Page 18 of Lust

Instead, he just says, "Oh, we're old family friends. You?"

I mouth a thank you to him, but he's not looking at me. He's sizing Patrick up, from his thinning hair to the way he slurps down his drink.

Patrick coughs, wiping his hand across his mouth. "Oh, well, it was a meeting destined in the stars, wasn't it, dear?"

I focus on a stain on the tablecloth, so I don't have to meet Matthias's eyes. Why am I so scared of him finding out about what's going on here? Why do I suddenly care? "Um, yes. We met at... a restaurant."

Patrick continues filling in the holes I'd purposely left out. "She was there, looking for a friend who didn't show up. So I asked her to join me instead. And the rest is history!"

Matthias cocks his eyebrow. "The rest?"

"Oh yes, she didn't tell you?" Patrick puts his hand on my thigh. "I guess she wants to make the announcement together."

Leanne can't help joining the conversation. "Announcement?" she asks.

Please, please stop, I silently beg,

Patrick beams. "Oh yes, Clarissa has finally agreed to make an honest man out of me."

"I'm sorry?" Leanna splutters.

"Clarissa and I are getting married."

Chapter 8

Matthias

"I'msorry,Imusthave misheard you over the music. Did you say that you're getting married?"

I address Patrick, but my eyes are locked on Clarissa, who's squirming under my gaze. Why in the fuck is she marrying this loser? I know exactly who Patrick Linzer is. He's a barnacle in an ocean of sharks. Living off his inheritance while trying to make a name for himself in the stock brokering business, most of his clients are people who owed his father a favor. He's been trying to get a meeting with me for months. Maybe years. He can keep waiting. What is she doing? Surely, she can do better than him.

While I continue to glare at Clarissa while she avoids my eyes, Patrick drones on. "Yes, we're planning for a fall wedding. I mean, we'd like to have more time to plan, but, well, you know. It's time sensitive."

Instantly, my eyes flick down to her stomach as her hands come up to cover her torso. Hiding something? God, no. This is even worse than I thought.

"No!" she yells at me, then tries to cover it with a cough. "I'm sorry, I mean... no, I'm not pregnant."

"Oh. No." Patrick laughs. "It's nothing as sordid as that. No, Clarissa needs her green card to stay in the country. So, since we're getting married one day anyway, I suggested that we do it as soon as possible so she can stay. And make me the happiest man in the world." He reaches for her hand.

Relief floods through me. I tell myself it's because my plan to rope my brother's ex-fiancée into helping me clean up my image for the next three months isn't completely hopeless yet.

Unless she's really in love with Patrick.

If she is, then she's doing a really good job at pretending she isn't. Every time he moves closer to her, she shifts away. Subtly, politely, always under the guise that she's reaching across the table to grab something, or straightening her clothes, but each and every time, she ends up a few inches further away from him than she was before.

Not a chance in hell she's interested in this man.

Using him for a green card sounds imminently more believable. The strange part is that somehow, she's managed to convince him that it's his idea.

Still the consummate con artist.

For some reason, there's a swelling of pride in my chest.

Probably because I wouldn't mind seeing her taking this loser for every dime he has.

Next to me, Leanne twitters, congratulating the couple, but there's a dangerous edge to her voice. She doesn't mean a word of it, and if I know anything about my friend, she's coming up with a way to save her friend from Patrick.

"Matthias? Isn't it wonderful news?" Her words sound like she's congratulating them. But I hear"really? This loser?"

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