The Arrangement(10)

He grinned. “Oh, right after someone refused to ride with me because, let’s see, and I quote, ‘Your car smells like cancer on wheels.’”

Ariadne covered her mouth with her hand. “I’m so sorry.” That had been particularly callous of her. It had been right after Ted and Erika’s wedding and she’d needed a ride to the reception. It had been a long day. As Erika’s maid of honor, she’d been stressed out trying to make sure that Erika remained stress free. She’d refused to ride with Asher not only because his Porsche reeked of cigarettes, but she also hadn’t wanted to be enclosed into such a small space with him. Later she had recalled that his mother had died of cancer when he was only fifteen. Had it been anyone else, she would have made a point of seeking them out to apologize. But it was Asher and she’d spent the rest of the evening avoiding him.

“It’s okay.” He shrugged. “I’d been meaning to quit anyway. I got rid of that car, too.”

She’d noticed he was driving an SUV, but she’d assumed he had more than one vehicle. “So do you have any conditions?”

“Not at this time. However, I reserve the right to revisit this conversation.”

“God, you really are a lawyer, aren’t you?”

He laughed and she wondered how often that laugh had proven to be an advantage to him. When they first met, she’d thought he had to be faking it, but one look into his eyes told her it was real. They sparkled with mirth and it was almost impossible not to be moved.

“So, do we tell Ted and Erika the truth? I know you’re close to her and you might want to share this with someone. But I must insist that you limit the number of people you do tell. If it gets out that the marriage isn’t real, it could be disastrous.”

“I think that telling Erika would be for the best. Otherwise, we’d have to start pretending to be in love right now.”

He arched a brow. “When that eventuality comes about, do you think you’ll be able to perform?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean,” he said, stepping forward and into her personal space until she was backing away from him, “Can you pretend to love me? Can you, for a change, not avoid me, and my touch?” The countertop dug into her spine as she leaned away from him. “Can you accept my kisses and act like you long for more?”#p#分页标题#e#

Ariadne swallowed. She would have pushed him away but everywhere she looked there was nothing but bare skin. Her heart thumped in her chest. Finally, she did what she always did when it came to him, she struck out with words. “Probably not. Fortunately, that won’t be necessary. Ash, it’s not like people are going to expect us to make out in front of them.”

“But they would expect us to touch. We’d be newlyweds. We’re selling this as a whirlwind romance. There should be lots of hand holding, caressing, closeness,” he said, pressing closer. “Maybe we should practice?” He leaned closer and ran his lips up the side of her neck. “Damn, you smell good,” he growled.

He was one to talk, she thought. If they could bottle him, they could sell him as an aphrodisiac. She shivered as his lips passed over her earlobe, and slid down her jawline before hovering over her mouth. Ariadne couldn’t resist wetting her lips with the tip of her tongue and he groaned. She was in deep trouble here. Bare skin be damned, she braced her hands on his shoulders to shove him away. Asher wrapped an arm around her waist, his wide palm spreading over her back. His other hand went to the nape of her neck, tilting her head back to receive his kiss.

“Ari,” he whispered against her lips. His mouth had just barely brushed hers before a piercing scream broke them apart.

“What in the hell is going on here?” Erika asked.

Ariadne wiggled out of Asher’s embrace. “Um…” She was embarrassed, flummoxed, and, damn it all, a bit disappointed. She crushed the last emotion with ruthless determination.

Asher grinned at Erika and Ted. “You’re just in time to congratulate us.”

“For what?” Erika’s eyes darted from one of them to the other. Ted looked as stunned as his wife but he remained silent.

“We’re getting married.”

“You’re…you’re what?” She looked up at Ted. “I’m dreaming right? Or has the world come to an end?” She turned back to them. “The two of you can’t stand each other.”

“Guess we should explain,” Asher said with a quick glance at her for confirmation. She nodded, more than willing to let him handle the explanations. “It’s an arrangement,” he began.