Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Roman

A plan starts forming in my head. It might not have been my own plan, but I will take it and run. I wrap my arms around Nolia's waist and nuzzle into her neck, dropping little kisses on her bare shoulder.

Ms. Simpson looks like she just made the biggest faux pas of the century. She probably thinks I might just fire her over this last attempt to seduce me.

"I'm…I'm so sorry…I…didn't know you had someone, or I would have never…I'm really sorry. Nolia, I…didn't know…"

"Me neither." Nolia gives her a sweet look. I squeeze her a little tighter. "Oh, um…no worries. I…It's cool. We're cool."

The woman on the other side of my door gives Nolia a relieved smile before offering up goodbyes and congratulations.

As soon as I have the door shut, my little hell cat is back. "What the hell…?"

"Do I have to tie you back up or are you going to listen to me?"

"Why? Why would you lie like that? Again! You did tell your sister we were sleeping together, didn't you? And now you just told that woman the same thing. Why?"

She is unafraid of my threat to tie her back to the chair, walking right up to me and sticking her finger in the middle of my chest.

"I didn't tell Pearl we were sleeping together. I promise you, I didn't."

"How can I take your word on anything since you are a proven liar?"

"I…I wouldn't lie to you, damn it! Now will you please give me a chance to explain."

"No! I don't need an explanation from you. I'm leaving so…hey!"

I have my arms wrapped around her lifting her from the floor so she can't run away from me. If she doesn't want to be put in the chair, I'll wrap her up in my arms.

"Roman, put me down!"

"Not until you listen to me. Unless you are too chicken shit to sit for a moment and listen to what I have to say."

I see her eyes widen and then narrow. "You're one to call a person chicken shit since you were afraid of that poor woman wanting a date with you."

"Which brings us back to why I lied to my mother, why my sister got confused, and why I want to talk to you about what just happened."

"Fine! Talk! But do it after you put me down."

"Fine!" I walk both of us over to the couch and sit with her in my lap and my arms still wrapped tight around her.

"I said let me go."

"No, you said put you down. I did. You didn't tell me where to put you so I chose for you."

"Asshole!"

"Look, I need your help, okay."

This has her stilling and giving me her full attention. Nolia might come off as a total badass, but deep inside she's soft, sweet, and kind. Her tough outside is just to hide how soft and sweet she is.

"What can I possibly do for you?"

"Shit like what just happened is a problem for me all the time. But you saw how fast that woman left after she found out I was serious about someone. You heard what she said about not bothering me if she had known I had someone."

She starts laughing, "So what? You want me to pretend to be your girlfriend so everyone will leave you alone?"

"Yes. Yes, I do."

She stops laughing and the smile melts off her face. "What? You…you can't possibly be serious right now."

I pull her knees around to the side of my legs so her body turns, and we can sit face to face. She searches my eyes for a long time.

"Oh my God! You…you're serious."

"I am."

"But…we…can't."

I give her a raised brow. "Why can't we?'

"Because your sister thinks we're fucking. Everyone will assume that's true if we pretend to be with one another."

"Yes."

"I don't want to lie to my sister. I don't…hell, I don't want to lie to your sister either. People will be able to tell we aren't…like that because of how we fight and argue with one another. No one will believe this."

"Really, because that woman just believed it and what's even better, she thought we were in here doing something incredibly kinky because your little ass was tied to a chair."

She gasps and I wonder if she never thought of that or if she just now realized how kinky it did look to the woman.

"Oh my God! That woman thought we were…"

"Yeah. You were kind of tied to a chair, babe. What was she supposed to think? But it does prove that, yes, we can pull this off and people will believe it and it will be such a big help for me. I would owe you so much."

"I don't…I don't want you to owe me. I…,"

"You could even tell your sister we aren't together like that. Your sister and mine. You could tell them both that it's just to keep people away from me and keep women like my mother from starting shit." That has her really considering the prospect. I start tracing little circles on the side of her thigh with the tips of my fingers. "And it would only be for as long as you want to stay. Like if you had to go back to your parents or something, we would call it over."

"And I wouldn't have to…do anything with you. I mean, you wouldn't expect anything that I'm not willing to give you."

"Absolutely not." I wait for my words to sink in, and I feel her relax against me. She's almost ready to say yes. "But you would have to live with me."