Devoured - Cathryn Fox Page 0,38
stand in the way of me getting this job?”
“Your values are just fine, and your heart is in the right place, but we’re going to have to be very careful. If we’re not...”
I let my words fall off. Shit, maybe I wasn’t the right guy for this job. I thought I could blend in when in fact, I could be the one to ruin her dream job. But the thought of any other guy pretending with her, touching her, kissing her, exercising marital rights with her...well, that just doesn’t sit well with me. Not anymore, anyway.
I am so screwed.
CHAPTER NINE
Peyton
“YOU DON’T HAVE to walk me to work every morning, you know,” I say, secretly liking his strong, solid presence beside me, not to mention the way he holds my hand, swinging it a little as we stroll. For the last week, he’s insisted on walking me to work, and I always put up a fight, simply because I like pressing his buttons.
He groans and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Haven’t we been over this?”
“Yes, but—”
“Jesus, girl, are you forgetting what happens when you argue with me?”
“Maybe I want you to kiss me.” I lift my chin an inch. “Right here in the street.”
“Fine.” He grabs me by the waist and tugs me to him. His warm lips find mine, and I sink into the sensations as he ravishes my mouth. His growls reverberate through me, and I wrap my arms around him, loving how I can rattle him like this. He breaks free, leaving me breathless. “Just for the record, you don’t have to give me a hard time every time you want a kiss.”
“A hard time, huh?” I tease, and press against him.
“Cut it out. I do not need the mother of all boners right now. Not when you have to get to school, and I can’t push you to your knees and enjoy this sweet mouth of yours.”
Heat races through me and he gives a playful grin, knowing how much I like it when he talks dirty. “Was that payback for rubbing up against you?” He looks away and whistles innocently. It brings a laugh to my lips. “You’re going to pay for that.”
“Can’t wait.” He gives my ass a smack. “Now come on before you’re late. We don’t want to give Paula and Richard any more ammunition.”
My shoes tap on the sidewalk as we head toward the school. “He’s actually been pretty nice this week.”
His hand tightens around mine. “You’ve heard the saying, keep your enemies close, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t trust him, Peyton.”
“I won’t.” We both go quiet for a second, lost in our own thoughts. I break it by asking, “When do you think you’re going to visit with your family?”
He frowns. “Soon. I’ve been busy with some work for Hard Wear and haven’t really had a chance.”
“You did tell me that was one of the reasons you wanted to come here with me, yet you don’t seem to be in any hurry to visit them.”
“I know. It’s true. I just...don’t want them to know what’s going on here, with you and me.”
I crinkle my nose, a part of me wondering if they really would like me, or would they think I’m not good enough for their brother. Could that be why Roman really doesn’t want them to know? On some level does he think the unwanted girl with no parents wouldn’t fit in with his family?
“I hate for you to be so close and not see them, though,” I say.
“It’s fine, Peyton. When this is all over, and you’re the new full-time teacher—and we’re officially over—I’ll visit them. They never have to know about any of this.”
“I’ve always wanted to visit Italy,” I say, putting a little cheer in my voice to hide the unease welling up inside me as I think about him leaving here, disappearing from my life—like so many others have before. “Not that I’m saying I want to go with you or anything,” I quickly clarify.
He studies my face, opens his mouth and closes it a couple times. Finally, he says, “Are you going to pretend we broke up after you sign the contract, or pretend I was needed back in New York and carry on with the charade that we’re married? We never really talked about that.”
Even though I get the sense that’s not what he really wanted to ask, I say, “If you have no intentions of ever getting married, I guess continuing to pretend is an option, isn’t it?”
“I