Total pages in book: 166
Estimated words: 157273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 786(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 157273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 786(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
It wouldn’t be the first time I’d had chemistry with the other lead.
“If you’re Caroline, then yes, I am,” I replied as Hudson’s hand slid across my back to splay over my hip. Heat danced up my spine from the casual contact. “I’m Alessandra, by the way.” I waved at his family instead of shaking their hands, since he had me anchored to his side. They all stared back in what appeared to be a fair amount of shock. “Allie for short,” I added, hoping that would help.
Hudson stiffened slightly when it didn’t.
“Fucking say something,” Gavin said from my left, holding a bag of potato chips. “You guys are making this as awkward as a middle school dance. Hey, Allie.” He offered the charming smile that had won Lina over one summer.
“Gavin.” My smile stayed glued in place.
“And you knew?” Caroline turned an accusatory look on her brother.
“Of course I knew. Who do you think encouraged him to make a move?” He shook his head.
Wait . . . we were going with the story that Hudson made a move? Shit. We hadn’t gone into specifics about what our story was. It was day one of this ruse and we were already screwing up.
“Well, it’s lovely to meet you, Allie.” Hudson’s mother smiled warmly, then picked up a clipboard from the island and all but shoved it at Caroline’s chest without even looking at her. “We’re all so delighted that Hudson’s finally brought someone home.” She glanced at her daughter. “Close your mouth, dear. We have a party to host.”
I glanced over his family, and heat stung my cheeks. They were all in variations of T-shirts and casual shorts. I should have asked for the dress code.
“Let’s take this to the gift table,” Hudson suggested. “We have a half hour before everyone gets here, Caroline?”
“Twenty-three minutes,” she replied, watching me like I was a venomous spider who’d crawled a little too close for comfort.
“Twenty-three minutes,” Hudson responded, taking the gift. Hand on my hip, he guided me out of the house and into a driveway that rather resembled a parking lot. “How’s Sadie?”
“She’s lovely even if she snores. I’m overdressed.” It would take too long to go home and get something more casual, but I didn’t want to stick out like a sore thumb either.
“You look beautiful.” He sounded so sincere I almost believed him.
“You don’t have to do that.” I spoke only loud enough for him to hear. “Compliment me.”
“It’s just the truth, Alessandra.” His hand flexed on my hip.
“You don’t have to touch me right now either. No one can see us.” The gravel driveway crunched under my favorite pink Vans as we wove our way between cars on the way to the backyard.
“Does it bother you?” We slipped into the narrow path between the house and the garage.
“No. Yes. I don’t know.” It bothered me how much I liked it, considering it had been months since I’d felt anything close to desire. “Maybe we need ground rules.” I wasn’t going to survive if he was actually going to flirt with me.
“Okay. Set them.” His smile was hot enough to set an iceberg on fire.
“From what I remember, rule-following isn’t one of your strong suits.”
“Normally I’d argue that I’ve matured into an actual adult since the last time we spent any real time together, but since my commanding officer would agree with you, I’ll let it slide. Set your rules.” His smile faded as he stopped us halfway down the garage, and I glanced both ways to make sure no one was close enough to hear before I faced him. As a teenager, Hudson had always been dangerous when smiling, but giving me the intensity of his full attention? He was lethal as a fully grown man.
Rules. Right. Crap, now I had to think of them. “You can touch me in public for the purpose of authenticity, but that’s it.” I lifted my chin like I had a prayer of making up for our height difference.
“Noted.” His hand fell away, and I hated that I immediately missed it. “Next?”
My mind raced, searching for the holes in our plan. “You can’t actually date anyone while we’re doing this or it would ruin the whole thing.” Crap, was he dating someone? That girl at the bar? My instincts said no, that he never would have agreed to this if he was.
“Not a problem. I’m not seeing anyone, and even if I had been, it’s hard to focus on anyone else once you walk into a room,” he said, like it was a simple fact.
What the hell? My eyebrows rose.
“No saying things like that.” I stepped backward, bumping into the garage.
“You’d rather I lie?” The heat in his eyes made me swallow. Hard.
“Isn’t that what we’re doing?”
“Just to everyone else. Not each other. That’s my rule.” He leaned into my space but didn’t touch me. “Everything we say to each other has to be the truth.”