Page 54 of Second Down Fake

Diego’s easy smile morphed into a frown, but he wiped it away. “I’m not letting you provoke me.”

“You’re not? Lame. I’ll talk to Trent about it tonight. Maybe he needs someone next season once you throw me over for an NDA and a shockingly huge contract. I know there were two copies, but it was a stack.”

“I’m not just hanging out with you because of a contract, Cassandra.”

My body heated at the way he said my name and I retreated to solid ground. “Right, you just enjoy losing disc golf to me.”

“And buying you free drinks,” he added. “I’ll even throw in dinner. I think I can get us into somewhere.”

“Good. Want me to meet you there?”

Despite not being his actual girlfriend, Diego had ferried me to every fake date so far, and the commute between his house and mine took him straight through the worst of Norwalk’s traffic.

He slung his bag into the trunk of his car and pointed to a second bag in the trunk. “I actually keep a change of clothes back here, if you don’t mind me using your shower.”

“It’s not technically my shower, so sure,” I said, ignoring the way my body heated at the idea of him in my shower. I clearly needed to get laid if I wanted this fake dating thing to work out for the next two months.

“And while we’re there, you can pack some things to keep at my place.”

I lifted an eyebrow as he shut the trunk door. “Excuse me?”

He leaned against the trunk, folding his arms over his chest and exhaling. “You can’t keep sneaking away from my house in the middle of the night. What would people think?”

“What people? I thought no one knows where you live.”

The edge of his lips hitched up. “What if they found out?”

“I promise I won’t doxx you, but if you think you need to publish your home address just to keep me from slipping out, fine.”

He reached out, brushing his thumb over my hip and pulling me closer. I kept a smile off my face as I shuffled closer. He cupped my chin with his other hand, and I winced, hating how good the attention actually felt, how good he felt.

Screw it. I rested my cheek against his palm.

“We need to make this relationship look real,” he whispered almost conspiratorially, as if at any minute, a cadre of photographers would pop out of the bushes. Like we hadn’t just played disc golf for hours without a single interruption.

“I think you’re just trying to get me to spend the night at your house.” I closed my eyes.

“Maybe,” he admitted, sending a jolt of desire down my spine. His thumb brushed my lips, and I held back a moan. This was a mistake. Being around Diego in general had always been a mistake. I knew it the first time we met, but I got away. This time though…well, escape wasn’t exactly an option. “Or maybe someone’s watching us right now.”

“Liar,” I said, not daring to open my eyes.

He leaned forward, his breath hot on my cheek. I leaned closer, desperate for just a little more contact.

“We shouldn’t take any chances.” His lips brushed mine as he talked, too far away for any actual contact, just the faintest promise. His voice called me closer, waiting for me to lean in. Waiting for me.

I opened my eyes, catching the glint of his smile, and pushed him away. “You asshole.”

“You wanted to kiss me though, right?”

I rolled my eyes as I took a step back and steadied the rapid thrum of my heart with a fist to my chest. “Of course I did, you jerk. You were giving me your sexy bedroom voice.”

“You think my bedroom voice is sexy?” He shoved his hand in his pocket, digging out the keys as I rounded to the passenger seat, cheeks beet red.

“You’re awful. Completely unsexy.” I slipped into the seat, fumbling to secure the seatbelt.

“But I think we’re even now.”

“Even?” My jaw dropped as he started the ignition. “That was dirty. You aren’t playing fair!”

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