AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He rests his cheek on the headrest. “I broke my contract by telling you the truth.”
“Not that truth.” I hold his gaze, even though it’s hard. “The other one.”
“What other one?” His face doesn’t change, but he pushes his fingers into his thigh the way he did when Gretchen cornered him this morning.
“I can’t play games with you. I’ll lose.” I slide on my flip-flops and gather my sweatshirt, then grab the door handle.
“Wait.” His fingers lightly circle my wrist. “My mom’s not on vacation. But I need Gretchen to believe she is.”
“Where is she?” I give up the door handle to face him. The surge of emotion in his eyes tethers me to the seat. It’s the same look he had after I told him my mom was gone and he admitted the same.
“I can’t tell you.” He grips the gearshift.
I see in him what I see in myself the days I’m brave enough to look in the mirror—defeat and desperation and longing for something I can’t have. His pain hits core deep, wrapping my Gabe empathy around me in so many layers his issues meld with mine. And I can’t tell him no. “If I do this, when you leave we don’t see each other again?” There’s an underlying disappointment in my voice that’s not supposed to be there.
“If that’s what you want.”
“Isn’t that what you want?” It isn’t like he wantsme. He only wants the idea of me—to cover something up.
“I have to fly back to North Carolina in a week or so.” His tone cautious, he strokes his index finger down my cheek. “Jess, I—”
“I’ll do it.” With his melty eyes pinned on me, it’s hard not to dissolve through the floorboard. Removing his hand, I tumble out of the car, shutting the door behind me and try not to question my sanity.
He jumps out and runs around to my side. Relief paints his face in a smile. “You won’t regret it.”
I already do. When I’m with him, it’s like I’m driving the wrong way down a one-way street, and I can’t get my bearing. What will five more days do to my sense of direction?
He brushes my hair back, then palms my cheek, his face moving dangerously close to mine.
“Don’t.” Clutching my sweatshirt in one hand, I wrap the fingers of my other hand around his wrists.
His smile freezes into a frown. Then he studies me like I’m a thousand-piece puzzle. “Don’t touch you?”
“Don’t play with me.”
“I’m not playing with you.” His eyes go liquid. He releases my face to stroke his thumb across my bottom lip. “I’m trying to kiss you.”
A silky heat slides over my skin. I’m close to hyperventilating, and his lips haven’t even met mine. They don’t need to. I remember exactly how they felt. He’s wearing away my willpower. Growing on me. Like a favorite song that took twenty listens before I fell in like. “No.”
He steps out of my space, and his smile returns. But it’s not real. It’s a barrier. One I’ve seen him put up in public.
I’ve somehow hurt him again. Welcome to the bottomless mystery that is Gabriel Wade. He might be able to flip on a dime, but my feelings aren’t so fickle. I back up against the closest concrete pillar, grasping for my own barrier. “If we’re going to fake date, I need rules. No touching.” I twist my hands around my sweatshirt. “No kissing.”
“Baby, I’m not sure hands-off will sell our relationship.” He holds his hands palm up, his tone cocky.
“Then we don’t need to have one.” I move to pass him.
“I’m sorry.” He blocks me midstride, the arrogance crumbling from his face. “I’m an ass. You just make me”—he moves to touch me, then backs off—“a little crazy.”
“I’m not Gretchen, remember? Or one of your fans.”
“Got it.” His voice is soft. “But we can’t be a couple from across the room.”
I hate that he’s right.Affectionateis his middle name. That’s documented in his stupid gallery of girls. “Fine. If you quit calling me baby—”
“Done—”
“And at the end of the weekIget to dumpyou,publicly—”
