Ryan stands with two other men, engrossed in conversation. The way he holds himself like he truly is someone special grates heavily on my nerves. I notice the very second he looks up and his focus lands on Sophie. His jaw flexes, his entire body goes rigid and stiff.
Ryan takes a step forward, then quickly pauses, noticing me at her side. His eyes lock on mine and I place my hand on her lower back. Ryan’s eyes drop, raking over her from head to toe, his nostrils flaring I assume at our closeness.
Call it a dick move, I don’t care, but I decide to kick him while he’s down. Leaning in, I nuzzle Sophie’s neck and she freezes up.
“Go with it,” I whisper near her ear. “Don’t look, but we have company and if we want this to look real, we have to at least pretend we are intimate.”
She swallows hard and gives a barely there nod, signaling it’s okay for me to remain just as I am.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Sophie
Closingmy eyes I try to keep my breathing calm and lean into Finn’s hold on me. When I feel him press a kiss to my collarbone, chills immediately roll over me in waves. “Loosen up, Soph.” He chuckles softly. “I promise I won’t bite and you don’t have to act afraid of me.”
“I’m not afraid,” I insist.
“Prove it,” he pushes a little more and I can’t help the smile that covers my mouth.
Slowly I allow my entire body to relax. This is Finn, and with him I am safe. Turning my head just enough to make eye contact with him, I hold his stare. “I’m not afraid of you.”
Holding his stare, he chooses to do the same. To anyone outside of the two of us, I am sure it looks as though we are simply lost in one another. But to us, it’s a game, one being played by each of us to see who will falter first. I refuse to be the loser in this battle.
Finn leans in a little closer and brushes his lips to mine and I do all I can not to flinch. I got this, one hundred percent. He repeats the movement and I stay strong. Okay, maybe it’s not one hundred percent and more like seventy-five…fine, sixty.
“That’s better,” he says before pulling me in a little tighter to his body. Then his lips touch mine and it may be a brief kiss, but it’s a kiss nonetheless. “I told you there would be kissing.”
I pinch his side and he chuckles but remains in control.
“That was your one free pass,” I say, widening my eyes at him to emphasis, or attempt to drive my point home. “You should probably know that if you attempt that again, I may have to hurt you.”
“Promise?” He chuckles, before kissing the tip of my nose. This side of Finn is one I’ve never truly seen before. A playful side that I’ll admit, I kind of like.
“Mr. Armstrong,” the young hostess interrupts the moment and we both look in her direction. “Your table is ready.” She motions for us to follow and Finn leads me in the same direction by placing his hand on the small of my back. His fingers brush against my bare skin exposed from the low-cut backless dress I’m wearing.
Just before we disappear around the corner I glance up, seeing Ryan staring at Finn. I don’t know what possesses me, but I giggle.
“Be nice,” Finn says with his own chuckle and it’s then I have to admit, his idea of fake dating might actually be fun. There is something very satisfying about seeing the man that hurt me suffer.
Everyone is right, I do deserve so much more than he ever offered.
It’s time I stop thinking I’m the one that is doomed when it comes to relationships. I am not doomed.
I’m amazing!
I’ve decided, I am no longer going to overthink things, I am going to let go. I am setting myself free from the confines of my mind. Laugh more, love more, enjoy more.
“I’m not a sushi fan.”Finn wrinkles his nose and leans back in his chair like the items I’ve just sat down on the table before him might jump out of the bag and bite him.
“It’s cooked,” I assure him. “I promise, and you can’t say you don’t like something unless you try it at least once. You have to form your own opinion and not go by what others have said.”
“I’ll pass,” he adds with a shiver and I laugh, rolling my eyes at him.
“And you say I’m afraid.” I laugh and he locks his focus on me, holding my stare. “Bawk, bawk, chicken,” I challenge and his brows furrow.
“Did you seriously just imitate a chicken, or attempt to?”
“I did,” I say with pride.
