“Well, apparently, he still really cares for you.” Like I said, I already hated the guy.
“That just makes it worse. Ugh. I can’t believe this is happening.”
“You never know,” I said, voice flat. “Maybe he’s the one for you.”
She sighed, dramatic and exasperated, then placed her hands on my cheeks and patted them like I was a child.
“You’re such a fool, Roman Archer. All you’re doing is making more work for me.”
She dropped her hands and stood, staring down at me like I was the world’s biggest idiot.
And honestly? I had no idea what the hell she was talking about.
“I’m going to go in and read to your daughter, and then I’m going home,” she said, voice steady but low. “I don’t even know if I should kiss you good night after this.”
But she was already leaning in—lips hovering, breath warm against mine. Close enough to undo me.
“But I do like kissing you,” she murmured.
Her lips barely brushed mine. Just enough to leave me under her spell.
“Good night, Roman.”
She pulled back before I could respond. Before I could reach for her. Before I could say, “Don’t go.”
I just sat there, jaw tight, pulse hammering, watching her walk away. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into with her, but I didn’t want to untangle myself from it. Even if Demi was leading me straight to my downfall, I’d follow.
Hell, I’d run.
Chapter XXX
Demi
“Couldthisshowgetany tackier?” Cassie whispered in my ear as we walked side by side down a gravel path lit by torches and strings of fairy lights.
Our besties were ahead of us, giggling and chirping about which exes were going to appear tonight. Jessica, Brinley, and Paloma were torn about wanting it to be their exes, seeing as they were enjoying some of the men on the show, but they still thought it might be romantic for their former flames to show up.
We were heading toward the edge of the resort’s property, where the forest pressed against a wide meadow. The mountains loomed in the distance, a shadowy beacon against the night sky.
Ahead, the clearing unfolded like a scene from a low-budget fantasy film—wooden benches arranged around a bonfire, a carved archway standing sentinel at the forest’s edge. And then there was the mist. Artificial, obviously. Pumped in to add mystery and tension. All it did was make me want to laugh.
But I didn’t.
Because this ridiculous spectacle mattered to Roman. And that made me pause. It was apparent I still had more to lay on the line for him. And it was time to swallow my pride and help him salvage this season. Which meant throwing out every rule I’d clung to.
No more guidebook.
No more playing it safe.
It was time for the grandest of grand gestures.
We were going to do the whole damn enemies-to-lovers trope here. Who knew—I might even find myself dancing in the rain with Roman and carving our initials in a tree before it was all said and done.
And that meant it was showtime. Roman’s crew wanted drama, and they were about to get it.
“I fear the answer is probably yes. This show could and most likely will get tackier,” I whispered back even though Cassie had hexed our mics not to pick up personal conversations. Still, there were cameras everywhere.
As we neared, Roman stepped out of the shadows dressed in his signature suit—no tie, collar open just enough to give a peek at what I knew was a masterpiece. If my heart could pitter-patter, I was sure it would have. But even though my heart was out of order, my hormones were still working just fine, and I wanted to kiss his face off. Not literally—his face was too pretty to damage.
