“What’s that?”
“You don’t take my bullshit.” He shrugged. “The only other people who treat me like a regular guy are my family. It’s refreshing.”
“Glad I can surprise you. Now tell me. Are you seriously considering this plan?” Because to her surprise, she was considering saying yes. Axel had always been there for her, and if acting the part would help not just Dash but the group as a whole, she’d do it.
Dash blew out a long breath, picked up a spoon, and twirled it around. “I hate either of us being pushed into a situation we don’t want.”
“Wow. Tell me how you really feel.” She swallowed over the sudden lump in her throat. “You don’t want to be my boyfriend, real, fake, or otherwise. Got it.”
He blinked, drawing her attention to those long, fringed lashes any woman would kill to have. “Dammit, that’s not how I meant it.” He leaned closer so only she could hear.
Unfortunately for her, the scent of his cologne was potent and arousing, and she squirmed in her seat. This man was the whole package, and it wasn’t fair to the average people walking the earth.
“At first I thought Naomi was nuts, but the more I think about it, I realize she has a point. Which is why she’s paid the big bucks to come up with solutions when one of us gets into shit. And let’s face it. I’ve gotten myself into a pretty deep hole. One I want to get out of.”
He looked around and slid his arm behind her as he spoke. “I’m tired of the life I’ve been living. I don’t want to wake up hungover or, worse, still drunk. I hate the groupies and don’t want strange women pawing me. I want to focus on my music, my family, and my future.”
She studied him up close, stunned by his admission. “Dash Kingston wants a normal life?”
“As close to normal as I can get knowing I have to be on the road at times. But yeah. Why is that so surprising?” He hadn’t moved, and his warm breath fanned her ear as he spoke, making it difficult for her to concentrate.
“Because you’re you? A rock star who can’t stand to be in the same room the morning after with a woman you slept with the night before? Does that sound normal to you?” She was obviously still hurt. So sue her. She was human.
“I’m sorry for that and I will make it up to you.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear that must have fallen from her ponytail, causing a ripple of awareness to cascade through her. “Despite me being a complete asshole, I’m still asking if you’ll do this for me. Be my girlfriend.”
Between his nearness, his masculine, sexy scent, and the warmth of his body, her nipples grew tight, as if they were saying yes even as every other part of her body screamed no. Don’t be an idiot. She was too susceptible to this man’s charms, which meant he’d hurt her again. She just knew it.
But she understood why the charade was necessary, and if she could remember it was pretend, she’d be fine. Her brother had just joined the band, and if they could get past this rocky period, he’d have another chance at a career with a massively successful band. They’d always looked out for one another, and despite his wariness about her being Dash’s so-called girlfriend, she was an adult who made her own decisions.
“There are some ground rules you have to agree to before I say yes,” she said.
“Name them.”
She sat up straighter in her chair. “One, no cheating. I don’t care that we’re fake,” she said, whispering the word. “The world will think it’s real, and I refuse to be made a fool of.”
“Agreed,” he said too easily.
She narrowed her gaze. “That means celibacy, in case you aren’t thinking things through,” she whispered.
He angled even closer. “I’ve been celibate since our night together. Next rule?”
What. The. Fuck?
With his thumb, he pushed her chin upward, closing her mouth, which she hadn’t realized she’d opened in surprise. Now wasn’t the time to dissect that statement or even decide if she believed him.
She attempted to unscramble her brain and get to her next rule. “When we break up, I get to be the one who dumps you. Again, I won’t be humiliated.”
“Deal.” Again, no hesitation.
Before she could try and come up with another rule to cover her ass, the waitress arrived with their sundaes. “Here you go.”
Dash straightened and waited while she placed their desserts in front of them. The huge metal bowl contained way too many scoops of vanilla ice cream on top of the chocolate blackout cake and so much whipped cream she’d be digging to get to the cake.
“Wow.” She picked up the cherry on top and popped it into her mouth, closed her lips, and pulled at the stem. “Mmm.” She closed her eyes for a brief moment because she loved cherries, and when she opened them, a heavy-lidded Dash was staring back at her, desire in his gaze.
Desire she recognized, having seen that look on his face once before, which led to her final rule. “I know we have to do PDA, but we are not sleeping together again.”
An amused smile lifted his lips. “Unless you change your mind and give me permission.”
Arrogant man. And wasn’t that part of his appeal? “I won’t,” she insisted.
Ignoring him, she took the long spoon and dug into the decadent dessert, shoving a huge scoop into her mouth because she didn’t want to discuss this subject anymore.
Chapter Three
Normally once Dash was in Manhattan, he’d stay in his apartment instead of heading back to the Hamptons. It was a long trip to do twice in one day, especially with traffic, but Cassidy had rented a house near Xander and Sasha’s, and she had nowhere to stay in the city. She could sleep at his place in a guest room, but he already knew she’d refuse.
He hadn’t wanted to send her back to the beach alone, and since she was his assistant, at least for now, he asked her to call a car service to take them home. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with an Uber driver who might be a fan. The service the band used knew better than to bother their clients.
Since the waitress had been so good about giving him space, privacy, and anonymity, he’d left her an extra-large tip. He’d heard her mention to another server that her son loved the guitar and was a fan, so he’d asked her the kid’s name, signed a personal note, and left it along with the gratuity.
He’d noticed Cassidy’s soft expression, but he hadn’t done it to win points. He was grateful for them as he needed her to relax around him, but the truth was, he liked to show his appreciation to people who treated him like a regular human being and not a famous star they wanted something from.
They drove back to East Hampton in silence, and he sensed Cassidy was thinking about what she’d gotten herself into by agreeing to be his fake girlfriend. Hell, he was wondering the same thing. But there was something about this woman that affected him and had from the moment he’d seen her the first time. He wasn’t a romantic, not by a long shot, but one look at her porcelain skin, delicate nose, full lips, jade eyes he could get lost in, and he’d felt a connection. One he’d been smart enough to act on and stupid enough to not treat with care.