Page 29 of Butterfly Effect

His saunter stalled, large hands pausing from drying his hair with another towel. Darkened brown strands fell across his forehead. Wade’s gaze softened as my lower lip pinched between my teeth.

“You’re here.”

Two of his long strides closed the short distance between us. My pulse pounded. A shaky breath exited my nose.

“I have no idea why.”

Girl, please. You know exactly why.

He dropped the towel in hand to the mattress, a lust-sparked expression relishing the gentle stroke of his warmed knuckles over my cheek. Calloused fingertips drew a line down my throat to the collarbone before curling around it with his palm. Goosebumps trailed behind.

“I do.” The light pressure of his grasp had my legs buckling beneath me. A sparse strip of chest hair trailed down his stomach and directed me to the massive bulge behind his towel.

My mouth watered.

“On your knees, Freckles,” Wade demanded, guiding me to the low-pile carpet below. “Need you to undo what you’ve been doing to me all night.”

“I didn’t like that part either.” The hoarse whisper of his voice blurs the memory away and pulls me back to his focus on my mouth. I inhale the mint on his breath. His gaze lifts to mine, the deep umber tones swirling like melted chocolate. “We can tell them the truth after it’s over.” A wild rhythm climbs from myheart into my throat. The pink tip of his tongue breaks through the seam of his lips. “We did what we had to.”

Oh, God. It’s his I’m-about-to-kiss-you face. Run!

I leap up, evading the attempt. Wade forces out an airy laugh and runs a hand through the mussy wisps of his hair while glancing at the ceiling.

“Okay, first things first.” My legs lead a manic pace across the room despite the uncomfortable, growing wetness between them. “We arenotactually sleeping together.”

“Pfft, duh.” One of his broad shoulders lifts and drops. “I didn’t wanna do that with you anyway.”

One eyebrow shoots up. “You wanted to a second ago.”

“Only ‘cause I thoughtyouwanted to.” He drops back to his elbows, dragging his eyes down my frame. “Who am I to deny Gabe Finch?”

My eyes roll closed. The Advil is effective, but a brand-new headache in town brews. He’s named Wade Boehner. The man is testing me.

“Then let me make it crystal clear. At no point will we be sleeping together. That’s not part of this fake dating…deal…thing.” Words evaporate as Wade rises and stalks toward me, eyes unwavering. “Can’t make that…mistake. Again.”

“Who are you trying to convince, Freckles?”

Valid question.

No, not valid!

“No one,” I lie.

“Whatever,baby.” He keeps saying it like that, all snippy. “But if we want to make this believable, we have to do better. I hate to admit it, but Indi’s right. I don’t know you well enough. Your birthday, your preferences. If you were my girlfriend, I’d know everything about you.”

“If I were your girlfriend, I’d have to be sedated—” My phone alarm interrupts the tirade with a notification for my upcomingflight. “Shit. I have to get to the airport.” And get back to my room to pack. I scramble toward the door. “We’ll have to schedule something…”

Wade’s mouth explodes into a smirk. “Gabriella Finch, are you asking me out?”

He’s only a few inches taller than me but somehow appears bigger as he nears.

“That’s not my name, and no. We’re…meeting up.”

His hand reaches the overhang by the door and leans forward. “Sounds like a date to me.”

“Shut up.” I glower and wave my phone. “When are you back in Ottawa?”

“Wednesday.”

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