With This Fling... Read Online Free PDF Page B

said.
    ‘Of course.’
    His gaze had shifted to her lips and his smile was fading. Something else started moving into place. Something fierce and heated.
    ‘Will you be staying in Sydney long?’ she all but stuttered. ‘Is there a contact number or address I can reach you at?’
    ‘I’ll be here for a while,’ he said. ‘And yes, there is.’ Not that he seemed inclined to part with that information. ‘This predicament you’ve got yourself in …’
    ‘Which one?’
    ‘The fake dead fiancé. The lie that just keeps getting bigger.’
    ‘Oh. Right. That predicament.’
    ‘There
is
a way around it without necessarily having to come clean about the lie,’ he offered. ‘You’d be indebted to me, of course, but I figure that’s a small price to pay, and I do happen to know of a way in which you could repay me.All strictly above board and harmless, more or less.’
    ‘What are you suggesting?’
    ‘Resurrection.’
    ‘Pardon?’
    ‘You’re not the only one with an ex-fiancé,’ he murmured. ‘Although mine happens to be real and she’s not yet dead. She’s also been welcome at my parents’ place since childhood. She’s part of the family, the daughter my mother never had.’
    ‘No wonder you went paddling up the Sepik afterwards,’ said Charlotte. ‘Who ended the engagement?’
    ‘I did.’
    ‘Were you heartbroken?’
    ‘Do I look heartbroken?’
    ‘I really don’t know you well enough to tell. Was
she
heartbroken?’
    ‘The engagement was a mistake,’ said Greyson Tyler curtly. ‘Sarah wants a conventional husband. One who’s home more often than not. One who’s ready to settle down and start a family.’
    ‘How unusual,’ murmured Charlotte and wore Greyson’s steel-eyed glare with equanimity.
    ‘That’s not me. I don’t know if it’ll ever be me, only Sarah—’ He gave a tiny shake of hishead. ‘Sarah wants to pick up where we left off. With my family’s blessing.’
    ‘You’re a big boy. Just say no.’
    ‘I have. No one seems to believe me. No one
wants
to believe me. I’m running out of gentle
ways
of saying no, but maybe you can help me. Maybe I can help you.’
    ‘How?’
    ‘I need a woman at my side for a family barbecue next weekend. Preferably one who’s ecstatic about me, my way of life, and what I can give her—which is, needless to say, not a lot. A free spirit who can make Sarah and my family believe that everyone should just move on. In return, I’ll play your back-from-the-dead fiancé whom you can produce, bicker with, and shortly thereafter cut loose in good conscience. No need to admit your original lie at all. Do we have an agreement?’
    Charlotte hesitated, a twinge of something that felt a whole lot like wariness riding her hard. An ex-fiancée who wanted Greyson still, maybe even loved him still. A barbecue at which he—they—would dash her hopes as gently as they could. Except that there would be nothing
gentle
about his ex-fiancée coming face to face with proof positive that Greyson was indeed serious about Sarah needing to move on. ‘Are you sure you wouldn’t ratherhave another shot at discussing this between yourselves?’ she said. ‘Somewhere nice and private? Bring out the steely resolve. Maybe you could say no louder this time.’
    ‘I have,’ he said darkly. ‘It’s not working. Bringing you along might.’
    And still Charlotte hesitated.
    ‘Never mind.’ His face was closed, his voice clipped. ‘Bad idea.’
    ‘Wait,’ she said tentatively. ‘How long is it since you broke up?’
    ‘Two years.’
    ‘And you really think there’s no other way to dissuade her?’
    ‘Look, I don’t want to hurt Sarah. I don’t want her to feel that she’s no longer welcome at my parents’ place. I just want her to see …’
    See
being the operative word.
    ‘Couldn’t you just
tell
her that you’ve found someone else?’
    Silence from Greyson Tyler. Silence and a bleak black glare. ‘You already have,’ said Charlotte slowly.