I snorted. “I’m yourfakegirlfriend, Lincoln. And that’s only when we were around your celebrity friends.”
Lincoln looked mildly embarrassed, with a barely visible tint of color creeping into his cheeks. “Fake though our relationship might be, you need to look the part. The things are yours, Ava. Accept it.”
I scoffed, ready to berate him forforcingme to accept his generosity. While I was aware that the meager wardrobe I’d left Springfield with wouldn’t fly in a place like this—I didn’t plan on attending A-list parties and billionaire birthday bashes, after all—I hadn’t asked for any of this.
Before I could tell him my mind, he said, “Oh, and our rooms are adjoined. I’ll see you when you get settled in.”
He dashed toward a closed door.
“Don’t you dare try to run,” I warned.
He stopped and slowly turned around, wearing a teasing smirk. “So close,” he murmured.
I fought my urge to smile back at him because that’s what Lincoln did to me. He made me want to fall back into our easy banter. “Adjoining rooms? Really?”
He sighed. “Look, Ava, I know it might be weird for you, though I’m not surewhy. We’ve been sleeping together for the last few days.”
Heat spread through my face, to my neck, and shot lower to my core. Not just sleeping together. We’d been having crazy,amazingsex. Honestly, sex with Lincoln had become an addiction. I found myself being jealous of every other woman he’d been with after we ended. To think I had missed out on years of…him.
Folding my arms to somehow guard myself against my conflicting emotions, I shrugged. “That doesn’t mean we have to behave like an actual couple when no one can see us.”
Lincoln’s smirk faded. For a moment, something flickered in his eyes. I wasn’t sure if it was regret or pain because it vanished as quickly as it came.
He sighed, and all the teasing drained from his voice. “Look, Ava, I haven’t told any of my friends what we’re doing here. No one but Alex knows about your investigation or the real reason for this party.”
I stared at him.
“I’m just trying to make things easier. The less everyone knows, the better. If you’re that uncomfortable with adjoining rooms, I’ll fix it.”
My eyes skated away from him because I felt stupid for making a big deal about it. It wasn’t like we were sharing a room. I’d been staying in his apartment for days, but our bedrooms were on separate floors. Here, a silly part of me was worried about being too close to him. It was risky… to my heart.
“No, it’s fine. As long as we stay on our sides of that door.”
He gave a questioning lift of one eyebrow. “We’ve spent quite a lot of time in each other’s personal space in LA…”
“That was different,” I said quickly.
“Hmm.” With that, he turned and walked to the door. “The gang will be arriving soon.”
I glowered at his back until he disappeared. “Hmm?What does that mean?” I muttered. He probably thought I was a basket case. It was all his fault, anyway. I could argue that it was his actions that turned me into this uncertain, wary woman.
Heaving a sigh, I looked around at the ton of things he’d bought me. “I don’t know how to feel about this,” I whispered, eyeing a shopping bag.
By the time I finished poking through the avalanche of luxury Lincoln dropped on me, the sun was setting. He’d stopped a minute before with news of his friends’ arrival. Dinner was being set up on the east terrace. I was nervous to meet his closest friends, but certainly it wouldn’t be as harrowing as partying with a bunch of famous strangers in a couple of days.
For dinner, I chose a simple flowy maxi dress from the collection of things Lincoln got. As I assessed myself in the mirror, I was satisfied. At least, I’d look like I fit in with the others. From what I heard, the entire crew was successful and wealthy. I paused as I was struck by a thought. Did Lincoln really go all out because he wanted to do something nice, as he’d said, or was he afraid I’d embarrass him?
My eyebrows furrowed.
No.
There might have been over a decade between the Lincoln I’d known and the man now, but he was still that sweet guy I had crushed on since the day I met him. Using his special day to help me was proof enough.
Squaring my shoulders, I went on my way.
Lincoln’s friends were already on the terrace. They hadn’t seen me yet, so I studied them. They were chatting and laughing. They looked like the cast of a high-end commercial for luxury travel or fashion. All beautiful and well-dressed. I chuckled at the thought.
Lincoln stood among them, a beer in one hand. He wore a big grin that made something tighten in my chest. He looked happy. The kind that made me feel like I was watching someone I used to know, and maybe I didn’t fit into his life anymore. But that shouldn’t matter, should it? I didn’t want to be a part of his life like that. He was my past and should stay there. Yet, my steps faltered because deep down, I wasn’t convinced that was what I wanted anymore.
