Page 52 of Hoax and Kisses
“Have you ever seenPretty Woman?”
“Never,” I say after another hit of hot chocolate that calms my frayed nerves.
“That makes it all the more special, then.” He slides his arm around my waist and pulls me to him, all bundled up in my blanket.
I lean into him willingly, his warmth soothing the last of my anxiety. His firewood and daisies scent swirls around me in a dangerously tempting blend. I want to lift my face and press my nose to the hollow of his neck, inhaling until he’s all I can breathe.
My brain screams at me that none of this is true, but I ignore it. Let me pretend a little longer. Just for the rest of the night.
The sky is dark now, except for the stars twinkling above us. The film plays, and I curl further into his side, his body solid and steady beside mine. The whole time, his arm stays draped around my waist, his legs stretched casually in front of him.
Without giving it a second thought, I rest my head on his shoulder. I don’t move or say anything when he leans into me in return.
Chapter Fourteen
MATT
My arm is falling asleep, but I can’t bring myself to move out of Zoey’s hold or push her away.
She’s finally relaxed against me, and I wouldn’t take her peace away from her for anything. Especially not after she had a mini existential crisis that left me with the furious urge to help her reclaim her life.
By the time her hot tears had dried on my fingers, my mind was made up. This won’t be your average fake dating situation. From now on, I’m going to make it my mission to turn every moment we share into an opportunity for her to experience the things she seems to have been missing out on.
“He’s really trying to woo her,” Zoey says, her attention riveted on the screen. “A private jet to go to an opera show? Who does that?”
I chuckle. “Has nobody ever been romantic with you?”
Jesus Christ. One day. One day, and we’ve already broken the rule about staying out of each other’s personal lives. I can’t help it. The questions burn my tongue.
“I don’t do romance,” she mutters, her body instinctively curling in on itself.
She’s so predictable.
“Nonsense.” I flick at a strand of hair that’s slipped from behind her ear and is tickling my chin. “Everybody craves romance. You’ve just never met anyone who knew exactly the kind you needed.”
She lifts her head, her face so close that the sweetness of her breath is like a ghost of a touch hovering over my lips. My gaze trips to her mouth, and for a second, I imagine what it’d be like to kiss her again. Soft and slow this time. Tasting her with care and dedication, until the motion becomes muscle memory.
“You’re a natural at this,” she whispers as her eyes follow the same downward path as mine.
“At what?” I whisper back.
“Making it look like you want me.”
I frown. “It’s not—”
My thoughts are cut short when a familiar silhouette appears behind Zoey, a daisy backpack on her shoulders.
“What—”
I scramble up, putting distance between Zoey and me. When she stomps close enough that I can make out her red-rimmed eyes, I rush to Daphne. In three strides, I’m next to her. “What are you doing here? Are you okay?”
Lola runs up behind her and comes to a sharp stop when she reaches us, heaving breaths. “Sorry, give me a second.”
I look frantically between the two of them. “Daph, what’s going on?”
“I wanted you,” she sniffles, her voice cracking. “I wanted to see you, but Lola said it wasn’t a good idea because of the noise. But I didn’t want to stay home.I wanted to see you.”
Fuck.
