like everything was perfectly aligned on some corporate KPI dashboard. But emotionally? We w

allway, the heat of his voice, the way those words wrapped around me like

was trying to nudge me into the day whether I was ready or not. I rolled out o

have been craving as badly as I was. I tied my hair up, tossed the blanket aside, and headed down. My heartbeat kept glitching e

looking annoyingly good for someone who has

this split-second flick of his eyes across my face, like a sp

ice me pretending. Corporate synergy at its finest. I p

rt, we're doing brunch later. You'll be th

p when you know someone's lying but you're too tired to fight

ed in like a quarterly report walking on heels. "Ryan, da

a little. "

up at the store.

r, grinned like he had been waiting for this exa

k. Mrs. Caldwell continued, oblivious or maybe

ervice. "Sure, I can go." Ryan didn't protest. He ju

nse either but it was more like... breathless, suspended;

against his thigh. His knee bounced, mine didn't, but only

ce. "About yesterday...."

quiet. He swallowed once, his eyes staying on the road

hat," he murmured. "Or maybe...

t sharp twisted in

ng to pretend I

the sunlight slid across his jawline as the

an?" I whispered. "Ser

he was trying to reset himself. Then he said quietly.

my heart was pounding hard.

ea

s me

ea

ris

was done pretending anything with me that needed

the list in silence, and pretended to behave like step-s

ghtly cracked and a soft breeze was working its way through the car. The entire wor

usic down. "You'r

ou expect

ed on the steering

ly. "The truth

Good thing we'

me open but I didn't answer as I didn't hav

I froze instantly as I could hear my clit vibrating. His hands brushed the side of my face; slow, wa

s wrist but we didn't kiss, we didn't do anything that would cross that line.

ay. Not until the front door opened and Mrs. Caldwe

m across the face. I scrambled out of th

ter. Our mothers beamed like this blend

pretending we weren't seconds

idden. And yeah, maybe it was reckless but I could feel in my