Private Lies by Cat Johnson

Author:Cat Johnson
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Contemporary
Publisher: All Romance eBooks
Published: 2010-02-19T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

“I’ll walk you out.”

Jax nodded and let Arthur lead her by the elbow, down the stairs to the member parking lot. The valets had all gone home. The remaining cars, fewer than half a dozen, were lined up in front of the building, the keys stashed inside the visors for the night owls who stayed late at the bar when the rest of the diners had gone home directly after decaf and Baked Alaska. They stopped on the sidewalk.

“Arthur, I don’t know how to thank you for tonight. I know I sprung it on you last minute.” Jax found that pulling the wool over her mother’s eyes was so satisfying she had almost been able to forget about having to financially support her lying, cheating husband for the next year. Almost, but not quite. She still retained the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. “But I really think it went well.”

Standing awkwardly in what was probably a typical stance for him, Arthur shoved his hands into the pockets of his expensive but wrinkled, pleated-front khakis. Maybe if this fake relationship with Arthur continued, she could take him shopping. Get him into a nice flat-front, wrinkle-free pant and a shirt that didn’t look like his grandfather loaned it to him.

He smiled shyly. “I concur. I haven’t seen Grandpapa look so happy since George W beat Gore. And I have you to thank. It was a brilliant idea.”

“Thanks, but I couldn’t have done it without you. When you invited me out onto the terrace to look at the moon, the expression on Mother’s face was priceless. I bet she’s home right now planning the guest list for our wedding.”

Meredith Monroe hadn’t looked that joyful since she’d beaten her archrival in the annual club tournament ten years earlier, if even then. Apparently Jax dating the freshly divorced heir apparent to the Johnston fortune was even better than whipping Bitsy Nahoum’s butt on the courts and bringing home the club trophy. Too bad for her mother it was all a well-orchestrated sham—the dinner at the club, their sitting at a private table for two rather than with either family, their slow-dance together—all of it.

The light breeze rippled Arthur’s open navy blazer away from his thin torso as he tilted his head to one side and looked at Jax. “Would it be inappropriate for me to tell you that more than just getting the fam off my back, I really did enjoy spending time with you tonight? You are an amazing woman, Jax.”

“Arthur.” Jax considered her words carefully, not wanting to lead him on. “I’m not even divorced yet, and the ink on your own divorce papers is barely dry…”

He pulled one hand from its seemingly permanent lodging in his pocket and held it up to silence her. “I know, Jax. I’ve heard all the excuses before. Believe me, I’m very aware that women like you don’t fall for guys like me.”

The last thing she wanted to do was show her pity for him, but Jax couldn’t help the wrinkles of sympathy that crossed her brow.

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