Page 37 of Heartless As Puck

I snuck a look sideways at Austin. In the dim light, with his hair slightly ruffled and the collar of his shirt open, he was even more handsome than usual. Attraction fluttered in my gut, and my heart squeezed. I forced my leg to still as it began to jiggle.

I could handle this. Plenty of people felt attractions without acting on them. But then, most of them weren’t pretending to date the subject of their attraction.

“Jane.”

“What?” I flinched, realizing we’d reached the ground and the door had opened. “Oh.”

Austin hovered over me and, when I continued to hesitate, he offered me his hand. I took it and he pulled me to my feet. We stepped out slowly, and Austin kept a hold of me as we continued along the pier, away from the Centennial wheel. His palm was warm against mine, his calluses rubbing pleasantly against my softer skin.

It felt strange, holding my boss’s hand. Part of me wanted to pull away, but a deeper part wanted to twine my fingers between his just to see how it felt and what he’d do.

“Oh my God! Are you Austin Harris?” The strident female voice came from a tall, gorgeous biracial woman who’d locked eyes on us and was beaming like all her Christmases had arrived at once.

“I am,” Austin said cautiously. “Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Brina.” She came closer, dragging a shorter, plumper girl along with her. Her gaze raked up and down his body. “You’re even more handsome in person. Can I buy you a drink?”

Austin angled himself toward me. “Sorry, Brina, but I don’t think my girlfriend would approve.”

Her eyes widened, and as her attention dropped to our joined hands, she immediately backed up a step. “I’m so sorry! I had no idea you were dating someone.” She crinkled her nose and met my eyes. “My bad, girl.”

At her attention, my stomach lurched and my heart began to race. “I-it’s fine.”

I should probably feel slighted that she hadn’t realized we were together even when we were holding hands, but I’d always thought this farce would be ridiculous. No one was going to buy that Austin and I were dating.

“Brina.” The other girl tugged her hand. “Let’s go.”

Brina waved her off. “Hold on. Can I get a photo with you?”

Austin nodded. Brina gave her phone to her friend and stood beside him. I started to pull away, a sense of existential dread creeping over me. My tongue rested thick and clumsy in my mouth, and I knew that if I had to speak, I’d struggle.

“Stay,” Brina said. “I need to prove I met both of you. This is immediately going on all my socials.”

My chest tightened, and I fought the urge to duck out of frame. Unfortunately, there wouldn’t be any point in this charade if nobody ever found out about it, so I forced my feet to stay planted and did my best to smile for the camera.

When Brina rejoined her friend and checked the photo, I thought we were off the hook, but instead, she raised it again and pointed it at us.

“Will you kiss for a photo?” she asked. “So my friends know I’m not making it up and you’re actually a couple?”

I froze. Beside me, Austin stiffened too.

We turned slowly toward each other, our hands still connected. He rested his free hand on my hip. A shiver rippled through me from his proximity. It had been so long since I’d gotten this close to a sexy man.

He lowered his head toward me, just enough that no one would be able to overhear. “Is this okay?”

I nodded. Chaste kisses were part of the contract, after all, and I’d dreamed of how it would feel to kiss him since the moment we’d met.

He came closer, and I closed my eyes. The air stirred near my lips, and then his brushed against them, plusher than I’d expected and gone a moment later.

A gasp caught in my chest as my eyelashes fluttered open and my vision cleared.

Yeah, I was in big trouble.

TWELVE

AUSTIN

“Listen up,” Coach Dunn said, then whistled when half the guys in the changing room failed to shut their mouths. It was a week after the night at the Navy Pier, and we were preparing for our first preseason game against Detroit. “Matthews is acting captain. Taylor and Harris are alternates.”