Page 26 of The Best Wrong Move

A few minutes later, Dom’s feet thump up the steps outside.

I fight the urge to run out there, telling myself to just let this unfold naturally.

Don’t look too eager.

My heart is beating wildly. I feel like a kid trying to pull a prank on my parents.

I stand behind the drawn shades, straining to hear them.

“Oh, hey man,” Rex says in surprise, sounding stiff. I hear their hands slap together in what must be that bro-ey handshake thing that all guys seem to know. “Back to fix something else?” There’s more than a little hint of disdain in his voice.

Let the games begin.

“Dom!” Juju trills happily. “Please tell me you’re here to pick up that hot new neighbor of ours!”

Dom chuckles, then pauses. I wish I could see their faces right now,but I don’t want to pull back the blinds and risk being seen quite yet.

“That’s exactly why I’m here, actually,” he tells them. “To pick up Liv. We’re going out to Cliff’s tonight.” The faint smile in his voice makes the butterflies in my stomach start swarming.

A pair of knuckles taps gently against the back door.

I take a deep breath. This is it. I slide the shades back and pull the door open, beaming up at him.

Dom is grinning at me on the other side, nearly taking up the whole door frame. He’s wearing a soft, light green button-up shirt that matches his eyes perfectly, and makes him look even more tan than he did this morning.

He gives me a subtle wink then brings one hand up to his chest like he’s just been shot.

“You look . . .” His gaze sweeps down to my toes and back up to meet my eyes, even more slowly than he did in the townhouse earlier today. Like he’s taking his sweet time checking out every inch of my body. If all this feels so real to me, I’m almost positive his act will appear real to them too. “You look absolutely beautiful.”

Chapter 17

The collection of butterflies in my stomach breaks into a synchronized victory dance as I step over the threshold to join Dom, Rex, and Juju outside. The short red romper I’d picked out was the right choice. It’s written all over Rex’s face.

“The red one,” Abby had texted after I sent photos of my four outfit choices from the dressing room. “Rex is going to keel over when you walk out in that.”

Sadly, Rex doesn’t quite keel over. Instead, he sucks in a breath and rubs his bottom lip with his finger. If Juju isn’t aware of it yet, that’s Rex’s telltale sign foryou look entirely fuckable tonight.

It takes everything in me not to spin around triumphantly.

“Liv!” Juju says excitedly when she sees me. “You look stunning! Have just one drink with us before you head out?” She’s already filling up the extra glass meant for me. “Let me grab another one for you too, Dom. I had no idea you’d be coming over!” She gives me a sneaky grin before shoving the glass into my hands.

“Oh, we’re just heading out—” I start to tell her, but she’s already sprinting back into their townhouse for an extra glass.

“Just one!” she calls over her shoulder. “Then we’ll let you two go!”

She disappears inside.

When it’s just the three of us left on the deck, Dom pulls me into a tight bear hug, as if Rex isn’t even there. I wrap my arms around his torso and curl into him. He feels as solid as an oak tree.

He grins.

“Red is definitely your color.” My mind swims back to when we were standing at my front porch — the last time he saw me in red. The look in his eyes says he’s right there with me. “Beautiful,” he whispers. His voice is loud enough for Rex to hear, but soft enough to sound seductive.

As quickly as the heat flashes in his eyes, it’s gone, and he kisses the top of my head, his cheek lingering against me.

“Thank you.” Even though I know this is all just a show, I’m still unable to stop myself from blushing. He squeezes my hip, sending that familiar wave of electricity through me. “That shirt matches your eyes.”

Dom smiles down at me and I nearly forget Rex is still standing with us until he takes a loud gulp of his drink.

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