Page 10

CHAPTER 10

YOU'VE SEEN MY EGO. YOU KNOW EXACTLY HOW BIG IT IS

EMORY

Even though I told him I would meet him inside, and even though I insisted this was not a date, Kayden is standing in front of the restaurant waiting for me and looking way too damn good in a navy blue suit that showcases his body perfectly.

As I walk up, I definitely don't notice his blonde waves dancing in the breeze. And I completely ignore how the orange light of sunset catches the strands, setting them on fire for an instant.

"I got you this." He holds out a flower as I step onto the curb. "I don't know your favorite yet, so I picked the one that made me think of you."

I take the single pale pink tulip from him and spin it gently between my fingers. It's nothing more than a coincidence. "You didn't have to buy me any flower at all."

But he did. And somehow he picked my favorite.

"I wanted to." He takes my hand, and something that has to be just common static electricity unfolds up my arm at the touch.. "Look at us. We match."

I look down as if I forgot what I was wearing. "My dress is at least half a shade lighter than your suit. It's not the same at all." It's embarrassingly close, and now I wish I would have worn anything else. "And why are you wearing a suit? I told you this is a dinner, not a date."

"Yet you're wearing a dress and heels. And looking beautiful."

"You don't have to compliment me. As for my outfit, ask Lily. I dress up to go to Taco Bell, so don't feel special."

"First, there are a lot of things I don't have to do, but I do them anyway because I want to. Taking every opportunity to remind you of just how amazing you are is one of those things. And second, too many people sleep on the Taco Bell cheese quesadilla, but it's the best thing on the menu. One of the best things at any fast food place."

I can't help but growl under my breath. Why can't he be one of those people who thinks the nacho fries are the greatest things ever? Those people are so obviously wrong that I could easily make it through a non-date without a single thought of how well they fill out their suit. I wouldn't try convincing myself that seeing a nacho fries person naked one more time might not be so bad after all.

I try to twist myself away before I start having cheese quesadilla thoughts that are totally inappropriate for public. "We should go inside."

"That eager to get me to a dark, romantic table in the corner? I like it." He winks.

"We're at an Olive Garden. They have unlimited breadsticks. They don't have dark, romantic corners. That's why your suit is so completely inappropriate." That, plus it fits him too well. Would it kill him to wear a suit that wasn't specifically tailored for him?

"You've never been out with me. My presence on a date is enough to make any place romantic."

As we walk to the host's stand, I try to act like I'm not with him, but it's impossible since he's gripping my hand like it's a new toy he's never letting go of. "Reservations for Bouchard-Hopkins."

"You hyphenated our names for the reservation?"

His grin turns to a smirk. "Of course I did. The patriarchy might tell us that a man's last name is more important than a woman's, but it's not. If we're going to be in a fake relationship, it's going to be an equal fake relationship."

I just start looking for a wall to bang my head against when the hostess pulls two menus from the stand and leads us through the restaurant. To a table in the back corner that does seem to be just a little dimmer than the other areas. "Did you tell them to unscrew a lightbulb when you called ahead?"

"Told you." He winks again, and I swear if he does it one more time, I'm going to jab a never-ending breadstick into his retina. "Even the fake dates with Kayden Bouchard are evenings to remember."

"Do you go on a lot of fake dates?"

Kayden pulls out a chair for me, so I sit in a different one. But he still sits beside me. Too close beside me.

"Tonight is the first of many."

"Not with me."

He quirks an eyebrow, but I shake him off. Then he tries tilting his head a little. Still a no. It takes more than that to win me over. In this case, it's going to take hell turning into a blast freezer. Before he can try anything else, the server comes to get our drink orders. And because he's a complete jerk, he orders a club soda with a slice of lime. Now I feel like I'm copying him when I order the same thing.

"Lily told you what I drink."

Kayden shakes his head. "I didn't talk to her. Besides, do you really think she'd believe that you agreed to go out with me?"

"I only agreed because you cleaned the refrigerator for me. And the stove."

"And helped you move the couch." He looks so smug about it. I knew I should have never asked for his help with that. "But you know this isn't why I helped you."

"Then why did you?"

I expect his gaze to drift down to my chest. I intentionally wore this dress because of what it shows. I wanted to catch him staring at my breasts so this could all be easier. But his eyes hold on mine and stay so long I start to feel uncomfortable. "Why do I need a reason to be nice to you?" He finally asks. "Why don't you expect more from people, Emory?"

My breath catches for the second it takes me to come to my senses. He doesn't actually care about me, I remind myself. This is so he can get a new contract. I'm just a tool to help him, and that's all he's going to be for me too. Dad still sees me as that fragile teenager who was so easily broken. Maybe this can help him finally move past that and see me for who I really am now. "Are you saying I should expect more from you?"

He turns so his entire body is facing mine and leans forward. Even in this low light, his eyes are vibrant. Every shade of blue with flecks of copper scattered throughout. "Yes." He looks down and traces a finger across my skin, from wrist to knuckles. "You should expect so much more from me."

My body freezes except for the white-hot trail his finger leaves on my skin. Fake, fake, fake, fake! My mind screams the warning over and over, but my body isn't listening.

A light cough from my right draws my attention. Our server. Back with a basket of breadsticks and to take our orders. I take advantage of the distraction and slide my chair away from Kayden.

Once she has our orders and leaves us alone again, I shove half a breadstick into my mouth. It's so hot it burns my tongue, but the flash of pain gives me something to focus on other than the completely unexpected man sitting next to me.

