“Sure.” Willow picked up his beer. “But it must be hard doing everything yourself.”

It is hard.

A tidal wave of misery rose inside her, crested with foamy regret.

“Eden?”

She blinked and Willow came into new focus, a big ugly-handsome man who less than an hour ago had fucked her with a dildo. Staring at him, she realised how much he looked like her brother’s friends, how perfectly he’d fit in with her family. He was manly, sporty, and fun. He had British ancestry and money. He was attractive, but not pretty, which her father considered effete in men. In fact, her parents might have picked Willow out, especially for her. The perfect man to tie to their youngest daughter.

“Eden?”

She blinked, suddenly bone-tired. “Sorry. I need to get more sleep.”

“Do you want a hug?”

Her heart contracted, but before she could say yes, or maybe bolt from the pub, the food arrived, plates and plates and plates. Three waiters had been sent to carry everything over.

“This all looks great,” Willow said to the bald guy.

“Enjoy.”

Eden dragged the pie toward herself. It was served with mash and steamed greens, and she snatched up her cutlery and began shoving things into her mouth. The sooner she ate, the sooner she could get away. She needed to be alone.

Across from her, Willow ate chicken Alfredo with a little more dignity.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t want things to get heavy. I’m not normally that kind of guy.”

“What kind of guy are you?”

He grinned. “Basic.”

She couldn’t help but smile back.

“You like me, don’t you? You can’t help it.”

Eden speared a broccoli tree. Yes, she liked him. She’d been masturbating to YouTube clips of him playing football all week. She’d told herself it was because she was ovulating, but who was she kidding? And now that she’d slept with Willow and it had been fantastic, she doubted it was going to stop.

He titled his head to one side. “So, here’s what I think. I like you. You’re into me. We should take this fake relationship on the road. Thoughts?”

Eden nibbled the broccoli. “Vegetables are disgusting.”

“Ah, but you’re eating them like a good girl.”

Eden poked her tongue at him. “I don’t know about the relationship thing. I like the idea and it would probably be helpful—”

“Definitely. It would definitely be helpful.”

She put down her fork, nerves and fear swirling inside herself. “If I say yes—if—you can’t be on me about eating all the time.”

Willow tapped his chin. “How about once a week, I take you out for dinner?”

“Once a week? How often are we gonna be seeing each other?”

He gave her a wolfish smile. “You don’t wanna fuck more than once a week?”