Page 145 of Fall Fake-Out

I find Ari helping carry pitchers of water to tables. Without thinking, I take them from her hands. “Put me to work, Miss Langford.”

“Still trying to impress my mom, I see.”

“We’ve been over this.” I lean in, whispering low into her ear. “I’m only trying to impress you.”

“Okay, then.” She smiles. “You’re on water duty.”

And just like that, we’re working together, moving through the evening side by side. It’s surprisingly easy for a man who’s spent most of my life making sure nobody got close enough to me to matter.

But now Ari’s become my first instinct.

Not my date.

Not my fake girlfriend.

Just my person.

The woman I want to deserve.

Dinner is halfway over when Ari nudges my arm. “Do you realize we made it to the end of our bet?”

The wedding was always the deadline for our fake arrangement.

I turn toward her, resting my elbow against the back of her chair, my thumb tracking small circles over her back.

A grin pulls at my mouth. “Like I said last week, it looks like you won.”

“Based on how Ashtyn completely dropped off the face of the earth, I’d say I did win.”

“You were a formidable opponent.”

She laughs, tilting her body into my space. “You weren’t terrible yourself.”

“High praise coming from you, but I think there’s still some work to do on your mom.” I lean in closer, intertwining my fingers in hers on top of the table, my thumb skimming across the top of her hand. “So if it’s okay with you, I’d like to stick around. Really see this thing out until the end.”

Her mouth tilts as her eyes flick to our joined hands before returning to meet my gaze. “Is that so?”

“I’m no quitter.”

“Quitters never do prosper.”

“And I love to prosper.” I squeeze her fingers, sending a subliminal message. “But the real question is, what’s the prize for winning?”

“We never had one.”

“Well, I’m offering to give you whatever you want for winning our bet. It’s a one-time offer, Miss Langford. Take it or leave it.”

“Hmm.” Flirtation fills her eyes as she shifts even closer to me. Under the table, her thigh brushes against mine. Luckily for me, she doesn’t pull it away. “I’m sure I could think of a few things.”

“I like the sound of that.”

“And what about you? If you had won, what would you have chosen as your prize?”

“I’m here with you.” I glance down at her hand still folded inside mine. Without thinking, I lift it slightly, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles. “I’m already walking away with the best prize.”

Her eyes light up, and I realize, somewhere over the last month and a half, Ari stopped being part of the bet.

She became the whole point.