her and waited.
After a moment that made her nerves stretch past break point, he turned.
‘Just how many men have you got on the go, Penny?’
She shook her head. Glad his desk was between her and him. Because he was looking more than a little angry and she needed all four feet of solid wood between them.
‘Tell me about him.’ Carter’s voice lifted. ‘He’s some sugar daddy you spend the weekends with?’
Her flush deepened. ‘No.’
‘No?’
Penny swallowed the little pride she had left. ‘I made him up.’
Carter blinked. ‘Pardon?’
‘I made him up. In my emails home, I invented a relationship.’
For the first time she saw Carter at a loss for words—momentarily. His eyes narrowed and he took a couple of steps closer. ‘You’re telling me this “man” doesn’t exist? You don’t actually have a real boyfriend.’
‘No.’
‘And there’s no one you’re dating, or sleeping with, or friends with benefits or whatever you care to call it.’
She held his gaze. ‘I’m not seeing anyone at the moment. No.’
He nodded slowly. ‘When were you last seeing someone?’
‘It’s been a few months.’ She was flushed with heat—anger, embarrassment and the burning need for him to believe her. For some stupid reason it was important he understand. ‘I don’t remember exactly how long.’
‘But Aaron doesn’t count?’
She lifted her chin and answered pointedly. ‘A couple of kisses don’t count.’
Carter’s jaw went more angular. ‘So how many kisses haven’t you counted in the last few months?’
Her brows shot up. ‘Aaron. Another guy. You.’
‘My kisses don’t count?’ he asked softly.
‘Definitely not.’
His devil grin flashed. ‘I’ve figured it out.’
Penny blinked at his suddenly bright demeanour. ‘Figured what out?’
‘How to tell when you’re lying.’
She jerked. ‘What? How?’
He shook his head and laughed aloud. ‘Not telling because then you’ll stop doing it.’
‘Stop doing what?’ She sighed and gave up, knowing he wasn’t about to spill it. Besides, there was something more important to know. ‘You do believe me, don’t you?’
He went serious again. ‘Yeah, I do.’
She was absurdly relieved. She’d been a complete fool with the emails and he knew it, but oddly that didn’t matter so long as he believed her when she told the truth.
He walked around his desk, picked up her hand and ran a light finger over the bruises still marking her wrist. ‘You know I just said that about coming to dinner tonight to wind you up … make up whatever excuse.’ He gave her an ironic glance. ‘You’ve got the experience. Your brother might not know your little giveaway.’
Penny frowned and pulled her hand free.
Dinner with Matt. She’d half forgotten it in her need to clear up the confusion with Carter. But now she thought about it, she was dreading it already—the questions, the search for conversation, all the anxiety … She just didn’t want to face it. She’d spent years not facing it.
Actually maybe it would be a good idea to have someone with her. With extra company she could pre sent the happy façade for the night, no problem. And she really was happy. It was just that she’d added an imaginary gorgeous man to give the picture a fully glossy finish. Companionship without complications—she had enough complications inside already. It had been so long since her last real, short-term gorgeous man, she’d invented one.
Now she looked at Carter. Handsome, charming, socially expert Carter.
‘I think you should come with me,’ she said.
His brows shot up.
‘No, I mean it.’ She stepped in closer to him. ‘Come to dinner. After all, Matt’s expecting you now.’
His attention dropped to her body and back up. ‘Well, isn’t that your problem for misleading him in the first place?’
‘But you played up to it. The least you can do is follow through.’
Carter leaned back against the edge of his desk, a small smile tweaking his mouth.
Really, the more Penny thought about it, the better an idea it was. Matt could maybe learn a few things from Carter—social smoothness for one. And Carter would deflect the attention off herself. She didn’t know how well she could maintain the façade on her own. Most importantly, the conversation would stay in safe waters. Matt wouldn’t drag up the past with Carter present.
‘I’ve seen you talking with the guys who work here … And the girls.’ Her gaze narrowed. ‘You’re good socially.’
Too good actually. Every woman looked at him as if he were the biggest honeypot to hit the town in a decade or forty—and they all wanted a taste.
‘Is that a compliment? Because the way you’re talking I’m not sure …’ He studied her slyly.
She couldn’t hold back her smile. He was a charming wretch and he knew it.
‘Come to dinner with me,’ she leant forward to whisper. ‘Be my pretend man.’
Carter’s blood was still burning from the horror of seeing her dance with someone else last night. He wasn’t a hypocrite—he didn’t expect women to have less experience than him, but the thought of her being in bed with another guy had made his stomach acid boil. The foreign jealousy rotted him from the inside out and he badly needed to ditch it. He’d spent all night awake wondering if she’d taken William home. And despite his vow to forget her, when he’d seen her in Reception this afternoon the urge had hit. He’d had to touch and find out—something, anything—like an animal scenting out a threat. So completely caveman and so unlike his usual carefree style.
And now, now the relief in knowing she hadn’t was making him positively giddy, because here he was about to say yes to the most stupid suggestion he’d heard in ages. But he was too intrigued not to. ‘Why did you make him up?’
Her gaze dropped. ‘I wanted everyone back home to think I’m happy.’
Was she not happy? ‘And you have to have a boyfriend to prove that?’
‘No,’ she said quickly. ‘I have a great life—great job, I travel lots. But the man was
