Page 50 of Trusting Fate (Hope Falls: Brewed Awakenings 2)

Easton never had his phone on him during his practice or meditation. “What text?”

“Frankie texted.” A wide smile appeared on her beautiful face. “We got the show.”

That meant that they would be spending time together. A lot of time together. Time where they would be a couple but not really a couple. No matter how Grace spun it, that was the case.

Deanna asked if they were going to have a showmance, a term he’d never heard before. She said it was when two actors, or in this case, reality show personalities engaged in a romantic relationship in part, or in whole, for the sake of publicity.

He’d said no, they weren’t going to have a showmance. But the more he thought about it, that was a lot closer to what they had than a real relationship.

He wasn’t sure how that was going to play out, exactly. He was attracted to her, that much was clear. But what he felt wasn’t just basic attraction. It was a whole different level of need and desire that he feared might consume him.

How in the hell was he supposed to tap that down while simultaneously playing the part of a man in a new relationship?

He could see the excitement shining from her crystal blue eyes. This is what she’d wanted, and she’d gotten it. And he was happy, because she was happy.

“We have to go through the program in the next five days. They are emailing us the links. We don’t have to do it together. It’s online so go through it at your convenience, around your writing. But to be on the show we both have to complete it before the first pre-production meeting. They are going to be sending us a schedule and contracts. I don’t know if you have a personal lawyer or not, but if you have any questions just let me know.”

He nodded. He didn’t need her to look over the paperwork, but he appreciated the offer. He’d have his lawyer look over it and whatever he made would be donated to charity.

“Okay, I think we should go over some relationship stuff.” She started scrolling through her phone. “I jotted down some talking points—”

“You need to put some clothes on,” he cut her off gruffly.

He hadn’t meant to but there was no way that he could continue this conversation with her in a towel.

At his instruction, she lifted her head and stared at him like a deer in headlights.

“I can’t pay attention to anything you’re saying knowing that you don’t have anything on under that towel.”

Her lips parted to form an O shape and a flush rushed up her cheeks. She dipped her head in a curt nod and then turned to head back inside. When she walked back up the steps to the kitchen the towel moved up her thigh and he felt sweat break out on the back of his neck. He did have the deck heaters on, but his body was being warmed from the inside out, not the outside in.

So, this was really going to happen. He was going to be spending the next six weeks of his life in a showmance. To the world, they were in a relationship but behind closed doors, they weren’t.

For the next six weeks it might not be a real relationship, but he hoped that wouldn’t be the case after the show ended. They hadn’t been clear about the relationship status, just that sex would not be on the table. She’d said that she didn’t “do relationships” but maybe that was just because she hadn’t met someone who was worth breaking her rules.

That was a challenge he was ready to face.

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