Page 42 of The Small-Town Seduction Plan

I melt. My brain short-circuited about ten seconds ago, and now all I want to do is grab the man by the hand, take him upstairs, and tear of all of our clothes?—

“Do you think he got it?”

My eyes snap open.

Duke’s voice is low in my ear, and he’s still holding me tightly, like he’s whispering sweet nothings. But his words bring me back down to earth with a bump.

The photographer. Of course.

This is all just for show.

“Uh uh,” I manage to squawk, coherent sentences taking a few moments longer to form. “Yeah, I’d say that was… good.”

Understatement of the year.

Duke carefully releases me, and I stumble back, still dizzy. “So, goodnight?” I chirp like an idiot.

An idiot with her body on fire, and her panties all in a twist.

A very damp twist.

“Goodnight.” Duke’ eyes rake over me again, making me shiver in all the right places. Then he gives me a casual nod, turns, and saunters away, like the earth isn’t still shifting under my feet.

Like I haven’t just been stunned into silence.

Because whatever I was expecting from this fake-dating business… It sure as hell wasn’t that.

11

AVERY

“What do you mean, life-changing?”

“I never said that!” I protest, finishing up my lunch wrap. Brooke is finally visiting me in Blackberry Cove for the weekend, and we’re celebrating with a picnic lunch together in the town square: sprawled on a blanket under the trees with a haul of sandwiches, soda – and gossip.

“You so did!” Brooke sits up, and grabs for her phone. “I offer into evidence your text from that night. Aha! Here it is: ‘I’m telling you, that man has a life-changing mouth.’”

“I was just being dramatic.” I try to laugh it off – even though I’ve been replaying that kiss over in my mind since Duke strolled out of view. It’s been two days since The Kiss, and I’ve relived it from every possible angle – and a few more besides. But just because it’s been consuming my every waking moment, I’m not quite willing to admit that out loud just yet.

Not even to Brooke.

“You know me,” I insist, trying to act carefree. “I exaggerate everything.”

“Yes, but usually it’s the bad stuff.” Brooke fixes me with a smirk. “Slug-tongued guy. Sprinkler-drool man. I’ve never heard you get this hot and bothered over a man. I was waiting for you to come out when we were younger… at least, until you lost your mind over that asshole,” she adds with a scowl, and I know she’s talking about my dirtbag rockstar ex. He was the first guy to ever break my heart, back when I was eighteen, and I swore then, he’d be the last.

And that’s one promise I’ve managed to keep.

“Well, there’s your answer then,” I decide, rolling onto my stomach. “The general level of men I’ve dated has been so underwhelming, that this thing with Duke just seems hotter in comparison. Really, the kiss was probably just average by anyone else’s scale. What’s it like with Tate?” I ask.

Brooke pauses. “I don’t know, we’ve been together for so long. Fine. Nice?”

Nice.

Another reason I don’t like the guy.

“See, now you’ve got me wondering,” Brooke pauses, frowning. “How hot can a kiss be, anyway? You did just kiss, right?”

“Yes!” I toss a grape at her. “Thank you very much. We’re pretending to date. PG-13. There’ll be none of those… extras.”

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