Page 39 of Hook Up

I choke on my breath, stunned by his request. “To appease the media?”

“For many reasons, the media among them.”

“You’re joking.”

Please tell me you’re joking, Ryder.

“I’m serious, but this isn’t some one-sided deal. I’ll make it worth your while. All the debts that bastard left you with? I’ll pay them off, in full.”

To my dismay, I feel tears backing up in my eyes as the truth settles over me. I’m so stupid and naïve. Here I thought Ryder was falling for me, spouting such sweet and sexy lines. In truth, I’m his way out of a sticky marital situation.

“I need a drink.” It’s all I can manage before I slip from his grasp and make a beeline for the bar. I rarely imbibe, but this kick to the heart is enough to push me over the edge. Ryder doesn’t want to date me, but he’s willing to pay me to play the part.

I’m not sure whether to be flattered or mortified, but my heart is definitely leaning toward the latter.

Ryder slips into the seat next to me, ordering his own drink. “The last thing I want to do is upset you. I’m trying to help.”

A curt nod. It’s the best I can do as I swallow back some whiskey, feeling the burn wash down my throat. “It wouldn’t work.”

“Why?”

So many reasons, Ryder, but I’ll leave emotion out of it since that’s certainly a one-sided deal.

“We live several hundred miles apart, so it’s not like we’d see each other, anyway. You should find someone local to fill this position. I can’t even imagine why you’d want me… for the job.” The last words are strangled, but I manage a harsh laugh.

His hand skates along my spine, but I shrug off his touch. Let’s not mix business and pleasure. “First, you’d live with me in Charlotte. I need you close. Second, there are a million reasons why I want you. I’ve always wanted you. I trust you, Greer, and I don’t trust women. You knew me before all of this celebrity bullshit. You know me, the real me. I need your help, and I know you need mine.”

“What about my job?”

“According to Greg, you hate your job. You’re overworked and underpaid.”

I pivot toward him, the whiskey already working as my snakiness comes into play. “Strippers surrounded you last night, yet somehow you spent the evening discussing my inadequacies. Glad to know I could provide such interesting fodder for you two.”

Ryder grabs my hand, pressing a kiss to my palm. “There is nothing inadequate about you. You’re my definition of the perfect woman.”

He rocked my world with this cockamamie plan, now it’s time to return the favor. “Richard left me with twenty thousand dollars of debt. Bet you didn’t know it was that much, right? Care to change your tune? Find someone else now?”

“I’ll gladly pay every dime.”

I can’t think or breathe. I need space. Somewhere to clear my head. “Will you excuse me, please? I need a few minutes.”

“Gigi—”

I cut him off, holding up my hand and turning on my heel, searching for the closest exit. Once outside, I suck in lungfuls of desert air. Nothing like 105-degree heat to settle the nerves. Said no one, ever. My brain is racing like a horse on speed, circling the offer Ryder laid out in front of me.

Date him for the next two to three months, all while living in his luxurious digs in Charlotte. I’m not sure what his angle is in this situation. What does he stand to gain? Avoid a media storm? What does that even mean? He’s been plastered across numerous tabloids for years, what’s the big deal now?

My heart and mind wage a war over the offer, but any peace is interrupted as the door swings open.

“Hey, Sis. You okay?”

I pull Greg into a tight squeeze, the tears finally breaking free of their chains.

“Why are you crying?”

No way will I involve Greg in this debacle. “I can’t believe you’re married. It seems like yesterday I was making you ice cream sundaes.”

“No need to stop that,” Greg jokes, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “Thank you for always looking out for me.”

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