Page 3 of Dare to Love

“Good morning, Mrs. Henderson,” I called out, my voice deliberately loud enough for a nearby set of pedestrians to hear across the way. Then, in what I hoped was a convincing display of affection, I squeezed Lilian’s hand and gave her a subtle glance and smile that I prayed appeared to look like a moment of endearment rather than the desperation of being a constipated fool trapped with nowhere to go.

“Good morning, Reid! And Lilian, my dear!” Mrs. Henderson exclaimed as her eyes darted between the two of us. “What a... surprise to see the two of you together out here taking a stroll!”

“Is it?” Lilian replied smoothly, leaning her body slightly towards me. The scent of chocolate and vanilla wafting from her hair, making my stomach do an odd little flip. I always had appreciated the depth and complex undertones of chocolate especially even though ironically; I was allergic to the stuff. It’s a good thing it was only mild but you could never be too cautious as my doctor warned me—things could always change and improve or unfortunately get worse over the years hence taking precautionary medications just to be on the safe side. “We’ve been trying to keep things quiet, but I guess the secret’s out now.”

I couldn’t help but admire her commitment to the charade. I don’t know if it had been to do more with the fear and worry of potentially having to undertake the forfeit by Paisley or if she was settling more into the idea of being in my company. Originally, she had been absolutely horrified at the idea of having to fake-date me but she was putting on quite a convincing show making me wonder if perhaps she had any other hidden talents beyond crafting exquisite chocolates.

“Well, I think it’s wonderful,” Mrs. Henderson gushed, clasping her hands together. “You two make a lovely couple! I’ve always wished to see you both find some happiness. It’s not been an easy road for either of you.”

“Thank you,” I said as I allowed my arm to find its way around Lilian’s waist as if it belonged there, ignoring the way Mrs. Henderson attempted to delve into our past history. It wasn’t common knowledge to the whole town so obviously there had been whispers and talks over how and why we’d been single for so long. I wasn’t about to indulge in those conversations tosupport those next tea and coffee gossip meetups. “We think so too.”

As we continued our leisurely walk, I found myself oddly conscious of every time our bodies touched—my hand cusping around her waist or the way her shoulder occasionally brushed against the top of my chest. I had to keep reminding myself that this was all fake. It was just a dare and for pretence but there was something about the physical proximity around her that made my normally composed self-feel... unsettled.

“You’re a better actor than I expected,” Lilian commented as we turned down a less populated street with no one we recognized on it as we headed towards the park.

“That’s what years of courtroom experience does for someone,” I replied back, allowing a small smirk to form on my lips. “I have to convince people that what I say is the truth. I mean it’s what I do for a living afterall.” I shrugged my shoulders, making her chuckle underneath her breath.

“And here I thought you just bullied them into submission with all the legal jargon you could whilst using that scowl you wear so well,” she retorted back with a slight curl to her lip.

“That’s Plan B. I have to use the charm first and if all else fails I can always fall back on some class intimidation.” I chuckled.

“Charm? Is that what you call it?” She raised an eyebrow as I found myself studying the dusting of freckles across her nose—something I’d never noticed before. “I haven’t seen much evidence of this alleged charm.”

“I’m saving it for when I really need it,” I countered. “Besides, I thought women liked the brooding, mysterious type of guy.” I waggled my eyebrows at her, making her laugh. The genuine sound knocked me instantly off guard as it hit me deep in the gut.

“Maybe in a romance novel you’d see that but in real life? I think most women would prefer someone who can actuallycarry a conversation without looking like they’re trying to plot a murder.” She admitted.

“Is that what you want though?” I asked but she just pouted at me continuing in her stride as I took a few steps to catch up to her.

A sudden gust of wind tousled Lilian’s hair, sending auburn strands across her face. Without thinking I reached forward and brushed the stray locks away from her cheek, my fingers lingering perhaps a moment longer than necessary and committing this moment to memory. The closeness between us suddenly felt charged and the atmosphere heavy with something neither of us had anticipated.

“Are you okay?” I asked her, my voice much softer than I intended to.

“I’m fine,” she replied, her voice slightly breathless. “Just... committed to the role.”

I had to remind myself this was supposed to be fake, just a dare. But as we continued walking, I realized I didn’t want to let go of her hand. It made me think how this felt natural and if it was meant to be somehow but also how easily things could spiral out of control.

“We should probably discuss some ground rules,” I said, attempting to regain some semblance of a professional distance between us. “If we’re going to convince everyone this is real then we need to be able to know where we both stand.”

“Good idea,” she agreed, quickly retorting back as if she was grateful for the change in subject. “What would you suggest?”

“Well, for starters, we should agree on how we got together. People are going to ask.” I began, stating the first thing that came to my mind.

Lilian nodded thoughtfully. “Something believable but maybe not too detailed. Maybe... you came into the shop one day, and instead of being your usual charming self,” she saidwith a hint of sarcasm and potential truth, “you actually smiled at me and I was so shocked that I agreed to go on a date with you?” She said cheekily as I rolled my eyes at her.

“Hilarious. How about something that doesn’t paint me as the town villain?”

“But that’s your brand,” she teased me as I found myself fighting back another smile. “Fine. What’s your suggestion?” She asked me with a sense of intrigue.

“How about... we ran into each other at the bookstore just outside of town. You were reaching for a book on the top shelf and I helped you get it down, surprised to recognize you outside of your little shop. We started talking about books and discovered we had a similar taste before deciding to grab a coffee together.”

“That’s... actually quite sweet. I didn’t know you had it in you.” Lilian admitted her mouth widened in shock before she quickly closed it realizing how she must have looked like her cheeks turned a delicious shade of pink.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” I replied, surprising myself with how truthful the statement felt. “I love a juicy, intense, good, filthy?—”

“La—la—la. I can’t hear you.” She shouted loudly over the wind, placing her fingers in her ears. “I don’t want to know about your wicked, wildish obsession with love and kinks, Reid Belgrave.” She told me as I leaned in and pulled her hands away from her ears.

“But I know you do, Lilian Raeflower… You want to know it all, don’t you?” I squinted, leaning in closing the gap between us until we were breathing the same small pocket of air. “It’ll only be a matter of time, trust me.” I whispered before I pulled back.

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