Page 12 of My Fake Lover

Max was sitting on the same bench as last time, balancing a laptop on his lap. He was on the phone, and oh no! He was wearing hot, black-framed glasses. I was so into this nerdy look that I had to avert my eyes and stare out the window as I took my seat.

»I’ll be back in five days. Yes, that’s right,« he said into the phone, and I felt his eyes like burning arrows on me. When I dared to look at him again, his lips curled into a tiny relieved smile, as if he hadn’t believed I would really be here.

I returned it, but this time it was he who turned away. He typed something into the laptop with the fingers of his left hand. »Thank you, Lynn, that’s all. Have a nice weekend.«

Oh wow, he could actually be nice.

»Hi,« he said so suddenly and gently that I had to swallow.

»Hi.«

»Did you pack everything...?« His voice was dark and rough.

»Of course,« I replied, and the atmosphere became as intense as his gaze on me. I felt like no one had ever looked at me like that before. The air crackled, and my heart raced along with the tingling sensation between my legs. Until Max turned away and devoted his attention to the laptop again. Was this feeling too strong for him as well? James took his seat and started driving.

»It’s about a thirty-minute drive to the airport. Feel free to watch a movie.« He casually pointed to a screen recessed into the wall. Goodness gracious.

»Airport?«

He looked up and raised his eyebrows skeptically. Those gray eyes. Those glasses. I cleared my throat. »I didn’t think we’d be flying.«

»The car ride to Virginia takes almost 6 hours. I thought it would be more convenient to travel by plane. We’d be there in an hour.«

I thought about my anxiety pills that were lying at home in the bathroom mirror cabinet. I had never flown without them before. My hands became clammy, and my heart raced for an entirely different reason.

»Is everything okay?« He noticed my discomfort, put the laptop beside him on the bench, and moved a little closer.

»Yes,« I replied, not very convincingly.

He placed his large hands on my knees and held me. It was a gentle touch and had something comforting about it. I hadn’t expected him to be so empathetic at all. My skin burned beneath the fabric of my jeans. »You don’t like flying,« he deduced.

»No.« I pressed my lips together and slowly shook my head. »That’s one way to put it.«

»What don’t you like about it?« he asked, and I took a deep breath.

»Giving up control,« I admitted honestly.

He nodded as if he understood that point very well. »Would it help if you met the pilot?«

»You know the pilot?«

»Of course,« he replied, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. »We’re flying on my private plane.«

»You show-off,« I whispered, attempting an uncertain smile. He returned it and breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had briefly feared that I would actually collapse here or possibly cancel this trip altogether.

»One does what one can,« he replied amusedly.

»Thank you,« I said softly.

»I haven’t done anything yet.«

As he squeezed my knee one last time and slid back into his seat, I did feel a little better. Until the airport and the plane came into view, and I felt dizzy again. Bad idea, really bad idea.

12

Max

»Owow, that little pill from James really worked wonders,« Ivy mumbled, staring wide-eyed out the airplane window as it took off. We sat facing each other, and she leaned forward so far that I could catch a fantastic glimpse of the cleavage of her dress in trench coat style. The red fabric of her bra peeked out, and I quickly averted my eyes.

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