Page 18 of The Love Trick

“It’s not like you’re wearing much yourself,” I joke awkwardly.

She glances down at her outfit and then laughs, raising her baggy t-shirt to reveal her running shorts. “Typical man.”

Nowmyface is red. “That’s… not…”Ugh.I step to the side to let her in. “Just get in here.”

Addy steps inside and immediately starts doing that thing she does when she’s nervous—wringing her hands and staring at her feet. “Um… so…”

“So…?” I tighten the towel around my waist, suddenly feelingveryself-conscious. “What’s up? Is there an emergency? Or are you just here to hang out?”

The last time she acted like this, she had accidentally scraped a pole while driving my car. Thankfully, Iknow my car has nothing to do with whateverthisis.

She lets out a sharp breath and meets my gaze. “Will you be my boyfriend?”

Chapter Seven

Addy

Blazelookstotallyshocked.

I think he’s actually vacated his body and left planet Earth right now—and that’s not making me feel any better about this situation.

In fact, my head is starting to feel light, and I think I might pass out.

“Blaze?” I croak, waving my hand in front of his face. “Will you be myfakeboyfriend?” I repeat.

“What did you say?” He sounds like he can’t breathe either.

“Ugh,don’t make me ask a third time. This is already embarrassing enough as it is…” My voice trails off as I inhale a shaky breath. “I did somethingsostupid today, and I really need you to help me out.”

“I need to get dressed,” he says flatly, spinning on his heels and high-tailing it out of his luxurious modern deco entryway.

“But…”

He holds up a hand as he walks away. “You have so much explaining to do, I guarantee it can wait.” With that, I watch him disappear upstairs, trying not to stare too long at his taut shoulder muscles tense beneath his tanned skin.

I shut my eyes and shake my head.

Now isnotthe time to start checking him out.

I’ve always thought Blaze was super hot, just like all the other girls. However, I simply choose to not let it affect me. And it doesn’t.

Until he opens the door in nothing but a towel.

UGH.

I run my hands over my face, catching some of my tangled blonde hair, before casually strolling into Blaze’s bare living room, which consists of two leather couches and a massive TV. There’s nothing on the walls.Nothing.

He hasn’t wanted to decorate, and he still refuses to let me do it. It’s like … it’s like he’s scared to actuallyhavea home. Which, given everything he went through as a child, I try my best to understand. But I’ll never truly know what it feels like to grow up without a family or a place to call home, so I can’t fully empathize.

Chewing on my bottom lip, I stare at the blank gray wall until I hear his footsteps come storming back down the stairs. Based on the cadence, I’m guessing he’s irritated. Maybe angry. And I can only imagine what’s running through his head right now.

“Explain,” his deep voice says dryly. “Now.”

I take a deep breath and turn to see him in a pair of black sweats and a white cut-off, showing off his immense biceps. “I’m just asking you if you’ll be my fake boyfriend. That’s all.”

“Why?” he snaps. “Why do youneeda fake boyfriend in the first place?”

I groan and then spend the next ten minutes explaining everything that happened today. I don’t leave a single detail out—not even the coffee ruining the red dress that he had brought me to change into. At the end of it, I shrug and wait.

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