Will You Pretend Marry Me by Christi Barth

Author:Christi Barth [Barth, Christi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-04-17T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Everett didn’t take risks. He kept an umbrella in his car and his desk drawer. Lived entirely off of his teacher’s salary and funneled all his EPA money into a combo savings/vacation with foster siblings account. The flossing…that was a work in progress.

But he was taking a risk tonight.

Well, a double risk. Spending any time with Abigail not sanctioned by their contractual dates, especially time alone—that was a big risk. The woman was…beguiling.

Tempting.

Habit-forming.

Addicting.

Every minute spent with her would make their inevitable, contracted breakup that much harder. Because Everett couldn’t ignore his attraction to her anymore.

Not that he’d ever done a good job of that. But he’d especially crapped out in that department in the week since their “engagement.”

So he tried to avoid her. Stay professional. Protect his heart.

Was that something men even did? He’d been watching too many Hallmark movies with Tasha. The girl loved to binge them. And, yes, he tried to soak up their time together, no matter how cheesy the movie.

The bigger risk, tonight, was of being shot down. Everett didn’t have a lot of experience with that—and he liked it that way. He called the shots, kept it casual, knew when to walk away before anyone got hurt.

Tonight, though, he was going to ask Abigail Dilworth on a date. One she could easily refuse. One that might not even be fun for the SoCal resident. But the only way to get rid of an itch was to scratch it.

Or use a topical application of ice. His morning and evening cold showers weren’t doing anything to help, though.

He brushed past the velvet drapes onto the black Marley floor of the stage. Spotted Abigail right away, cross-legged on the lip of the stage with, again, the legal pad and the tablet and…a roll of luminescent spike tape. Her hair was in a messy bun that basically begged him to pull it down.

“You’re working late.”

Abigail’s head shot up. “Obviously, to note that, you are as well.”

“Touché.”

“Are you making security rounds? Because I always lock up the auditorium when I leave.”

If that was the only reason she could think of for him to stop by? Then this idea was a bad one. As bad as flame jetting during a rainbow salts experiment.

“Uh, no. I’m here to offer you an alternative to all this glamour and nonstop excitement.” He swung out an arm wide…and caught the ghost light with his wrist. Pain shot up his arm as he windmilled to keep the light from crashing to the floor.

Yeah, this was officially a bad idea.

At least Abigail set everything off to the side and braced her arms behind her to look up at him. “What’s the catch?”

“None. I figured it’d take bribery to pry you out of here before midnight. And I wouldn’t feel right leaving you alone here this late, so I’d be stuck here, too…”

She took off her glasses to press the heels of her palms against her brow bones. “Where are we going?”

“On a walk.”

“No. I mean, thank you, but no.

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