Page 19 of Never Fake Date the Financier
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks me, handing me the bottle.
“I’ll be fine.” I swallow, my salivary glands in overdrive. “I need some water.”
“Come,” Adrian says, grabbing my hand. That familiar feeling rises inside me as he places his hand on the small of my back and carefully guides me out of the bathroom and back to my seat, treating me as though I’m some priceless possession.
“Stay here,” he says, retreating to the back of the cabin, returning moments later with a bottle of water and some food.
“You should eat something too.”
I take the banana from the table, peeling it as I wonder how many layers there are to Adrian and whether I’ll see more of them before our “relationship” reaches the expiration date.
We’ve hardly been together for an hour, and I’m already considering bending one of my personal rules: Don’t fall for your fake boyfriend.
7
ELLA
Oh…my god.
If the private jet wasn’t evidence enough that I’ve entered another world, then this hotel clearly is. I’ve never been inside anything so grand before. Soaring ceilings with exquisite frescoes. Marble floors so glistening that I should be wearing sunglasses. And that chandelier? That thing must cost more than I’ve earned in my entire lifetime. Then again… that’s not too crazy.
But this place is. I turn around slowly, trying to take it all in. “This is…”
I can’t speak. I can’t believe where I’m at. Where am I? I’m actually blanking on where this wedding is. Where this hotel—palace?—is located. Italy? I’m not sure. Details have been lost or muddled in this blur of a trip, but does it honestly matter?
Whew. My stomach is fluttering all over again, and it’s not from the turbulence.
“This is incredible.”
But as I look at Adrian, it seems I’m alone in this assessment.
His hands are clasped behind his back as he looks around with the kind of casual indifference I’d expect from someone checking out used cars.Oh, that’s fine. Solid. Reliable. Gets you from point A to B. Now let’s talk price…
He turns to me. “It’s nice.”
It takes me a few moments. Is he joking? No, the man’s a billionaire, and he probably thinks this place looks like a hovel.
“Nice?Nice?This place is straight out of a movie. You know, like the ones you make.”
“I preferSplendido Mare. Cozy. Refined. And the views are unmatched,” he says without a hint of pretension, which somehow makes it worse. And the way he affected an Italian accent? This man is something else.
“Do you have any idea how you sound right now? Like, do you hear yourself?”
Adrian raises a brow. “What? I’m merely pointing out my preference.”
He’s being serious. The man has no idea how out of touch he is. That experiencing something like this is a rarity in most people’s lives. I don’t even know where to begin. I had high hopes after that plane ride, but now? Not so much.
“I prefer theSplendido Mare,” I mimic, trying my best to match his baritone as I stand akimbo. “Cozy. Refined. A steal at a price for a few grand a night,”I add for good measure before sucking in another breath.
A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth, and I feel another flutter in my stomach. “It was only one grand last I stayed. Double the price of…” He gestures to the extravagant hotel lobby.
On second thought…ugh. Hehasto be messing with me. I stare at him for a few long beats.
“How will you make it through this weekend slumming it?”
He takes a few steps toward me, and the flutter turns into a clench. And when his half-smile turns into a full one, every nerve ending in my body ignites.
He erases the gap between us, and I finally breathe in that sinful scent of his again. Spicy. Warm. Man? Discerning scents has never been my forte. I’ve turned far too many batches of cookies into charcoal before my nose realizes my error. But Adrian’s scent is unmistakable. Unforgettable. And it’s undeniable how it affects my body.
