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He had a point. And nothing would fluster my mother more than hearing that her daughter was fooling around in the bathroom upstairs during the luncheon. Never had I once gotten the urge to be so rebellious, but somehow, Andres really brought it out of me. He made me want to do things that I hadn’t considered.
He made me want to break free. “I can show you to the bathroom, but I’ll just wait outside the door.”
“You’re no fun.”
“Another time.”
He smirked as he walked toward me, the clap of his dress shoes muted by the carpet. He accepted the champagne, downed it, and loosely held the stem of the flue between his fingers. Something about his stance made me bite my lower lip. And then everything was maddening all over again. His scent clouded my thoughts. His body blocked out the sun coming through the window. His eyes consumed me.
The things he made me feel were dangerous. If I was going to show off a fake boyfriend to the family, then some of it had to be authentic, right? Every good lie had some truth. This one could just be lust. That was fine with me. I couldn’t deny the energy crackling between us.
But if it got to be more than lust, then I knew I was in for a world of hurt. Andres didn’t strike me as the kind of guy who liked long-term relationships. That agreement he had typed up made that abundantly clear. It wasn’t a good idea to get cozy.
No matter how much I wanted to get cozy.
Keeping my emotions in check on the way to the bathroom was nearly a disaster. I heard people whispering about us across the house. I heard the way they inquired about my parents. Sweet goddess, what was the point of providing a distraction if it didn’t even work?
In the middle of the hallway stood a gaping doorway for the guest bathroom. Andres went inside, slowly shutting the door while keeping his eye within view, almost like he was giving me a last-minute invitation to join him. I peeked over my shoulder. Did I dare do it? When was the last time I had any real fun?
Desert heat swamped every inch me. Nothing like remembering that my boss had gone down on me a few nights ago—and that Ireallyliked the idea of him doing it again. A thought like that could tear me apart if I wasn’t careful.
Shoot, at this rate, Andres could do the same thing.
Chapter 10 - Andres
I expected Sadie to wander off while I was in the bathroom. I didn’t need any special attention or allegiance. I’d wanted to test her cohesion to me, that invisible bond that told me whether the original plan would work or not. The champagne flute made a lighttinksound as I set it on the counter. In my reflection sat hope—and that was unusual for me.
Finding her outside the door skyrocketed that hope. She bashfully kicked at the carpet, brushed her adorable green dress a few times, and fixed one of the flowers around the belt. Not once did she meet my gaze.
Was she nervous to be seen with me?
I extended my elbow. “It’ll be over soon enough,darling.”
“Thank you,sweetheart.” She giggled like we shared some great secret. In truth, we did—but we hadn’t talked about it. “I’m glad you brought your mother. She’s wonderful.”
“She raised me by herself. She’s a warrior.”
“I’ll say.”
I cast a playful smirk at her as we reached the top of the steps. “Don’t push your luck, sweet Sadie. I can be unforgiving when I want.”
“Most of the time, you’re not, though.”
Oh.
That was a statement for the ages. Coming from her lips, it held more weight than any criticism from the most accomplished engineer. Though I wasn’t sure why it impacted me so hard, I took a moment to admire her tenacity.
Such brilliance came from her in everything she did. From the delicate way she held the handrail to the loving firmness of her grip on my elbow, there wasn’t a thing about her that didn’t impress me. She was fiercely sweet and a hardcore problem-solver who saw the best in just about every situation.
So, the fact that she had been tearing her hair out over this luncheon meant she valued the way she was perceived here. I had to do my best. I had to impress the masses to keep her from losing whatever treasure resided here.
Charm came easily for me. Back on the porch, I deposited Sadie at her parent’s table and held the chair for her as she sat. I scooted it in with her, gently following her lead to ensure her comfort. After planting a loving kiss on the top of her head, I skillfully collected two plates of food and two flutes of champagne.
When I returned to the table, her mother, Angelica, gave me a grateful look. “Have you worked in food service, Andres?”
“I’ve done this and that.”
Floyd, her father, puffed up. “We appreciate Sadie having a mate who has experience with the world.”
