Read Online Her Imaginary Husband (Contemporary Romance) by Lia London - Free Book Online

what. I don’t want to get the guy fired. I just…”
    “Do you kinda like him?”
    Nikki waved her arms like miniature windmills. “I honestly don’t know, Charlie. You know my dating track record. He’s attractive. He seems to like me. But—”
    “Just tell him you want to be friends. Jeez, Nik. You can have guy friends that don’t grope you, you know.”
    “Do you have female friends you don’t grope?”
    “Not a fair comparison.” He tapped her nose. “I’m older, and women my age are only after one thing.”
    Nikki laughed. “Seriously? Are you a jerk, too?”
    “You know me better than that, Nik. I’m always a gentleman.” He paused, posed, and burped magnificently.
    Nikki slapped his arm. “You are such a boy!” They switched directions and headed downhill towards the track. Nikki’s mind lingered on their topic. “Isn’t that weird—him flirting with me—if he thinks I’m married?”
    “I think you’re going to have to come clean on that one, Nik.”
    “Right. How?”
    “Tell him it was a joke.”
    “A sick joke.” She tucked her arm into his and they walked across the grass. To any passerby, they would look like a cute couple, but Charlie was Nikki’s brother and best friend. “Gayle would understand the ruse, but then I’d have to tell Officer Ross, and I’d feel sort of—”
    “Who’s Officer Ross?” He stopped to admire the first of several tents set up with club displays. This one featured dozens of student oil paintings, water colors, and sketches. “Wow, look at that one. Nice shading.”
    “Gorgeous,” agreed Nikki.
    “Officer Ross?”
    “Huh? Oh, no. The picture.” An image of Ross’ wide grin flashed in her mind, and her face grew warm.
    “Oh ho, you’re holding out on me, Nik. He is gorgeous. Who is this Officer Ross?” He grasped her arms and faced her straight on. “Tell!”
    But Nikki just groaned and flopped into his arms, knocking her forehead on his chest as if he were a wall. Charlie wrapped his arms around her. Tucking close to her ear, he whispered, “You don’t have to tell. I’m not Mom. Just make friends with some guys and get comfortable around them. No rush. They don’t have cooties, and they don’t all have eight hands. You need to grow up and play nice with boys. Okay? It’ll get easier.”
    Nikki mumbled into his jacket. “Why can’t they all be easy like you?”
    Charlie kissed the top of her head and tugged her pony tail. “Sorry, Nik. I’m one of a kind.”
    “Nikki? Is that you?”
    Nikki stiffened and stared up at Charlie with wide eyes. “It’s him!” she hissed.
    “Who?”
    “You must be Mike Fallon. I’m Coach Will Carlin. I work with Nikki at Riverview.” Will struck hands with a bewildered Charlie even as Nikki’s eyes begged him to play along.
    “Nice to meet you,” said Charlie slowly.
    Nikki unfurled herself from Charlie’s embrace and grabbed his arm possessively. “Hi, Will! Fancy meeting you here.”
    “Yeah,” said Will, clearly sizing up Charlie.
    The two were almost exactly the same height, but Charlie’s hair was wilder and darker. Nikki felt a rush of pride that her brother had kept his athletic build after college.
    “I hear you’re a pilot,” said Will, tucking his fingers into the back of his belt so that his chest flexed impressively.
    Nikki pinched Charlie’s thigh in his tickle spot, and he twitched forward with a muffled yelp.
    “Huh? Oh, I love flying. Yeah.”
    Will nodded slowly, his lips pressed tightly. Nikki half expected him to break into some kind of gorilla chest-thumping thing. “You must go a lot of interesting places.”
    “Oh, you know. Here and there. The airports pretty much all look the same.”
    Nikki watched him closely, enjoying the game. “C’mon, hon. We’ve got limited time to see the displays before dinner.” She pulled him away to the next booth, waving over her shoulder. “See you Monday, Coach.” Once out of ear shot, she patted Charlie’s arm.