Page 50 of Fake Dating an Orc Cowboy

“Your phone,” I said, hating to speak. But if it was ringing, someone might need her.

Her fingers paused on their path across my belly, and her brow scrunched. “What time is it?” Her head spun to the closed drapes where bright light struggled to peek through. “Oh, no. The wedding. I was supposed to get up early to get ready for the wedding!” She slid off my body and scooted to the edge of the bed, sitting while grabbing her phone. “Macy. Macy. Macy. She’s called me, like, twelve times. It’s 10 a.m. Ten!”

Rising, I stroked her back. “No riding your cowboy.”

Her low chuckle tickled down my spine. “Not now, unfortunately. I was supposed to be in her suite by nine for hair, nails, the whole works, and I’m an hour late. She’s going to kill me.” Hopping off the bed, she hurried toward the bathroom, dialing and placing the phone to her ear. The door banged shut, but I could still hear her speaking. “Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m sorry. I’m late, but I’ll be there super-fast. Let me take a quick shower and do my teeth or you’re not going to be happy with how I look. Or smell for that matter.”

The urgency in her tone snapped the fog of lust lingering in my body. Anxiety replaced it, coiling in my chest. She didn’t deserve anyone being upset with her, not after giving me the kind of night that would live in my bones forever.

I rubbed my hands over my face, then swung my legs off the bed. The cool tile beneath my feet settled me. I couldn’t sit here while she rushed to make up for lost time. What kind of mate did that make me? Not the kind Rosey deserved.

Grabbing my pants and shirt from the chair, I dressed quickly. The fabric strained around my thighs but fit well enough for the purpose. I rolled the sleeves up to mid-forearm and grabbed my cowboy hat from the small table by the balcony door. My fingers brushed the brim, and I paused for a moment. Rosey had smiled so brightly when she saw me wearing this thatfirst day in the pool. That image fueled my grin as I dropped it firmly on my head.

By the time Rosey shot out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her head and her face flush from her quick shower, I was mostly ready. She darted to the closet, yanking out a sundress.

“No time for coffee,” she muttered to herself. Slipping the dress on over her head, she smoothed it across her hips. “Does this look decent enough for getting ready for Macy and Jacob's wedding? The dress I'll wear during the ceremony is inside her suite.”

I closed the small gap to her in a few strides. My hands found her waist, and I leaned down to capture her gaze head-on. “You’re stunning, Rosey. Always.”

The tension in her shoulders eased, her soft exhale of relief puffing against my chest. “You’re too good at this, you know.” A quick smile curved her lips, but she shook it off, backing away from me to slip on her sandals.

By the time we stepped out of the room, Rosey’s phone was buzzing again. Another look at the screen made her sigh. She picked up her pace, her fingers lacing with mine as we weaved along the resort’s stone paths toward the oceanfront building where her sister had booked a suite.

We climbed the stairs and rushed down the hall.

Jacob left a room farther along the corridor, and his face lit up when he saw us. Joining us, he leaned against the wall. A grin spread across his face. “There you two are.” His blond hair was slightly damp, and despite the casualness of his posture, energy rolled off him. “Macy’s freaking out.” His grin didn’t slip, though. If anything, it widened with true amusement. “But that’s kind of her thing, right? She put a lot of time into making sure this would be perfect, and it only makes me love her more. I’ve never seen her this excited, and it’s making me crazy happy too.”

“I'm sorry,” Rosey said. “We overslept. I should’ve been here an hour ago. I don't blame her for being upset.”

He waved her off. “Don’t worry about it. She'll calm down. Once you're in there, getting ready, she'll relax.”

Rosey turned to me and curled her finger, urging me to lower my head near hers. She kissed me, and I wanted to lift her, press her against the wall. Instead, I tried to keep it chaste—sort of. There was no such thing as chaste when it came to Rosey. Pulling away, her cheeks pinkened and her smile matched the gleam in her eyes. “You.”

I knew very well what she meant, and I couldn't keep the grin of pride off my face.

“I’ll see you at the wedding,” she said. “Why don’t you go get some brunch at the buffet?”

Jacob’s palm clapped against my shoulder before I could step away. “No need.” His tone came out brisk but warm. “Come with me. We’ve got food and drinks in the guys’ suite. You're welcome to join us. I can see you two . . .” His face flooded with color. Was he having regrets for his prior behavior? “Anyway. It would mean a lot to me if you joined us.”

I hesitated, my gaze flickering between him and Rosey. She shrugged, mouthing, “Up to you,” before disappearing through the door of Macy's suite.

“Alright,” I said, nodding my thanks. “I appreciate it.”

“Great, great.” Jacob urged me down the hall to another door. I stepped inside behind him to find three other men in various stages of dressing. Their chatter peppered with jokes and bursts of laughter relaxed me.

“Hey, guys,” Jacob said. “Ostor’s going to hang out with us.”

One male lifted a glass my way. “Welcome.”

The others joined in, their smiles making me feel included for the first time since I got here.

“We don’t need anywhere near as much time as the women to get ready,” Jacob said, pouring two drinks from a small buffet set up on a table along one wall. He dropped down onto a big sofa and clunked his shoes on the low table in front, settling back and sipping one of the drinks. “This is for you.” He held the drink out to me, and I went over to stand beside him, taking it with my thanks.

With a touch of seriousness on his face, Jacob patted the sofa beside him. “Have a seat, dude. We should talk.”

Chapter 21

Rosey

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