Page 29 of The King Contract
“I knew it!”
I grin at her, relieved when she smiles back. “I’m sorry if I overstepped the mark earlier.”
She shrugs. “Turns out Iama bit of a prude.”
“No, you’re not. You don’t want to divulge personal details to a stranger. I get it.”
She turns to face me front-on. “That’s part of it. I revert to my seventeen-year-old self when I’m with you. I’m suddenly embarrassed by every little thing.”
She scrunches up her nose at her revelation, and I laugh. “I wish I could say the same for my behaviour, but in fairness, I act like a fool most of the time. Dan’s always clipping me ‘round the ear for it.”
“He really doesn’t like the idea of this arrangement, does he?” she asks, biting her bottom lip.
I frown. Dan’s the strong, silent type who can come across as grumpy and moody to those who don’t know him. But Millie’s right. The fake-dating idea has certainly rubbed him the wrong way, but I have no idea why.
“Let me worry about Dan,” I assure her. “He’s probably annoyed he couldn’t make a move on you first.”
She tries to stifle a grin, but fails miserably, a laugh escaping her lips. It feels like a win on my board to make her laugh and I inwardly cheer.
“I won’t bring up your sex life again,” I promise.
“Thank you.”
“We’ll discuss it when you want to.”
She rolls her eyes. “I won’t.”
“You will,” I insist. “You’ll come to trust me, Millie Maelstrom.”
She snorts.
“I know you signed a contract, but I’ll tear it up if you want to bow out of this.” It’s the truth. I don’t want to drag her through something that’s going to cause her any more stress in her life.
She appears to think it over before shaking her head. “No. I made a promise. Plus, I need the money.”
I nod, relief flooding through me. “And I need you to rub some of that sainthood on me. Come to think of it, it wouldn’t hurt to make my ex a little bit jealous.”
She laughs. “You really are seventeen.”
I grin. “I’ll be on my best behaviour from now on. I don’t want to push you beyond what you’re comfortable with.”
She surveys me, her eyes roaring whirlpools of code I wish I could decipher. She gives me a determined nod, as if she’s made some silent agreement. “Give me a few more days. It takes me a little longer to show affection in relationships with people Ilike.”
“That’s fair. In terms of teasing and winding you up, that comes with who I am.”
Amusement dances on her lips. “You’re saying you’re going to take every opportunity to embarrass your fake girlfriend?”
“I do this with real girlfriends too,” I assure her.
“How comforting.” Her gaze drifts to the house behind us. “Do you think anyone’s buying it?”
“I think most of the people I haven’t seen in a while are onboard.” I spin so my elbows rest against the railing, watching people mill about the backyard. “Mack and Callum don’t seem suspicious and will lose interest in my love life pretty quickly. Can’t say the same for Ellis.”
“She’s always suspicious,” Millie says. “She’s going to keep an eye out, that’s for sure. Me dating someone in the spotlight was not on this year’s bingo card. She thinks I’m having a late-twenties crisis.”
“I’m not that bad,” I argue. Millie gives me a reproachful look. “I haven’t beengreatlately, I admit. But I’ve got some ideas on how to try to turn that around. Starting with our first public date.”
Millie’s face hardens, alarm in her eyes. “What sort of ideas?”
