“And what do you think I was like?”
“A trouble-maker. You know, causing mischief everywhere you go. Cutting class. Breaking hearts.”
He shrugs as he leans back. “I was a bit of both.”
“No surprise there.”
We both laugh.
My glasses slip down my nose. I push them back up.
“It’s cute when you do that,” he says.
Speechless, I ignore his compliment.
After all that beer and all that talk about sex, my body is singing.
No falling for him, I remind myself.
But things get more complicated when an Ed Sheeran song comes on and he asks me to dance.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I say.
“You’re a good dancer. Come on.”
He’s impossible to resist. He takes my hand and I follow him onto the dance floor.
Pressing against his hard body, I wrap my arms around his neck. As I look up at him, I inhale his powerful masculine scent which makes me want to bury my face in his chest.
“Are you okay?” He asks.
No, I’m only a bit lightheaded and completely starstruck by you.
I nod. “I’m perfectly fine.”
I’m in trouble.
LOGAN
Riley moves her body against mine and I can tell that she has good rhythm. My hands move over the curves of her waist as we dance. We’re so close I can smell the cinnamon and beer on her breath. Her eyes look straight into mine.
Something about her lights a fire inside me. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s her no-nonsense attitude or her sharp wit. Or that everything has to be efficient with her, even her sex life. She’s definitely the blue to my red.
Looking into those gray sea glass eyes, I know what I want to do.
But I can’t. She’s said so many times. Even though her hazy, seductive eyes seem to be telling me a different truth.
Her lips part.
“I think we should kiss,” she whispers into my ear. Her arms are wrapped around me and she’s so close, it feels like we’re in our own little world. The rest of the people in the bar are a million miles away.
“You do?” My heart thumps hard against my chest.
“Yes,” she breathes. “You know, for appearances.”
“Oh.”
“It’d be weird if we were on a date and we didn’t kiss, right?”
I nod. “Right. Okay.”
She hesitates for half a second before leaning in, connecting her soft velvet lips against mine. I taste the apple cinnamon on her lips. Pressing into her, I kiss her back. Her hand finds its way into my hair as she gets lost in the kiss. And, truthfully, so do I.
I let out an involuntary moan which causes her to pull back.
She clears her throat. “Well, now that that’s out of the way…” She looks everywhere but at me. I watch her with intense curiosity, causing her eyes to lock with mine again. The chemistry between us lingers in the air.
“You’re a really good kisser,” I say. And I mean it.
She smiles. Time slows down as she leans in and presses her lips against mine again. This time I take my time kissing her. Her hands roam through my hair as she pulls me tighter against her. Her lips are soft and inviting, and her tongue teases mine. I start to forget that this is all for show.
“LAST CALL!”
Riley pulls away from me. “Oh crap. It’s late. I have class in the morning.”
“Let me walk you back to your building.”
“Are you sure?” Every time we make eye contact, she pulls her gaze away.
My stomach sinks. Maybe that kiss wasn’t real. What else would I expect from someone who’s all about efficiency? Of course the kiss was fake.
“Of course,” I say.
When we step outside, we discover it’s pouring rain.
“Damn!”
“It doesn’t look like it’s letting up,” I say.
“Let’s just make a run for it.”
“Really? Ms. Granola Bar wants to run through the rain?”
She gives me a sideways glance. “You got any better ideas?”
I shake my head. “Let’s go, then.”
We start running and we instantly get soaked. I try to shield her from the rain but it’s coming down too hard and she’s running too fast. When we reach her building, we’re both drenched.
“Over here!” She says as she takes my hand.
We’re both laughing as she pulls me into the elevator. Two other girls in the elevator are staring at us.
Riley’s blouse is clinging to her body and I can tell she’s cold. I hold her tight against me to warm her up. The other girls giggle and whisper to each other. I ignore them and look back down at Riley. She’s smiling and, even though she’s dripping wet, she looks beautiful.
We get off on her floor and I walk her to her door.
“Well, Mr. Drake,” she says as she turns around, leaning back against her door. “Thank you for a fun evening.”
“Same to you.” I hover over her for a few seconds, waiting to see if she’ll make a move for another kiss.
“Remember our rules,” she whispers. “Displays of affection are only allowed if they’re public.”
There’s that crushing disappointment again.
“I didn’t realize you were such an exhibitionist,” I say in a joking tone.
She chuckles. “I’m into a lot of things but that’s not one of them.”
I raise my eyebrows. “You’re into a lot of things? As my fake girlfriend, do you care to share?
“Sorry, Mr. Drake. I only talk about my S&M preferences on the third fake date.”
I laugh. “You’re full of surprises.”
“More than you know.”
“I guess we have no choice but to go on that next date to find out.”
She smiles as she turns the doorknob. “Good night, Logan Drake.”
“Good night, Riley Jamieson.” I take her hand and kiss it, looking up into her electric eyes. She smiles shyly as she pulls away, closing the door.
As I catch a ride home, I think about the evening. I’ve never had a date not end in sex. But I’ve also never had a date that left me with this much excitement stirring in my chest.