Kayden takes a breadstick too, but he has enough sense to set it on the plate to cool rather than scalding himself from the inside. "Start asking, Emory. What answers do you need to know before you finally say yes?"

Eyebrows and tilted heads may not do much for me, but the way his eyes squint just a little as the side of his mouth curls up? That's different. A different heat rises in me. "The most important question is why are these breadsticks always so good? "

"Right? So good." He growls and rips off an enormous piece like a lion tearing into a slab of beef, and I laugh despite myself. "So you do have a sense of humor."

I scoff. "Of course I do, but I have to turn it off around you. Otherwise, I'd be laughing at you all the time, and I don't think your delicate little ego could handle that."

"Now my ego is little?" he asks. "I was under the impression you thought it was enormous."

"You act like it's enormous, but that's just something people with itty bitty egos do to make themselves feel better."

He lifts his breadstick, but instead of taking another bite, he leans forward, brushing its tip over my mouth. Its garlic and herbs stick to my lipstick. The gentle, teasing friction sparks a heat on my lips that travels to my core.

"You've seen my ego," he whispers. "You know exactly how big it is, and you know that there's nothing itty or bitty about it. So ask what you need to ask, because we both know you're saying yes before we leave here tonight."

I snap my teeth down on the breadstick and yank it away from him. Keeping my eyes locked on his, I tear it into tiny pieces, letting them fall on the plate below. "Why did you and your last girlfriend break up?"

He leans back, and his gaze drifts down to the pile of eviscerated bread. "There wasn't one. I don't do girlfriends."

I roll my eyes. Of course he's the type of guy who doesn't do relationships. "Never? You've never had a single girlfriend?"

He pauses just long enough for me to notice his discomfort. "It's been a very long time."

"Oh, so that's your wound. Your first love broke your heart, and you've never found anyone else who could put it back together for you. That explains so much."

"It's not quite like that. I—" He blows out a long breath. "And people don't fix other people's wounds. We have to do the work to fix our own. I would never expect someone else to fix me. What about you?"

I raise my eyebrows at his question.

"Last boyfriend and why he wasn't good enough for you. Because I know he wasn't good enough for you."

Seth, and he's right. Seth wasn't good enough for me, but I'm never sharing that story with Kayden. "I don't do boyfriends."

He smirks. "So your first love broke your heart, and you've never found anyone else who could put it back together for you. That explains so much." He all but sticks his tongue out as he teases me.

"I don't need someone to put it back together for me. I'm wonderful just the way I am."

The smile drops from his face. "You are, Emory. And I'm going to remind you of that every day until this is over."

I wish hearing him say that didn't send my heart fluttering. "When would this end? If I say yes"

"As soon as I sign the contract. Once that's done, we go our separate ways."

"No later than Lily's wedding. This is over by then, whether or not you have your contract." Just four months. Easy. I can do that.

"Oh my god!" A man comes so close to our table that his thighs are practically touching it. His eyes are wide and glued to Kayden. "You're really him? You're fucking Kayden Bouchard?"

Kayden laughs, but if it were me, I would tell this man exactly what I thought of a grown adult worshipping me just because I play a game for a living.

" I'm not fucking Kayden Bouchard, but she is." Kayden points to me, and my face flares. I kick him so hard under the table that he yelps. I hope he's not able to skate for a week.

The man looks at me, like he's just now noticing that I'm here. "Oh. Uh, sorry." He turns back to Kayden. And just like that, I cease to exist for him again. "Would it be okay if I got a picture of you? You're amazing. That game two years ago when you scored right before the final buzzer? I was screaming so loud my neighbors called the police. They thought I was being murdered!" He seems way more excited about that than he should be.

Kayden chuckles. "Everyone on the team had a great game that night, not just me. But sure, I'm happy to do a picture. Get one with both of us." He slides his chair closer to mine while slipping his arm around me. I'm not sure if he's trying to seem affectionate or making sure I don't run away.

Just as the man holds up his phone to take the picture, Kayden kisses me. On the cheek, just an inch or two away from my lips, and cold rips through my body.

The man thanks Kayden way too excessively, but finally walks away. When he does, I turn to glare at Kayden. "What the hell was that?" My entire body is shaking.

"Just a quick photo for a fan. We made that guy's day."

"Not that. We clearly need to have rules if we're going to do this."

"You're saying yes?" He smirks. "I knew it. I told you all along that you would say yes."

"Kayden, I'm serious. Rule number one and the only rule for me: Absolutely no kissing on my mouth. Got it?"

The grin starts to slip from his face. "There might be times when we need to?—"

" Never. You need to tell me you'll respect me on this."

He nods, his grin completely gone. "Of course I will. No kissing. But you are saying yes, right?"

If I sit here any longer, he'll notice that something is wrong. Then he'll ask questions I'm not going to answer for him, so I stand and toss my napkin onto the table. Our meals haven't even come yet, but I'm not hungry anyway. "Do not make me regret this."

"You're leaving?"

"You're really observant. It's no wonder you're so good at your little game. I assume you can get the check? I can barely afford that free breadstick I ate."

He stands, and for a second, I think he's going to try to stop me. Please don't try to stop me .

"I thought we would split it. Expecting the man to pay for meals enforces a sexist concept of power within relationships that doesn't benefit either?—"

"Goodbye, Kayden."

"You're right, I'll get it this time. You can get the next—or I can get that one too."

I don't look back as I leave the restaurant.