Page 9 of The Fake Boyfriend Excursion

Though I have a feeling her skin is even softer.

"Remember, let me do the talking," I say under my breath.

She glances up at me, worry lines appearing between her brows. "This is a terrible idea,” she says, but she doesn't stop walking.

She’s probably right, but she doesn’t know the true nature of it. I didn't give two shits about making Chad jealous—that was just an added bonus for me. My hope and goal for the rest of the trip is that by us pretending to be together, she would see how it could truly be if we were. That I'd get in enough fake touches and maybe even a kiss or two, so that by the time we’re flying back to Stonewood Ridge, she knows what I've known for weeks.

She’s mine. She’s never been Chad's and never will be.

I see the moment Chad clocks us in the brief flash of desire and relief when he spots Virginia and then the anger when he takes note of my hand on her low back. As we near the table andthe hostess assures us our server will be with us shortly, Chad jumps to his feet.

"Ginny, I didn't realize you were feeling up to coming to dinner."

Dad's staring at the menu, but Mom is looking between Virginia and Chad, eyes narrowed a little. It makes me wonder what he's said before we arrived, maybe claiming she was seasick this time instead of down with a headache.

Chad pulls the chair out next to his, expectantly, but I put a little pressure on her back with my fingertips, steering her in the opposite direction. I grab the chair next to my dad, guiding her into it, and then take the one on her other side.

Mom stares at me with wide eyes as Chad continues to stand there, looking like a gaping idiot with the chair next to him still in his hand.

Dad finally looks up and frowns at him. "What are you doing, Chad? Sit down."

He did, falling back into his chair next to our mom, who brushes a hand down his arm consolingly. I resist the urge to roll my eyes only out of years of practice, handing Virginia one of the menus for her to look at. I notice her fingers are trembling as she takes it from me.

Going on instinct, I slip my hand under the table and give her knee a quick squeeze. She jerks her head up, eyes wide as she stares at me like she can't figure out what I'm doing. I give her soft skin a quick caress, and then remove my hand, grinning and winking at her. At least she didn't look like she was about to pass out anymore.

"I wonder what the specials are," I say, putting my left hand on the back of her chair and then picking up my menu with the other, completely ignoring the way Chad’s trying to glare a hole through me.

The next few minutes are mostly quiet as we all look over the menus and then order drinks when the server comes and rattles off the night’s specials. I set aside my menu and notice that while Virginia's still holding hers, it seems like she's using it as a barrier to block Chad from looking at her than actually studying it anymore since her eyes on her lap.

I take it and set it off to the side with my own and grab one of her hands. She stares at me as I slide my fingers between hers and bring them to rest on the table between our plates.

"Patrick," Mom scolds me in a low voice, looking around like anyone was near enough or cared enough to be watching what I was doing with a grown adult. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What do you mean?" I ask, leaning closer and brushing my nose against the hair behind Virginia's ear, inhaling deeply.

Fuck, she smells good.

I feel this gentle shiver that goes down her spine and grin against the side of her head.That’s it, babygirl. Feel me. Feel what I do to you.

"What are you doing with Ginny?" Mom whispers, scandalized. "Take your hands off your brother's girlfriend."

I jerk my head up and stare straight into her eyes. "She's not his girlfriend anymore. She's mine."

I can feel the way Virginia tenses next to me, waiting for the explosion. It doesn't take long.

Chad's face turns an alarming shade of red as he looks back and forth between us. "What the fuck are you talking about? This is ridiculous. Ginny, get over here. I don't know what game you're playing, but it's done."

He jerks the chair next to him out a few inches, scraping it on the floor and making a loud noise.

"Chad, lower your voice," Dad says, a flush in his cheeks as well, and then he turns and looks at me over Virginia's head. "Son, what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact that Virginia walked in on Chad fucking another woman yesterday. She's been staying in my room with me ever since, and it turns out we have a lot more in common than her and him did. We decided that while on vacation, we're going to give it a go. See how things turn out…betweenthe two of us."

I say the last words with a significant look at Chad. He appears almost apoplectic as he starts to rise to his feet, but our mom grabs his elbow, halting his progress, and he slams back down onto his chair.

"You're so full of shit, Trick," Chad says, his voice low and full of hatred. "There's no way you would stoop to picking up my cast-offs."

The way he says that, with a sneer as he runs his eyes over Virginia, has me seeing red.

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