“My heel broke, Luke.” I cross my arms, trying not to laugh at the memory. “It wasn’t funny. I could have broken my ankle.”
“It was your fault for wearing four-inch heels. Where were you going, Mi-Mi?”
“I was trying to practice for when I walked the catwalks in Milan and Paris.” I giggle and shake my head. “I thought I had a future career as a model.” I fold my arms and glare at him. “I didn’t know that my lack of balance would stop that career in its tracks.”
“I had to carry you to my car, which was five blocks away, because you didn’t want to walk barefoot.” He laughs. “Even though you walk barefoot almost every day of your life.”
“Maybe I just wanted you to carry me. Ever think of that?” I wink at him, and he takes a step closer to me, his eyes bright as he gazes down at me.
“Then you should have just asked,” he says softly, and my heart races.
The mood between us has shifted slightly. It’s still lighthearted and fun, but there’s a heaviness in the air that’s making it hard for me to breathe. My eyes shift to the expanse of his chest showing through his shirt, and my mind wanders to thinking if he has a six-pack. It’s not that I care if he has one; I’m just curious. For practical purposes, of course. I only want to know if he has abs so that I can answer any questions that may come up.
Who’s going to ask you if he has abs, Mia?The devil inside of me rears its ugly head, and I ignore it.
“Shall we grab a drink at Cocktails & Chaos first and then head to the beach party?” I say quickly as I try to get us back on track.
Going down memory lane is the last thing we need to be doing right now.
“First round’s on me.”
“All rounds are on you, Luke. You’re the rich one, not me.”
“I see you’re only dating me for my money.” He grabs his heart. “Oh, do I feel used now.”
“I can make you feel even more used if you want?”
“How is that?”
He bites down on his lower lip, and I notice his eyes flicker to the top of my dress. Which is particularly boobalicious. Maybe too boobalicious? Is Luke checking out my boobs? I don’t know, and I don’t know if I want to know.
“We can go shopping, and I can make a huge dent in your bank account.” I give him my most wholesome smile. “Don’t you want to spoil me, oh darling boyfriend?”
“Nah.” He grins and grabs my hand. “I think you’d be a terror if I spoiled you too much. Come on, Mi-Mi. Let’s get you that drink and talk about how we’re going to fool everyone into thinking we’re madly in love.”
“Or just mad,” I groan under my breath. “I’m sure people would need no convincing as to that fact.”
“Are you ready to take the stage, Meryl?” Luke asks me as we head back to the beach for our first public performance.
“Of course, Brando.” I spin around, loving the feel of my silk skirt against my skin as it brushes past. “Let’s get this party started. Just remember the rules, Luke.” Meryl Streep and Marlon Brando were two of our favorite actors and we’d always pretended to emulate them whenever we needed to fake something.
“How could I forget? Rule one, we will pretend we’re soulmates and destined to be together.”
“Yes, and rule two is that we won’t cross any physical lines,” I say pointedly, as a reminder to him and myself. “We will have to be slightly touchy-feely in front of others, but we won’t do more than pecks on the lips and hugs.”
“Like every normal couple,” he adds with a chuckle, and I glare at him.
“And rule three, we break up immediately after the wedding,” I add. “That way, no one expects either one of us to make life-changing decisions for the other.”
“Makes perfect sense.” He nods, and then his eyes widen. “Ten o’clock,” he says suddenly.
“What?” I look down at my watch. “It’s not ten. It’s?—”
“Rex at ten o’clock,” he hisses.
I look to the side. Even though he just gave me a warning, I’m still surprised to see Rex headed toward us, an intoxicatingly handsome look on his face as he makes his way. His eyes rove over me in pleasure,and I’m satisfied to know that he likes what he sees, even if it does make me feel slightly uncomfortable.
“Mia, you look gorgeous. Long time no see.” He stops in front of us, and he pulls me in for a long, lingering hug before stepping back. “And, Luke, dear brother, thanks for making it.”
