Page 71 of The Love Hoax

Evie stands at the entrance, scanning the room. I know she's searching for me but I want to use the few seconds before she spots me to take in the view. She's a vision in a sleeveless cream dress that fits her like a glove, the fabric shimmering as she moves beneath the chandelier.

Her hair is swept up with a few tendrils loose at the hairline. She wears diamond studs in her ears and strappy sandals on her feet. She glows like a goddess.

And then she sees me, a glorious smile growing like a budding flower on her lips. It makes my heart sing.

I love this woman.

The need to tell her is overpowering.

As if in slow motion, Evie glides toward me. She's poised, exuding an easy confidence. She's comfortable in her own skin. And what skin it is. Tanned, toned. Kissable.

Whatever momentary hiccup my mother’s words infected me with, it vanishes in a heartbeat when Evie reaches me. I kiss her softly on the lips, my heart leaping as she kisses me back. It feels so real.

When she pulls away, Evie gives me an inquisitive look as if sensing the kiss wasn’t only for show.

“You look magnificent,” I whisper in her ear.

“Thank you. You’re quite handsome yourself.”

“You make a lovely pair,” Mom says, directing her words to me. I pick up a tone of apology in her words.

Brad’s grinning but Steph seems to be . . . appraising. No problema. I’m certain all my sister sees is her brother and his loving fiancée.

Mom says, “Let's take our seats. You ready, Adam?”

Evie gives me a curious look.

I keep an arm around her shoulders, enjoying the feeling of her body close to mine. “I was asked to speak at the rehearsal dinner.”

We’d missed the actual rehearsal but this is my penance.

Steph echoes her mother's words. “Yeah, are you ready, Adam?”

“Ready is my middle name,” I reply.

As I guide Evie to our seats near the front, family and friends all around, my speech is not what’s on my mind. All I can think of is how to find a quiet moment alone with my beautiful partner in crime.

Chapter Fifty-One

Evie

Iwatch as Adam takes hold of the microphone, the noise in the room dying down as he welcomes us to Steph and Brad’s rehearsal dinner.

Until now, I’ve only seen Adam in isolation. In his car, in his house, on the trails. Twice at the bar in Yosemite.

I’m not surprised to see how comfortable he is in front of a crowd. Of course, he probably knows the vast majority of attendees. But it’s not only that. He has an infectious charisma that draws people in. People like me.

Dressed in perfectly-cut suit, Adam looks incredibly handsome. My heart skips a beat recalling how he introduced me to his father.

The woman I love.

If only.

Even if we were living in an alternate universe where all this was real, I already have a plan to go home. Where I built my life. Where my boys call home.

There’s just one tiny problem.

I’m falling for my fake fiancé. Hard.