Page 13

It wasn’t that I loved Hayden. He was just... the most consistent man in my life. Any time I needed a booty call, he was there. Any time I didn’t need him, he wasn’t. He worshipped my body like I was a goddess and ate me out like it was a god damn commandment.
But it was over between us now.
Fun could only be fun for so long until it wasn’t anymore.
I got out of the shower, toweled off, and went to the living room for my robe. I slipped it over my shoulders, tying the belt around my waist. I’d leave the lingerie though, for him to remember me by.
He was still snoring when I went to his room, but I nudged him awake.
“You heading out?” he mumbled sleepily.
“Yeah,” I said. “Early morning.” Lies.
“Sure. Come here.” He gripped the back of my neck and drew me to his lips. He still smelled like me. “Bye, baby. Drive safe.”
“I will,” I promised. Then I walked out the door and saw.... exactly the last person I’d been expecting to see.
5
Jonas
“Mara?” I asked, looking between her, her truck, and the house she was parked in front of.
She tightened her silk dress around herself and smoothed her hair. “Jonas... what are you doing here?”
I pointed my thumb over my shoulder. “My parents’ house is across the street there.” I noted the flush in her face, then the house... That guy who worked at Petco lived here. My eyebrows rose.
“Shut up,” she said.
“I didn’t say anything,” I replied.
Her cheeks were growing redder by the second. It was kind of adorable, honestly.
“I do have a question, though,” I said, crossing the street to stand closer to her.
“What?” She glanced at her pickup like she’d rather be behind the wheel heading far away from here.
“Why do you need me to be your fake boyfriend when you could ask him?” I nodded toward the house.
She lifted her chin, challenging me. “You sound jealous.”
“I’m not jealous.” But I was a little irritated. Was she really hooking up with another guy the same day she asked me to fake date her?
“Hayden and I have never been anywhere in public together. There’s no proof. And...” She hesitated, looking down at her feet. She was wearing these brown furry boots with a stain on the toes. It looked like something Tess would have made.
“And what?” I prompted.
“I don’t want him to get the wrong idea.”
I glanced back toward the house where she’d clearly just been having sex with him. “What wrong idea?”
“That our relationship is anything more than physical. I don’t do long-term commitments.”
I shook my head as if that would help me understand. This woman was a fucking unicorn. I could think of so many guys who would have loved that arrangement, but I couldn’t help thinking of the one she made between her and me. “And our relationship?”
“Mutually beneficial. All the best ones are.” She glanced across the street from where I came. “Do you live in this neighborhood, or were you having a last hurrah too?”
“No,” I said. “My parents do.” He glanced back at the house directly across the street with a limestone rock out front that had Moore etched into the stone.