put the lip balm away. “It’s going to be difficult for me to kiss you in front of other people. I don’t normally do things like that.”
“I do it all the time. And if I don’t get romantic with my wife when we’re out and about, the gossipmongers are going to say that I’m not as passionate about you as I’ve been about my other women. And we need to show them that I’m totally enamored with you.”
She looked undecidedly at him. Clearly she didn’t understand him any more than he understood her. They couldn’t be more different from each other.
“Why have you been so public with your private life?” she asked.
“It started as a rebellion, my way of toying with society and thumbing my nose at my dad. And then, later, I just got used to doing socially unacceptable things and giving people something to gossip about. Of course, once social media hit the scene, I used that as my outlet. But at least I never made a sex tape or anything like that.”
She all but blinked at him. “I should hope not.”
With how primly she reacted, he got the sudden urge to tease her, to make things sound bawdier than they were. “Actually, it’s possible I made a tape. There are a few blank periods of my life that I can’t remember. But as far as I know, no tapes have surfaced. You haven’t seen one with me in it, have you?”
“Goodness, no! I don’t watch those.” She crossed her arms over her ample breasts.
If she was trying to hide the fullness of her figure, it wasn’t working. It only made him notice her delectable curves even more. Even in her loose-fitting outfit, a guy could tell what she had going on under there.
He continued his charade. “Are you sure you’re not a sex tape connoisseur?”
“Yes, I—” She stopped and leveled him with an admonishing glare. “Are you mocking me? Is this a prank?”
He nearly cringed at the look she was giving him. “Sorry. I couldn’t resist. With all the sordid stuff on the internet about me, I thought a sex tape seemed believable. But I guess I better not tick you off like this when we’re married.”
She sized him up again. “As long as you don’t start talking like a cereal-box leprechaun or spout ‘top of the morning’ to me, I might be able to tolerate you.”
Was she making a joke? He couldn’t tell. Playing it safe, he said, “I’d never do anything that stupid.” A second later, he saw her smile, and he knew he’d been had. He smiled, too, and they both laughed. He enjoyed the rapport they were building, strange as it was. Curious about her creative side, he asked, “What sorts of things do you write?”
“Magazine articles, lifestyle pieces, mostly for women’s publications. But I’ve also been plotting a novel. It’s about an Irish woman who goes to Texas and falls in love. I used to think that it should be a historical tale with the flavor of the Old West. But now that I’m here, seeing everything firsthand, I think a contemporary story might be the way to go. But no matter what time period I use, I want the hero to be the sort of fellow the heroine has to tame.”
The way she was supposed to be taming him in this phony marriage? “That would never work on me, not for real.”
“I know, but I think it does on some men, if they fall truly, madly in love. I’m a firm believer in destiny. I’ve always been a hopeless romantic.” She rocked in her seat. “And I’m still trying to be. I don’t want to lose that part of myself. Or miss the opportunity if the right man comes along.”
Even after everything she’d been through with Rich, she still believed in love? He couldn’t fathom it. Nonetheless, he said, “That’s good, because I need a wife who projects that kind of image.” Even if he didn’t understand her propensity for love, he was glad it was going to play out in their favor. “Are you working on any projects now? Besides plotting the novel?”
“One of the publications I write for asked me to do a series of featured articles for them. I’m just waiting for the contracts to come through.” Her expression turned taut. “I had to borrow from my parents to cover my expenses this month because of what Rich took from me.”
He thought about the prenup she’d readily agreed to sign. “You made it clear that you’re not interested in a financial settlement when this is over, but if you change your mind, we can still implement that.”
“I won’t change my mind. Being independent is important to me. It’s everything, in fact. I don’t want to be beholden to you, Rand. Not for money or anything else.”
“Okay, but I’d still like to set you up with some credit cards while we’re married. You can use them to shop or have lunch with other Texas Cattleman’s Club wives or whatever society women typically do. But mostly you’ll be with me. We’ll need to be seen together as much as possible.” He glanced down at her hands and how simply manicured her nails were. “I’ll be getting you a big-ass diamond to wear, too.”
She widened her eyes. “A big-arse diamond? I’ve never heard it put quite like that before.”
“What can I say? I’m new at this fiancé stuff. But I think you should come home with me.” Clarifying his intention, he added, “For us to get better acquainted and figure out the details of the wedding. If you’re getting hungry, I can order some takeout and have it delivered.”
“Thank you. That’s a nice offer. I’m famished actually. I was too nervous to eat before I came here.”
“Do you need a ride to my place? Or do you have a rental car with you?”
“I need a ride. I haven’t driven in America yet. Being on the other side of the road confuses me. I’ve been taking Uber.”
He stood and offered her his hand. “Ready to go?”
She allowed him to help her up. “Yes, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He escorted her to valet parking so he could pick up his shiny red Porsche. To keep things fresh, Rand leased a different sports car every couple years. He went through women in a lot less time. In fact, he’d never stayed with anyone longer than a few restless months.
He glanced over at Allison. She seemed so foreign standing next to him. Not just the country she was from, but the knowledge, the hard-hitting reality of making her his wife. But if it worked out like it was supposed to, she would be reforming him in the public eye and on social media, too.
Of course he still had to be careful not to corrupt her with his man-whore ways. Even with the no-sex clause, he was pretty damned sure he could seduce her. Not that he was going to. As tantalizing as she was, he needed to keep his head on straight, to follow the rules. Trouble was, Rand was a rule breaker by nature. Restricting himself from the lust-driven pleasure of a woman’s company wasn’t something he’d ever had to do until now.
A young valet brought the car around, and Rand slipped the kid a generous tip. Once he and Allison were settled into their seats, he put the Porsche in gear and peeled out of the driveway.
As he headed for Pine Valley, the area where he lived, he asked her, “What should we order? What sort of food do you like?”
“I’m partial to the deep-dish pepperoni pizza you have here. I’m a hearty
