Page 121 of The Plus One Pact

He looks at me funny. "Is that what you want, Ivy? Do you want to call this early? I won't stop you. I never would. If you want to walk away now, just say the word, and I'll drive you home."

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Romeo

I'm not bluffing.

Not exactly.

After all, I'm not kidnapping the poor woman. She's an adult with free will. If she wants to go, she can.

But I'm not nearly as okay with it as I suggest.

Watching doubt creep over Ivy's expression, I suddenly understand why most people don't make use of my strategy.

Sure, it's easy to let my family believe I'm off working contract gigs (even if they don't quite buy it). It's smart to use a fake relationship to convince them I'm capable of commitment.

But there's a cost.

My lack of honesty means a lack of intimacy too. My relationship with Daniel is built on the years before I started this line of work. He doesn't believe a thing about my new life.

He sees through it, senses the dishonesty.

That's why he doesn't trust me. It's not the only reason—he saw me as a screw-up for a long time—but it's part of it.

I'm too used to transactional relationships. To pretending I'm whoever the client wants me to be. To people who know I'll leave the second they tire of me, who know I won't come back unless they pay my fee.

There's a transparency to trading money for company, but it breeds another kind of dishonesty. After all, they're paying me to pretend I'm interested. And I'm asking them to believe the ruse.

Sure, I'm good at this game. But maybe I'm not good at any of the rest.

I wipe my hands on my slacks. They're wet. Why are they wet?

I don't sweat over women's responses. I don't get nervous.

But the body doesn't lie—

I'm terrified.

And it's not because I might lose my brother's trust. Not solely, anyway.

Ivy takes her time considering the question, leaving me in suspense. She's not an impulsive person. I'll give her that much.

"No." She looks me in the eyes. "I don't want to leave."

My shoulders fall in relief. I don’t want her to leave. I want her here. Even if it’s only as long as we play this game. I really like her. I really, really like her.

"But I don't want to pretend to be someone I'm not either," she says. "I'm not rushing to get married again. Or be the perfect wife. I don't even know if I want to be a wife again."

"Okay."

"That simple. Okay?" she asks.

"This was my idea," I say. "You never promised results."

"But isn't that our trade…" There's something in her voice. An insecurity.

This is about sex. Because this is her payment for sex. But I can't explain how I feel without putting her on the spot. This is an education for me, too. This is something I need, too.