Page 10 of Fake Dating My Valentine

She was adorably flustered, cheeks flushed, eyes sparkling. I studied her while finishing my sandwich—my favorite sandwich. Then I stood, unable to take my eyes off her. “Thanks for the sandwich.”

“You’re welcome,” she sighed.

“I’ll pick you up later. When are you done here?”

Her brows knitted. “Four.”

“Perfect.” I leaned down, pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth. “I’ll pick you up at six.”

Chapter 7

Torey

Iwas going on a date with Ryan—not a real one, of course, but we had to sell it as real. This meant my obsessing over what to wear was perfectly justifiable. I took stock of what was in my closet and whittled it down to three options that didn’t make me look like I was trying too hard or a hobo. The red strapless dress was too much for any first date, especially a fake one. Jeans seemed too casual, which meant I settled on a pair of black leather pants paired with a soft white cropped sweater, finishing off the look with fire engine red lips and spiky stilettos. My hair was in soft waves and I looked…good.

I had enough confidence to pull it off, which meant tonight would be good. We just needed to get reacquainted with each other, get to know each other for real. That was it. No romance, no flirting, no sparks of any kind.

Just a fake date.

For a fake relationship.

A crisp knock sounded, and my heart raced even though I told it not to. I hurried to open the door. “Hey.” My throat was dry and my hands were slightly damp as it took in the sight of Ryan in dark jeans and a black shirt that was slightly open at thechest. The scent of his cologne wafted in my direction, making my knees go a little weak. “You clean up nice. Very nice.” That throaty sound wasn’t me. Was it?

Ryan continued to stare, his mouth slightly open, appreciation darkening his gaze as it traveled from my stilettos back up to my face. “Wow, Torey, you look incredible.”

I felt that compliment all the way down to my toes. “Incredible? I like it.”

“Yeah, me too.” There was no mistaking the heat in his gravelly voice. “Ready?”

I nodded and reached back for my red clutch and my coat before I accepted his hand. “I am. Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.” The teasing glint in his eyes was absolutely contagious.

“So you’re a man who likes surprises. This date is already off to a good start. What else?”

“I love a woman in leather pants, especially when she fills them out so fantastically.” He opened the door to his truck and helped me inside, which gave me a few uninterrupted seconds to enjoy the way he filled out his jeans, not to mention the way the scruff only enhanced his sex appeal.

That was the second or third time that he mentioned finding me attractive and as much as I wanted to believe it, I was still hesitant.

Ryan started the truck and took off. We were both silent for the first mile or two. I imagined both of us were trying to figure out how to navigate this evening, but then he reached out and took my hand in his, and I just knew that everything would be all right. “Are you okay with everything?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I feel bad about your leave. I know it’s just a limited time and now you have to spend the week doing this, which really helps me more than you.”

“No more apologizing, okay?” He gave my hand a quick squeeze. “We’re in this together, Tor.”

His words allowed me to relax and I squeezed his hand in return. “Okay. Good. Great. Thanks.”

His deep laughter echoed inside the truck. “Perfect.”

As the ride went on, I felt myself growing giddy about spending an entire evening with Ryan. When the car slid into a parking spot, the sound of country music blared from the building. My eyes grew wide and I turned in the passenger seat, placing both hands on his thigh. His really big, really muscular thigh. “We’re going dancing?”

“We are. I figured we can have some fun, get to know each other while covering two topics for the week, dancing and music.”

All I thought about was having myself pressed against him while he spun me around the dance floor, his heady scent mixed with mine until I was dizzy.

“But first, dinner.” His smile was incredible and I felt my heart as it raced inside my chest. “I hope you’re hungry.”

“I really want to be all dainty and say no, but the truth is that I’m starving. I haven’t eaten since I inhaled the scent of your sandwich earlier today.”

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