Page 55 of The Maverick
He leaned in. “Because I want to give the impressionyou’re still living here. People will cause trouble when they think the apartment is empty.”
I knew he was right. Still, I didn’t want to depend on him for everything.
He probably saw my frustration. “I have a lot of cars and use only a few. I don’t mind my wife using any of them.”
I wasn’t going to win this argument, so I slid into the passenger seat. “Why do you need so many cars if you don’t use them?”
“Why do people buy art?” He reached for the belt buckle. His cologne slithered into my nose, making me want to grab him for a longer sniff. “They just like it. It’s a collectible item.”
I supposed he was right again, or I was too exhausted to debate with him.
We remained quiet on the drive to his house. I appreciated a moment to catch up on things. I’d been through a whirlwind of changes. It was probably drastic for him too. He went from an eligible bachelor to engaged in only weeks. Now I was moving into his house.
I stole a glance at him. His eyes were trained on the road, but his features appeared more relaxed than days ago. The more I studied him, the more I wanted to touch him, explore him.
So I stopped and looked out the window. He started to whistle. Surprised, I turned to look at him again.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
He met my eyes with amusement and curiosity. “Why do you keep asking me that?”
“You’re acting strange.”
“Me?” His eyes gleamed. “I should say that about you.”
“Me? I’m not acting strange.”
A small smile crept onto his lips. “Says the person who keeps staring at me and asking weird questions.” He stopped at the red lights and turned to me. “I know why you’re nervous.”
“I’m not nervous,” I said as a new series of nerves skated down my spine from the way he studied me. How could he know I was nervous when I was trying hard to shove that emotion aside?
“You cross your legs and tap your foot a lot when you’re nervous.”
Shit.It was that obvious? They were annoying traits, but I didn’t realize others noticed them.
I was relieved when the lights turned green and his attention swerved back to the road. I didn’t like that he could see right through me. How could I not be nervous about moving in with him? My attraction to him had increased tenfold. I feared I’d do something to ruin this arranged fake marriage.
“Are you okay?” He repeated my question, but there was no sarcasm in it like I’d expected.
“Why are you so calm? You have a stranger coming to live with you. Aren’t you nervous?”
“You’re not a stranger, Vanessa. You’re my fiancée. Before that, we were acquaintances. I was a business investor who admired your talent.” He turned down a street with extravagant homes. “And your beauty.”
I froze at that comment. Was he flirting with me?
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Are you trying to make things difficult while I’m living at your house?”
“No. Just playing the role of a man who’s extremely attracted to his gorgeous fiancée. You should try playing that role too.”
Oh.He was only acting.
“It’ll make the next few months fly by,” he continued. “I know you can’t wait for the contract to end so you can resume your life.” He turned down another road where a beautiful home satby itself, surrounded by flowering trees. A set of deciduous trees created a peaceful backdrop. It must be mesmerizing in the fall when the leaves turned to various shades of orange and gold.
I had expected a mansion surrounded by luxury fencing and a security gate to keep curious people out. But this modern home wasn’t intimidating. It had lovely curb appeal. The entrance, marked by a wide front door and flanked by Japanese maple and dogwood trees, made the location warm and welcoming. The doors just needed a floral wreath for the final touch. But that was subjective. If I had a home like this, I’d have a wreath for each season.
“I want to get back to my life too.” His words cut into me, yanking me back to reality.
Unease bloomed in my body. “Don’t worry, I’ll make it as painless as possible.”
