“Care to share how you knew Trevor would be dining there tonight?”
“Simple.” He rests his elbow on the center console, drumming his fingertips against the leather. “Theresa is actually a close friend of my neighbor in Southampton. They went to prep school together or something. I just so happened to see her post on Instagram yesterday that she’d bought a new dress for a dinner date with her beau. Friends asked where she was going, and she spilled. No information is too difficult to find out these days. Not with social media.”
“So you did stalk her.”
“Again, I prefer to call it research.”
“Okay. So you knew where they’d be. How did you get a reservation? From what I know of that place, they have a waiting list a mile long. You need to book months in advance.”
“That’s true, unless you know someone.”
“And you know someone.”
“I know a lot of people.”
“But does Trevor know people?” My voice is low and wavers slightly. “Or did Theresa just go in my place?” I suck in a breath, another possibility crossing my mind. A more heartbreaking possibility. “Or was it Theresa’s date all along?”
I never even considered that Trevor had cheated on me. He didn’t seem the type. Plus, we lived together. I would have noticed if he came home smelling of another woman’s perfume. Then again, there were plenty of nights he never came home at all. Was he lying to me the whole time?
“Does it matter?”
“What?” I shift my gaze to Julian.
“Does it matter?” he repeats, this time more forcefully. “At this moment, right here, right now…” He brings his hands to cup my face, an intensity in his eyes causing a surge of desire to pool in my stomach. “Does…it…matter?”
I swallow hard, trying to calm my racing heart, on the brink of insisting it does. Whether Trevor made that reservation for me or Theresa is the difference between me opening my heart to him again or constructing a wall and never allowing him in. But Julian has a point. All evening, I barely thought of Trevor and Theresa, despite them sitting mere feet away. Every ounce of my attention was devoted to Julian. I was in the moment with him. He was all that mattered.
“No,” I say softly. “It doesn’t.” My words come out sounding surprised, and I am a little. Regardless, they’re true. Right now, there is no Trevor or Theresa. It’s just Julian and me.
“Good.” He keeps my face in his hands for another moment before pulling away. The sudden lack of contact leaves me longing for more.
Not wanting to let on, I clear my throat, pulling my cell out of my clutch. “Are there any pressing dates I should be made aware of now? Like within the next week? I don’t have any vacation planned, and am able to work from out of the office, but I have a few big projects going on.”
I shift my eyes to him when he doesn’t say anything right away. His brows are pulled in, an analytical gaze on his face as he seems to assess me. I’m not sure what to make of it. Then he sighs, relaxing into the seat.
“This coming Thursday is July Fourth. The celebrations go all week, starting tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” My mouth becomes slack. “I have things I need to get done this weekend. I need to have a life outside of our arrangement.”
“And I understand that. I’m not asking you to attend every single party with me. Just the important ones.”
“And July Fourth is important.”
He nods. “The annual Red, White, and Blue Gala.”
“Gala?” I arch a brow. “Am I going to need a dress?”
He laughs, his eyes dancing in amusement. “You’re going to need a lot of dresses, swimsuits, stuff like that. Some of these events will be formal, like Fourth of July. Others will be less so. There will be charity auctions, boat christenings, perhaps even some Ladies’ Tea luncheons you’ll most likely be invited to once word gets around you’re my girlfriend.”
My stomach suddenly feels weighted down. Lowering my head, I fiddle with the hem of the dress I bought at a discount clothing store, inadequacy washing over me.
“Do you honestly think this will work, Julian? This lifestyle you lead is vastly different from mine. Hell, for all intents and purposes, I’m homeless right now. The only reason I’m not on a street corner holding up a cardboard sign is because Chloe’s letting me sleep on the pullout couch in her den. The idea of anyone in your social circle accepting me is ridiculous. Don’t you think you’d be better off finding someone who knows the difference between the salad and fish fork?”
With a smirk, he grabs my hand, stopping me from fidgeting. “The fact that you know some settings have both a salad and fish fork shows you’re not as inexperienced as you’d like me to believe. We may not know each other well, but the instant I saw you, I knew you were the only person who could do this with me. The only woman I’d want to do this with.” He brings my hand to his lips, treating my skin to a delicious kiss. “So bury your doubt. Your unabashed confidence is what caught my attention. Don’t let the idea that you’re not good enough, like Trevor made you think, take it away. You are good enough. Hell, you’re better than most people can ever dream to be. Don’t forget that. Okay?”
I slowly turn my eyes from his, breathless from the passion and genuine affection in his words. “Okay.” It’s all I can manage.
After a few silent moments, the car comes to a stop. I glance out the window to see we’re already at Chloe’s building. Julian and his driver step out at the same time. When my door opens, I smile in thanks at his driver before turning to Julian. He places his hand on my lower back, leading me toward the brownstone.
The closer we get to the front door, the more my heart rate increases. What’s the proper protocol for saying goodnight to the man you’re pretending to date? I doubt I’d find the answer in any rule book. Perhaps this entire experience will give me more material for the column. Instead of just giving advice on normal relationships, I can give tips for fake relationships, too. I’m already writing it in my head…Fifty Rules for Pretending to Date an Undateable Man.
Not wanting to endure any more awkwardness than I already have, I take control of the situation, facing Julian and extending my hand toward him. “Thanks for dinner. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
Squinting, he eyes my hand, a bemused smirk forming on his lips. “A handshake?”
“Yes. Your driver obviously knows about our arrangement, as does Chloe, since she and Nora were sitting next to me when you called. There’s no need to put on an act right now. So, thank you for dinner.” I extend my hand even farther, making it clear that I’m serious about the handshake. When he lifts his hand, I exhale a small breath of relief, only to let out a surprised squeak when he grabs my hip instead, pulling me against him.
In an instant, the desire I’d struggled to suppress all evening flickers back to life as my body fuses into his. He brings a hand to my face, tilting my head back, forcing my eyes to his. They’re so intense. So consuming. So vivid. The hair on my nape stands on end, every inch of me aching with raw need.
“Do you honestly believe the only reason I touch you is to put on a show? To keep up an act?” His voice is deep and lustful as he lowers his mouth toward my neck. A slave to his unspoken command, I crane my head, this dance between us feeling like one we’ve done dozens of times over. Instead, we’re two strangers.
“The thought’s crossed my mind.”
“Well, get the thought out of your mind. Yes, I had certain criteria I was looking for in approaching someone about the prospect of this little arrangement. Smart, funny, confident. Most importantly, attractive.” He nuzzles against my skin, the roughness of his scruff jarring, exciting, and everything I need but didn’t realize it.