Page 31 of Holiday Hoax

“We should try for more,” he says as his body disappears beneath the duvet and settles between my legs.

Blinding sunlight wakes me the following morning. I roll over, squinting as my mind catalogs the unfamiliar surroundings. Last night floods back into my mind. I didn’t mean to sleep over, but after the second round and fifth orgasm, I passed out.

“Good morning,” Ian says quietly.

I roll over and give him an embarrassed smile. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sleep over.”

He sets the book he was reading down on his lap and tilts his head. “What did I do or say to give you the impression that you would be sleeping anywhere other than my bed?”

Blonde stubble dusts his jaw and a pair of wire-rimmed glasses sit perched on his nose. Paired with his muscled body and messy hair, he’s panty-melting hot. I forgot all about his Sunday morning ritual of reading in bed all morning.

“I feel like I’m intruding on your Sunday routine.”

“On the contrary, you’re very much adding to it. I’d take reading in bed next to a beautiful woman over being alone any day. Even if that beautiful woman drools in her sleep.” He gives me a crooked grin.

I rub the back of my hand over my chin, feeling no trace of dried saliva. “I do not.”

“I’ll take a picture next time.”

I give his chest a playful smack and try to ignore the way my stomach flips at his very casual mention of a next time. “What time is it?”

“Almost eleven.”

“Really?”

“Are you hungry?”

I think about it for a second before answering. “I could eat. Are you cooking?”

He laughs and shakes his head. “Trust me, you do not want that.” He grabs his phone. “We can order something for delivery?”

“That sounds great.”

After we order he gives me a pair of his athletic shorts and a well-worn hoodie to borrow. As I freshen up a bit before breakfast, he goes out into the kitchen and finishes tidying up. When I come out of his room, I notice he’s put on the sluttiest clothing a man could wear, gray joggers and a white t-shirt. His biceps are large enough to fill the sleeves; even though he was naked and inside me yesterday, I didn’t have time to take in anything other than his chest and abs. It shouldn’t be a revelation to me that he’s this hot. But here I am, eye fucking him like he didn’t wring me dry of orgasms last night.

“You’re drooling again.” He smirks at me over his shoulder. His eyes flash with desire as he does a slow sweep of me in his clothes.

“I can’t help it. You know what you’re doing.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he says innocently.

I huff a laugh and walk around the counter to him. “Do you need help?”

“No, I’ve got it.” He reaches out and grabs the pocket of the hoodie, pulling me closer and pressing a kiss to my lips. It’s short and chaste but sends my stomach for another loop.

He’s so casually affectionate. And hot. It’d be so easy to fall for him. That’s a risk I can’t take, though. He’s a billionaire. A nepo baby. I just have to remind myself it’s not real.

It’s. Not. Real.

CHAPTER 11

IAN

“Stella is here,”Derrick says as he stands in the threshold of my office doorway.

I look up and give him a nod of acknowledgement. The past few days have been full of meetings and reports, and to make matters worse, I haven’t had a reason to reach out to Mia. After our night together I was hoping this would just effortlessly slide into being more than a fake relationship.

The sight of my sister is a welcome distraction. I stand as soon as she breezes into my office and walk over to give her a hug. She’s a little thinner than I remember, a fact that I don’t like one bit, but her color is good. Since she was diagnosed with lupus, she’s had several difficult flares as she works with a team of doctors to find the best medication for her. It’s been more challenging than any of us anticipated.

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