Mr. Wonderful Lies Read Online Free

“You weren’t going to mention this to us until you’d already met him in person?”
    That had been my plan exactly. But I didn’t figure it was wise to tell her that. “It just happened that way.”
    Anna pounced. “You didn’t wonder if maybe he was luring you there for his own reasons?”
    She made it sound like Ollie was some weird Internet predator. It made me angry. She didn’t know him. She’d never even spoken to him! “I knew you’d overreact, Anna. I figured I would meet him first, that way if it didn’t work out for some reason you’d never know. Then I wouldn’t be stuck having this conversation.”
    Whatever Anna was going to say next never made it out of her mouth. Jared reached over and clamped his hand on her shoulder. He shook his head once and then turned his keen blue gaze toward me. “Look Megan, Anna isn’t trying to be bitchy here, okay? We’re your friends. We’re just trying to look out for you. It’s what friends do.”
    I relented a little. I knew he was right. They didn’t know Ollie from Satan. They hadn’t connected with him like I had. I couldn’t expect them to understand. I sighed, folded my hands on the tabletop and wondered what to do next. I hated feeling torn like this. Anna and Jared were my best friends. I never would have gotten through my breakup with Professor Jackass without them. Even before that, Anna had always been there for me.
    Anna had started out as my real estate agent. I’d gotten her name through a mutual friend who’d sort of drifted out of our lives since introducing us. But we’d clicked while looking for my townhouse and just never stopped calling each other. We’re a good balance. She’s the extrovert, I’m the introvert. She won’t let me be a hermit, and I’m not afraid to tell her when she starts to turn into a pushy, over-functioning control freak.
    “Where and when?” Anna asked quietly, the pushiness receding into genuine concern.
    “That cafe about three blocks down from the gym at nine a.m.”
    Anna caught and held my eyes. “I’m going with you.”
    “What? No way!”
    Hurt vied with determination for control of her features. Then I saw her relent. She knew it wasn’t personal. I just refused to take the chance that she wouldn’t interfere, and she knew she couldn’t guarantee that she’d keep her mouth shut.
    “Fine. Jared will go.”
    Jared and I stared at each other, both of us surprised by the suggestion. I warred with the idea of having the most attractive man I knew witness my very first meeting with Ollie, but my good sense chimed in with a reminder about basic safety and the buddy system.
    “All right,” I finally agreed. “But he has to sit across the room and he can’t make it obvious that he’s watching me.”
    “Fine,” Anna agreed. “But if he thinks the guy is a total perv, he’s going to kick his ass.”
    “Fine,” I said with a nod.
    “And no leaving to go somewhere else with him, understand?”
    I rolled my eyes. “That sort of defeats the purpose of meeting in a public place.”
    “And if he suggests you head for the parking lot to take a ride in his car or get a cheap motel or—”
    “Or get in his spaceship,” I finished with a grin. “Yeah, I get it!”
    Jared stood abruptly. “You two are impossible, and I still have paperwork to finish tonight.”
    Anna glared up at him. “You’ll be there, right? You know which cafe she’s talking about, don’t you? It’s the one right down the street from your gym.”
    He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I’m not an idiot, Anna, and yes,” he glanced over at me, his gaze hooded. “I’ll be there.”
    I offered him a hesitant smile, but the expression on his face gave me a weird jolt in my midsection. Was he really that worried about me? Why? Did he have no faith whatsoever in my judgment?
    “See you tomorrow,” he murmured, leaning down and brushing his lips over my forehead.
    As always, his scent enveloped my senses in a