Free Seventeen Days by D.B. James Page A

The choice is yours … so is the ticket.” That has got to be the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. 
    How am I supposed to keep him at arm’s length when he’s doing things like this and saying things like that? 
    “Thank you. Truly. I may come off as a spoiled entitled rich bitch, but I’m not. Sienna bought me whatever I wanted, yes, but she never spent time with me. Never tried to get to know me. She figured all our issues could be solved with her buying me things,” Staring down at my hands like they hold all the answers, I all but whisper, “Her gifts always came with strings.” 
    Nothing was ever free. If I wanted a new Prada purse? Go to this event, meet this person, and it’s yours. Smile for the cameras and you can go on a shopping spree. Want a new car? If you lose those extra five pounds you gained, I’ll buy you two. She claimed it was all for my benefit, but it wasn’t. She wanted me to be a mirror image of her. 
    My problem is, I don’t want to be like her. At all. Maybe her cutting me off financially is what I needed to grow my own wings and fly. Stupidly, I thought going to college and partying would help me become my own person. But I still would’ve been under her thumb. Still made to appear good for the cameras. Screw that, I like cheese too much. Maybe I’ll gain a few pounds and embarrass her. It’d serve her right and make me happy in the process. My getting arrested wasn’t as big of a deal as you’d think it would’ve been. The press never truly got the whole story before it was frosted over. Covered with glitter, so to speak. 
    Justine makes her way back to our booth to give us our drinks and take our orders. Without glancing at the menu, I order a double bacon cheeseburger. They’ve got to have those, right? 
    “Do you have onion rings?” My mouth is watering thinking about onion rings. The batter, all that deep fried goodness. It’s all I can do to not shout “get in my belly!” like the fat guy in those Austin Powers movies.
    “You bet we do! Would you like those instead of fries with your burger?” Hell yes, I do.  
    “Yes. Yes, I do. Make it a double order, I’m famished.” If they’re homemade, I may be able to eat three orders.
    Harrison laughs as he places his order. “There’s no way you’ll eat all that food. Good thing I like onion rings, I have a feeling I’ll be eating a few soon.” 
    “Oh, no, I’m going to eat every single bite. I haven’t eaten since last night. Coffee is the only thing I’ve had all day. Besides, I feel this sudden urge to gain some weight.” Suck it, Sienna.  
    “Do you want to make it interesting and make a bet?” he teases. 
    “Why bother, we both know I’ll win. Besides, I don’t have anything to bet you.” 
    “But that’s where you’re wrong. I never said the bet had to be money. We can bet for whatever you like. I know what I want when I win.” 
    Well, my bet would be simple then. I’d like to see him go a whole day with his hat off. His hair appears amazing and it’s dark, so I already love it. Or maybe I should have him take his shirt off so I can ogle the goods. We should play strip poker, forget this bet. 
    Actually, I would like to catch a fish. Maybe I should bet him to take me out fishing on our next day off. 
    “If I win, you have to take me fishing.” Fishing seems to be the safest thing to bet. Asking him to go shirtless may give him the wrong idea. 
    “Wow. I wasn’t expecting that. Game on. If I win, I want another kiss.” And he went there. Here I was trying to be good and bet something not having to do with us and he bets a kiss. 
    “Hm… sounds like we both win.” I was already planning on laying one on him when he drops me off. He did buy me a plane ticket; doesn’t he deserve at least a kiss? 
    “Oh, but I didn’t say where I wanted the kiss. You may have to end up kissing my big toe.” Nope. Pass. Big fat pass.  
    “Um, no way in hell. I hate feet. So