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Dani’s face turns bright red, her cheeks and the tips of her ears blooming pink. She averts her gaze, casting her eyes down to her feet. The smile she wears is bashful, sweet. Her blush is either genuine or she’s one hell of an actress. For some reason, the realization that her reaction could be fake bothers me.
“You don’t believe me?” I ask, taking a step forward.
She doesn’t move away. “No, I… believe you.”
Another step forward. My eyes are glued to hers, unyielding. I’m curious to know where Willa ends and Dani begins. What is her goal here? How far is she willing to go in order to come out on top?
I’m suddenly overwhelmed with a need to know, eager to push her button and see where she’ll draw the lines. At what point will Dani break character? How committed is she to this little operation of hers?
I want to see her crack.
Slowly, I lift my hand and graze the pad of my thumb along her lower lip. Her breath hitches, her pupils wide. The warm tickle of her breath sweeps over my hand. We’re so close I could devour her if I wanted to. The tiny voice in the back of my brain wants to know if she tastes like coconuts, too.
I pull away at the last moment. I’m pleased as hell when Dani leans forward, chasing a kiss that never happened. The corners of my lips tug up into a grin. She’s faking it, I’m sure. It’s all part of her elaborate performance, but I won’t fall for it. Dani may be sexy as sin, but I’m not letting my guard down. Not now, not ever.
“Let’s go check out the jellyfish,” Dani says hastily, swallowing hard. She forces a pretty convincing smile. “They’re my favorite.”
I chuckle. “What a coincidence. Mine, too.”
“Really?” Her eyes widen slightly, her smile bright and brilliant. I forget myself in it, if only for a second, losing sight as to why I’m even here in the first place. “When I was a little girl, I would always tell my parents how I wanted to have a jellyfish as a pet.”
“Did they let you?”
“Yes. They took me to the pet store for my twelfth birthday. I walked out with everything I needed. An aquarium, decorative plants, and three baby moon jellies. It was the best day.”
Despite myself, I start to smile. She speaks so enthusiastically, the little details making me crave more. “How long did you have them?”
“Oh, about a year.” She shrugs. “Nobody told me they have short lifespans, but I took really good care of them.”
“Do you have any pets now?”
“No. I considered getting a dog, but my apartment building doesn’t allow them. Besides, I don’t have enough hours in the day to take care of them.”
“What kind of—” I cut myself off. What am I getting so excited for? I didn’t realize how easily I got swept up in her story, hypnotized by the sound of her voice and the brilliant glimmer in her eyes. It’s probably all fake, anyway. I can’t let her get the better of me.
A liar who’d trust another liar is nothing but a fool.
I glance at my watch. “We should get going. We have reservations atLa Bella Nochein twenty minutes.”
“Whoa,” she mutters. “Isn’t that place super fancy? I don’t think I’m dressed appropriately.”
“You look great.”
“Are you sure?”
“I reserved the whole restaurant. Nobody’s going to give you any trouble.”
Once again, Dani’s face flushes a deep pink. “O-oh, wow. Um… If that’s the case, I just need to run to the washroom and then we can, uh… get going?”
I nod, suppressing the smirk on my lips. Her careful facade is fracturing.
“Take all the time you need,” I tell her.
Chapter 7
Dani
“Dammit,” Gomez grumbles over the phone. “He reserved thewholerestaurant?”
