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She forced herself to drag her gaze away from him and look for Ria’s son, Bentley. She didn’t see anyone else, though.
Her dad moved closer to her side as Ria continued to wave. “I think you’re going to like him. He’s a good guy,” he said.
Alyssa’s heart was hammering now. The closer Lee came to the table, and the more Ria smiled at him, the heavier the ball of dread in her stomach became.
She was doing her best to will it not to be true, but it was becoming more apparent by the moment that Lee was in fact, Bentley.
Her dad wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “Are you okay?”
She nodded rapidly and plastered a fake smile on her face. Thissocould not be happening! If Lee — make that Bentley — was Ria’s son, and her dad was going to marry Ria …
She shuddered. That would make him her … She frowned as Lee started making his way across the deck toward them. He would be her freaking stepbrother. That thought made her shudder again.
Lee kept his gaze fixed on the ground as he got closer. Well, shoot! He was probably as stunned by this as she was. And he had to have figured it out.
When he reached them, Ria hurried to him and wrapped him in an embrace.
When she stepped back, Lee slowly raised his gaze to meet Alyssa’s.
If the look in his eyes was anything to go by, this was just as painful for him as it was for her.
Her dad stepped forward and greeted him with one of those half-handshake, half-hug things that men do. Then he turned to her with a smile.
“I’m glad to finally get you guys together.” Oh, if only he knew howtogetherthey’d been last night! He wouldn’t be very glad about that. “Alyssa, this is Bentley. Bentley, my daughter Alyssa.”
There was nothing she could do; she could feel the heat burning in her cheeks – they had to be scarlet red.
Lee, or Bentley, had the good grace to look embarrassed. There was even a touch of pink on his neck and cheeks as he held his hand out to shake with her.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
She nodded as she shook hands with him. “It’s nice to meet you, too.” It wasn’t anywhere near as nice to meet him under these circumstances as it had been last night, but even as crazy as this situation was, she still couldn’t help thinking that he was hot.
He squeezed her hand slightly before he let it go and held her gaze for a moment. His eyes seemed to implore her to understand, and she did. He was as blindsided by this as she was. He hadn’t known, hadn’t somehow set it up. She gave him the slightest hint of a nod. This was going to be awkward enough with their parents, she didn’t want to make things any more awkward than they already were between the two of them.
“Shall we sit?” asked Ria.
Alyssa loved the way her dad was so attentive to his lady. He pulled a seat out for Ria, and she sat.
She was a little shocked when Lee — Crap! She couldn’t go calling him that. Bentley! He was Bentley — did the same for her.
She sat and shot him a beseeching look. She didn’t think that he would want their parents to know about last night any more than she did, but she needed to be sure.
The way he inclined his head slightly reassured her. All her breath caught in her chest when his foot tapped hers under the table. She looked down at it and then back up into his eyes. What she saw in them made her relax a little. In fact, what she saw there made her happy. It wasn’t something that she was used to — she couldn’t say that she was used to having anyone in her corner. But the look that Lee gave her made her feel like they were in this together. That they were partners; even if they were partners in a crime that their parents would be shocked by if they ever found out.
“So…”
She dragged her gaze away from Lee’s when her dad spoke.
“How was last night?”
Alyssa almost choked, and Lee cleared his throat beside her. He recovered first and smiled.
“It was good. In fact, I’d have to say that it was the best night I’ve had in a long time.”
Alyssa’s breath caught in her chest as she turned to look at him. That wasn’t just reassuring their parents that he’d been fine here at the resort – she knew that her dad, at least, had thought that Bentley would probably be more comfortable over at the Lodge at Four Mile Creek.
But it wasn’t about that. His words, and the way his foot tapped against hers, were meant for her.
