Page 22 of Silver Fake

"Not in the same same bed, of course," he adds quickly. "There's a couch in my suite. I'll sleep on that while you sleep in the bed."

There is a moment of silence, and I can imagine him holding his breath waiting for my answer.

I swallow, my throat suddenly dry.

My mind is racing. I have to admit, the idea of spending the night at John's place, even though it's purely platonic, makes me nervous.

"Fine," I say. "I guess it makes sense for us to stay in the same room together since we're supposed to be dating."

"Great, I'll pick you up tomorrow," he says, a note of satisfaction in his tone. "Can you text me the address of your friend's house?"

"Sure, I'll text you the address," I say, my heart pounding. There's a pause, and then John says goodnight. The call ends, leaving me back in the quiet house. I put my phone down and take a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

Tomorrow is going to be a very interesting day

CHAPTER8

John

From the momentI kissed Lisa, I knew that I was a goner. I just didn't know that it would happen this fast.

Or be this bad.

Ever since yesterday, it's like I've become a man possessed. I can't stop thinking about her. The way she smiled at me, the way her hand felt in mine, the softness of her lips as she melted against me.

All if has me in a daze, constantly replaying the moment over and over again in my mind. It's like I'm stuck on a loop, unable to escape this feeling of pure euphoria.

Now it's Friday morning and I'm on my way to pick up Lisa from her friend's house. Yesterday, we decided that she would spend the night at the hotel with me so that my family wouldn't get suspicious.

Her friend lives in a section of Barton Beach that is filled with big, beautiful Victorian homes that overlook the water, and I can't help but be impressed as my Maserati zips past rows of charming houses and well-manicured lawns.

I double check my GPS, and then pull into a driveway in front of a house that looks like it should be in a magazine.

I put the car in park and take a moment to gather my thoughts before getting out. I can feel the nerves building up in my stomach as I walk up to the front door and ring the bell.

Obviously, I realize that having Lisa be my pretend girlfriend is a terrible idea, maybe even one of my worst. Especially now that my parents are involved. But the two of us are in way too deep to turn back now. Once I felt her in my arms, it was like a hurricane of desire and longing, threatening to consume me. What was once a solid boundary is now a threadbare string that's ready to snap at any moment.

And I want to see where this thing goes.

I knock on the door and a second later, Lisa opens it.

She looks gorgeous as usual with her long, chestnut hair cascading over her shoulders. She's wearing jean shorts and a sparkly orange tank top that hugs her curves in all the right places. A floral-patterned overnight bag is slung over her shoulder.

"Hey, gorgeous," I say with a flirtatious smile as I reach out and grab the bag from her. "Ready to go?"

For a second, she looks surprised at my comment and a rosy blush spreads across her cheeks. Then she clears her throat.

"I'm ready," she replies. Then she glances back into the doorway. "Let me just tell Denise I'm leaving."

"Here I am," a voice calls out from around the corner.

A moment later, a woman steps into view. She's petite, with a mane of dark curls and bright, sparkling eyes.

"You must be John," she says, extending a hand towards me. Her smile is warm, open, as inviting as her handshake. "I'm Denise."

There's a strange sense of familiarity about her that I can't quite put my finger on.

Then it hits me. "Denise Lawson, right?" I ask, as a wave of high school memories wash over me. "I think we went to school together."

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