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Spinning toward my unsuspecting savior, I sniffed and I narrowed my eyes as I slammed my fists against my hips.
“You’re late,” I accused with an arch of one eyebrow.
The man slowed to a halt. He lifted one of his own eyebrows in return, then glanced at Diego before turning back to me.
“Traffic was a bitch,” he murmured stoically.
It took everything I had to keep my jaw from falling open. I was more surprised that he’d so quickly and seamlessly gone along with my ruse than he seemed to be about being shoved in a role-play without prior notice. But oh, thank you, God, he wasn’t going to oust me or ask me what the hell I was talking about.
I smiled wide, grateful he had gotten on board without question. In the smokiest voice I could manage, I channeled my inner Kaitlynn-around-Ezra persona and answered, “You’re forgiven.”
Stepping forward, I wrapped my fingers around his tie and tugged his face down to my level so I could kiss him full on the mouth.
Hey, he’d told me I could kiss him without his permission.
With no intention of doing anything more than pressing my lips against his for a few seconds to make it look as if we were together and finally, hopefully, chase Diego off for good, I was totally caught off guard when it grew and morphed into more.
He met my mouth as if fully expecting the kiss. Then he stepped in close until our chests brushed, and he slipped a hand up into my hair where he gripped the locks with a possessive fist. When his tongue swept in, I gasped against the surprise of it, but I didn’t push him away.
One, because I really, really wanted this to look authentic for Diego.
And two: Well, damn, the guy knew how to use his mouth, and I kind of got swept into the moment.
When he pulled back, slowly and almost regretfully, a bit of dizziness assailed me. I swayed toward him, blinking up into his eyes. His gaze was intent and all-seeing when he looked back, as if he owned everything he saw. Then his nostrils flared slightly, like a wild animal scenting its mate.
But a moment later, he glanced away, his gaze bored almost to the point of contemptuous as he took in Diego from head to toe.
“What’s this?” he asked.
The pompous way he said it seemed to imply, “Why is such trash breathing the same air as me?”
God, he excelled at playing a privileged, highbrow asshole. Then again, with Satan for a mother, it was probably ingrained into his genes.
“He’s no one, baby,” I answered, ducking my face into his chest and running my hand up his arm to hide the fact I was grinning like crazy.
But holy hell, this whole act was unfolding way more realistically than I thought it would.
“Then why is he standing there, looking at you? Does he need something?” Finally deigning to address Diego directly, my fake boyfriend made his voice impatient and dismissive as he asked, “Do you need something? Because we have plans here.”
“I…” Diego faltered, not coming up with anything to answer but a few indiscernible sounds.
I glanced over and almost fell out of character. Poor Diego looked like a kicked puppy. His crestfallen expression actually made me feel awful before I reminded myself he was a liar and a thief, an annoying braggart, and a shifty individual who treated me like a prize to be won instead of an actual, living human being he should get to know a bit before pursuing so hard.
Plus, he couldn’t take no for an answer; his ego needed to be cut down about ten sizes. This would actually be good for him.
So I rested my hand on my savior’s chest, right over his heart, letting Diego believe I did not belong with any other man but the one I was touching.
When he met my gaze, his eyes narrowed. “You could’ve just said you had some rich gringo already.”
“It shouldn’t matter,” I countered. “I told you no.”
That should’ve been enough. Why did he have to be more respectful of another man’s supposed property than he did a woman’s forceful rejection? There went another reason why I wasn’t interested in him.
He sniffed with disdain and spun away, calling me a puta as he smacked the half-dead daffodils against the side of Trudy’s Café and stalked off.
I had a feeling he wouldn’t try to pursue me again.
Thank God.
