Page 81 of Pretender

She turns and stares out the window, and I can’t see her face. Wonder how many little things like this build up over the years with a man like him.

“Umm…” she starts, her smile returning. “He has small feet.”

“Hah. Okay.” I chuckle. Of course he does.

“And he’s not very good with his hands.”

I stare at her. Is she telling me the man didn’t give her the pleasure she deserves?

“That went all personal again, didn’t it? It’s just too easy with you,” she says in a near whisper to the empty space in front of her. Then she straightens the skirt of her dress and shifts in her seat.

Fuck, I want to show her what I could do to her with my hands, make every memory of that man disappear while she moans my name until she’s a quivering mess.

Starting from her smooth-looking calf, I’d run my hand up her leg, over her knee and to the inside of her thigh. She’d shift her legs, making space for me, and I’d trace gently up to her middle, drag a finger along the side of her underwear, teasing through the thin fabric. She’d squirm, whimpering, begging for more. Then I’d⁠—

“We’re here,” she says, nodding towards the window on my side. I’m nearly cross-eyed from my fantasy. I can almost feel her warmth on my hand. Taking a deep breath, I pretend my seatbelt is stuck, giving me an extra few seconds to allow my hard cock to subside.

Buckingham Palace is to our right as we exit the car, and I readjust myself before we turn towards the entrance of the royal family’s backyard. Ready to put this fake relationship to another test.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

give it your best shot

LINNEA

Alright. We’re here, but two things are already not going according to plan.

Firstly, my clit is on fire because I can’t stop imagining Aiden’s hands on me after I made the stupid comment about Henry’s lack of skills. The sensation hit me hard in the car, and I tried my best not to squirm in my seat, hoping Aiden wouldn’t notice me being weird.

Secondly, this was meant to be a networking event…

I imagined strolling in, Venetia waving at us from some lawn game and introducing me to her friends, telling them how she’s recently hired me to do her Kingston summer house and that she simply loves working with me.

It was not supposed to be a boyfriend show-off party.

But that’s what this is.

We pose for PR photos in front of a flower wall at the entrance, under the plaque for Gisbon Lux. Aiden’s arm is around my waist and one of my hands gently perched on his hard pectoral. He’s in an off-white linen shirt and dark green chinos today, and he takes my breath away. I love his regular black shirt, but this is unreal.

My vagina’s still tingling from the fantasy I had in the car, and I clench my thighs together while Aiden’s cool as a cucumber through all this.

“Did you use to model or something? How do you seem so chilled out?” I ask when we’re told to turn slightly towards each other.

“I did, actually. It’s how I fed myself through university until I got my inheritance.”

“Huh,” I say, turning back to the camera when the photographer signals he’s ready again.

“Also, it helps that I don’t give a fuck.”

I snicker at this, a genuine smile spreading across my face, and I tip my head back, finding Aiden’s face. He dips down at the same time. Oh, his mouth is right there. I could just stretch up a little…

“Kiss for the camera!” someone shouts, and I whip around to see the next group entering the party, watching our photoshoot unfold.

Aiden laughs, squeezing a reassuring arm around my waist.

I’m not about to break our rule (again!) and be a show pony for a group of people deep into their sparkling wine already, but, fucking hell, the memory of how his lips felt against mine, the way he groaned into our kiss—it’s visceral.

As we step down from the small podium, my mouth is tingling for his so badly, I pretend I’m itching and rub a hand over my lips. We enter the vast garden, the sun illuminating the white marquees, in stark contrast to the deep green of the tall trees and well-kept grass. There are seating groups with multi-coloured round pouffes, sun chairs, and settees. Each group with its own Gisbon Lux pyramid on a table next to it.