His Allure, Her Passion Read Online Free Page B

her strength by staying by her side during the moments that made her sick? Or at least make her less uncomfortable in front of the cameras? Well, she could always hide under his arm.
    Two, and more important than her sickening timidness, was she ready to have her heart broken? Hanging out with him, she would experience his playboy side first hand. She would see him flirting with other girls and jealousy would feed on her insides. Why the hell should she care? She knew him, she knew how he was, what he liked to do. He would hook up with other girls right under her nose.
    “I may accept,” she finally said, “with a few conditions.”
    “Name them.” Dylan tapped the end of the pencil on the counter, causing her irritation to escalate.
    “You won’t try anything with me. We’re friends, and we’re not going to put our relationship at risk.”
    “Wasn’t planning on it,” he said, very serious.
    Ouch. “And, the most important rule. You’ll behave while we’re playing this game.” His brow cocked up. “You won’t hook up with other girls. Not publicly, at least. I don’t want to be confused with one of the sluts you usually go out with. I want a serious career, and for that I need to be in a serious relationship.” One corner of his lip curled up and the butterflies in her stomach batted their wings, ready to fly. “Got it?”
    Dylan rubbed his chin in a teasing manner. “Celibate for two months?”
    “Those are my terms.” She extended her hand to him. “Deal?”
    With his charming, cocky smile, Dylan pulled her closer, caught her hand, and kissed it. “It’s a deal, baby.”
    What had she agreed to? She had to think about her career. It would be good for her career.
    Hayley pulled her hand free of his, picked up her toast, and stuffed her mouth before she said or did anything stupid. This is for my career. Only for my career .
    As if pretending to date a girl was a normal deal for him, Dylan resumed his sketching while humming a happy tune, unaware of the nervousness swimming around—and inside—her.
    His rapid pencil strokes caught her attention. She peeked at his drawing, curious, but with both of his hands over it, she couldn’t make out anything. “What are you drawing?”
    “Nothing,” he said, pulling the sketchpad closer.
    She sighed. Typical. She had seen him drawing many, many times, and he always hid his sketches from her. The only reason she didn’t get mad at him was because she believed he hid them from everyone.
    “Your classes are over, right?” He nodded. “What are your plans for the next few days?”
    “Go out with you. Then I’m going to Flic en Flac for the holidays.”
    “Flic en what?” She had never heard of such place.
    “An island southeast of Africa.” He examined his drawing and added a few more strokes. “And you? When is your next gig?”
    “Don’t have any.” She picked up the empty plates and glasses, and placed them in the sink. “Might have the suckiest Christmas ever, without money to buy gifts. Can’t even visit my parents.” Dylan smiled, and she held her breath. She was already falling. Bad, bad girl. “Speaking of parents, what happened yesterday?”
    Dylan’s hand stilled over his drawing. “My father and I had another argument. About the same things. He wants me to be like Bryan was. He just can’t accept that I’m the opposite.”
    “I’m sorry.” She wanted to reach out and hold his hand. But with the whole pretend dating thing, it was a bad idea. Her soul was already too excited. But she knew, like no one else, how much he suffered because of his older brother’s death.
    “And there was the ball thing, too. He forbade me to go because I have no serious relationship.” Dylan smiled up at her. “Well, had, ’cause now I have.” He winked, and she averted her eyes, afraid he would be able to see her true feelings in them. “But I have a plan. I’ll make him eat his own words.”
    “What do you mean?”
    He set the