Page 27 of Only Between Us

“Ah, yes. We heard about this.” Callie gives me an up and down. “How did you meet?”

Shit.

I’m sweating now. Everywhere. My eyelids are sweating.

Myfingernailsare sweating.

Is that possible?

I’d joked that we should just make up the details of our life together on the spot. But in the reality where I’m now being grilled by Brooks’s personal fan club, surrounded by cheering fans, I’m realizing how stupid a plan that was.

It isn’t a fucking plan at all.

“We met in Baycrest,” Brooks says when I panic for a beat too long. “I took my sister and nephew out to the boardwalk when they visited last year, and Siena’s family owns a bait shop there. We literally bumped into each other, and I pestered her until she agreed to go out with me. I couldn’t stop thinking about her.”

Damn. That rolled off his tongue so easily—was so plausible a story he’s almost got me convinced.

One of the women pouts at him. “Why is it we’re only hearing about this now, Brooks?”

“No one’s more shocked than us that we managed to keep it under wraps for so long. It was all my doing, if I’m honest.” He shoots me a sweet smile. “I wanted to be selfish with her. Keep her to myself for as long as I could.”

Across the table, there’sawwing and pouting and clutching at hearts.

Brooks holds my gaze for a beat longer than appropriate, reallyselling it, and… I should have spent more time preparing for this, if the misguided stutter of my lungs is any indication.

How is he so damn good at this?

Frankly, I’d assumed Brooks would be the one to sink this ship, seeing as I do have experience with acting the loving girlfriend to a famous boyfriend. But that had beenreal.

There’d been nothing to fake.

And here’s Brooks, carrying the team. Faking affection with ease.

“Well, we hope you’re treating our boy right, Siena.” Callie’s eyes have softened on me after Brooks’s glowing words. “He has the biggest heart.”

“He… does. Yes.”

Good grief, woman.

I scramble for something more to say—somethingusefulto say. Under the table, Brooks squeezes my knee. Aget your shit togetherif I’ve ever felt one.

To my relief, one of the volunteers ushers the group away. They go with parting waves at Brooks, and dubious looks in my direction.

Brooks leans in close, and my breath actually fucking hitches when he sweeps the hair off my shoulder to bring his mouth to my ear.

“You’re really choosing this moment to go quiet on me, Pippen?”

It’s the eyelashes. All twenty million of them, throwing me off my game.

“In my defense, I haven’t done this before.”

“What, had a normal human conversation with nice people?”

I hit him with a glare. “Faked a relationship. How’d you come up with all that on the spot?”

“I didn’t. I’m serious about getting signed, and I’m not leaving any of this toon the spotinspiration. You’ve shown how well that works.” Brooks drapes an arm over the back of my chair, gaze skating over my face with increasing fascination. “I know I’m supposed to be pissed about it, but I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying this plot twist.SienaAlways Got Something to SayPippen. A deer in the headlights right when it counts.”

“I think the true plot twist here is that Brooks Attwood is capable of enjoying something at all.”