Trouble with the Fake Boyfriend (Rock Bottom #3) - Holly Renee Page 0,15
traffic alone would make the investment worth it.
But I knew that Brooke couldn’t afford it right now.
She really never spoke to me about it, but I overheard Kennedy talking about it one day when we walked by. Apparently, even though Brooke had dreamed of that place for as long as she could remember, she never really saw it as a possibility.
Hell, from what Kennedy said, Brooke didn’t think she could make her dream of the salon happen even in the shittiest building she could find.
But she could.
And even though I was about to use this offer as ammunition to get what I wanted from her, it was something I had been thinking about almost every day since Kennedy had told us.
But I was a businessman, and buying a building for a girl who I had no interest in other than being friends or fucking was a really bad business decision. But right here, right now, it was all I had.
I could see the disappointment in her eyes even though she wouldn’t admit it out loud. “Do you know what they plan to do with it?”
“I heard that it will be some sort of retail store. Probably some big box store, I would assume.”
“Oh.” She gently shrugged her shoulders. “It was bound to happen sometime or another.”
“It doesn’t have to.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“We can make a deal. You help me and I can help you.”
“So what? I go to your mom’s for a week and pretend to be your girlfriend and you’re going to purchase me a building? What the hell do you think this is? A scene from Pretty Woman?”
I chuckled, but she didn’t seem to find it funny. “Not exactly. You come home to my mom’s with me for a week, and I’m offering a partnership into your new business.”
She watched me, carefully. Too carefully if I’m being honest. I could see her studying me, trying to figure out what my motive was, why I would offer her this. But she wouldn’t find it because I didn’t have a damn clue myself.
“And if I say no?” She cocked her pretty head to the side. “The offer is off the table?”
“We’ll burn that bridge when we get there, but I’m hoping you won’t say no. That’s not a good start to a partnership.” Of course, I wouldn’t tell her no. No matter what people thought of me, I wasn’t that big of an asshole.
I was just being one right now because I needed her just as badly as she needed me.
“Okay.”
“What?” I cupped my hand around my ear to make sure I heard her correctly.
“I said okay.”
“Yes!” I didn’t hide my relief as I threw myself back on the couch and took my first deep breath since the lie passed through my lips and into my mom’s fairy tale wedding planning.
“But...” She held her hand up to stop me. “I have some conditions.”
“Conditions. Cool. I can handle some conditions.”
“First, no kissing.”
And just like that, she rained on my parade.
“I’m a twenty-nine-year-old man bringing home a girl for the first time. My mom’s going to expect some kissing.”
“You’ve never brought any girl home?” She sounded shocked, but she shouldn’t be. She knew how I was.
“Of course not.” I shook off her question easily. “How about I promise not to slip you any tongue?”
God, what I wouldn’t do to have my tongue on her again.
“I would suggest that if you want to keep your friend.” She pointed down to my dick, and I straightened my pants under her scrutiny and threat.
“What else?”
“We’re sleeping in separate beds.”
I couldn’t help but grin at her rules. Basically, don’t touch me or put me in any situation where I might touch you. The line had been drawn in the sand. Got it.
“Anything else?”
“I’ll send you a list of road trip snacks, and I expect them all to be in the car waiting on me when I arrive.”
“Anything for you, babe,” I joked, but she sat up a little straighter.
“That was weird.”
“Well, get used to it.” I stood from her couch and straightened out the legs of my slacks. “There’s going to be a lot more of that weirdness happening over the next week.”
“I can’t wait.” She rolled her eyes.
Come to think of it, I couldn’t either.
Five
Knight in Shining Armor
Brooke
He had every snack I had asked for in his car and more. He also seemed nervous, and I was eating that crap up.
“Are you scared of your mom? Should I be worried?”