Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26723 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26723 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
4
JEREMY
She just handed me the perfect opportunity to make her mine, and I jumped on it.
“Excellent idea.”
McKenna blinked at me a few times, then her brow drew down. “What is?”
I smiled my most charming smile and reached across the table for her hand. “Getting engaged. It’s a brilliant plan, and I’m completely on board.”
Her eyes widened, and she swallowed hard before she sputtered, “I wasn’t—you can’t be serious—I mean, we can’t—that's crazy!”
“Is it?” I queried, cocking my head to the side and studying her thoughtfully. “You said yourself that your grandfather wants to see you taken care of, happy like he was with your grandmother. This is your chance to give him that gift.”
McKenna opened her mouth, then closed it, then shook her head. “You want to pretend to be engaged so that my grandfather will deed the property to me and I can sell it to you?”
“More or less,” I hedged. I wasn’t going to lie, but if I told her right then that I fully intended to keep her, she’d probably run. “What if knowing you are taken care of and in a loving relationship gives him more time?”
She still looked dubious, but I could see in her eyes that she was beginning to consider my words.
I turned her hand over and ran the tip of my finger over her palm and wrist, hiding a smile when goose bumps raised on her arm. “Would it be so hard for you to pretend to be attracted to me?” I crooned. “To pretend to love me?”
McKenna’s gaze darted down to our hands, watching me play idly with her fingers for a few beats before looking at my face once more.
“No,” she whispered.
“No, it won’t be hard, or no, you won’t do it?”
She inhaled deeply and pink stained her cheeks, making my semi-hard cock swell and fully harden. Damn, she was sexy as fuck. And after spending the night dreaming about all the things I wanted to do to her and waking up to take an arctic shower, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her curves. To see just how far down that blush would go when I made her come.
“No, it won’t be hard.”
My brain shouted with triumph while my cock pulsed with desire. “You’ll do it?” I clarified.
“Yes,” she sighed. Then she shook her head and muttered, “I must be out of my mind.”
I wasn’t about to give her any time to rethink her decision, so I stood and held out my hand.
McKenna looked up at me with a bewildered expression.
“Let’s go.”
She frowned, and I didn’t like it. I wanted to make her smile again.
“Ring shopping. We have to make it look real if we’re going to sell the love at first sight scenario.” I winked at her and grinned. “Besides, I can be a possessive son of a bitch, and I want everyone to know my woman is taken.”
Her mouth curled up, and she giggled as she finally took my hand and let me pull her up to her feet. “That’s funny. You sound just like my grandfather. I don’t remember a whole lot about my grandmother from when I was younger, but from everything he’s told me, I can’t help but think he was a little obsessed with her. Acting like that about me might win you some points and help convince him you love me.”
“Who’s acting?” I muttered under my breath as I led her out of the shop and into the morning sun. “Why don’t we take my car?” I suggested. “I can bring you back to get it later or have someone come get it and take it home.”
“How would someone take my car home without the keys?” she inquired in a puzzled tone.
"I have my ways,” I teased, stopping next to my Ferrari and unlocking the doors. I opened hers and helped her slide into the low seat. “I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”
She laughed as I shut the door and loped around to the driver’s side. Once I was settled, I pushed the start button and the engine roared to life before quieting down to the purr of a luxury vehicle.
“This is quite the car,” McKenna murmured, looking around the interior.
I shrugged as I put the car into gear and backed out of the space. “It’s a little flashy, but it was my dream car as a kid. I wanted to be a race car driver, but when you have to pull change out of the couch just to buy a loaf of bread, dreams like that are quickly extinguished.” I drove onto the main road and headed for Malibu. “When you grow up in a hellhole with nothing, you tend to want the best once you can afford it.”
“I—um, I’m sorry. It wasn’t a criticism,” she mumbled.