Page 37 of Fake Dating Adrian Hunter
“Verena, you are dead!”
I squeal, running for the bungalow as he climbs out of the water. As with our earlier race to claim the bed, he catches me effortlessly in his soaking wet clothes and carries me back to the pool, plunging us both into the water.
I loosen myself from his arms and come up for air, pushing hair back from my face and treading water. “Oh my God, Adrian, the dress.”
He splashes me in the face. “You’re rich. I’m sure you can make another one.”
“That’s not the point. This dress is made from the finest silk. And these are huia tail feathers. Do you know how rare they are? The dress needs a funeral now. Not to mention, the weight of this thing in the water is going to have me drowning again.” I do an awkward wriggle and free myself from the soaked fabric, then toss it onto the ground.
Adrian raises a brow. “Striptease again?” I splash him back. He ducks under the water, removing his jeans and shirt.
“This isn’t some competition, Adrian. Just because I took my clothes off doesn’t mean you need to do the same.”
“They were weighing me down too. I don’t have the luxury of your rescue services if I go under.”
“True.”
“So, about this bed situation…” he prompts.
“We’re not sharing it, if that’s what you’re hinting at.”
“We’ve shared a bed many times before. Surely a sturdy pillow wall down the center will stop you from throwing yourself at me.”
“You are so full of yourself.”
Adrian climbs out of the pool. He grabs a towel, rubs it through his hair and wraps it around his waist, then reclines on a daybed. “Because I’mnotfull of myself, I’ll be a gentleman and let you have the bed. Goodnight, Verena.”
“Wait a minute!” I follow him out of the pool, covering myself with a towel. I see what he’s doing—stepping back from a childish game and being the adult. No way am I letting him hold that over my head. I march up to the daybed, hands on hips, and look down at him. “I’m not letting you win this one. You take the bed.”
His eyes remain closed, and he doesn’t move a muscle.
“Adrian, I know you’re not asleep.” When there’s still no response, I crawl onto the bed with him and push at his chest. “Stop being so annoying.”
He laughs, pushing me back. “I’m serious, Vee, you take the bed. It’s nice out here. I don’t mind sleeping under the stars.”
For the first time this evening, I look up, met by a velvety sheen of starlight. I flop back onto the mattress, marveling over the view. “You never see it like this in New York. It’s beautiful.”
The mattress shifts, and only now do I realize the position I’ve put myself in. Adrian and I are lying in bed together, gazing at the stars. Okay, this isn’t technically a real bed, but it’s still a bed.
“The stars are like this in Sitka,” he says.
“I remember.”
“How many times do you think we did this?”
I don’t need to clarify his meaning—the two of us, lying on the grass, counting the stars as kids. “Not enough times.”
My words kill all conversation. I’m regretting them the moment they slip out of my mouth. The nostalgia I’m reliving, the lightheartedness between Adrian and me, it’s too much to deal with. Yet at the same time, it’s not enough. I don’t want this moment to end.
When Adrian speaks again, it’s only a whisper. “Wanna count the stars again?”
I nod ever so slightly, not sure if he sees the movement. But I notice every tiny movement he makes, and wonder if he has the same awareness of me. All I can focus on is the way his chest rises up and down with quiet breaths. The way his lips move as he murmurs his counting. I close my eyes and listen to his soft words. One hundred… Two hundred… They’re the only thing anchoring me to this world as I drift off to sleep.
ChapterThirteen
A cold breeze stirs me from sleep. Night is still upon us and I’m in my underwear on the day bed, shivering beneath the wet towel I fell asleep in. Disoriented in my half-awake state, I push the towel away and snuggle into the warmth in front of me.
The warmth shifts at my touch, its voice groggy from sleep. “Vee?”
