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Reed slipped on his blazer, and as we approached the door, a thought about a possible hiccup or gap in our ruse sprung to mind. I whirled around to face Reed, who grabbed hold of my waist when he bumped into me.
Back cemented to the door, I bit my lip, hoping it would stifle the rise and fall of my chest. “We…should probably kiss.”
A lopsided smart-ass grin adorned his face. “Kiss?” He slid his gaze down to my mouth, then slowly back to my eyes. “And why is that?”
“It’s what engaged couples do.” A snicker eased past my lips. “If we want this to seem real, we’ll need to exchange a few smooches in front of everyone at tonight’s dinner. We should kiss now, get it out of the way so it won’t feel awkward later.”
“Kissing you never felt awkward.”
Please don’t let my cheeks look as hot as they burn. “But that was six years ago.”
Reed squeezed my waist with one hand and cupped my cheek with the other. I nearly melted in his caress, my heartbeat strengthening, my ability to stand weakening.
“You sure about this, Gigi?”
His voice was a lower, sexier, raspier version of itself, and I thought I’d lose my ability to breathe when he leaned in, closing the breadth of space between us.
Head tilted, his lips softly brushed mine. “We both know one kiss could lead to more.”
Tugging on his shirt, I nodded, eyes closed as his lips softly pressed against mine.
What started off slow and unhurried, quickly evolved to hot and needy.
The feel of his warm breath, the taste of his sweet tongue, God help me. Who knew a smooch could be like wine? Aged to perfection, much better over time. Reed Cortez rocked my world off its axis again, this time with only a kiss.
As our impromptu make-out session eased to an end, the side of Reed’s mouth tilted up in a smirk. “How’s that, Miss Rossi?” His voice sounded groggy like he’d just come out of a drunken haze.
“Pretty damn spectacular.”
CHAPTER 11
Reed
One kiss and I was royally fucked, dazed, and drunk on my fake fiancée.
Giana tasted sweet and looked hot as smoke in that little black dress and sky-high heels; if my lips so much as brushed hers again, there’d be no turning back. How a kiss could feel a million times better than before was beyond me. Our chemistry felt like a ticking time bomb, ready to detonate with a tiny spark.
When we arrived at the rehearsal dinner, Giana’s grandmother spotted us immediately.
“Tesoro,” she said, pinching my cheeks. “It’s so good to see you.”
I smiled, pulling her frail body in for a hug. “I’ve missed you, Noni.” I pulled away and bent down to give her a peck on the cheek. “No one else pinches my cheeks or calls me Tesoro like you do.”
She giggled, brushing her palm over her face. “And no one else makes me blush like you do.”
Giana hugged her grandmother, and the two became a bundle of giggles and whispers before Noni excused herself to chat with more guests. “I’ll catch up with you lovebirds later.” She emphasized lovebirds as though her all-knowing self could sense our ruse had become a ruse.
My gorgeous fake fiancée pointed out the bride and groom sitting at a round table to the side of the room. “Maybe we should get this over with. Say our hellos and announce it to them now?”
I nodded, resting my hand on the small of her back as we slowly snaked our way through the crowd over to their table. “Yes, of course. Anything to make this easier on you.”
She leaned into me and whispered, “Noni says you look even more handsome and muscular than before.” She paused, biting her lower lip. “I couldn’t agree more.”
See? Royally. Fucked.
As we closed in on their table, Sofie’s mouth fell open, eyes wide as the sky. “Ohmigosh, Reed Cortez?” She shot to her feet, jetted around the table, and threw her arms around me. “What the H-E-Double L are you doing here?”
I pulled back and took Giana’s right hand in mine, our fingers interlocked. “I’m Gigi’s plus-one.”
