Page 97 of The Guy Who Fake Dated Me

I’d had to leave her there and go into the other room, because if I’d had to feel her next to me all night, I was sure my brain would have talked me into sneaking out and not looking back.

All because of Courtney.

My fingers had balled into fists, and as I slowly relaxed them, I vowed to keep my insecurities to a minimum and all thoughts of Courtney to zero.

The next few minutes were the last Victoria and I would have for a while. The soonest I could see her was in three weeks. She might be able to come to Big Bear before that, but I hadn’t asked her to. Just like me, she was working hard, and we’d both agreed to be respectful of that.

Even if it meant not burying my face in her hair and holding her to me until the next month.

I could handle it.

Really.

The bathroom door clicked open, and I turned to find a beaming Victoria. She’d tamed her long curls—which was unnecessary, but whatever made her feel comfortable—and I’d heard her brushing her teeth. I’d used a breath mint and was ready for our farewell.

The thought pulled at my heartstrings, but I ignored the depression and held my arms out for her. “Feel better?”

“Yes.” She sauntered toward me, using every inch of her curves to remind me just how good she looked no matter what she was wearing, and slid into my arms as if she was the only one in the whole world that actually fit there.

We kissed, then I squeezed her to me, put my chin on her head, and sighed.

“What?” she asked.

“I’m really going to miss you.”

“Same.”

“I’m already counting the days until I can see you again.”

To my surprise, she stiffened.

“What is it?” I looked down at her.

“Nothing.” Her lips twitched nervously, and she didn’t meet my gaze.

“You sure?”

Victoria nodded, then nuzzled her head in my chest. “This is harder than I thought it would be.”

I stroked her hair, then slowly pushed her away from me. “You could walk me out. You know, prolong the agony.”

“I didn’t take you for a masochist.”

“You didn’t?”

She looked up at me with an evil grin on her face. “Okay, maybe I did.”

That drew a laugh out of both of us, and after a minute, she stepped away, leaving me feeling cold and alone.

“Do we need to get going?”

I checked the time. “Yeah.” My ride would be here in ten minutes. I grabbed my suitcase and rolled it through the door as Victoria held it open. I stole a kiss as I went by, inhaling deeply so I wouldn’t forget her scent.

No one joined us in the elevator, and we used the precious minutes to our advantage. By the time we reached the ground floor, I was dizzy on Victoria and wanted nothing more than to go back up to the suite. Unfortunately, I only had a few minutes. We made our way outside to wait, and when we got there, I took Victoria’s hand. “I hated it when you left Big Bear the first time.”

She blinked in surprise. “Really?”

I nodded. “It ripped my heart out to see you go, but I was convinced that you weren’t looking for more than a flirting buddy.”

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