I try not to stare too long in his direction, but it’s basically a losing battle. He’s laughing now, head tilted back just slightly, and damnit, he lookssohandsome when he laughs. His beard is trimmed short, neat, like everything about him, and I suddenly want to step in front of him andkiss those tempting lips just to see if he tastes as good as I remember.
My fake fiancé. Right.Fake. God, I really need to get it together before one of the girls catches me openly drooling like a lovesick idiot.
“So…” I say, turning to Josy and Violet, forcing my attention back to the people Ishouldbe focused on. “Esteban told me you like to read books?” I look at Violet.
Her face lights up like I just offered her a surprise book haul. “Oh yes. Ilovereading romance. Give me a broody hero, a sassy heroine, and a happily ever after and I’m set for life.”
I laugh. “Same. I’ll read pretty much anything as long as there’s kissing involved.”
Josy groans playfully. “Ugh, I wish I had more time to read as much as Violet does. Between the coffee shop, Everly, and your brother…” she pauses, then adds with a smirk, “there’s not a lot of free time left. I’m lucky if I can squeeze in a chapter from an audiobook while folding laundry.”
We all laugh, and Violet leans closer. “It’s true. She used to fall asleep reading. Now she falls asleep justthinkingabout reading.”
“Hey!” Josy nudges her with her elbow, careful not to wake Everly. “That’s not true. Sometimes I make it two chapters in.”
Their laughter is warm and contagious, and for a moment, I feel completely at ease. Like I’ve always belonged here. Like I’m not secretly losing my mind over a certain Puerto Rican heartthrob who keeps catching my eye from across the terminal.
I glance over again just for a second and catch Estebanalready looking at me. He smiles. Not a big, teasing one, but something small, softer. My breath catches, and I quickly turn back to the girls, praying neither of them notices how red my face is right now.
They don’t say anything. But Josy’s eyes glint with quiet amusement.
Crap. I think she noticed.
I look down when my phone buzzes in my hand. A text from Esteban lights up the screen. I glance up instinctively and yep, there he is, smirking at me like he already knows exactly what he just did to my heart rate. He’s standing with Noah and Austin, pretending to be engaged in their conversation, but he’s totally waiting for me to read it.
Esteban: Why are you blushing? Did I make you blush?
My cheeks heat all over again, traitors. I bite my lip, unsure how to play this. Should I call his bluff or act innocent?
Me: What are you talking about?
I hit send, then peek at him from the corner of my eye. He glances at his phone, reads my message, and his mouth twitches into a full-blown grin. A second later, the typing bubbles appear.
Esteban: And here I thought me looking at you made you blush.
Me: I’m notthat easy.
Esteban: I never said you were. But don’t worry... I plan on making you blush this weekend, so be prepared.
My breath catches.He’s not playing fair.
Me: Oh really? And how exactly do you plan on doing that?
He doesn’t reply right away. He just lifts his gaze, catches mine across the seating area, and raises one eyebrow in a way that makes my stomach flip. I quickly look away before I combust right there in front of Violet and Josy.
We’re finally on the plane, and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding when I see where we’re all seated. Noah, Josy, and Everly are in the back. Austin, Violet, and Adrian are two rows ahead of us. And me? I’m smack in the middle of the row with Esteban beside me on the aisle and a sleeping woman already leaning against the window seat.
Thank God.
Two hours of uninterrupted time with Esteban and no Noah hovering? That’s a blessing.
I lean toward him, keeping my voice low so the woman beside me doesn’t overhear. “Are you nervous?”
He tilts his head, looking down at me. “A little. I don’t want to fuck it up. And you, are you ready to be the best fake fiancé this world has ever seen?”
I grin, my voice a quiet whisper near his ear. “I’m soready. I’m invested now. I want you guys to win the McNeals over and land this deal. I know how important it is for you and my brother.”
He gives me a bright smile and my heart skips. He’s so close I can see the crinkles at the corners of his eyes, the tiny yellow flecks in the green, like little suns trapped in moss. His cologne wraps around me clean, woodsy, and so him that I have to fight the urge to lean in and sniff his neck like a weirdo.
