Maddeningly, she hadn't wanted it to end. That annoyed her the most. Despite her protests, if they did go the whole way and have sex, it would be spectacular. His restrained power had been a major turn on, as if he'd been keeping a leash on his uncontrollable urges.
She wished.
"I'm thinking."
"About?" His eyes narrowed. "Last time you did that, you ended up proposing to me."
"You're never going to let me forget that, are you?"
"Never's a long time, sweetheart."
That wiped the smile off her face. Jax was right. This marriage was nothing more than a convenient solution to an apparently insolvable problem. Those figures her accountant presented had been damning, and who knew what would happen to Sapphire ifSeabornwent under?
Ruby had a feeling the business might be the only thing keeping her sister afloat since their mum died, and if she lost that too…
She had to marry Jax Maroney, as crazy and unpalatable as it seemed.
She made the mistake of glancing at his smug face—the high cheekbones, the strong jaw, the sensual lips, the mesmerising eyes—well awareunpalatabledidn’t describe him in the slightest.
"We need to talk about getting the details straight before the ceremony next week."
Not surprisingly, his perpetual frown returned at the mention of their impending marriage. "You're the one with all the ideas. How do you propose we pull this off?"
“Like I just said, by getting our stories straight." She shrugged. "People will want to know how we met, how long we've been dating, that kind of thing."
He grimaced. "I've got enough to do without constructing an elaborate lie and then living it."
She knuckled fake tears, relieved when he chuckled. He had to be committed one hundred per cent for this to succeed.
"It's not that difficult. We met through our mutual mines, fell for each other quickly, and carried on a long-distance relationship.” She ticked points off on her fingers. “Then you realised you couldn't live without me and returned to Melbourne."
"You make me sound like a love-sick schmuck," he muttered.
"Aren't you?"
She leaned across the table, in his face, and batted her eyelashes. Teasing him, she could handle. Going through the motions of marrying him and living a lie daily? That would be tough.
He nudged her away. "Let's concentrate on getting our stories straight, and leave the goofing off for later."
As if Mr Uptight ever goofed off in his life.
"When's the last time you dated?"
He tipped two sugars into his espresso and stirred. "Define dating."
She rolled her eyes, well aware of the dating definition differences between the sexes. Some women took a first kiss as a pledge of undying devotion. Most men needed six months and a key to a flat to accept the fact they were in a steady relationship.
“Have you been out with anyone in the last three months?" She tapped her bottom lip, aware she hadn't thought this through. "Because if you've been cheating, people will crucify you."
His mouth kicked up at the corners. “I’d never cheat on you, gorgeous.”
She snapped her fingers in front of him. "Focus and answer the question."
His smile faded, replaced by the usual reticence. "I go out on the occasional date when I'm in Perth, and the last time was about five months ago."
"Nobody serious?"
"I just said that, didn't I?" He muttered, staring moodily into his coffee when she raised a brow at his snark.
