Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 58442 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58442 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
It takes me a moment to realize she means the masks. I take mine off, wishing I could keep in on. It would be easier to lie with it on.
We sit around the table on her balcony. There are pastries and coffee laid out already.
“You see why I needed company?” She says, her cheeks flushed, with a youthful grin on her face. “I always order too much.”
“We’ll be happy to help,” Raiden says, reaching for a pastry. Raiden winks at me. “Don’t worry about table manners, Aurora. We might be richer than God, but luckily, we’re all pigs.” He stuffs a pastry in his mouth.
Evangeline and I laugh, exchanging a look. It’s a look that says, What’s our man like… as if we’ve got a shared history with him, and I didn’t agree to this only a few days ago.
“Raiden still hasn’t told me how you two met,” she says.
Raiden smirks in that half douche, half captivating way. “It’s an interesting story, actually,” he says.
“Good, because I hate uninteresting ones.”
“I needed some work done on a few suits over the summer. I dealt with Margot mostly, but every time I came by, Aurora found an excuse to come into the shop. It was all eyes at first. She looked at me like I was a meal, honestly.”
Evangeline laughs in delight. “A meal!”
“She was obsessed, it seemed to me,” he says, winking at me.
I know I’m supposed to go along with it, but this is just ridiculous. Obsessed with him. What planet is he on?
“It turns out your grandson let his arrogance get the better of him,” I say.
Raiden tries to hide his wince, but I see it. Relish it. Even if it could mean risking the deal.
“I just happened to be in the shop at the time. When he came onto me while my grandmother was busy, I was completely taken off-guard.”
Raiden’s cheeks color a little, but he can’t stop the corner of his lip from twitching in that near-smirk I love to hate. “I’ll admit I got ahead of myself,” he says ruefully. “I should’ve made sure I had a full grasp of the situation before I made my move.”
“What did you do?” Evangeline asks me, fascinated.
“I’m sorry, Evangeline, but I slapped your grandson.”
She claps her hands together, laughing. “Oh my, this is getting interesting.”
“Don’t sound too happy about it,” Raiden says gruffly. “After the slap, I only wanted her more. You know what the women in our lives are like, Grandma, how they throw themselves at the Blackwell name. Aurora wasn’t–isn’t–like that.”
He looks at me seriously, and I think he means that part.
“Aurora was genuine. The next time I went back, I asked her on a date.”
“You didn’t just ask me on a date, Raiden. Aren’t you going to tell the whole story?”
He raises his eyebrow at me. “And what would the whole story be exactly?”
“Aren’t you going to tell Evangeline how I said no at first, so you fell to your knees and begged me to forgive you for the kiss? It was so funny… and, honestly, cute too.”
“I did it in a joking way,” Raiden says. “Remember how you laughed, Aurora? So hard snot exploded out of your nose. You were so embarrassed.”
I smile, laugh. The charming prick. He’s trapped me.
“Yeah, that was pretty gross. I’m surprised you still wanted to date me after that.”
“It sounds like nothing could’ve stopped him from dating you,” Evangeline says, her hand on her chest. “How long have you been seeing each other?”
“A few months,” Raiden says. “A date here, a date there, though things are getting more serious lately. Right, Aurora?”
He looks at me intently, and I know that playtime is over. He needs his partner–no, his employee–to play her role to perfection now. “Yes, it’s true.”
“And you’re only telling me now, this weekend?” Evangeline says, perhaps wondering if she’s being tricked. But there’s hope in her voice. It’s like she wants to believe it, desperately needs to know her grandson has found someone.
For the first time since this started, guilt threatened to bury me.
Is it fair to trick her?
Reality check, Aurora. This isn’t my responsibility. I need the cash for Grandma. That’s all there is to it.
“I didn’t want you to get excited before I knew this, us, was going to be more than a few dates,” he says. “What if I told you then we broke up?”
“I’m just happy to see you happy… and settled for the Retreat. It’s so wonderful.”
“Thanks, Grandma,” Raiden says, shifting awkwardly in his chair. He clearly doesn’t enjoy deceiving his grandmother.
“I should be thanking you.” Evangeline beams at me. “I can’t express how happy I am to see my grandson like this. Head over heels. I never dreamed I’d see it. Have you thought about children?”
“Easy, Grandma,” Raiden says, laughing tensely. “It’s only been a few months.”