Page 146 of The Faking Game
He shakes his head, but his lips are curved.
“I love that you’re pretending in front of his family too,” Alex says. “You’re really doing him a solid there, you know.”
“Keeping his mother from throwing beautiful women at him?” I cross my legs again. The dress rides up another inch, and West’s eyes drop. “Yes, I’m doing himsucha favor.”
James looks from West to me, his gray eyes narrowing.
“Well, you’re helping him buy time,” Alex says.
“Buy time?”
West leans forward. “We should order more drinks.”
“That we should.” Rafe says. He appears behind West and claps him on the shoulder. West tenses. Like the touch hurt. “The next round is on me.”
“I’ll come with you.” I stand to join him and make sure to bring my phone with me.
Rafe orders another round and leans against the bar. “You’re doing good,” he says. “Keeping up.”
“Keeping up? I plan on winning the poker game.”
His grin widens. “You remember how to play?”
“Of course. You and James taught me one holiday, remember?” I ask. James spent a few holidays with us during the boarding school days. He would rotate, sometimes at ours, sometimes at West’s.
“That was years ago.”
“I’ve still got it,” I say.
His gaze drops to my neck. “You’re hurt.”
Shit. I’ve forgotten to push my hair back. “Just a burn.”
He frowns. “A burn?”
“Yeah, from the shoot the other week,” I say with a little shrug. “They curled my hair and came too close.”
“Morons,” he mutters. “You okay?”
I roll my eyes at him. The lie came easily, but my heart is beating hard. “Yes. I’ll survive this grave indignity against my person.”
Rafe’s eyebrows lift. “You’re in a good mood tonight. You have been this whole trip.”
“I’m having fun.”
“I can tell. There’s something… different about you. You seem happier.”
“Maybe I am. Going to New York was a good decision.” I shake my head. “Even if Mom still asks me almost daily when I’m coming back to France. She can’t seem to accept it.”
“We’ll all feel better when you’re closer to home again.” He hands the bartender a large bill. “Coming?”
I shake my head. “I’m going to order something extra for me.”
And I’m going to text West that I forgot my underwear.
CHAPTER41
WEST
