Page 24 of The Best Wrong Move

I open my mouth to reply, but nothing comes out. I inhale deeply, collecting myself when he pulls back, his eyes still staring intensely into mine, making everything else in the room fade away.

My heart pounds and, without thinking, I wet my lips like I’m about to be kissed.

This is all a show, Liv, I remind myself. He’s just that good.

I scold myself for believing that any of this is real, forcing my heart rate to slow back down to normal.

“That was decent.” I sigh, looking up at him from beneath my lashes.

He finally clears his throat, removes his hand from my back, and scratches the back of his neck with it, like he’s not sure what to do with himself again.

The spell is over, all heat dissipating back into the air like a puff of steam rising between two pots of boiling water.

“Decent?” He laughs, looking bewildered. “That was some of my best work.”

Okay, that makes me laugh.

“Alright, it was perfect.” I roll my eyes a little, trying to act like I didn’t just nearly hyperventilate from that mini masterclass in seduction.

“Will Rex buy it?” He grins wickedly.

“I think everyone within a twenty-mile radius will buy it.” I fight the urge to fan myself.

“Good.” He looks pleased with himself before turning back to his stack of boxes. “Then leave that silly disguise here. You won’t need it tonight.”

I redden and grab my ugly hat off the table.

“Honestly, it might be best if I just leave it on whenever I leave the townhouse. I don’t want to cause any extra trouble for you and your friends tonight. You’d be pretty horrified at the things total strangers have said to me when they recognize me.”

“You won’t need it because this little act is coming with us to the bar, too. You deserve to relax while you’re here, and you can’t do that if people are going to be all over you. You’re stuck here for the next two months. It’s the least I can do.”

There’s nothing in me that wouldn’t love this added protection and sense of security, without having to worry about people recognizing me. I can already feel my social anxiety go down a notch.

“My sister had a guy friend in college who switched into fake-boyfriend mode anytime someone was giving her unwanted attention. Worked like a charm. I won’t do anything that’ll make you feel uncomfortable, but I’m happy to stick with you, even after we leave Rex in the dust. Stay close by.”

Men have been unnaturally aggressive since that clip, like it put out a bat signal to every creep in New York that I’m single now, each of them ready to fill Rex’s shoes, or tell me how weird I was for trying to propose.

“Thank you.” I scrunch my nose, not sure how to respond. I’m still trying to get my heart to slow its pace from those fake moves.

“It would be my pleasure.” His deep voice sounds thick and easy, like nothing about this offer bothers him. Meanwhile, my insides are still screaming for another faux embrace. “I’ll finish this up, get a little work done, then swing by to pick you up around five fifteen. At your back door.”

“Back door?”

“Didn’t Juju mention they start their happy hour out back around five o’clock? You can walk by Rex and Juju looking hot as hell in whatever you decide to wear, while he slurps down his drink and tries not to drool over you.”

I laugh, appreciating where his head is at.

“Brilliant.” I stand up. “This all feels like it’ll work. Mutually beneficial. Seemingly believable.”

I stick my hand out to him for a handshake, like we’ve reached the fever pitch of our absurd little negotiation and it’s time to make it official.

His face transforms into triumph, the mac daddy of all smirks. That little performance of his won this round and he knows it.

“So we’re on for tonight?” He holds his hand just out of reach.

You’d be crazy to say no to this, Liv, Abby’s voice rings in my head. I can’t imagine telling her later that I’ve turned this man down. She’d probably rush here on the next flight just to assess my sanity in person.

“It’s a deal,” I agree.

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