Page 39 of My Silver Lining

They walked away, and Rafe quirked a brow. “That last dance made you the talk of the party.”

“I think my boyfriend made me the talk of the party,” I said.

“I’m going to bed,” Charlotte said as she approached, a scowl on her face. “We need to all be dressed appropriately for the interview tomorrow. It’s important.”

Her eyes scanned the front of my dress, and I chuckled. This was a party. She wore a dress that rivaled my grandmother’s and was more age-appropriate for a woman in her eighties.

“We’ll be there,” I said.

“This is a big deal for Hunter,” she said. “You can be in the background, as I know Grandfather will want you there.”

“Well, she is part of the family, so I would guess everyone wants her there.” Rafe found my hand and interlaced our fingers.

“Of course. But you should know, seeing as you two seem to be inseparable—” She paused, glancing at me before looking at Rafe. “Lulu tends to steal the thunder from others, and tomorrow is not about her.”

I was ready to rip into her when Rafe squeezed my hand and looked over at me. It was a look that I understood.

Allow me.

“Well, scheduling a media circus when it’s your grandfather’s eightieth birthday celebration for your husband’s personal gain sounds like you’re pretty good at stealing other people’s thunder yourself, Charlotte. My girl doesn’t need to steal anyone’s thunder. She manages to shine all on her own by simply existing.”

Oh, this was good.

He was pouring it on.

And I am here for it.

My fake boyfriend could hold his own against anyone.

“Yeah. Exactly what he said.” I squared my shoulders. “We’ll see you in the morning, if we can even get out of bed because this guy tends to keep me up all night.”

I laughed when we walked away.

“You told her, Wildcat,” he said, as he led me up the steps and into the room. “And just so you know, what I said to her wasn’t me putting on a show. It’s the truth. Your cousin is jealous of you. And that’s because you’re fucking amazing.”

My teeth sank into my bottom lip, and I shook my head. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

“Thank you. Do you want to use the restroom first? I need to take a shower.”

“A cold shower?” I asked, as I waggled my brows. “One where you think about these perfect tits of mine?”

“Lu, stop fucking around. I’ll be out in a little bit.” He pulled the green stone from his pocket and set it on the dresser, which made me laugh.

“Wait,” I said, grabbing his hand. I was still slightly buzzed and on a high because it was the first time I wasn’t the center of attention for the wrong reason. I hadn’t brought a date who made a scene or embarrassed us both. I wasn’t alone and feeling self-conscious about it. I just had a great night. And I was with this sexy man and feeling turned on for the first time in a very long time, and I wanted to be reckless. “What if you take your shower, and I’ll come in and wash my face and do my beauty routine while you’re taking care of business?”

His lips turned up in the corners, his eyes dark, looking almost black, as his hand moved to the side of my neck. “You want to watch me get off to thoughts of you?”

“I can’t read your mind, so your thoughts are your own. And I won’t be staring, I’ll just be—” I paused to think over my word choice. My voice was breathier than usual.

“Turned on?” he asked.

“Maybe.”

“Do you think that’s a good idea? You’re the one with all the rules,” he said, his thumb stroking the line of my jaw.

“Listen, we aren’t going to do anything about it.” I sighed. “So here’s the thing… I used to really like sex. And then I didn’t like it. I haven’t liked it for a while. I’ve dated, but I’ve had no desire to do anything more than kiss anyone. I don’t know, maybe after you come off a relationship that ends terribly, you’re cursed in a way.”

“You’re not cursed, Wildcat. You’re healing. You don’t trust easily because you’ve been hurt. I get that.” He paused and studied me for a few beats. “So you haven’t wanted to have sex because you don’t like it anymore. But you want to watch me shower?”

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