Page 59

“You sound a little jealous for someone who just told me this morning they didn’t want me.”

“This has nothing to do with jealousy.” I didn’t care what he thought, or what it might sound like. “You left the day after our esposmata, making it very obvious to everyone where you stood, and you’re just confirming it now, once again. I wouldn’t want anyone to get the impression that I’m sitting around waiting for you when I’m not. Even if this is a fake relationship, I don’t want to be fake disrespected. I have my pride, if nothing else. You flirt? I flirt. That’s how this works.” I crossed my arms, refusing to look at him. I’d look at the birds, the trees, anything but him.

“So that’s all you care about? How things look?”

For once he didn’t sound like he was mocking me. Of course I wasn’t looking at him to truly judge. He might’ve been rolling his eyes for all I knew.

“Of course.”

He leaned slightly closer, his voice dropping as he said, “I made an error leaving right after our esposmata. I signaled to every Kradix here that I wasn’t sure about this mating, that maybe I didn’t want it. It was a mistake, and I need to fix that. I think we can perhaps come to terms that help us both.”

I was too curious not to hear him out. I turned my full attention back to him. I didn’t like the slight grin beginning. His grin never boded well when we were fighting.

“Go ahead,” I said.

“You want me to treat our fake relationship with fake respect, but people aren’t going to believe it unless you’re participating.”

“What exactly are you suggesting?”

“You act like we’re in a real relationship, and so will I.”

“I’m going to need more details.” This wasn’t how I was expecting this discussion to go. There had to be a trap here somehow.

“I’m saying you need to act like you’re into me. We’re mated but don’t act like it. If you don’t want women like Chastity to think there’s an opening, we need to act like there isn’t.”

He planted his hand on my other side, until all I could see was him, smell him, feel the heat coming off him.

“I don’t know…”

“It also serves another purpose. Nothing has changed. These people still need to see us as united. Mating means something to them, and we will need them.” He was staring at my mouth.

I didn’t want to give him the point, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have one. Plus I was light on negotiating power. “Now what?” I licked my lips, my chest growing tight.

“I act like I’m into you. You do the same.”His voice grew deeper, and something about the low vibration sent tingles through me.

“We’re only doing this in public spaces. I’m not going to keep the charade up in private.” I’d never hold up if he was like this in private.

“Of course,” he said.

There were so many things that could go wrong with this scenario. Did I really want to hang on him indefinitely?

Yes.

That was the problem. No matter how much I wanted to punch him, I also wanted to jump into his arms and tell him to take me then and there. This wasn’t a safe place to go with him in any way, mentally, emotionally, nothing. Yet I wasn’t going to let him hang all over anyone else while we were in this fake relationship. If we could be fake mates, he’d damn well be fake monogamous. So there it was. There was no real choice.

“Fine.”

He smiled like I’d actually given something he truly wanted. “You’ll have to put on a good show, starting now,” he continued.

He shifted his hand, running it along my side, making it hard to concentrate.

“Huh?”

“There’s a birthday gathering tomorrow. You’ll need to be on your game.” He slid his hand back upward, until it curved around to the base of my head.

“I’ll be fine.” Damned if I’d ever let him know differently.

“Whether you like it or not, you’re mine, even if it’s just for now. You sealed your fate the moment you transitioned.”