Page 7 of Fake Dating My Valentine

Torey relaxed and her face lit up with a smile as she told me about baking bread and social media for a few companies in Holiday Grove. “Nix wants to make me a partner, but the bakery is hers, and it would feel weird to join in. Right?”

“Not if you’re doing work worthy of a partner. Don’t sell yourself short.”

“I won’t,” she promised and studied me again. “Okay, so you can’t talk about your super-secret government work, but what do you do in between missions? Do you stay at whatever base is close or do you travel and have adventures?”

This was one of my favorite topics, and I leaned in close, smiling. “I love travel adventures.”

Her eyes lit with excitement. “Tell me everything!”

That’s exactly what I did. I shared stories about my adventures in Athens, Rome, Barcelona, Berlin, and Paris. We laughed and drank as we got reacquainted. Hell, it was one of the best dates I’d had in years. I hadn’t laughed or talked with a woman so much in too long.

“If not for the bombs and bullets, I’d be jealous.” She tilted her head to the side. “I’m glad you’re all right, Ry.”

“Me too.” By the time dinner and dessert were over, three and a half hours had passed. It was late, and I needed to get home, but I’d had about two too many beers to drive.

Torey walked me to the front door, placing her delicate hands on my chest. “I would offer to let you stay, but after that kiss earlier, I think it might be a bad idea.”

I liked that she was straightforward, honest about her reasons. “Yeah, you're probably right.”

Her smile returned. “Noah is going to drive you home. He’s the local rideshare. Seventeen, in need of money to help him get out of town, so he’s also motivated. You’ll be safe.”

I grunted and she laughed.

“Look at the happy couple.” Molly and Jane walked side by side across the street, their gaze a little too focused on us.

“Nosy,” Torey grumbled and gripped my shirt in her fists. “I know what I said earlier, but I need you to lay a proper goodbye kiss on me, Ryan, and I need you to sell it.”

My heart thudded against my chest, but I simply smiled. “Yes, ma’am.” I pulled her so close that our shoulders and hips touched. My lips descended on hers in a fiery kiss that caught me off guard again. Her lips were soft and pillowy, her tongue wet and pliant. She moaned and melted into the kiss, which was hot as hell.

I swallowed down her every moan and pressed her against the house with my body as I pressed my hips against hers. She pushed back and flicked her tongue against mine with anothermoan. Torey pulled back eventually, wide-eyed and breathless. “Damn.”

“Too much?”

She nodded and then shook her head before her forehead fell against my chest. “It was too much in the best possible way. Now get out of here before I forget this is fake.”

I knew exactly how she felt, which was why I wore a smile as young Noah pulled up to take me home, where I thought about nothing but Torey for the rest of the night.

It was safe to say that I’d developed a small—tiny, really—crush on my sister’s best friend.

Chapter 5

Torey

When I woke up, I was still buzzing from dinner with Ryan last night. And that kiss? Hot damn, that kiss was electric, and I still felt his lips on mine. That probably had a lot to do with the fact that I hadn’t stopped thinking about him since he left last night. Dreaming about him with significantly less clothes on than he’d worn to dinner. Or fresh from the shower. Thoughts of him persisted all morning.

It was a little perplexing, actually. I’ve known Ryan just about all my life and he’s always been Nix’s older and hotter brother. I mean, I have eyes, of course he’s gorgeous, but I never crushed on him except for that one summer when I couldn’t look at him without blushing, but it wasn’t a real crush. It was teenage hormones. Just hormones. Now though? Now Ryan was older—so was I—and hotter and far more mature than when he’d gone off to the Army. Now that I knew him better, I knew that he was a real catch.

Not for me, of course. Objectively, Ryan was a catch. He looked good, had a good job, and gave good conversation.

"Dammit." My feet came to a complete stop about a block from the bakery as realization dawned. I have a crush on Ryan.Well, that couldn’t happen. This plan wouldn’t work—not for me—if I went and developed feelings for a man who had one foot out the door. "Nope, not a crush," I whispered to myself over and over again until I stepped inside the kitchen and found Nix blasting Whitney Houston. I paused the song with a frown. "What’s wrong?"

Nix spun around with wide eyes and a wider smile. "Nothing's wrong. Everything is just great."

"Pants on fire, Nix." She was always a little too bright when she was upset.

"That’s rich coming from you, given you didn’t tell me we’re going to be real sisters soon."

I rolled my eyes and groaned. It really was silly to think that word wouldn’t get back to Nix. Of course, everyone would assume she already knew.

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