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No about I wear off that fucking lipstick "You look fucking fantastic"

"I know"

"You could do less if you wanted Still uy would have to do, but less"

"I could"

"I get what you mean"

"You do?" Her eyes fill with incredulity

"Yeah It's easier for men We can wear a suit every day without any implication You could wear a suit every day, but people would think you're stuck up"

"Yeah"

"It's not as si contest in business Men judging each other's ties and watches But that's about money, power, status"

"People take you seriously by default"

They do

"Even if you posed for Danielle People would call it a bold …"

"The world is a sexist mess"

"Yeah I just Uh… even though it is, I'h I wouldn't have to worry about o further, faster ina woman I'd never want to be a man"

"Isn't that how most people feel?"

"I don't know I haven't asked" She looks up ata woman in business, I wouldn't pose for Danielle"

"If she kept the pictures private?"

"Maybe"

"You don't trust her?"

"I don't knohat I need with artistic nudes of myself"

"I can take them off your hands"

Her voice softens "What would you do with them?"

Chapter Ten

Liam

This is it

An invitation

I can say some stupid shit The way I normally do

Or tell her the truth

I want to kiss her again I want to carry her to s and never come up for air

We're twelve hours into our ruse and I' my shit

And losing interest in holding on to it

Why pretend?

Why not make her come?

That makes sense

It's the only thing that makes sense

Her grey eyes are still glued tofor my answer

I want to respond with gusto, with every fucking thing I have

But I can't

"When we go to the house, I'll show you the spare room," I say "The way Danielle decorated it I'd do that"

"Hang them in your spare room?"

"Fuck no My bedroom"

"What would you tell the wo home?"

"That's a later problem"

She laughs "Of course"

"They ht be into it"

"Into pictures of other women?"

"You've never gotten hot off a picture of another woman?"

She ood point noise