Page 30 of The Charade

"Huh," was all I could say in response. I guess Nash was more observant than I'd thought.

And apparently, I'd also been correct when I suspected that he'd been the one to mess with my contract in the first place.

"So, from the way you just got his number, I'm assuming that you have a favorite Hastings brother already."

"I don't know… You both have provided a lot of fun entertainment for me so far," she said with a sly look on her face. "But it’s refreshing to be around a Hastings boy who is actually socially capable and genuinely good-natured."

I had to chuckle at her ripping me a new one. "Being pleasant all the time takes too much energy."

"Maybe you should try drinking some coffee for an energy boost," she said. And then I thought I heard her mutter under her breath, "Being hot can only get you so far," as she dug into her bag for the skull-and-crossbones notebook she'd used earlier.

I couldn't help the smirk that lifted my face after hearing her disgruntled words. "So you find me attractive?" I asked.

She looked up from her bag, her face going pale as she realized she'd spoken the words loud enough for me to hear. "I-I didn't say that."

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't," she insisted, even though we both knew that she had.

"Ava," I said in a chiding tone. "Didn't your parents ever teach you it's not okay to lie?"

"Fine." She let out an aggravated sigh. "So you're hot. You obviously already know that, so I shouldn't be ashamed for thinking so."

"Thanks for the compliment." I shot her a smile. "I mean, your 'Haughty McHot-Hot' compliment was nice earlier. But it's always great to hear how good-looking I am in person."

Her eyes widened and she sat up straighter with a hmph. "I wasn't compli—"

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about," I cut her off. "In fact, I was about to say that you yourself have the most captivating eyes."

Which, despite my teasing tone, was actually true.

In fact, they were really pretty—a lighter amber color that kind of surprised you.

And as I studied the flecks of gold in her irises, I could tell the moment she realized I'd just complimented her because her eyes went wide with shock.

She blinked a few times, like she was having to switch gears with whatever retort she'd planned to say and instead said, "Th-th-thank you?"

I shrugged. "Of course." Then leaning closer so our faces were mere inches apart and her sweet perfume filled my nose, I decided to see how far I could take things by tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. In a voice just above a whisper, I said, "Not only are your eyes captivating, but I also find your personality enchanting and your wit positively charming."

She swallowed and just stared at me, probably completely stunned by my words and the intimate way I'd just traced my fingertip across her smooth skin.

As her questioning gaze studied my face for signs that I was being facetious, I worked hard to maintain a straight face. But not nearly the actor my brother was, I was only able to keep in character for another second before the corners of my lips betrayed me and the smile I'd been fighting forced its way across my lips.

It only took another second for her eyes to narrow and her jaw to drop as she realized that I'd just complimented her with all the qualities she'd listed at the bottom of our contract.

"Ugh." She pushed her hand against my shoulder, forcing more distance between us. "You think you're so funny, don't you?"

I shrugged. "Sorry, I'm really great at reaching for the low hanging fruit."

I mean, how could you not when it was just sitting there?

But though I'd only done it just to get a reaction from her, it was strange how my fingertips still burned a little from touching her cheek. It had been a long time since I'd had any sort of reaction like that with a girl.

Ava shook her head, her silky brown curls bouncing slightly with the movement. "Anyway, since I know how anal you are about your schedule and that we only have forty-five minutes before you probably have a workout or something else planned, I wanted to briefly talk to you about what I hinted at in my note."

I leaned back in my seat, resting one arm across the table in a relaxed pose. "I'm listening."

"Okay," she said. "So I'm guessing that you might be a little curious about why I decided to put on that whole charade during our last class after we'd just gone through that whole contract thing during lunch."

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