Page 38 of The Marriage Deal
“Neither.”
Her mouth pops open. I could fill it.
Fuck, what the hell?
I refrain from scrubbing my hand down my face and focus on her words as she cries, “I don’t believe you! You don’t know whatOne Tree Hillis?”
“I’m not big on TV.”
She twists the cap off her water and takes a pull. Her lips are wet when she pulls the bottle back—and I need to get myself laid, clearly. I’m a man, so thoughts like these come. But I usually have more control of my feelings. Urges. Whatever.
She’s messing with my head.
“I was right about you,” she tells me.
“How so?” I cave and pull a beer from the fridge,popping the top. It hits the counter with a chime both of us ignore. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night.
“That first day I met you?—”
“When you nearly gave me a heart attack.”
She rolls her eyes. “I pegged you as uptight. I was right.”
“Because I don’t watch TV?”
She bobs her head. “Because you don’t relax. You don’t chill. I bet you fall to sleep running portfolio numbers.”
I narrow my gaze on her to keep myself from laughing. “Do you even know what running portfolio numbers means?”
“No.” She lifts her chin. “And I don’t want to. I’d end up as stiff as you, no doubt.”
I don’t scowl. It’s what she wants. I take another pull from my beer and drawl dryly, “Aren’t you funny?”
“Not particularly.” She slides onto one of the stools at the massive island counter. She takes another pull on her water; I think more to occupy the silence between us than anything else. “So, how is this going to work between us?”
“I figure it’ll be kind of like this.” I gesture between us. “I’ll continue living as I do, and you’ll drive me insane with your presence.”
“Psh.” She smiles, and hell,it’s blinding.“You like my crazy.”
“Keep telling yourself that, little lunatic.”
Her smile turns mischievous. I should be concerned. Really, I should. But all I feel is curious.
“You wouldn’t have proposed this insane deal if you didn’t love my crazy.”
Something tenses inside me. “This deal serves a purpose, Lilah. It has absolutely nothing to do with love.”
A blush of emotion tints her cheeks pink. She bites into her full bottom lip a moment before she releases it. I get another aching urge to claim her mouth with my own.
Again, I ignore it.
Lilah leans into the counter, her eyes pinned to mine. “Since we’re discussing deals that serve a purpose, I have another I’d like to strike.”
“Here we go.” I settle in.
She glares. “I want a dog.”
What now?I straighten. “A dog?”
