“A big one, huh? Well, I have been known to enjoy helping out fairy princesses. Now, tell me what I can do for such a beautiful lady.”
Even with her teasing me, I could she was not happy with whatever she was being forced to ask. “Are you busy tomorrow night?”
“Nah. We…” Well, shit. I almost told her I didn’t have practice. “Nope. Not at all.” Oh, this was getting so bad.
“Unfortunately, my parents are very traditional, so much so spending time with them is suffocating. My sister has managed to find herself another fiancé, so they are having an engagement party in celebration. My mother was happy to share that she had a fabulous date, no doubt a man they hope I’ll marry one day so as to improve their standing in the community. They would love nothing more than to arrange a fabulous marriage that I would absolutely hate. That’s why I’m considered the black sheep of the family. So, given the fact I’d promised myself I would never fall prey to their games again, I might have accidentally blurted out I had a boyfriend. Someone very special. I honestly thought she’d let it go, but she insisted I bring him along. So here we are. And I’m jabbering. I hate this.”
The way her lower lip was stuck out kept my attention more than the story. My parents were certainly challenging in almost every aspect of my life, but so far, they’d never insisted I find a mate.
When she was finished, she took a deep breath. “So you need a date for tomorrow night for this dinner? That’s no big deal.”
“I do. But it’s more complicated than that. They’ll be watching to catch any foibles in the relationship.” She finally lifted her gaze, managing to laugh. “You’d have to act like you care about me. Don’t worry. You won’t be propositioned as to if you have enough money to keep me in the manner that I deserve if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Oh, she had no idea what I was worried about.
One, I wasn’t Danny Wright.
Two, I was a shifter.
Three, I was a hockey player with a sordid reputation.
In other words, I wasn’t certain how I could keep the ruse going. Maybe for one dinner. “I can do that.” Just agreeing and my body was already responding with need to touch her.
Taste her.
Fuck her.
The images flashing in my mind were filthy, ripped with intense hunger and need that…
“Are you okay? You’re panting.” Her tone held concern.
I took a deep breath, trying to laugh it off while my pulse continued to race. What the fuck? “I’m fine. Just a little overheated from…”
“From?”
“Oh, I ran a couple miles before I popped in.” What was happening to me? I was a shitty liar. How the hell could I possibly get through an evening without looking like a fool or telling on myself? This wasn’t a good idea. Not at all.
“Oh, okay. Then if you’re serious, I’ll make it up to you.” She rolled her eyes as soon as she made the offer. “I can’t believe I just said that.”
“But you did and I heard it. You will, huh?” The famished beast side of me kicked in again.
“Yes, and that’s mostly because we’d need to go to Jacksonville.” She cringed after mentioning the location.
“Jacksonville?” Was she serious? I’d certainly never been asked to be a fake boyfriend before. I had to admit, I kind of liked the idea, but heading to Jacksonville would mean an entirely different element of keeping secrets.
I’d need to confess my sins at some point.
And if Ansley managed to get ahold of the information, I’d be doomed. A part of me said this was crazy, but the wolf in me was winning the argument.
She laughed nervously again and I found the fact she was having a difficult time looking me in the eye truly adorable. Though she’d attempted at making the request seem as if nothing more than an event she needed a plus one for, I had a sense she was suffering from emotional scars left behind by her family.
It was as if she was shamed into bringing a date. Whoever her damn parents were, I already hated them.
All I wanted to do was to protect her, keeping her safe from the assholes of this world, including her own family.
I also felt a sense of possessiveness, which was typical for shifters.
But not until they met someone special in their lives.
