Page 60 of Pretend for Me

“It’s um . . .” Dev mumbles, looking green. “Dark and fast and . . . unpredictable.”

“Oooh!” Rome and Deena say together, clearly not picking up on the fact that Dev looks like he’s going to be sick.

“Let’s go there, then!” Rome says, heading toward the sign.

I grab his hand before he can sprint off, throwing my fiancé a bone. “I don’t know, buddy. I think you might be too little for it.”

“Yeah,” Dev piles on quickly. “I’m pretty sure you’re too little for it. Maybe in a couple of years . . . or decades.”

Rome crosses his arms around his chest indignantly, bending his brows. “That’s not true. I’m forty-four inches! You know I can go on all the rides as long as an adult is with me.”

I give Dev an apologetic smile before turning to my godson. “I meant, you might be too young for it. It’s not like the Star Tours ride we just went on, Rome. It’ll be fast and scary.”

I notice Dev’s shudder from the corner of my eye, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

“I won’t be scared, I promise,” Rome pleads. “But if you’re scared, you can hold my hand, okay?”

I purse my lips, suppressing my smile. “I’m not sure I’m the one needing the hand-holding. Uncle Dev on the other hand . . .?” I waggle my brows at my fiancé. “What do you say, Lex, want to hold my hand? Let me take anotherwild ridewith you?”

I take a couple steps toward him, making sure he’s the only one who can hear me. “Or on you. I promise to scream your name again while I do.”

Heat flashes in his eyes, and I know we’re both envisioning the same thing—the way he took charge of my body withouthaving laid a single finger on me—before he quickly masks it with a glare.

I bite my lip, fluttering my lashes and swaying from side to side innocently, making my princess gown swish.

Dev’s lips twitch before he sighs, looking up to search the sky for answers. Finding my eyes again he says, “You’re the devil, you know that?”

Ha! Victory is mine!

I adjust my tiara. “You flatter me, dear husband-to-be.”

“God, look at this view,” I breathe, watching bursts of color illuminate the sky and castle before stealing a glance of my fiancé from over my shoulder. And now I’m not sure which view I’m referring to.

The lights from the fireworks play across his face, casting a mesmerizing glow over his usually sharp features, and for a second, it makes me feel breathless.

He takes a step toward me so his chest is only a mere inch from my back, the heat radiating off him enveloping me against the cool breeze wafting through the balcony.

“I haven’t been able to take my eyes off it,” he murmurs as his eyes connect with mine and that same buzz of electricity strums between us.

It’s been there all day.

There’s been tension and unspoken words too, yes. But there’s never been a moment without that current thrumming between us like we’re two charged poles.

The hours passed in a flash after we came out of Space Mountain. I don’t know who laughed more between Deena, Rome, or me, but every time we looked at the grainy, candidpicture of Dev while he was on the coaster, we’d burst out into a fit of giggles. It didn’t help that Dev gave us all stoney stares in response; it just made us laugh harder.

I’d made sure to purchase a copy of that picture to frame at some point because I swear, there was nothing better in the world.

I’m tempted to giggle again as I think about it because the man literally looked like the ‘grimacing face’ emoji, smiling through clenched teeth, with eyes as large as dinner plates. His hair was completely disheveled, probably standing on end, and I guarantee he was white-knuckling the metal safety rail even though I couldn’t see it.

As discreetly as possible, I also purchased another photograph—one of me looking directly at him. Even in the dark, plunging hundreds of feet, he’s all I saw.

That photograph is one I’ll keep for myself . . .

A token to remember today.

A token to rememberus.

Since he’d been such a good sport, we’d decided to give him a break from the crazy roller coasters after that, though he did join us on the Matterhorn Bobsled and came out of that looking quite pleased with himself.

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