“Clara.”
She stopped talking and looked at her cousin.
“Tell him how you feel.”
Clara opened her mouth, clearly trying to say something, before snapping her lips shut. Then mumbling, “Maybe.”
Sky glanced over her shoulder again—and this time it washerback that straightened. Because now, Holden wasn’t alone. A guy with blond hair stood beside him…and Becket, who was looking right at her.
Her heart started to thump faster. Hard thumps that also quickened her breathing.
He wore a tight white shirt that made his biceps look even thicker, and the muscles in his chest stretched the material. But the thing that really stole her attention was his lips. Full red lips that just a few nights ago, had been kissing her.
She forced her gaze away.
“Oh no…” Clara inched closer. “I apologize in advance about my brother.”
Sky could only nod.
She told herself not to look again, but her damn body had no self-restraint. She turned her head—and gasped to find Becket standing right beside her.
“Hi, Peaches.” He slid an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek, as if he’d done it a thousand times before.
She couldn’t breathe. He was so big and warm, and he smelled so good. But what the hell was he doing? They weren’t supposed to fake date in front ofeveryone. Were they? They hadn’t discussed it. God, why hadn’t they discussed it?
She subtly elbowed him in the gut, but he didn’t even flinch.
Clara’s mouth opened and closed. “Um…why is your arm around Sky? And did you justkissher?”
“We’re dating,” Becket said before she could say anything.
A thick silence surrounded the table. Even Holden, who’d moved around to stand on the other side of Clara, looked like someone had just dropped a bomb on him.
“You are not,” Clara finally said. “You hate each other.”
“I haveneverhated Sky,” Becket said, sounding completely sincere.
“Um…will you excuse us for a second?” Sky grabbed Becket’s arm and led him away. She waited until they reached the bar before spinning on him. “What the hell are you doing?”
“It’s a small town. It’s safer for everyone to think we’re dating so the truth doesn’t get back to your parents.”
“Safer? You think it’ssaferto keep up this charade in front of everyone, including your family, who knows you would never date me?”
One side of his mouth lifted, and dammit, even that was sexy. “If my family thinks I wouldn’t date someone as beautiful as you, they don’t know me very well.”
Her mouth went dry. He’d just called her beautiful. And why the hell did it make her belly give a funny kick?
“I just…” She shook her head. “I think it will be too hard to keep up the façade in front of everyone.”
“Really?” He slid his arm around her waist again. “Was it hard to kiss me the other night?”
Every hair on her arms stood on end at his breath whispering across her skin. Too close. His mouth was too close. “Well…I mean…it wasn’thard, but it wasn’t easy.”
Ha. What hadn’t been easy was ending the kiss. Walking away from him.
His mouth lowered to her ear, and his single word came out as a breathy whisper. “Liar.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. Shewasa liar.
