Total pages in book: 166
Estimated words: 156145 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 781(@200wpm)___ 625(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 156145 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 781(@200wpm)___ 625(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
But what if he did?
He couldn’t hit this head-on—Lucy would tell him to get lost, and with good reason. She had her eye on the prize and she wouldn’t be deterred by an outside force, even if it was Gideon.
If he could get her to change her mind, that would be a different story.
Gideon smiled.
Let her have her date with Mark. The guy was nice enough, but Gideon fully intended to take her to bed until she was so wrapped up in him that she forgot Mark’s fucking name.
A man looked up as Lucy approached the table the hostess had indicated. He was cute in a hipster sort of way, his close-cropped beard and glasses a combination that would have been strange five years before. Now it seemed like everyone had them. The only thing missing was suspenders or a bow tie. Instead, he wore a nice button-up shirt and a pair of slacks. When he rose to pull her chair out for her, she got an eyeful of his broad shoulders and clearly outlined muscles.
Too many muscles. Too much facial hair.
Oh, my God, stop. What is wrong with me?
He resumed his place and grinned at her, his teeth white and straight. “Lucy, I presume. Otherwise, this is about to get incredibly awkward.”
That startled a laugh out of her. “Yes, I’m Lucy.” She extended her hand. “That would make you Mark.”
“The very one.” He gave her a firm handshake, which she appreciated. Too many men—especially men who worked in corporate jobs—tended to give handshakes like they thought they’d break her. It drove her crazy.
Mark leaned back, his gaze roaming over her face.
Another mark in his favor—not ogling my chest. Lucy gave herself a shake. She had to stop overanalyzing every second of this date. Mark was most definitely not Gideon, and that didn’t have to be a tally in the negative column.
It was just hard to focus when she could still smell Gideon’s cologne from where he’d pressed her against the wall a few short minutes ago. It wasn’t musky and strong like so many men she knew—it was light and clean and reminded her of... She couldn’t place it.
Focus.
She gave a polite smile. “Thank you for agreeing to the date.”
“When Gideon called me and explained the situation, I’ll admit I didn’t believe him.” The corner of his mouth hitched up. “And then I asked him what was wrong with you.”
She tensed and then admonished herself for doing so. He was joking. He didn’t really think there was something wrong with her. “As you can see, I’m in possession of all my teeth.”
“Not to mention beautiful and successful.” Mark’s easy smile made the words fact rather than a throwaway compliment. “I’ve heard of marriages of convenience, but I assumed they were the stuff of fiction. This whole situation is kind of strange.”
“I can’t argue that.” She’d known it was a reach the second she’d called Gideon to put the plan into action. That didn’t change the fact that she had no other option. “But I have to ask. If you think it’s so strange, why are you here?”
He sighed. “I’m fucking up this small talk, aren’t I? That was way too heavy to start in on.”
“I don’t mind. This isn’t exactly the most conventional situation.” She appreciated the frankness, even if there was something missing from this interaction that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Mark was attractive—there was no denying that—but... Lucy didn’t know. It was off.
“In that case, I agreed to this because I’ve worked eighty-hour weeks for several years and that won’t be stopping anytime soon. I don’t know if you’ve been to a bar lately, but meeting people there is a joke. Everyone is on their phones or with their friends or not interested. Dating apps are even worse, in large part because women have so many nightmare encounters that they’re edgy and distant. It makes it hard to really get to know a person when they’re sure that you’re going to turn on a dime and send a dick pic or freak out because they cancel the date.” He shrugged. “It comes down to time. I don’t have much of it to meet new people and jump through the hoops of first dates and second dates—and balancing the knife edge of showing that I’m interested without being too goddamn pushy.” Mark sighed. “Sorry. It’s a sore spot for me.”
There was a story there—perhaps several.
The waitress appeared to take their order and then disappeared as quickly. Lucy leaned forward. “Tell me some of your dating stories.”
He raised his eyebrows. “If there was a playbook for first dates, I’m one hundred percent sure it wouldn’t include recalling dates with other women.”
“This is hardly your textbook first date.” She smiled. “My little sister runs the gauntlet of online dating, and some of her stories defy belief.”