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“Wow.” Dom’s grin widens. “Congratulations, you two! This is...” He looks at Rowan, seemingly lost for words, which is rare as hell for him.
“It’s amazing!” Rowan supplies. “We decided at the last minute to come here for the week, and that’s...similar?”
“Wait a second,” I say, giving them a serious look. “Did you guys get married, too?”
Not one for decorum, Dom flips me off right in the middle of the lobby.
“This hotel has a block of condos and my aunt and uncle have a timeshare in one of them they said I could use,” Rowan says. “And you know Dom...if women in swimsuits are involved, he’s in.”
“All the way in,” Dom confirms. “Deeply in. So deep” He’s about to continue, and knowing him, make it dirty, but when I glare at him, he gives Stella a sheepish look and closes his mouth instead.
“So anyway, this is your honeymoon,” he says.
“Yep.”
“Well, promise we won’t crash it, but can we take you guys out for dinner tonight to celebrate?”
Stella and I exchange a quick glance. “Wish we could, but we’re due at a newlywed luau thing in like twenty-five minutes and we still both need to shower,” I say. “Another day?”
“Yeah, for sure.”
I put my hand on Stella’s lower back and we start toward the elevator, not just because we have limited time, but because I feel like this whole thing could blow up in my face at anytime.
“Hey, don’t tell anyone,” I say to my teammates as we walk away. “We want our privacy.”
“Not a word,” Dom promises. “Text me tomorrow.”
I nod and wave, exhaling hard. The last thing I need is my teammates telling everyone I’m married and having our team’s PR people put it on the team social media pages.
Once the elevator doors close and we’re alone, Stella turns to me, her expression worried.
“I’m so sorry, Ben. I got you all wrapped up in a huge mess and now your teammates think we’re really married.”
I shrug. “It’s no big deal. I’ll talk to Rowan and we’ll convince Dom he hallucinated the whole thing. It’ll be fun.”
She laughs and runs a hand through her dark hair, her expression turning serious. “I haven’t let myself feel it yet. It’s like with my mom—I know she’s dying but I took that truth, put in a drawer and closed it tight. I don’t think about it. I keep my mind busy with anything else.”
The elevator doors open and we walk into the hallway, turning in the direction of our room.
“If that’s helping you cope, there’s nothing wrong with it,” I say.
She nods. “I did the exact same thing over Owen. Logically, I know he betrayed me. But I just locked it away so I can focus on my mom. There’s a tidal wave of emotions waiting for me at some point, and I’m glad I get this chance to just...breathe. With you.”
“Me too.” My chest tightens as I open the door to our room with the key card, wishing what I told my teammates was the truth. But I’m just a stand-in. I have to soak up Stella’s fake affections, because that’s all I’ll ever get from her.
Chapter Seven
Stella
* * *
I thought the beach was magical during the day, but it’s even better at night.
The luau is taking place right on the beach, the ukulele music so mellow that we can still hear the lapping ocean waves. A long table is set up with a feast of food, tropical flowers in little vases adding pops of color.
“You get a discount for this?” Ben’s as impressed as I am, his gaze fixed on the table of food even though there are beautiful dancers in coconut bras and grass skirts swaying their slender hips nearby.
“The Hogans are here!” Marco greets us with a warm smile, gesturing at a photographer. “This is Ron. He’ll be taking lots of photos of you this week. Pose when he asks you to, otherwise just act natural.”
Ron, dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, his silver hair pulled into a low ponytail, grins at us and says, “Nice to meet you. And pose, if you don’t mind.”
Marco gives him a tight smile. “Remember, Ron, our couples are obligated to do this. No one gets to opt out.”
Ron ignores him, looking into the viewfinder on his camera.
“Let’s have both of you look at me. Big guy, put your arm around her waist.”
Ben wraps his arm around me and I do my best to act natural. I’ve never been with any man but Owen. It makes my heart race every time Ben touches me, and both times he’s kissed me, it felt naughty and forbidden but also incredibly good.
My subconscious knows this is my ex’s twin brother, but it also knows I did nothing wrong and I’m single now. It’s impossible not to find Ben attractive, but he’s more than just a hot guy to me. He came to my rescue when I needed him most. He’s never let me down.
