Page 67 of Bound Lies

She shakes her head slowly before glancing up at me beneath her lashes.

“No… You weren’t wrong. I stopped it because I was scared of where things were going.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Adding intimacy to a fake relationship is just asking for trouble. Lines become blurred, and someone ends up getting hurt, and I can’t afford to be that person.”

“You think I would hurt you?”

“I think you could.”

Those words gut me in a way I don’t expect.

I exhale slowly as I rub the back of my neck, the tension starting to settle back in my shoulders.

“Look… I get it. You want boundaries to protect yourself. So, we’ll keep things clean and above board if that’s what you want.”

“It is.”

“Then, it’s settled. We are merely friends without benefits,” I tease, and Riley rolls her eyes.

She might think she has me fooled, but I can see the flicker of doubt in her eyes. What she’s really worried about is getting her heart broken by me, and I can’t promise her I won’t, no matter how much I wish I could.

Chapter Fifteen

RILEY

Kieran Sullivan is nothing short of confusing.

The fact that someone who looks like a GQ model felt rejected by someone like me has me feeling all kinds of conflicted.

If I was smart, I would ignore any feelings that are starting to grow, but it’s clear that I’m anything but smart.

I just have to hope that he’s willing to adhere to our new boundary rules because after a few glasses of champagne, I’m finding it hard to remember why I put them there in the first place.

When he’s not being a complete pain in my ass, Kieran is surprisingly fun to be around, and I find myself genuinely smiling for what feels like the first time in weeks as I fall into step beside him as we head back to our hotel.

The air in Vegas is hot and electric even after sundown, and the Strip is buzzing with music and drunken laughter. It’s mesmerizing and overwhelming all at once.

I cling to Kieran’s arm so I don’t get lost in the crowd because I’m too busy taking in everything Vegas has to offer.

“Hey there, pretty lady.”

Kieran groans beside me, and it takes me a second to realize why.

“Oh, no!” I laugh as we pass a tacky looking chapel with a full-on Elvis impersonator standing outside. “I didn’t think these actually existed.”

“It’s Vegas, what do you expect?”

I don’t know what’s funnier, the middle-aged man wearing a bad wig and a white jumpsuit that has seen better days, or Kieran’s face.

“Well, look at you two lovebirds,” he croons in a terrible accent, flashing us a crooked grin that shows off his yellowing teeth. “How about getting hitched right now, courtesy of the King?”

I’m about to tell him we’re not interested when Kieran’s hand appears on my waist, and he’s pulling me against him. I’m so taken aback by the sudden contact that I barely register the words he’s whispering in my ear.

“What do you think?”

“Are you being serious right now?” I eye the man standing in front of us.