The Austin Arrangement novel Chapter 21

"Yes,That's right!"I was looking at her. I was looking at the lips that I had kissed over the past three months,the lips I've never truly felt the urge to kiss up until right now.

Before I could even stop myself,my lips smashed against hers not at all taking her by surprise. She wanted it too.

Her hands left the table and she placed them on my shoulders.

My hands glided the smooth navy fabric of her dress on their way to her hips. I pulled her body closer as the kiss deepened.

What the fuck is going on??

I heard a throat clearing from behind us and so did she. We broke apart and turned around.

My Father was of course standing by the door,the only person in the world that this intimate moment would look strange too.

My Father had a surprised look on his face as he looked at us."Everyone is waiting downstairs,the meal is getting cold."

Vanessa cleared her throat as she stood from the desk."Okay..Um, I'll see you both down there."

She left the room alone,fixing her tight fitted dress as she went.

My Father waited for her to leave before turning around and looking at me."You two..There's something going on here."

"It's nothing.."I turned around and looked out the window,because of the awkward conversation he wanted to have but also to hide the erection that I couldn't get rid of.

"It didn't look like nothing,I had a feeling you two were becoming closer."

He walked further into the room."I don't want that girl getting hurt,Jeremy. She's at a vulnerable time in her life right now. She doesn't need anymore heartache."

"Nothing is going on. It was just a kiss, that's all it was."

I looked over at him,as he stood beside me."She doesn't mean anything to me,it won't happen again."

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TYPICAL JEREMY AUSTIN.

My eyes were on him as he looked out the window of the hospital room.

Alex has had a couple of days to prepare for this talk,4 to be exact. Even given the time to prepare for this conversation mentally,the truth of it all didn't go down any easier.

Alex is a friend,a good friend. I'm sure right now he's thinking he could have done something to prevent this from happening, prevent my fake marriage to a man I didn't even know.

Truthfully,he couldn't have done anything to help me. I wouldn't have allowed him to anyway.

It was my responsibility to figure this out and I did. I made the best out of the situation and I did what I had to do.

Alex sighed."I wish you would have come to me,Vanessa.

I'm not swimming in money like the Austin's are,but we could have found a way to figure this out together."

"I appreciate that,Alex. I do. But I didn't want to burden anyone with my problems,they were mine to figure out alone."

I looked at my Father,knowing that I did everything I could to keep us afloat. That saying,I don't think he would be proud of the choices I've made over the past year.

"Finley doesn't know,Does he?"

I shook my head in reply."He needed to focus on school,on the life plans that he had. He was a wreck after the accident..I didn't want to make it worse by stressing the fact that we were totally pennyless."

Alex shrugged his shoulders."He could have gotten a job,that would have been at least some contribution to bills that needed paying."

"No,Alex."I said,softly."He needed a normal life,no matter how much I had to suffer to give that to him.