Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 106150 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 531(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106150 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 531(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Bash stared at me for a beat, then pushed his plate away, too. “That’s right.” He stood and twisted his back in an exaggerated stretch, and my eyes caught on the thin band of tan skin on his stomach that peeked out when his shirt rode up. “Want to go sit on the sofa? It might be more comfortable.”
My mouth went dry, and I grabbed my wine, gulping down the remainder of the glass.
Tell him. You tell him right now, Rowe Prince. Don’t let another minute go by.
“Rowe? Everything okay?”
Oh, peachy. I’m pretending to be a billionaire when in reality, I don’t have enough savings to pay for this bottle of wine. I’m supposed to be using this opportunity to get connections I can pitch the business idea I’ve spent years working on, but instead, I keep using every excuse I can think of to spend time with you. The fairy tale is ending, and I want so badly to just have a few more minutes with you. Another kiss from you. For you to know who I am and still look at me the way you’re looking right now.
“Yes. Great.” I cleared my throat. “I just feel like I’m talking too much. Am I talking too much? I don’t want to bore you.”
“You couldn’t possibly.” He held out a hand to me, but it was the look in his eyes that drew me toward him. “Come tell me more stories.”
It turned out that Bash meant that literally. He settled me on one end of the sofa and took up a spot on the other end. Then he proceeded to ask me questions. My favorite movies. My favorite books. My favorite foods. My most embarrassing moment.
Just like earlier, at the polo match, I forgot to be nervous. I forgot I was supposed to lie. I forgot I was supposed to maintain distance. And that was when it all went wrong.
“So what you’re telling me,” Bash said mock-sternly, “is that you jumped on the horse because you wanted to impress a boy—”
“Hey! You asked for my most embarrassing moment, and that was it. And I’ll have you know, I did it because I was dared. It was a debt of honor. It didn’t impress anyone… especially after I fell sideways across the saddle with one foot still in the stirrup and bumping against Apple Butter’s back while he went leaping through the neighbor’s field. You’d be surprised how much it hurts to fall into a row of soybeans.” I shook my head. “I was the king of misfortune.”
Bash met my eyes. The edges of his lips were still turned up, and all I could think was how much I wanted to tease them with the tip of my tongue. We’d slid closer together, incrementally, until we were turned toward each other, our knees mere inches apart.
“On the contrary,” he whispered. “You’re the Prince of Lies.” His voice was low, almost sultry, utterly compelling…
Which was why it took me several seconds to realize the slight emphasis he’d put on the word Prince.
My heart skipped a beat before thudding double time, and my glow of happiness burned off, leaving me with a cold flare of humiliation. “P-pardon?” I breathed.
“I thought you told me Sterling Chase has been a champion polo player since high school?”
Oh. Fuck. Pumpkins all the way down. My imaginary clock had struck midnight, and I hadn’t even heard it.
“I… I…” I darted a glance toward the door.
Bash’s hand reached out to clasp mine. “Easy,” he said, gentling me like he’d done earlier with Starlight. “Answer me.”
I licked my lips. “It could be that I like to tell tall tales,” I whispered. “Maybe I told that story b-because it was more exciting than the boring life of an elite child in polo lessons.”
He surprised me by letting out a laugh. “Now, that’s the damn truth. Polo lessons are only fun if you aren’t sharing them with your asshole neighbor Eric.”
That was oddly specific. As if he spoke from experience. Personal experience.
I eyed the expensive clothes Bash wore. The shoes I really should have noticed were Italian leather. The elegant, subtle cologne that must have cost a fortune. And then the square, black watch on his wrist. With his hand so close to mine, I could make out the brand name on the watch face, which I’d never thought to look at before.
Hermès.
It was amazing how much a person could willfully not notice. How he could put facts together wrong in his mind. But now that I saw them, I couldn’t unsee them. And the picture that was coming together now…
“You aren’t really a PA, are you?” I accused.
Bash’s big hand tightened around mine. “No, sweetheart.” He looked up at me from under his eyelashes. “And you’re not really Sterling Chase.”
Ah, fuck.
EIGHT
BASH
I wanted Rowe Prince.