Page 36 of Official

SAMANTHA

It’s a crazy idea, risky and reckless, and I should not be putting my reputation on the line like this. Then again, my reputation sucks harder than a fucking tick right now, so what do I have to lose?

Besides, it’s not a half-bad idea. It doesn’t matter that Xander was blowing smoke up my ass earlier—he was right. People love forbidden and taboo romances, and dating my brother’s best friend is definitely that.

Some have unfollowed me and continue to make memes, but I still have plenty of people waiting with an open mind for an explanation. One that will smooth things over. The sooner that happens, the faster we can get back to building an uplifting community.

After all, that’s what my business is about. It has nothing to do with my personal love life, so this little white lie will just refocus my brand on the things that truly matter.

As for Teddy, I’ll need to figure out what to tell him, but it should be easy, right? I come up with content regularly for my platform, subtly encouraging my followers to buy something—clothes, swimwear, supplements, the idea of a healthy and balanced lifestyle—without shoving it in their faces.

I can convince my own brother that this is a good and innocent ruse.

With leis draped around both of our necks, I drag Xander through the sliding glass door, and the cool air of the room is quickly replaced by the afternoon heat. Hand in hand, we walk between the orange-cushioned chairs, the glittering path in a staggering pattern behind us. The shiny stepping-stones are nestled between grass and lead us through the gate, which is lined with meticulously kept bushes of hibiscus. The deep pink of the flowers pops against their green backdrop of leaves. I’ve spent a lot of time staring at the blooms since we arrived.

I just wish I could dig up a bush and take it home with me. If I ever actually decide to leave this paradise, that is.

Once our bare feet hit the grass, I turn on the camera, hold it above my head, and twist and turn until I get the angle right. The sun is high right now, casting a shadow on us from where I hold my phone, so I move it lower until we no longer have rectangular dark patches across half our faces.

“One thing.” I move toward the gate that comes up to my waist and unlatch it, leaving it halfway open in hopes that it looks more whimsical in the picture this way—the small details matter, after all.

“Ready?” I ask Xander, dancing into place with my camera held high once again.

I watch him on the screen as I loop my arm through his, ready to act my ass off, but he obviously isn’t. His expression is more uncomfortable than if he were wearing pants three sizes too small.

“Could you be frowning any harder?” I nudge him with my shoulder. “If we’re going to sell this, you need to smile. And get closer to me.”

“I’m used to being the one behind the scenes with a script, not in front of the camera,” he mumbles, his low voice washing over me and weakening my knees.

I turn my head toward him, but the second I notice how very close his lips are to mine, my cheeky response gets caught in my throat before it can roll off my tongue.

His own tongue peeks out to lick his bottom lip.

He flicks his gaze down to my mouth and back up to my eyes, heat rolling off him like he himself is the sun.

My throat dries, especially when he gives me a smolder not even nuns could resist. “How’s this?” he whispers, his minty breath brushing against my mouth.

It’s enticing.

“Fine,” I manage, my voice cracking.

I swallow, dangerously close to calling this whole thing off, but force a smile, instead. It’s something I’ve grown accustomed to. When I’m too stressed or distracted to take a decent picture, my trick is to think of all the things that make me happy—flowers, hiking, a new shaker cup. It gets a natural grin out of me every time, and it works now too.

Xander follows my lead, and we both look into the camera. I snap a few shots as we get more comfortable, until we’re full-on smiling and laughing. Even without inspecting each image, I know there are a lot of good ones, especially with the waving branches of palm trees in the background.

As sweat trickles down our backs from the warm afternoon, I instinctively lean into him, melting against him so perfectly that I briefly wonder how two people could fit this well.

I’m hot, but I can’t get close enough to him.

My body involuntarily responds to his muscled arm around my waist.

My side tingles as his fingers grip my bare skin where my tank has ridden up—and it rides higher the more we change poses, varying from staged to candid.

The longer I press my breasts against him, the more my skin burns.

Surprising shivers of… something… shoot down to my core.

And Xander kisses my cheek.

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