Not Pretending Anymore by Ward, Penelope (big ebook reader .TXT) 📕

get changed, and I feigned a headache. But that’s not even the worst part.”

“It’s not?”

I shook my head. “My sister didn’t talk to me for a month because her friend told her I wasn’t nice to her cats. She was convinced I’d made them nervous, and that’s why one threw up on me.”

My phone buzzed in my hand. Julia looked down at it. “I’ll let you finish letting your sister down easy. I was just coming to ask if you had any wine.”

“I think Molly does. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if we had some. I’ll pour you a glass and be right in.”

After Julia went back to the living room, I texted Molly again.

Declan: Are you okay? Do you need me to get you an eyewash or something?

Molly: No, I’ll be fine. I just need a few minutes for the stinging to subside so I can try to glue these on again.

Declan: Forget the eyelashes. You don’t need ’em. Your eyes are pretty without any makeup at all.

Molly: That’s sweet. But I don’t have a choice at this point. I have one on, and I can’t get the damn thing off! I’ll be out soon.

I chuckled as I typed.

Declan: Aye, aye, Captain.

I didn’t think she’d get my humor, but she texted back right away.

Molly: Ha ha. I’ll be out to see ye wench shortly.

Ten minutes later, Molly finally emerged from her room. I’d decided to join Julia in a glass of wine and was mid-sip when I caught sight of my roomie. Unfortunately, I hadn’t been prepared for what she was going to look like. I swallowed down the wrong pipe and started coughing, and I inadvertently sprayed wine all over Julia.

“Shit. I’m sorry.” I grabbed the napkin from under my glass and started to blot the mess I’d made on her face.

Smooth, Declan…really smooth tonight.

Molly walked over to where Julia and I were seated on the floor next to the coffee table. She looked smoking hot in a short, black mini dress and sky-high silver strappy heels that wrapped around her ankles. Her hair was blown out into a mass of soft waves, and she had on way more makeup than she usually wore, including super long, thick, dark eyelashes. Damn, those things were worth a little glue in the eye. They really made the light blue color of her eyes pop.

“Hey, Moll.” I cleared my throat and tried to come off nonchalant, as if she walked around the apartment looking like that every day. I held up my wine glass. “I hope you don’t mind, we had some of your wine. I’ll replace the bottle for you tomorrow.”

Molly batted her lashes and smiled. Her lips were painted bright red and covered in a thick layer of gloss. I didn’t know where to look first—at her seductive eyes, full, shiny lips, or the mile of legs on display.

“No problem,” she said. “I don’t mind at all. Plus, I’m off tomorrow night, so maybe we can share the replacement bottle.” She held my eyes for a few extra seconds and then pretended to have just noticed Julia.

“Oh, hi…Jessica.”

Julia pursed her lips. “It’s Julia.”

Molly twirled her hair. “Sorry. Right. Julia…” She turned her attention back to me. “Are you almost done working, Dec?”

“Almost,” I said. “Why? Are we disturbing you?”

“No, not at all.” She lifted her hand and rubbed the back of her neck. “But that knot is back, and I was hoping you could work your magic fingers into it again—like you did the other night.”

“Uh, yeah. Sure…no problem.”

Molly looked over at Julia and practically cooed, “He’s got the strongest hands.”

Julia smiled, but I knew from watching her with difficult clients that it wasn’t her real smile. This one was more plastic and forced. The muscle in her jaw tightened. I watched as her eyes swept up and down Molly’s body for the second time. In all honesty, I couldn’t blame her… Mollz looked fucking amazing.

“Were you on a date tonight?” Julia asked. “You’re so dressed up.”

Molly laughed and waved off Julia’s comment. “No, I just threw this on because it was the only thing clean.”

Julia frowned. “Uh-huh.”

“Alright, well, I’ll let you two get back to work. I’m just going to get a glass of wine myself so I can relax a little before you help me with that massage. Let yourself into my bedroom whenever you’re done, Dec.” Molly blinked, and one of her eyes got stuck closed.

I almost lost it when she turned her head to try to hide it and had to use her fingers to pry it open. I guess she hadn’t figured out the glue situation after all.

Once Molly returned to her room, Julia downed the rest of her wine in one gulp. Her cheeks were a little flushed. “Could she be any more obvious?”

I pretended to have no clue what she meant, but a person would have to be blind and deaf to have missed Molly’s over-the-top flirting. “What do you mean?”

Julia snort laughed. “That dress, the full face of makeup—not to mention that she was winking at you when talking about her massage. She doesn’t even have a sore neck, Declan.”

Winking? Not exactly. But close! She thought Molly’s glued eyeball was a come-on.

I cleared my throat. “What do you mean, she doesn’t have a sore neck?”

Julia rolled her eyes. “She’s into you and wants your hands on her.”

“Oh, well… Is that a bad thing? I mean, we’re both single…”

“It would definitely be a mistake, Declan.”

My brows furrowed. For some inexplicable reason, I felt defensive. “Why is that? Molly’s really cool.”

“Well, for starters, she’s your roommate.”

“That seems like it would go on the plus side of the pros-and-cons analysis.” I shrugged. “Convenience.”

Julia’s face reddened. “Look, I just don’t think it’s a good idea for you to get into something you might not be able to come back from. I know from personal experience that once you go down that road, it’s difficult to go