Either there’s something between us, or she’s a really good actress. No matter what the answer is, I know one thing for sure: I had a really good night.
RILEY
The next morning I’m lying in bed staring at the ceiling. I’m in a hazy cloud of being hungover and feeling high from the kiss.
I can’t believe I did that.
What’s wrong with me? I’m the one who was trying to keep things PG and yet I’m the one who kissed him.
But it felt so good.
I blame the sexually charged conversation and the beer.
Getting to know each other, my ass.
“Hey you.” Jane is standing at her full-length mirror as she brushes her long dark hair. She’s in a beautiful pink blouse and jeans. She looks way too good for going to an early morning class. I suddenly feel frumpy sitting in bed in my sweat pants and worn-out Beyonce t-shirt. “Why are you smiling?”
“I’m thinking about Logan.”
I can see her wicked smile through the mirror’s reflection. “You’re in loooove.”
“Oh, Jane, this is so messy.”
“Messy in a good way?” She’s pinning up her hair.
I shake my head. “I kissed him.”
“Yum!”
“No, not yum. I didn’t mean to.”
She narrows her eyes. “You’re dating him but you don’t want to kiss him? Unless you’re extremely religious or in a fake relationship with him, I don’t—” Her eyes grow wide. “Oh my god.”
“Jane, no—” I get out of bed and put my hands up, trying to coax the thought out of her. “What I mean is—"
“You…you used the app!”
“No, I didn’t!” It’s a lie and we both know it.
The word feels like a stab to my heart.
“Don’t lie to me, Riley. I can see it in your eyes.” She has a triumphant smile on her face.
“Fine, yes. It’s fake.”
Jane brings her hands to her mouth. “This is amazing!”
“No, it’s embarrassing.” I fall back into bed and cover my eyes in shame.
“No, no it’s not. This is great! We’re in this together now.” Jane sits on the edge of my bed. “So, you kissed him? I haven’t even kissed Rupert.”
I nod. “Is that bad?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. Do you think it’s bad? Did he kiss you back?”
“Oh yeah, he definitely kissed me back. And it’s really bad because it’s so good.”
“Wow. You really like him. Like, like like.”
I furrow my brow. “I’m annoyed that I understood that.”
“Do you think he likes you?” She’s staring at me with her big blue eyes.
“I don’t know.” I sigh. “The chemistry, the kiss. It all just seems so real.”
“Do you think you can cancel the contract?”
“Cancel the—” I sit up and look at her. “I can’t do that! I actually do need the money. And he’s already given me most of it. What am I supposed to do? Give it back?”
She purses her lips. “Well, maybe he’ll let you keep it?”
“Ugh.” I rub my face. “Oh, Jane, I’m supposed to be focusing on school, not Logan Drake. I have so many projects coming up and I need to get really good grades if I want any of those job positions.”
“Girl, you’re in trouble.”
“I know.” I shake my head. “I can’t believe I did that.”
“I can. The man is fine.”
“Oh my god, you have no idea. He’s attractive, charming, and funny. He’s a great dancer. And a great kisser. We just click together. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“You’ve got it bad, girl.” Jane smirks as she braids her dark hair.
“Things are going to be so awkward between us.”
“No, no, no. It doesn’t have to be. When’s the next time you see him?”
I think for a moment as I try to remember what day it is. Have I really been that thrown off my schedule?
“Tomorrow,” I say finally. “We’re going to a family skate function for the Blades.”
“Pretend it never happened. Just act like it was part of the job.”
I nod. “Yeah. PDA is part of our contract. Even though it felt so real.”
Jane watches me wistfully. “I’m so jealous. All Rupert’s ever done is kiss me on the cheek.”
“Don’t be jealous. This is more confusing than anything I’ve learned in school so far.”
She sighs as she gets up and gathers her books. “Well, enjoy it while it lasts. Meanwhile, I’ve got to get to class. Talk to you later?”
“Yeah, later.”
During my long day of classes, I think about Logan non-stop throughout the day.
The waitress from last night is sitting in the row in front of me during my last class. She gives me a bored look before talking loudly to her friend.
“You know who I served last night? Logan Drake.”
“What?” Her friend asks. “Oh my god. The Logan Drake? He’s so hot.”
“I was disappointed,” the waitress says. “He’s not as flirty as the rumors say he is.”
I can’t help but smile as I flip open my notes.
Oh yes he is, I think to myself. Yes, he is.
***
The next day I meet Logan at the Blades arena for the family event. He’s waiting at the entrance for me wearing casual jeans and a comfy blue sweater. His dark hair is casually pushed back. He’s even more handsome than I remember. When he sees me, he smiles and butterflies dance in my belly.
“Hey,” I say awkwardly.
“Hey,” he says and, to my surprise, he leans in and kisses me on the cheek.
I awkwardly try to kiss him back. Fuck.
He takes my hand. “I hope you’re ready to skate.”
“As long as we don’t drink any beer, I’ll be fine.”
He chuckles. “I hope our night of debauchery didn’t affect your day yesterday.”
“Nope, not at all,” I lie. “So where do we lace up?” I gloss over the night completely.
