Page 47 of The Fake Date Deal

I coughed. “No, you know what? My parents don’t matter. What I wanted to say was?—”

Her phone buzzed again. This time, she glanced at it, then set it aside.

“Answer it,” I said. “Then we’ll both turn our phones off and try this again.”

Eve made a face. “Sorry.” She picked up the phone. “Emma, hey.”

Eve went by the window to answer her call, but Emma was loud. I tried not to listen, but I heard anyway — Emma squealing over the production shots from our commercial. Emma pushing for details on our affair. Eve telling her shut up, I was right there. Emma yelled a hello to me. I yelled one back.

“I can go shower,” I said. “Let you two talk.”

“No, no, don’t go.” Eve held up her hand. “We’ll just be a minute. Hey, Emma, could I call you tomorrow?”

“I’m traveling tomorrow. I’ll just take a second.”

“Okay, one second. Marco’s getting impatient.” Eve sidled over and pressed up against me. I bit back a groan and let my hands wander. She smelled of soap and desire and I wanted her badly. Kissed my way up the side of her neck. Eve smacked me away, then pulled me closer, Emma still chirping about some trip to New Zealand.

“Down under,” I whispered. “I could do that.”

“Shut up,” hissed Eve. Emma broke off mid-sentence.

“Huh? What was that? Did you say something?”

“Nothing,” said Eve, one hand in my hair. “You were saying, New Zealand?”

I flicked my tongue at her ear. Breathed where I’d licked to make her shiver. Eve bit her lip hard and rocked her hips up against me.

“Spring is just starting there,” said Emma. “So it won’t be too hot. We’re leaving next week, me and the girls, but there’s room in the house for you and Gabriella. I thought you could join us after the big race?”

“I’m listening…”

I froze mid-caress. What was she saying? She wouldn’t leave, surely, not so abruptly. But my race against Rafael was the end date we’d agreed on…

“We have the place for six weeks, so you’d still have plenty of time there,” Emma said.

“Sounds fun,” said Eve, still stroking my hair. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. So… she was going? Wham, bam, and done? I’d been sure I’d seen more for us, sure she felt the same way.

“You have to come. Everyone’s asking.”

Eve made a humming sound, like she was thinking. I fell away, gut-punched, and sat on the bed. Eve straightened up, not seeming to notice. “Can I get back to you? I’d need to ask Gabriella. She’s leaving for London first thing tomorrow, but I don’t know about her plans after that.”

I sat with my ears ringing like she’d punched me in the head. Emma was laughing, Eve laughing with her. Anger flared in my chest, like they were laughing at me. They weren’t, I knew that, but the sour feeling stayed. I felt like that nerdy kid in a million teen movies, asked to the prom, but it’s all just a joke. I always wanted to shake that kid, watching those movies: how could he think he got so lucky? The line was too fine between hope and delusion.

“I’ll call you,” said Eve, and hung up the phone. She set it on the dresser and flopped down beside me. “Want to get room service? Tiramisu?”

I rolled away from her. “We just ate.”

“Yeah, but I don’t know. I’m still craving sweets.” She rolled over with me. Cuddled up to my back. Slid her arms around me, but I couldn’t relax.

“What’s the matter?” She kissed the nape of my neck. I jerked away from her, a little too roughly.

“Marco?”

“Sorry,” I said, wriggling free of her arms. “I’m falling asleep, is all. I think I’ll go to bed.”

Eve pouted, but she sat up and pushed my hair off my face. “I should’ve known. You’ve been working too hard.” She smiled and stood up, then paused. Grabbed my phone. “You should sleep in tomorrow. Take a day off.”

“What are you doing?” I sat up halfway.

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