Page 69 of False Play
“I mean, I’m just saying. You sure moved on quickly, didn’t you?” he taunted.
I grabbed the menu and pretended to study it intently. Anything was better than sparring with him. He wanted me to engage in a battle I had no business in, nor wanted to be part of.
“And with a jock, no less,” he continued.
Or maybe it was worth it, after all.
My eye twitched as I gracefully dropped the menu on the table. My face remained enigmatic, though there was no denying the way my blood ran hot beneath my skin as I tried to keep my anger in check. “Do you think jock is supposed to be an insult?” I asked coolly. “Because it isn’t.”
He scoffed out a laugh. “Kennedy, come on. You’re a smart girl. Why are you with a hot-headed guy who up until the other day had the reputation of being a manwhore?”
The rest of our friends remained quiet, their eyes flicking like ping-pong balls between us. Their silence spoke volumes. It was clear to me then that no one was on my side. Joe was a charismatic guy, and people had issues standing up to him. It was like they were all blind to his shitty behavior, just like I was.
I had never been so grateful that my foggy glasses had been lifted. Though it didn’t make me any less mad knowing how long it took me to get to that point.
“This is not the time or place to have this conversation, Joe. Please, drop it.”
“Admit you’re not dating him, and I’ll gladly drop it. I know you, Kennedy. You wouldn’t date a man like him,” he remarked casually.
As I opened my mouth to answer, a deep, rich voice beat me to it. “See, Joe, butthatwould be a lie.”
At the sound of Henry’s voice, my lungs expanded, and I took a breath of relief. Never, in the three years I’d known him, did I think I’d be grateful for him and his impeccable timing. Fake boyfriend or not, he was the only person who was in my corner. The one who kept saving me over and over again. Part of me warmed at the thought of why he was doing it.
Did he care about me? Is this why he was helping me?
I shut down the ridiculous thought quickly. His reputation took a hit, and he needed me. This was a mutual arrangement. He was only holding up his end of the bargain.
I hadn’t even laid my eyes on him, and my skin was buzzing with excitement knowing he was near. The closer he got, the more every cell in my body came alive.
His towering presence was strong, and when I looked up, I found his blue irises shining with silent understanding andconcern. His eyes did the same thing they had done the last time he came to my rescue—they managed to ground me. But I chalked it up to coincidence. There couldn’t be another reason. Because there was no way I was finding peace with the one guy I still believed I couldn’t stand. That was a mindfuck in itself, and I was tired of feeling confused.
He took a seat, and his movements were all smooth and confident, like he’d done this hundreds of times. And maybe he had, you know? But I expected him to at least showsomenerves. We hadn’t exactly planned this. We hadn’t even gotten a chance to get our story straight—how long we’d been dating, when everything started to shift to a romantic relationship.Nothing.
Anxiety clawed at me. This was going to be a disaster.
“Hey,” I said awkwardly, fighting the cringe that wanted to break across my face.
He was right. I was such a shitty actress. I couldn’t help it.
One of his hands found the nape of my neck. The warmth of skin meeting skin was electric and spread through my body like wildfire. I absentmindedly leaned into his touch—intohim—like it was instinct.
He leaned forward, and through a barely audible whisper, he said, “Act cool.”
My brain struggled to catch up. I was enthralled byallof him. The way his freckles danced across his face. His chiseled jaw. The way his slightly crooked nose made him look more human. Like he was capable of having imperfections, even if he still managed to look ridiculously handsome. His bold, masculine scent that was just sohimwas making me hazy, like I had chugged a heady cocktail.
Before I could process what was happening, Henry’s lips collided with mine in a soft kiss. My senses dulled, muting every sound around the restaurant. The logical side of mewanted to get away from his grasp and the unexpected softness of his lips as soon as humanly possible. But mytraitorousbody melted into him instead, like every part of me forgot every practical reason to resist. A low groan of approval thrummed deep within his chest as he tightened his grip in a possessive,this-is-me-claiming-you-in-front-of-everybodykind of way. His tongue swiped inside my mouth with a quiet, relaxed demand, and if I hadn’t been sitting down, my knees would have easily buckled at the way his tongue met mine. My thighs instinctively clenched, and his other hand found my waist, where he gripped softly as he deepened the kiss. By some miracle of God, I managed to hold back the pathetic whimper that was stuck in the back of my throat as his overwhelming presence continued to intoxicate me. Our lips molded perfectly, like they belonged and they wanted to make sure we didn’t forget. I couldn’t understand why my body was reacting so out of character. So wildly. Fireworks ignited beneath my skin, spark after spark exploding inside my body as his kiss continued to leave a permanent but invisible mark on me. My lips grew numb, and even though the kiss was slow and unhurried, my lungs demanded a gasp of air. But I couldn’t stop.
I didn’t know where I was anymore. All I knew was I needed—demanded—more.
My fingers threaded through his soft strands of hair as my tongue grazed his. He tasted like sour orange with a hint of sweetness; it was addictive. Kissing Henry was like touching a flame. It burned like no other, butoh, God, I didn’t care. Not one bit.
Someone cleared their throat, and just like that, the moment was broken like a wine glass being smashed against a wall. My body went rigid as I realized where I was. As it reminded me this was all for show. Though the pool that had formed between my legs beggedto differ.
Henry was the one who managed to break us apart at the sound. I wished nothing more than to stay frozen in time, wrapped in his arms, because I didn’t want to deal with the reality of the situation I was in.
I slowly opened my eyes and found a set of dilated pupils and darker shades of blue. It was a strange contrast to the pleased look he had on his face and the knowing smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Hi, Kenny baby,” he said huskily, his eyes still sparkling with undeniable mirth. Henry wasn’t stupid. Hemusthave known how much I enjoyed the kiss.
