Page 29 of The Guy Who Fake Dated Me

When our lips met, which felt as good or better than I’d imagined, Victoria let out a little gasp and froze.

I backed off and murmured, “I’m sorry. Please just go with it.”

Victoria relaxed. “Are we impressing someone here?” she asked as her fingers ran along my jaw. Which, by the way, made my heart beat so fast I thought I might be in cardiac arrest.

I hoped I managed to look a little guilty. “My ex.”

“Oh, then by all means.”

I lost several seconds as Victoria slowly and thoroughly used her lips to greet me.

I’d heard the term a toe-curling kiss, and now I knew what it meant. I probably had steam coming out of my ears. When she pulled away, I took into her grinning face, the small dimple in her left cheek, and the way her eyes danced.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

“You owe me,” she whispered.

“Always.” I slid my hand down her arm to her palm, where she opened her fingers. Mine slipped through hers like they’d always belonged there. With one last look into her beautiful green eyes, I turned back to Courtney.

Victoria became my lifeline and my strength as I said, “Courtney, it’s been a long time.”

She raised a manicured eyebrow. “It has.” Her attention swiveled to Victoria.

I squeezed Victoria’s hand and said, “Victoria, this is Courtney. We dated in college. Courtney, this is Victoria.”

Victoria curled her other fingers around my bicep. “His girlfriend.”

I managed a smart remark. “I think they put that together.” I hadn’t recognized Courtney’s brother, William, when he’d come from the hotel but made the connection now. The last time I’d seen him, he’d watched as I’d fled with a ring box in my hand. I hadn’t even grabbed my coat on the way out.

That was a long time ago.

I steeled myself. William had never been warm to me, but he wasn’t like that with anyone. I could afford to be polite. “William, good to see you.”

He gave me a nod.

I looked between the siblings. “What are you two doing here?”

“Natalie, the bride, is our cousin,” Courtney said.

I didn’t have an answer for that, so I said nothing.

Victoria tugged on my arm. “Let’s take your luggage to the room.”

“Good idea.” I grabbed the handle and rolled it toward the front door of the hotel.

“I’ll get yours,” William said to Courtney.

I sped up, putting some distance between us and the siblings. Victoria stayed with me. “Sorry about that,” I said under my breath. “She caught me off guard.”

“Just how big is this story?” Victoria asked.

“Depressingly big,” I said sourly. How on earth had the one woman I’d loved enough to buy a ring for and the only woman I’d cared for since then ended up at the same wedding?

“Well, because you just ambush kissed me, I think I deserve the extended edition.”

“Later,” I said.

All of the things I’d put on my list because of Courtney raged through my mind.

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