Page 27 of The Pucking Fake Marriage

Heat spills over from my cheeks into my very core. I’m scrambling to defend myself, to register as less of an asshole than he’s making me out to be. “I didn’t fuck you for the marriage certificate.” My voice sounds jerky, out of control. “I wasn’t even planning on it until…”

Ken’s voice is so quiet that I barely hear it. “I know.”

I look up at his face, thrown back by his change in tone.He no longer looks furious. Instead, there’s a glimmer of victory in his eyes.

A sickening feeling rises in my gut.

Ken just goaded me into admitting that I wanted him forhim.That’s why he started this inquisition. Not because he was pissed off for being duped. Only because he wanted to flex even more power over me.

I hate him. Ihate, hatehim.

“Fuck you,” I spit, as his lips tease into a full grin. His eyes are still red-rimmed. There’s a part of him that’s upset by what I did, but I can tell he’s going to enjoy this small victory.

I turn around, set on leaving. I was wrong to think I could do this. No way am I going to stand in front of this man and ask for his help.

Ken’s hand closes around my wrist before I can complete a full arc. In a second, he’s whisked me into his apartment and shut the door behind me.

It happens too fast for me to react. But in the next moment, I’m trying to force my wrist from his grip. He holds on even tighter, his grin slipping off his face and his eyes burning crimson.

“I’m going to lay out what you did, and you’ll tell me if I’m missing anything.” His tone, hard and dead, sends chills through my spine.

My wrist goes limp in his grasp. I’m reminded more forcefully that this man is a stranger, and I’ve no idea what he’s planning to do with me. The only way to get out of this with some dignity is to stay silent. To not let him trap me again. Either with my words ormy deeds. My cheeks burn as I remember caving back at the gym.

He got me to beg him once before.

It’s not going to happen again.

He doesn’t react to my sudden submission. Instead, he continues speaking like he’s always had it. “First, you decide that you need a marriage to fix whatever’s going on in your life. Then,you decide that I’m the perfect candidate. You track me down in Las Vegas, get me drunk…”

“We were both drunk.”

He ignores me. “And then, you bank on your body and the fact that as an athlete, I don’t drink all that often to make me forget that we got hitched. You come back to Philly and decide to never see me again, till kismet delivers you into my lap. And now, you’re here to tell the truth because something about your plan is not working out as you envisioned it.”

Hedoesknow me. He wasn’t exaggerating.

Shame claws up my throat. My plan sounds terribly silly when laid out like that. It also sounds like I deserve every bad thing that happened to me that threw my plan off course.

“Why would you think something is not working out?” I ask, vying for time.

His blue eyes are merciless. “Because you don’t like me, Charlotte. You never would’ve admitted to this if you didn’t absolutely have to.”

I swallow hard. If I didn’t know already how much of a mess my life was, this conversation would clue me in on it. Having to come back to Ken to request his help…I can’t get lower than that on the failure scale.

“I didn’t use my body to distract you.” That’s the only leg I have to stand on, and I’m going to keep using it. Even if it means I’m falling deeper into his trap and admitting that I want him.

“Didn’t you?” His voice is lower. He pulls me flush against him. “Don’tyou, Charlie? Because I’ve got a feelingthat you put a lot more thought into the dress that you chose to wear today than any other decision you’ve made lately.”

Goosebumps rise on my arms as my breath hitches in my throat. Damn it.Damn him to hell.

I want to deny it so badly, but I can’t.

Because he’s right.

I was determined to not doll up for him. But then, I saw this dress in my closet. For a moment, I imagined Ken peeling it off me.

That thought was enough to inform my decision.

I don’t want to fuck him. But for some insane reason, I don’t want to know that’s off the table completely, either.

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