Danielle wasn’t hookup material—she was too sweet, toogood. And I didn’t know how to offer someone more than that. Not again.
“I’m sorry,” I repeated, and then I was pushing past her, desperate to get out of that alcove.
I didn’t stop until I was outside, breathing fresh air… or as fresh as the air got in Downtown Boston.
I generally prided myself on my control—over my actions, my feelings, my environment. But I’d just blown all that to hell in a matter of seconds. Nothing about that kiss had been controlled. It had been pure, base desire.
The buzzingof my phone pulled me out of the memory. One I was better off forgetting entirely. That kiss had been my damnation. Or maybe it had just been one tiny step of many on my path to Hell. I’d never meant for it to happen. Danielle and I were never even officially together. It just sort of… happened.
One kiss led to two and three, and before I knew it, it was normal. I couldn’t see her without tasting her lips or putting my hands on her. She was the one I called when I wanted to talk to someone. She was the only person I wanted on my arm at events and luncheons and whatever other social crap Sierra couldn’t get me out of. I found myself worrying about her living alone in an apartment that had no security.
It got to the point where the idea of losing her was starting to scare me.
But keeping her had always been out of the question. I wasn’t ever going to get married. I couldn’t offer her a future. And she deserved a future.
I stared down at my phone, and my heart nearly stopped when I saw the name on my screen.
Danielle
I’ll do it.
She’d unblocked me. Not only that, she was agreeingto my crazy marriage plan. I grabbed my coat and left my penthouse without even thinking about it.
Me
I’m on my way.
Danielle
What time will you be here?
20 minutes.
What if I’m not at home?
I assume you would have told me that when I first told you I was coming.
Has anyone ever told you that you kind of suck at asking questions?
You didn’t ask if I was single before asking me to fake marry you.
You didn’t ask where I was before inviting yourself over.
If it’s that important to you, we can add it to our rules for this arrangement.
Add what rule exactly? “Hayden is required to ask Danielle where she is and who she’s with before making demands?”
I didn’t demand you marry me.
That’s not really an answer to the question.
We’ll talk about it when I get there.
She’d agreed. I wasn’t really surprised. Danielle wasthat type of person, the one who made sacrifices for others just because it was the nice thing to do. She wouldn’t let my brother get hurt any more than I would.
And I was going to keep aggressively ignoring the sting I’d felt at knowing she wouldn’t do it for me. It wasn’t until I brought Miles into things that she said she’d consider it.
I leaned my head against the headrest in the back seat of my Audi and closed my eyes. There was a sick feeling expanding in my gut as I tried to imagine what a marriage to Danielle would look like.
