. And I, I’ll have no one. Chances are, after the truth comes out I won’t even have Charlie.”

Tears swam in those soft green eyes, cutting him right to the bone. Sitting next to her, he gathered her hands in his, brushing at a lone tear running down her cheek.

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