Cheater (Curious Liaisons, #1)(71)

I hated that his comment had me smiling all the way to my desk, until I looked at his calendar again.

He was bored.

He wanted sex.

I was available.

And convenient.

Nothing more.





Chapter Thirty-Five


LUCAS

“Right. There.” I moaned and then broke out in a cold sweat. “Wait, just a little to the left. No, right! Left!”

“Did you FAIL when you were taught direction in first grade?” Avery asked. “Just tell me where it is.”

“You were just there. Damn it!”

“Right or left!”

“RIGHT!” I pointed to the nightstand, not that she could see.

Avery made a triumphant noise, clearly forgetting she was under the table and giving me the show of a lifetime. She bumped her head while attempting to jump to her feet, no doubt to celebrate her ability to locate the penny she’d dropped.

“Ouch.” Avery rubbed her head and then thrust the penny against my chest. “Heads we go with the death scenario, or tails we power through, man up, and make them think that we are together for real. We eat the food, we talk to the people, we wave, we kiss for pictures, and”—her eyes widened—“Uh-oh. I don’t have a ring.”

“We haven’t even flipped the coin yet.” My hands moved to her hips in a vain attempt to pull her against my body.

“Stop that”—she swatted my hands—“I’m off-limits, remember?”

“I keep forgetting.”

“How convenient for your penis.”

“This is a bad idea.”

“Thank you!” She threw her hands in the air. “Finally, you get it. Sex? Always a bad idea.”

I reached for her again, only to be shoved back.

“Not the sex, the sex is always a solid plan—I mean, going home for the so-called engagement party.”

Hurt clouded her eyes. “Which is why we decided to flip the coin.”

“No, you decided to flip the coin after I fed you a hamburger and you declared that the beef inspired you.”

She shrugged. “Foodspiration. I called it foodspiration, Thorn.”

Groaning, I positioned the coin on my palm. “Fine. Are you ready?”

“I’ve never really thought about planning my own death—so, no, I’m not ready, Thorn. But what other choice do we have? You said my mom cried! She cried and hugged your mom! They’re finally back together! Peace has been restored. If we fess up now, we’re completely screwed, and you know it. Suddenly, we’re back at square one, and they’ll think you somehow brainwashed me to go through with this plan and”—she was starting to hyperventilate—“Kayla, will hate you all over again. And it’s not fair, not when—”

I swallowed and looked away.

Not when it always takes two.

The truth loomed over both of us.

“Clearly, sticking to the plan has caused a domino effect,” I said.

She shook her head.

“But going to the engagement party and continuing on with this plan . . . Well, the last time we said yes to one of the mothers, you were spread-eagled on the doctor’s table and—”

“I was there, Thorn, don’t need a recap.” She covered my mouth with her hand. Her skin smelled like coconut. “Stop looking at me like you want to eat me.”

“I do want to eat you.”

“Lucas . . .”

“Oh, so it’s Lucas now?”

“Flip the damn coin.”

I held my breath and tossed it in the air. Once it hit the ground, Avery and I stood over it and simultaneously let out a sigh of relief.

“Tails!” we said in unison. I reached out and grabbed her hand, rubbing her skin softly.

When she looked into my eyes, tears were already filling hers. “We’ve come this far. They can’t know the truth.”

“The truth.” What was the truth anyway? That I was falling for her? That I didn’t know what the hell I was doing? That I was a cheating bastard who fell for her long ago even though I’d asked her sister to marry me?

Avery squeezed my hand. “Here’s our story: I was your intern, one thing led to another . . .” She chewed on a fingernail. “Love at first sight. I sharpened your pencils, saved the day by fixing the copy machine—we shared a laugh in the break room, hah-hah.” She was bordering on delirious. “And then we kissed. End of story. No, I’m not pregnant. Yes, we’ll eventually get married. No, I don’t have a ring because it’s too conventional. Done.”

“Wow, you’ve thought of everything.”

“I have.” She exhaled, looking pleased with herself. “I really have.”

“You barely started your new job, Avery Bug.”

“Curses.”

“So unless we were dating in secret, that part of the story isn’t going to work. It’s going to seem like we’re moving too fast. It may have worked when we told my parents, but they’ve been too busy thinking about grandkids to actually process the whole time line.”

“We need another story.” Her expression softened, and she went all doe-eyed. “Come on, Thorn, you cheat on women all the time—you’re good at dealing with estrogen. How do we do this, make it believable, keep everyone happy, and the families on friendly footing? Because I refuse to let you ruin our families again.”