Page 126 of The Nicest Thing
She swallowed thickly then tilted her head toward the open doors, "Want to go work the room?"
I grinned then put her arm in mine."Only if you're with me."
Rose's smile was small but there."I'm with you, Finn."
That was all I needed to hear.
CHAPTER 18: Rose
I sucked at mixing and mingling.
I never knew this about myself before, having always felt comfortable around my small group of friends.But put me in a room full of strangers?And I was like a fish out of water.A silent, awkward, curvy fish.One who couldn't swim—who was drowning slowly because she realized too late that she was more dog (or at least dog lover) than fish.I'd lost count of the amount of internal sighs I'd given since arriving at the book conference.
The one I would've never been invited to if it wasn't for the man on my arm.
He'd applied for me, knowing I wanted this so much.
Inadvertently, he was also a big reason why I got accepted.
And now, he was charming everyone in the room.
If there was a title for best fake husband, I was sure Finn O'Brien would win it hands-down.
Not only did he play the part well, he did so while showering me with genuine affection.People approached us because of him, drawn by his magnetism.When he met a new person, he somehow managed to make them feel like an old friend.He also included me and my books in every conversation.
Have you read Liv Lamoreaux?Her romances are my favorites.
If you love sports romance, you should give Liv Lamoreaux a try.
Whenever I get down, I pick up a Liv Lamoreaux book.Always cheers me up.
I think a lot more men should read romance, and I think they would if they tried her books.
Have you met my wife, Rose?She writes under Liv Lamoreaux, and she's amazing.
The worst part—or the best—was that I knew he meant every word.
It made me love him even more.
It made me remember his confession.
The one he thought I slept through because I let him think that.
Finn was in love with me—or he thought he was.
The distinction mattered to me before, but now…it didn't seem so important.
Part of that was because Finn made faking it look way too easy.He was good at everything.Casual touches that set my skin on fire?Check.Flirtatious glances that made me feel like the sexiest woman in the room even though I knew I wasn't?Check.Kind words that embedded themselves deeply into my heart? Check.Though everyone seemed to want to impress him, Finn didn't even look like he was trying.He was comfortable in his own skin, and something about that was insanely attractive.Finn was making me crazy.Everything he did stoked the fire inside me, a fire he'd lit, until it felt like I was burning with words left unsaid.
"Hey, you look a little flushed," Finn said, raising a hand to my cheek."Want to call it a night?"
"Sounds good," I said.
The trip to our room was a short one.The conference kick-off was still going strong, so it wasn't hard to catch an elevator.We walked into our room, and I input a few words here and there, just to let Finn know I was listening.But honestly, I was lost in my thoughts.I had to tell Finn I heard what he said.I needed to know if he still felt that way or if it was just the cabin atmosphere talking.And regardless, I needed to tell him how I felt.But how would he react?Was it better to keep the secret I'd held for so long?My heart demanded one thing while my headhesitated.But as I turned around and saw Finn standing by the bed over his suitcase I knew it was now or never.
I'd just opened my mouth when Finn cursed.
"What?" I said in concern.
