Page 68 of Lessons in Faking
Unlike last night, he did.
Chapter 30
It had been worth it. Just to hear his even breaths before I fell asleep and pretend not to wake when he brushed a strand of hair out of my face the next morning. His touch lingered before he tiptoed out of his room as dawn was just breaking.
His casual smiles and usual jokes would suggest last night never happened. The way our fingers brushed when no one else was looking showed me he hadn’t forgotten, though. I certainly wouldn’t.
There’s nothing I want more than to touch you, to feel you again. My head between your thighs. God, to hear you moan my fucking name.
So yeah. I noticed how snug the white long sleeve fit around his biceps. And how perky his butt looked as he carried our bags to his Jeep.
Sue me.
As he loaded our luggage into the back of the car, I leaned against the passenger side. The sun was out forthe first time in a while, and though it was still cold—a seeing-your-breath kind of cold—the sun made it bearable. I squinted, watching the McCarthy Williamses trot out of their house one after the other, a smile on my face when Natalie was the first to embrace me.
“It was lovely meeting you, Athalia.Really.” She squeezed me tightly, and I delightedly returned the gesture. “Such a change of pace from the troublemakers I usually have around.” She gave all five of her children a playfully scolding look, and while complaints rained from their mouths, a laugh escaped mine.
“Thank you for having me,” I said softly. “It means a lot. More than you can probably imagine.” I sighed. “I’ll extend the same courtesy to you guys. Promise.”
With that, she walked the few steps over to her son while I said goodbye to the rest of his family.
Diana leaned against the car beside me with a loud sigh. Facing the sun, she squinted a little as she smiled, and I swear the warmth it radiated was similar. “So,” she said, eyes shooting to her brother just once, very quickly. “I’m glad he finally had the balls to do this.”
“Do what?” I hoped I wasn’t missing some big, obvious thing that’d make me look stupid for not connecting the dots. But Diana just smiled.
“You know,” she said, then gestured back and forth between Dylan and me. I don’t think I knew. “This thing. With you. And him. God knows he’s been wanting to ask you o—”
“Great!” Dylan clapped his hands together, cuttinghis sister off and throwing an arm around her. I almost groaned at his interruption. “Goodbye, Didi.” The grin on his face told me he knew exactly what he was doing. “Always a pleasure.”
Diana rolled her eyes, but she slung her arms around him anyway. “I guess that’s your sign to leave,” she snickered, a knowing brow raised.
“It is indeed.” Opening the passenger door, he looked at me expectantly when I didn’t immediately jump into the vehicle. After a nod in its direction, I slipped inside. He gave everyone another hug—his mother’s was a bit longer—and then jogged around the car to get inside.
“You,” I grumbled as soon as he pulled out of the driveway, pointing an accusatory finger his way. “You always interrupt my most interesting conversations. Do you know that?”
His sheepish smile was noticeable even though he was concentrating on the road. “I might.”
This time, in the safety of his car, I let that frustrated groan out. “So what was she about to say, then?”
“Who?”
“Your sister.”
“Which one?”
Another groan. “Diana.”
“Oh.” His eyes darted to me again, coming to a halt at a stop sign. “No idea.” He shifted into first gear and got us rolling again.
“You’re the worst.” I glared to up the dramatics. “Seriously.”
He grimaced. “I’m about to make it so much worse, Princess. I’m sorry.”
“What?” I asked carefully.
“How does statistics for the rest of the drive sound to you?”
My face fell, body deflating. “No.”
