Page 39 of Fake Out

Could this be it? The moment everything changes? I can practically hear my heart pounding in my chest as the seconds tick by in maddening silence.

Just when she’s about to speak again, a cellphone rings loudly at the table next to us.

Marissa jumps, startled out of the trance we’d fallen into. I glower at the person with the phone, even though I know it’s not their fault. Phones ring.

But the disruption is complete and our moment has vanished into thin air, like smoke. Marissa seems to retreat into her shell, her gaze quickly darting away from mine as she flushes a deep shade of red.

“This lager is good,” she mumbles, changing the topic abruptly.

But I don’t let it deter me.

“Marissa…” There’s an urgency to my voice that startles even me.

She looks up in surprise, caught off guard by the shift in tone.

There’s an intensity swirling between us now. An unspoken bond, waiting to be acknowledged. My heart races faster at the prospect of what I’m about to say next.

“No, Charlie…” Her voice is a soft plea, a silent request to let things stay as they are.

But there’s a glimmer in her eyes, a tiny spark of hope that tells me she wants this as much as I do.

She’s not interrupted this time.

“Charlie… I…”

The words linger in the air, and then… they’re out. A confession tumbles from my lips, vulnerable, honest, raw. And I know then, without a doubt, that our lives won’t ever be the same again.

“I want you too,” I whisper.

It’s as if an invisible force is drawing us together, erasing any remaining distance between us. The pent-up tension of the last few weeks turns into a fiery, insatiable hunger that consumes us both.

As her eyes widen in surprise, I lean closer until our lips meet in a slow, lingering kiss. This isn’t just about business anymore; this is personal. This is us.

I know I shouldn’t be doing this. Kissing Marissa could complicate everything we’ve built these past weeks — this friendship and trust that has grown between us. But rational thought is nowhere to be found. In its place is a primal, raw need for connection.

“Charlie,” Marissa breathes against my lips, her fingers curling into my hair. I respond by deepening the kiss, my hands finding purchase on her waist as I pull her closer.

“Marissa,” I groan, intoxicated by the way her name feels on my tongue. She tastes like sweet wine and pure temptation, and I can’t get enough of her.

Our bodies press against each other, all thoughts of the crowded bar fading away until it’s just the two of us, lost in each other’s embrace. It’s as though we’re drowning in a sea of desire, and neither of us is willing to come up for air.

“Wait,” she whispers suddenly, pulling back ever so slightly.

Her eyes, wide and dark with lust, search mine, seeking reassurance or answers I’m not sure I have. “Are we really doing this?”

I hesitate, torn between the overwhelming urge to claim her and the knowledge that this could change everything between us. But as I gaze into her eyes, I can’t deny the truth any longer.

I want this woman. And for once in my life, I’m going to follow my heart, even if it scares me.

“Only if you want to,” I murmur, my voice thick with need. “If you don’t, we can pretend this never happened.”

She hesitates, biting her lip in thought, but then she surprises me by closing the distance between us once again. This time, it’s a soft, tender kiss that speaks of something deeper than lust.

“Let’s see where this takes us,” she whispers against my lips, sealing our fate with one final, soul-shattering kiss.

As we cling to each other, the rest of the world fades away, leaving only the undeniable connection that burns between us.

CHAPTER 18

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