Page 40 of Salty, Spiced, and a Little Bit Nice

“What are you doing?” His sleepy gaze swept over me.

Fuckity fuck fuck fuckkkk.I was bent over him, with one handunderneath his head and the other tangled in the T-shirt around his neck. His eyes were still bleary, but they were fixed on me, unblinking. His gaze dropped to my mouth, and I sucked in a breath.

I didn’t know if I was the one lowering my face down to his, or if he was the one lifting his face up toward mine, but it seemed like we were both moving in sync, with the exact same goal in mind, and nothing else in the world mattered but that.

Except it was all, apparently, only a wild imagination in my head.

At the very last second, before our lips touched, sense must have kicked into him, because his eyes suddenly turned wide at the sight of me looming over him. There was a low “Oh, fuck” and then I was flipped on the bed, followed by Alec rushing to stand upright. Those green eyes were now staring at me, clear and unmistakably horrified, as his hands worked furiously to cover himself with the T-shirt and sweatpants.

“I’m so, so sorry.” He took a step back and ran a hand through his hair. “That should never have happened. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

Well, maybe he didn’t, because he was drunk. But I was 100 percent sober, and I wasmortified.Beyond belief. What was wrong with me? I was all but begging him to kiss me, for fuck’s sake.

Clearly, nothing had changed: my crush had returned with a vengeance; but he was the same Alec who wanted nothing to do with me. The only reason he was being nice was because Eric had asked him to keep an eye on me. After all, that was his lifelong MO: looking after his family after his dad left, and now, looking out for his best friend’s little sister. Kissing him, or worse, falling for him—again—would be beyond foolish, because I’d be serving my heart on a silver platter, practically begging him to stomp all over it. It was clear as day, and I didn’teven need a pros and cons list to know that it was the worst idea in the world: falling for him twice in my lifetime was a big, fat, capital HELL NO.

“You don’t have to apologize.” I got up, not meeting his eyes. “Nothing happened, right? I should go. See you in the morning.”

He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

I went around him and opened the door. And without another glance, I disappeared behind it, ready for the floor to swallow me whole.

CHAPTER 12I Felt A… Thing?

The minute I opened my eyes the next morning, memories of last night immediately came rushing back. Groaning, I pulled my blanket over my face, embarrassment washing over me. How could I face him today, pretending that less than twelve hours ago, I hadn’t been practically frothing at the mouth at the possibility of him kissing me? And worse, how would I fake a loving relationship with him for the next few weeks?

But nothing actually happened. Which meant I could classify it as a nonexistent event, right? Yes. Yes, I could. We had an agreement, and my future was riding on it. I had to do this, come hell or high water. Pretending to be in love with Alec Mackenzie, andnotfalling for him? I could do it with my eyes closed. Piece of cake, easy as pie, as simple as ABC.

As soon as I finished that way overdue Stay on Track Plan.

Alec was already busy in the kitchen when I returned from my run. I cleared my throat to announce my presence. “Morning.”

He didn’t turn around from the stove. “Breakfast is on the table.”

My brows shot up at the spread on the dining table. There wasa stack of whole-grain toast, a jar of no-sugar-added strawberry jam, a bowl of oats porridge, some apple slices on a small plate, and a tub of blueberry yogurt next to it.

“No pancakes or waffles today?”

“I’ve read that low-GI foods are better for someone with diabetes. It raises your blood sugar gradually, right? I looked up some breakfast ideas last night and thought I’d give it a try.”

Last night?I gaped at him. Was that before or after the humiliating event that shall now and forevermore be dubbed as The Kiss That Never Happened?

This was, hands down, one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for me.

“That’s very thoughtful,” I managed. “You really didn’t have to.”

“It’s not just for you.” He finally turned around, revealing the crimson tinting his cheeks. “I’m always looking for healthier options, too.”

“But I thought… aren’t we meeting Jacqui for brunch?”

Alec brought a pan over, slipping a silicone trivet underneath before placing it on the table. He’d made skillet-baked eggs with mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes. “It’s not for another two hours. Figured you might need something to eat before then.”

My heart stumbled over and swelled a hundred times. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”

He pulled out the chair across from me, a muscle in his jaw twitching. “I need to apologize for last night. We had a business agreement, and what I did was unprofessional and unacceptable. I shouldn’t have gotten drunk at the party, especially to the point where I passed out… and even tried to kiss you.”

My cheeks felt like they had been lit on fire.No, it was me who tried to kiss you.

“I promise it will never happen again. But if you want to reconsider our agreement, I’ll understand. I’ll still honor my end of the bargain, but you don’t have to.”

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