“Holy shit!” Wes exclaimed. “H—h—how? I mean, who—”
“Now, and let me introduce myself,” Ransom continued. “I’m your biggest nightmare. I eat men like you for breakfast. And I’ve been appointed to help Miss Thorne rehabilitate her reputation—a reputation which you tarnished—meaning she’ll be staying far away from you. You are not to contact her ever again, understand?”
God save the girl who was going to become this man’s daughter. Might as well tattoo the word UNDATABLE on her forehead.
In other news: I was impressed by Ransom’s research on Wes.
“Geez, man. Okay. Okay,” Wes whined. “Can I at least—”
“No.” Ransom hung up, handing me my phone back. “Case dismissed.”
I took it, staring at him in pure horror. “I noticed. You should try your hand at politics. Such finesse.”
He turned around, about to go up the stairs, probably to take a shower. I cleared my throat, bracing myself for the conversation we were about to have.
“I’m traveling to Texas.” I dropped the bomb, making him stop in place, his back to me.
He turned around slowly, looking at me with mild curiosity. Was it just me or did he actually lookrelieved? Whatever was on his face, it was an emotion. The Robot had an emotion. And it wasn’t a bad one, either.
“We are?” he asked laconically.
“Iam,” I corrected him. “There’s some stuff ahead of my sister’s wedding I need to tend to. She’d rip my head off if I missed the dress fitting. I already booked a ticket and a hotel and everything.”
“With what credit card?”
“Hers.”
His eyes darkened. The man wasn’t used to being outsmarted.
“I’ll need the dates and flight arrangements. We’re going to be rooming together. Separate beds.”
“Over my dead body!”
He shrugged. “Not my favorite sleeping arrangement, but whatever works for you.”
He took the stairs up. I trailed behind him, pleading my case.
“Random, you can’t be serious.”
“Deadass, as you influencers say.”
“People will talk.” I went for the weakest excuse possible.
“People aren’t that interested in you,” he countered.
“Are you kidding? The media isobsessedwith me. I’m a hot mess. I swear, it’ll be all over the news, and super counterproductive to us trying to clean up my act.”
He gave me awhat of itglance.
“You’ll never be able to show your face in public again!” I squirmed, attempting to snatch the hem of his running shorts.
“Never cared too much about the public.”
“But don’t you care—”
“No.”
“Random—”