Page 41 of Never Fake Date the Financier
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Turns out I’m right.
I can’t sleep. I’ve been tossing and turning for hours in this massive bed. I’ve never slept in anything so big, and it makes me feel even more alone. It’s a shame Snickerdoodle isn’t real because I could use a sleeping buddy right about now.
Although I think I might prefer Adrian…
And that’s a huge problem. Or at least, a part of me thinks it is. A part of me keeps thinking that I need to keep this simple. Go back to the rules that I laid out. The business arrangement. Because that’s all this is.
But the other part wants to completely ignore it and explore if there is something between us. I don’t know anymore. It’s crazy to think that I’ve caught these feelings so fast. It’s not normal for me, but then again, this isn’t a normal situation. And Adrian isn’t an average person.
I’ve been replaying my time with him in my head. The flight. The conversations. The boat.That kiss.Okay, I’ve mostly been thinking about that kiss. I know it was cut short, but it was the best kiss I’ve ever had, which is again, a huge problem. It was probably nothing special for him. Another kiss with another girl.
Heat rises in my cheeks as I think about him kissing someone else. I shouldn’t be feeling so possessive. We’re not dating. This isn’t real, even though it feels like it is.
I sigh, throwing off the covers as I sit up. I glance at the door to the main living area and find light shining under the door.
Guess I’m not the only one who’s restless. I wonder…
Before I can talk myself out of it, I slip out of bed and pad to the door. I crack the door open just a fraction, peering through the narrow gap. Adrian’s awake, sitting on the edge of the cot, staring at his phone.
I blink. And then again, because I can’t believe what I’m looking at. Whathe’slooking at.
Me.
He’s zoomed in on a photograph of me that I didn’t realize he’d taken. It’s outside, during the photographs we took earlier with his family. I’m laughing at something, my head thrown back, completely oblivious to Adrian’s photography skills. And he’s stroking my face…
I close the door silently, retreating a few steps, trying to process what I saw. There’s no way. Right? I must have imagined it. Surely, I did.
I shake my head. Shake my arms and legs out. This is all in my head. I’m sure he didn’t snap a candid of me while I wasn’t looking so he could gaze at it at damn near three in the morning. Or if he did, it was just him getting into character. Just like that kiss, it’s practice for the big day. He has to get used to seeing my face, so he doesn’t cringe when he has to—oh my god, what am I saying?
I exhale long and slow. And then cough. And then again. One more time for good measure before opening the door.
This time, Adrian’s phone is lying face down on the table next to the cot.
“Everything okay?”
I clear my throat. “My throat’s a little dry and I need?—”
Oh god. Oh lord. Adrian’s shirtless. Completely naked up there. And when he stands up, I nearly faint as I stare at those muscles, just hanging out right there.
Abs. Eyes. Abs, chest, eyes. Bulge. Eyes. My gaze is shifting so fast that I think my brain might short-circuit.
Adrian reaches down and grabs a bottle of water before walking toward me. “Here, take this.”
I glance at it, still unmoving. And then I feel faint once I feel the heat from his body, breathing in the lingering scent of his cologne.
He smiles. “It’s unopened. You won’t get cooties, I swear.”
Uh, buh, uh. WAKE UP!
“Thanks. Already had my cootie shot decades ago. Probably need a booster though.”
He grunts. I cringe. This is awkward.I’mawkward. But can you blame a girl? I know I’m not the only one who’d fumble in front of a man like this. All hard edges. Muscles galore. A face that could make nuns reconsider their path.
I open the bottle and take a sip. “Couldn’t sleep?”
He rubs the back of his neck, and oh my god, those muscles look even better as he stretches.
