Page 98 of Playing for Keeps
I blink. “Then why did we go along with the whole couple act?”
His eyes soften. “Because I wanted to touch you more than I wanted to breathe. Even before we agreed to fake it for Cleo’s sake, I wanted to be close to you. Pretending you were mine, even just for one night… I couldn’t pass that up.”
I stare at him, stunned.
“You’re mad,” he says quietly, searching my face.
I shake my head. “No. When did it change for you?”
He exhales heavily and rakes a hand through his hair. “The night of the auction, when we sat and talked for hours. It felt like we clicked. I always knew you were beautiful; I’m not blind, but we’d never actually spent time together. Not like that. Everything just… changed.”
I’m caught off guard hearing that his feelings developed so early on. It took me a little longer to realize what I felt, but maybe that’s because it had always been there, buried beneath my old teenage crush. I’d pushed it down when nothing ever came of it. But now it’s back, lit up brighter than ever, and I don’t want to lose it.
“Well,” I say with a teasing smile. “It’s a good thing I gave Ricky that fake number.”
He laughs and tickles my side. “Like I was ever gonna let that happen.”
I giggle, batting his hands away.
“If we’re trading confessions… I have one too,” I say, a bit nervously.
“Oh yeah?”
I nod. “Ash set us up the night of the charity auction.”
His brow furrows. “She set us up? Why would she do that?”
“Because I told her I had a crush on you when I was sixteen.”
His face lights up. “Seriously?”
Blushing, I bury my head against his chest. He wraps his arms around me tighter and presses a kiss to the top of my head.
“I only told her a few weeks ago,” I mumble.
“You didn’t tell her back then?” he asks, lifting my chin gently.
“Nope. I knew she’d turn full-on matchmaker.”
He laughs. “And why’d you tell her now?”
“It was after you helped Laney when her car broke down. She said you were hot and I agreed. Ash overheard, and I confessed.After the auction, I found out she’d set it all up, hoping we’d spend time together and something might click.” I lean in and kiss him. “Turns out, she was right.”
“So we owe Ash a thank you?”
“Yep. She’s going to be unbearable when she realizes she was right.”
He laughs. “I don’t care. I’m just glad she was.”
Before I can respond, my phone rings from the side table. Wyatt pulls out of the kiss, leans over, and grabs it.
“Think she knows we’ve been talking about her?” he says, showing me the phone, Ash’s name flashing on the screen.
“Do you mind if I speak to her?”
“Of course not. I’ll make us some breakfast.”
I lean in and kiss him again. “Only if you’re feeling better.”
