Page 39 of The Fiance Dilemma

“Is that what happened? With your exes?”

Yes. But also, no. It was a complicated and convoluted answer I didn’t have the heart to give him right now. Or the courage. “We’ll wait a sensible amount of time and break things off,” I said, noticing the way he sighed when I deflected. “It’ll be a clean, friendly breakup that will allow us to continue to coexist. We’re both in Adalyn’s and Cameron’s lives for the long run and neither of us wants to hurt them. So we do that, and soon enough it’ll be like nothing ever happened.” I remembered Adalyn’s words. “No hearts will be broken anyway. So it’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” he said with a nod.

My brows furrowed. No remarks? “I know it’ll be a little awkward to be friends after that, but we’ll be fine. I’m friends with all—almost all of my exes.”

Matthew clasped his hands as they hung between his knees, glancing at me over them. “All right. What else?”

“Kissing,” I croaked. “It’s obvious we’re bound to kiss, eventually, so let’s not fight it. On the cheek, like earlier, should be fine.” I straightened my back. Squared my shoulders. “On the mouth only if we must. No one died over lips on lips, but unless it is really necessary…”

He huffed out a chuckle I didn’t understand. “Next rule?”

“We’re obviously handsy.” My face heated up, leaving my exposed arms and section of my belly running a little colder. “I know I am. And I think you are too, from what I’ve seen. It’s working in our favor so… I don’t think we need rules about this. Touching is not like kissing. It doesn’t need to mean anything. Unless you’re… groping my ass or something. You could, but that needs a reasonand a warning, maybe? We’ve touched plenty already and we’re fine.” A strange shiver ran down my arms. “Right?”

“Right. We’re fine.”

I waited for him to elaborate, and when he didn’t, I shifted in my spot. I waited, crossing my legs and giving Matthew time if that was what he needed.

He didn’t add anything.

“You are awfully agreeable for someone I had to seduce and trick into this. No remarks? No demands? No rules that you want to add?”

A gust of wind picked up, hitting my skin and making me wince a little, just as he finally looked like he wanted to add something. He came up on his knees. “Arms up,” he said.

I frowned at him, and he moved, coming closer and snatching up the hoodie I discarded when we’d taken the pictures. He held it in his hands, positioning it above me before I could take it from him. The gesture was sweet, and exactly what everyone around us would expect him to do. Without complaining, I raised my arms and met his gaze, waiting for him to slip the sleeves around them. He did, and in one gentle and determined tug of pink fabric, it was going over my head.

“That’s all?” Matthew asked, only when the hoodie was secured around me. I noticed how he didn’t deny that I had to seduce and trick him into this. But that was fine. I could own that bit. “Those are your three rules? We don’t get married but stay friends. We kiss if we must. We can touch.”

That was a very condensed version of them but… “Except uncalled-for-ass-groping.”

“We touch. Except uncalled-for-ass-groping,” he repeated.

“Yes,” I said, tempted to correct him again. Wecantouch. Notwe touch.But I didn’t. “All right. Great. I feel a little better now that we’ve talked about this. Phew.”

Matthew didn’t say anything for a few moments, then one of those chuckles left him with a breath. “I’m happy to hear you feel better.” A pause. “My…ladybug?”

I wrinkled my nose at him, hiding howrelievedI was that he’d said that. “Nope,” I told him. “You’re going to have to keep trying.”

It was slow, maybe a little too small, but Matthew gave me a smile. “I will persist, then.”

And just as my lips were bending to return it, my phone chimed with a message.

BOBBI:Urgent. Call me.

“She can wait,” Matthew said. I looked back at him and found that smile gone. “Let me walk you home first.”

Let me walk you home first.

First… before what?I should have asked. But I didn’t.

It didn’t matter.

So I ignored the message and let Matthew bring me to my feet after he stood up. I could deal with Bobbi later. Now I wanted to bask in the little normalcy today had brought, and the way things seemed a little clearer between us. Plus, I’d been looking forward to that walk back home with him.

Even though my truck was parked outside the farm.

CHAPTER NINE

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