Page 43 of Accidentally Falling for My Fake Wife

Chapter Seventeen

Susie

Every inch of myface that Adam’s eyes touch leaves a trail of heat behind it. The butterflies are back in swarms, and my heart responds with a slow, steady thrum vibrating through my body.

This is not what I thought would happen when I agreed to meet up with Chase—having it be Adam? It's an even better plot twist than I’ve ever written about.

I mean, I have fake dating and marriage-of-convenience tropes down pat. But a secret identity that affects the heroine’s life like this? Wasn’t even on my radar. How was it never on my radar? It’s so good!

My author brain is working overtime and all the possibilities are running free.

I take a slow inhale filling my chest before slowly releasing it.

Focus Susie. The man, the really attractive man, in front of you just proposed. Kind of.

Married first and then dating…another possible trope that I never thought about.

I think I really like that Adam is—

“Susie?” His gruff voice disrupts my inner dialogue and runs through me like a warm knife cutting through butter. “Are you open to including me in the conversation that’s going on in your head?”

A smile slowly crawls across my face. “I’m not sure you can handle the crazy conversations that happen in my mind.”

“If they’re anything like the babbling, I’m pretty sure I could without issue,” he teases. His smile widens and his dimple pops. “Either way, they’re a challenge I’m happy to take on.”

Reality slams into my gut.

Am I actually thinking of saying yes to all of this?

Can I marry a man I like and could one day possibly love, but am pretty sure I don’t love right now?

I know the moment Adam realizes what I’m thinking. He pulls his shoulders back, and leans fully against the bench. “It’s okay if you decide you don’t want to do this. It’s definitely one of the crazier things I’ve ever considered.”

“Why did you consider it?” His eyebrows shoot up at the abruptness of my question. “With ‘Amelia’ I mean.”

His face relaxes. His eyes however become so earnest that my stomach cartwheels. “Because she enchanted me. I think I would’ve wanted to meet her at some point anyway.”

His chocolate brown gaze pins me. The room around me blurs and the only thing I can hear is the pounding of my heart.

“The fact that you areheris the icing on the cake I didn’t know I wanted.”

“Oh.” The simple word barely blows past my lips, and his words flow over me like honey on a spoon in hot tea.

He leans his body forward and takes my hand, gently turning it in both of his. All I can do is watch as his large hands swallow my small one whole. That little action has me feeling protected and cherished.

If he’s this gentle with my hand, he’ll be gentle with my heart too, right?

I look up to see him watching our hands together, and my heart melts with a look of such tenderness. I know with certainty how I’m going to respond.

“Yes,” I say out loud, surprising myself. I didn’t quite mean to respond right this second.

His head whips up, eyes wide, and the sweetest grin on his face. He reminds me of the boy whose jersey he signed earlier. “Yes? Are you sure? I don’t want you to—”

“Yes,” I say firmly, cutting him off. “I want to help you.”

“This is more than helping.” His eyes continue searching mine intensely. “It’s taking my last name.”

“I know.” My lips lift at the corners as I think about my newest Maverick gear sitting at home. “I bought your jersey and was going to wear it to the next game. Guess it’s safe to say I’d already decided to wear your name.” I lift my right shoulder.

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