Page 61 of Shiver

“Yes, ma’am, no hand-holding,” I agree, doing my best to keep the laugh inside that’s threatening its way out of my throat.

“No kissing,” she stresses over the line.

A breath of air whooshes out of my mouth. “Now come on,princess.” I drop the rag I’d been using to clean the stain. “Have you seen yourself? Do youreallythink your family will believe I’m able to keep my hands andlipsoff you?”

“Stop being a flirt,” she huffs out.

“Samara,” I say, dragging her name out. “You’ve got to try and relax. I’m not delusional enough to think this is real, so whatever we have to do to convince your family and get them off your back within your boundaries is what we’ll do. But if we want this to be believable, you’re gonna have to rethink some of the lines you’ve drawn in the proverbial sand. Okay?”

“Okay,” she finally agrees, but I can still tell she’s reluctant. “But definitelynosex, got it?”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, princess.”That’s a lie, but it’s one that’ll hopefully ease her racing mind.

“Be ready by six,” she says before hanging up.

I peer down at Gia. “You heard the lady; we’ve gotta be ready by six.” Gia’s wide eyes shine brightly up at me, totally unaware that I’m about to leave her with her mom for an entire weekend. Meanwhile, I’ll be pretending to date a woman I can’t stop thinking about, even though I know damn well I should.

Chapter fifty-one

Samara

Friday, August 28, 2026

Ican’t believe we’re really doing this.Our flight leaves in three hours, and Luca will be here any minute to pick me up. I still have not a single clue as to why he even agreed to this in the first place.

No, notagreedbutsuggestedthis horrendous idea.

A knock at my door pulls me out of my spiraling thoughts. “Shit,” I whisper-yell to myself, grabbing my bags and heading for the door. When I answer it, Luca’s standing in a thin white button-down with tan linen shorts, looking absolutely delectable, and it sends a damn shiver racing down my spine.

“You know we aren’t actually in DR yet, right? It’s sixty degrees outside right now,” I inform him as if he doesn’t already know that.

“Muscle keeps the body warm, and clearly,” he says, gesturing to his lean physique, “I’m not lacking in that department.” He shoots me an arrogant wink, grabs my bags from me, and heads toward his SUV.

The eye roll that takes over my face can probably be seen from space as I watch Luca carry my heavy bags to his trunk. His muscles bulge as he lifts them in as if they weigh nothing at all. The ease with which he seems to do just about everything annoys me to my core, but I have to remind myself thathe’sdoingmea favor by even going on this trip. I need to play nice.Just this once.

***

“Okay, so your mom is Camila,and your dad is Kemar, your sister is Vea, and she’s the oldest, right?” he asks me. We just spent the entire drive to the airport going over my family tree.

“Yep, now park over there.” I point to the long-term parking lot ahead.

“Yes, ma’am.” He chuckles, pulling in just as I’d asked.

Once we’re parked, he runs around to my side of the SUV, holding my door open for me. I roll my eyes at him. “You can save that for when my family is actually around to see you, Luca.”

Apparently, it’s his turn to rollhiseyes atme.“Princess, I’d hold your door for you whether we were fake dating or not.”

I ignore him, moving out of the seat and around to the back to grab my bags. He takes most of them from me, wheeling his things along with my own and I don’t have the energy to argue with him about it.

Accept the help, Samara.I have to remind myself of that when the need to always be completely independent tries to take over.

I’ve got to let my fake boyfriend dorealboyfriend things for me if anyone is going to believe this ruse.

“Come on,principessa,” he calls over his shoulder, “we don’t want to miss our plane!”

“We’re nearly two hours early,” I grumble under my breath, trekking across the steaming-hot parking lot after him. It’s warmed up a lot in the last hour, but I’m certainly not going to admit that to him.

***

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