Page 46 of Dark Heart

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He raises his eyes and locks my gaze, annoyed.

“Champagne?” I ask, raising the glass to my lips, trying to distract him.

He shakes his head.

“You okay?” I ask.

“Yeah...”

He’s definitely not.

“You don’t talk much.”

“Do you pay me to talk?” he asks, anger flashing through his voice.

Oh... I see.

This is going to be a problem, and I can’t have it right now.

I can’t replace him with someone else while I’m on an island, and I only have a few hours.

I proceed with caution, and for starters, I back off, giving him space.

“No... You’re right. You don’t have to talk to me. You only have to pretend we’re a couple when we’re in public,” I say in a softer voice, without looking at him.

The silence grows awkward.

“I’ll go to sleep now,” I say after a few more moments, rising to my feet.

He cuffs my wrist and looks up.

“Stay,” he says in a different voice––gentler––and something crumbles in my chest.

My body responds to his touch with warmth and tingles.

“I’m sorry,” he says as I slide back into my seat.

We sit––both quiet––before he speaks again.

“Who are we supposed to meet tomorrow?” he asks.

“Saturday,” I clarify.

He arches an eyebrow, waiting for me to continue.

“My family,” I say. “It’s my younger sister’s engagement party.”

“Why do you need a male escort to see your family?”

My eyes pull away from his, my mind coming up with a few ideas, all evading the truth.

I look at him again.

“We severed ties a few years back.”

“When exactly?”

“Five years ago.”


Tags: Shayne Ford Romance