Logan watches me with knowing eyes and a smirk.
“This way.” He leads me into the arena where I see the rest of the team skating on the ice with their partners and kids. Music is playing and it feels like a real party. There’s a large banner over the ice welcoming the friends and families of the Blades institution.
That familiar cold feeling washes through me as I look at all the people I have to lie to.
“I’m not sure I can do this,” I say as I pull on Logan’s hand. “What if we mess up?”
“Impossible.”
“How can you be so confident?”
“Because we already have a pretty good relationship.” He pushes a strand of hair behind my ear.
I lower my voice. “You’re paying me.”
“Yeah, but we have chemistry. That’s why this is going to work so well.” He smiles again.
Good lord, I really want to kiss him.
We strap our skates on and step onto the ice.
“Let’s see what you’ve got, Jamieson.” He takes my hands as if I’m a toddler learning to walk. But as soon as I step onto the ice, I glide effortlessly. He lets go of my hand as I do a triple turn. When I face him again his mouth is hanging open.
“I didn’t know you knew how to skate,” he says, dumbfounded.
“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me, Mr. Drake.” I wink.
He grabs my hand and pulls me around the rink for a few laps. Every once in a while, he puts his arm around my waist and spins me around. He tries to do something fancy and instead we both fail spectacularly. He falls back, pulling me down with him. Luckily, he cushions my fall.
“My bad,” he says. We both laugh. His arms are around me, keeping me warm against him. I look into his eyes.
This would be a perfect time to kiss him, I think to myself.
And why not? We’re in public and that’s part of the contract.
Before I have a chance to kiss him, he takes the initiative and does it first. His soft, velvety lips press against mine. Before I even have a chance to appreciate how warm, how inviting his lips are, the kiss is over and I’m blinking absently at him.
Damn, I think. We really do have chemistry.
Still processing what just happened, I get back onto my feet, pulling Logan up with me.
“Come on,” he says. “Let me introduce you to some of my friends.” He pulls me across the ice where we meet several members of the team. I pretend I’ve never heard of them as I shake their hands and feign learning their names. I’m also introduced to several of the girlfriends.
A bubbly blond named Marsha grabs my arm. “It’s so nice to meet you! Come! Meet the rest of the girls.”
She pulls me away as I make eye contact with Logan. He smiles as Marsha drags me toward the end of the rink with the other girls and introduces me to everyone.
“I’m Skip’s girlfriend,” Marsha says. Skip McGovern is the goalie for the Blades.
“I can’t believe Logan has a girlfriend!” A woman with dark, frizzy hair says. Her name is Charlotte. “Tell me all about how you met.”
I go over the story with them.
“That is fantastic,” Marsha says. “You’re going to fit right in here.”
“It’s crazy,” Charlotte says. “We never thought Drake would date anyone.”
“He never dates anyone,” Marsha echoes.
“I heard he doesn’t even let women sleep in his own bed,” another one says.
“If he’s bringing you to events like this it means he really likes you. Tell us, was it love at first sight?”
I bite my lip. Looking aroun
d at the anxious faces waiting for my answer, I nod. “Of course.”
Was it?
The women squeal. “I knew it! You guys are perfect for each other. The way he looks at you—you can’t fake that.”
I smile absently as I stare at Logan who is skating around the rink with some kids. He looks up at me, giving me that attractive smile that makes me melt every time. “Right,” I say. “You can’t fake that.”
“You’re so great, Riley.” Marsha squeezes my arm again. “We’re so glad you’re a part of our team!”
“Me too.” My eyes are on Logan. “Me too.”
LOGAN
“The sharks are circling,” Marcus says.
We’re hanging out by the boards near the table of coffee and bagels. We’re both watching as five women are grilling Riley.
“Hey, are you alright?” Marcus waves his hand in my face. “You’re very preoccupied right now.”
“It’s nothing.”
But it’s not nothing. It’s something. All I can think about is that kiss. It was so instinctual, so automatic. I looked into her eyes and I felt like she was inviting me to do it. It all happened so fast. And I want to do it more.
“I saw that kiss,” Marcus says. “You must really like her, huh? First the gallery, now this.” Marcus dips a piece of sesame bagel into his coffee.
“We’re getting along pretty well.” I look back at Riley. She’s skating in circles. “She’s funny, smart, sweet. She’s different.”
How could I not kiss her when she's looking so cute in those jeans and those white skates?
Marcus laughs. “I can’t believe this! Logan Drake—the eternal bachelor. The guy who used to have a drunken, naked photo in the tabloids every other week.” He takes a big bite of his coffee-soaked bagel.
“Oh, come on. It wasn’t that often. And besides, I don’t think Riley would ever do that to me.”
Marcus looks around and leans in. “Listen, don’t get your heartbroken.”
I wrinkle my brow. “What do you mean?”
“She’s from an app, right?”
My heart squeezes in my chest. “Err—what are you talking about?”
“Spinner suggested it for me a few months ago. He suggested it for you too, didn’t he? Hiring a fake girlfriend? It’s kind of his go-to move for issues like this.”
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