Page 46 of The Casanova Complex

Holy hell. I had no idea that he… paid attention that way, I guess?

“And I’m beginning to realize that you’re a nostalgic kinda girl. Oasis, Mer Bear?”

The stupid nickname he refuses to stop calling me breaks through the exorbitant amount of shock coursing through me, and I force myself to pull it together.

“Did you come here because you needed something, or was it just to annoy me, Legros?”

He shrugs. “Both, actually.”

Little does he know, he annoys me simply by existing.

With an eye roll, I turn back to my bed and slip beneath my favorite blanket, pinning him with a stare. I have two more toes to finish and the rest of my hot Cheetos to devour before bed, and the longer that he stands here, the less time I have.

From my spot on the bed, I watch him slowly move around my room, drinking everything in. When he gets to the picture of Elliott, Dad, and me sitting on top of my bookshelf, he picks it up and turns to me.

“This your dad and brother?”

I nod, glancing at the frame in his hand. “Yeah. It was from a few years ago, at Elliott’s robotics competition.”

“He looks a lot like you. How old is he?” Bennett asks.

“Eleven. He’ll be twelve in November. Although he thinks he’s seventeen and spends the majority of his time driving me insane.”

Bennett laughs, and I hate that I like the sound of it. It warms my insides and makes my skin feel like it’s on fire.

No one should be this attractive and smell so good. And have a laugh that’s so hot.

“Pretty sure that’s what little brothers are supposed to do. I did the same thing to my sister growing up.” Something passes across his face, but it’s gone as quickly as it came, and he’s smiling as he gently places the frame back down on the bookshelf. “I like your room. It’s cool, Mer Bear.”

I hold my breath as he walks closer, dropping his massive frame down on the end of the bed. The mattress dips from his weight.

It feels like I’m having an out-of-body experience right now. One, because I can’t honestly even believe that Bennett Legros is in my room right now, sitting on my bed like it’s the most natural thing in the world to him. And two, that I let him in the first place, because he’s the first guy I’ve ever brought to my house.

Ever. Including Blake. The entire time that I dated him, he never once came to my house, and I preferred it that way.

That’s the reason that my stomach is fluttering with nerves and my heart is racing in my chest.

Because Bennett’s here.

At least that’s the reason I’m telling myself.

I clear my throat. “Can you tell me why this emergency meeting has been called and why it couldn’t be discussed via text?”

He doesn’t say anything at first, just looks at me with his stupid, hot grin.

For so long that I’m starting to feel… weird.

Even more weird than the fact that he asked me to come over in the middle of the night and is now sitting on my freaking bed.

“Well, in a crazy turn of events, it seems like you’re my good luck charm, so…” He trails off before adding, “I need you to be my fake girlfriend. For real this time.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

BENNETT

I should probably be offended by how hard Merritt’s laughing right now.

No, scratch that—I definitely should. But I just can’t stop fucking staring at her, savoring every second of the laughter pouring past her lips.