Page 49 of Making the Save

“Anyway, I was trying to keep my name relevant after my album flopped and John was trying to look like he was settling down. So his people and my people put us together. We weren’t even friends. John was…well, there is no other way to say it, he’s a giant asshole. But he’s a decent actor, because for a while he looked like he was into me whenever the cameras were rolling. The second we were alone though…”

I didn’t like to think about it. How small he made me feel all the time.

“Did he hurt you?” Wyatt’s arm got tighter around my back. I was fully pushed up against him now. Not even the waves could pull us apart.

“No, nothing like that. It was just crazy the way he could look at me one second, then dismiss me the next. Like I wasn’t even there. I would try and make polite conversation but that bored him. Everything bored him. He’s a total Nepo Baby so everything has been handed to him. His money, his fame, even his looks,and he couldn’t be less grateful for all of it. Plus, he was a snob. He was constantly throwing my childhood in my face. Asking me questions about being poor like he was researching a role for a film. What could you buy with food stamps? What was it like living in a trailer park? How did you get around without a car? Like stupid privileged shit.”

“If we ever see this guy, point him out and I’ll beat him up for you.”

I laughed and rested my head on his shoulder. “You can’t just beat up all my ex-boyfriends.”

“He wasn’t a boyfriend. He was a jerk you had to spend time with because Tyler said so. You’re right. Next time I see Tyler, I’m going to beathimup.”

I wrapped my arms around Wyatt and squeezed him. I was getting a little chilled in the water, but I didn’t want to let go of this. Just the two of us bobbing in the waves, pressed up against each other.

“We’re only for show,” Wyatt said, leaning back so he could look into my eyes. “Does this feel like what you were doing with that jackass?”

I shook my head. “No. Not at all.”

He leaned forward and sipped a drop of water off my neck, and, I like to think I’m not a giggler, but I am ticklish and I curled away from him, laughing.

His beard against my neck felt exactly the way I thought it would.

“We’ve got to have our big movie moment,” he said into my ear.

“Where we kiss in all that water? Can we skip that part? You can just tackle me to the sand and we’ll roll around.”

“I’m not tackling you. I come down on you like that I would flatten you, you’re so tiny.”

“I’m tiny, but tough.”

He smiled at me. The sweetest smile. The kindest smile. Like he saw me. All my flaws All my stupid mistakes. And he liked me anyway.

“You are, aren’t you? Talking stalkers down from the ledge, putting up with assholes in your life. Besides a sixty-year-old highly competent witch, it doesn’t look like you have a lot of weapons in your life.”

I didn’t know what to say to that.

“I’m going to kiss you now, okay? Some of them have left, but there are still a few who are filming us.”

“Okay,” I said, but it felt like it came out as a whisper.

“Last time, I surprised you. I don’t want to do that again. It wasn’t right. So I’m asking for your permission.”

“To fake kiss?”

“Yes,” he said, except he sounded very serious when he said it. “To fake kiss.”

“You have my permission,” I said, just as seriously.

He came to me in pieces. Sensations. The now familiar tickle of his beard as it brushed against my mouth. His lips, full and warm. He smelled like the ocean and sunshine and it was the best smell ever. At first he was content to just brush against my lips, tugging my top lip between his. Then my bottom. Exploration at its sweetest.

Wyatt was right. Beatrice was right. We were attracted to each other. Had been practically from the moment we met. So when I tilted my head to the right and opened my mouth for him, he took the invitation and deepened the kiss. His tongue swept into my mouth and I did the same to him. He tasted like hot honey and sea salt. I’d never thought of a man as delicious, but Wyatt was. He was delicious to me.

I wanted more. I squeezed him between my legs.

“Fuck, babe,” he said. “Yeah, like that.”

Every kiss was deeper. Hotter. I could feel his hand on the back of my head holding me still, his other hand firmly planted over my butt cheek. My suit had ridden up under the water, so his hand was directly on my naked ass and the way he squeezed me made me wonder if he might leave marks.

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