Page 7 of Meant To Be

“Are you proposing we fake date this weekend?” Piper asked incredulously.

I rolled my eyes. “Not exactly. Lucy’s friendly, but she clearly takes this whole holiday romance thing very seriously. All we have to do is not explain. That’s enough.”

Piper stared at me, arms akimbo as she chewed on the corner of her bottom lip. I ignored the buzz of awareness. She had a sexy mouth with a plump bottom lip and a little dip at the center of her top lip. She released her bottom lip, swiping her tongue across it.

For fuck’s sake, I needed not to notice every little thing about her. The only problem was that I’d been cataloging details about Piper Ellis for too many years.

“Fine,” she huffed. “We just won’t fill in the blanks for anyone.”

Just then, her stomach growled, and she slapped her hand over it. “I’m hungry,” she announced, rather unnecessarily.

“I’m game for dinner, but I need a shower first. I’ve been traveling for over twenty hours.”

“We can take turns in the bathroom. I don’t want to wash my hair, but I could use a quick rinse in the shower.”

I gestured with my hand toward the bathroom. “You go first.”

Minutes later, Piper stepped out, her dark curls damp and her skin flushed. She’d changed into a fresh pair of jeans with an open blouse over a stretchy tank top. Fuck. I didn’t need to notice the way her breasts stretched the fabric taut.

When I slipped past her in the narrow space between the foot of the bed and the dresser, her elbow brushed mine. A sizzle of electricity traveled up my arm from that brushing point of contact.

I started my shower cold. This weekend was going to be an exercise in restraint. I suspected this would not be my first cold shower.

Chapter Six

PIPER

I glanced around the restaurant. We had snagged the only available booth in the corner. It was tiny. Tiny enough that more than once my knees brushed against Dylan’s when I moved. I shifted my feet to one side, angling slightly.

With the festive holiday decorations and the candlelight, the space was clearly designed for romance. When the server checked on us, she’d offered us complimentary champagne. I’d passed on it. I was still recovering from my three margaritas and figured I didn’t need to be announcing every thought that passed through my brain again.

Dylan’s hair was damp from his shower, curling at the ends along his collar. He was handsome as ever, annoyingly so. His features were a little sharper now, more defined. He had more than a five o’clock shadow. I wanted to run my fingers along his jaw and feel the prickle of his stubble. His jaw was strong and square. He had a bold nose and his brows were dark slashes. He turned to look at me, catching me studying him.

His eyes were unfairly blue. Tingles radiated from my belly, sending a ticklish feeling through my entire system.

“When did I see you last?” he asked.

Maybe he wasn’t reading my mind, but it felt strange that he was contemplating the same thing.

“I think last summer.”

He drummed his fingertips on the table. “That’s right. I visited Wade at the lodge in Stolen Hearts Valley, and Kent stopped by.”

“Mmm,” I offered vaguely. I didn’t want to dwell on Kent.

“His loss.”

I rolled my eyes. “Thanks for coming, by the way. I’m glad you’re here.”

Although I definitely wasn’t thrilled with the one-bed situation and felt unsettled by my reaction to Dylan, I would’ve felt out of place here alone. Couples were everywhere.

Dylan cocked his head to the side. “Are you really glad I’m here?”

“Yes. We’re going to have to share a bed, and that’s weird, but the band will be great. I wouldn’t have wanted to be here alone.”

Just then, our food arrived, and I was relieved. It had been a long day, to say the least.

I had ordered the pulled pork mac and cheese because I needed the carbs. A few bites in, I couldn’t help but moan. “This is amazing,” I said after I finished chewing.

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