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Yeah, it’s not him I’m worried about. It’s everyone else.
“Y-yeah,” I tell him. “Just nervous.”
Matt nods as he searches my face for something. “What can I do to help?” he asks, his voice low and soft. His tone makes my skin tingle with goosebumps.
“I’m just worried they’ll catch on to the lie is all.”
He looks at me intently. Suddenly, he’s pulling me closer to him, the hand he’d put around my waist tightening its grip. His gaze practically burns as I swallow nervously. “Do you want it to feel more real?”
The heat of his body against mine is intense, but I can’t help noticing that I like it. I really,reallylike it. It’s like my nerves don’t even exist. He chased them away as soon as he touched me.
“Sweetheart, I need an answer from you,” he rasps into my ear, the stubble of his beard brushing against my jaw as he leans down.
“Y-yes,” I say, my breath taken away by his nearness. “I want it to feel more real.”
Abruptly, he drops his bag and places a hand at my neck, combing my hair back from my face. And then he’s kissing me. On instinct, my hands press themselves to his chest, but not to push him away. Instead, they curl into his shirt and try to pull him closer. He takes the hint and backs me up as his tongue runs over my lips, asking to be let in. I open to him just as my back hits the wall. Heat gathers in my belly as he nips and sucks at my mouth with his, his body hard and hot against mine as he presses me into the wall.
And then suddenly, it’s over.
He pulls away. His cheeks tinged the slightest pink as he looks away and bends down to pick up his bag before taking my hand.
“Did that help?” he asks, his voice raspy and impossibly low. “Does it feel more real now?”
I nod, shocked and breathless.
My first kiss. It happened with a handsome stranger who’s promised to be my fake boyfriend. I mean, he’s supposed to be fake, but I’m beginning to question that. While the kiss has made our ruse feel real, it’s also filled me with want. I want him to kiss me again. And again. And then also in front of my family, just to show them how real this all is.
Now I’m beginning to wonder if I maybe want this to be real, deep down.
Matt’s so big and handsome. And he’s kind on top of that. He stopped to help me in the parking lot when he didn’t even know me. People don’t justdothat, you know? He makes me feel safe and like my anxiety about seeing my family isn’t silly or trivial. He’s exactly the kind of man I want to have in my life.
“Lucia?”
I blink and tell myself to focus. “Yes! Yes it did, s-sorry.”
“Will we need to do that a lot around your family?”
Oh god, I hadn’t thought of that. My family’s very affectionate with each other, so to make this more believable, we’ll have to be the same. “Maybe not quite like that, but yes. Honestly, it’s a huge Italian family, so expect a kiss from everyone.”
After making sure Matt has everything he needs, we head out to his car and move my things from my trunk to his. Earlier he’d mentioned that his SUV would be better on the mountain roads than my sedan if it snows, and I agreed. And this way, I can focus on mentally preparing.
A little ways down the road, Matt asks, “What’s our story?”
“What?” I blink at him.
“Have you told your family anything about your pretend significant other? Do I have to go by a different name or anything? Do I have a specific job or personality trait?”
“No,” I murmur. “They were too excited to say anything else. You don’t have to change anything about yourself.”
“They’ll be okay with the fact that I’m a miner?”
Gosh, I hope not. I think for a moment, biting my lip. Despite the fact that they nag and tease me about finding a man, most of my relatives aren’t really judgmental people about things like that. Work is work, at least to my parents. And they’re the ones I really need to impress.
“Should be.”
“We can still stop somewhere if I need to clean up more,” Matt says softly. “I made sure to pack long-sleeved shirts to hide my tattoos too.”
“You have tattoos?” I ask. How have I not noticed that yet? There’s so much about this man that I don’t know. That should worry me. I know it should. Instead, it makes me excited. I get to learn more about this man over the next few days—maybe even more, if this goes well.
