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“Yes.” She laughs awkwardly while tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ears to cover how her cheeks are now the color of her swim costume. “You just startled me, is all.”

She’s lying. Growing up where I did and living the life I lived, you learn how to read people—not that Keegan is a hard tell—but she’s absolutely lying to me. Or more, I should say, she’s hiding something from me because, yes, I did startle her, but her reaction was based on fear. Fear that I’d discover whatever it was she was up to on her computer.

Interesting. I tuck that piece of information aside for now.

“Didn’t mean to startle you. I just got off the phone with Vander, and I wanted to update you.”

“Oh.” She stands and steps in front of the table, holding her laptop as if to hide it from my eyes that continue to bounce back there. “Did he discover who outed you to the press?”

“Not yet, but he did tell me that my attorney is going to be calling on behalf of Child and Family Services”—my phone rings in my hand—“now.”

16

“Should we talk about this?” I ask after he hangs up with Child Family Services.

“Talk about what, love?” he murmurs absently, all the blood drained from his face, his stormy eyes as turbulent as the ocean.

“Our fake relationship.”

“Should I be taking notes?” he all but growls, more than a little edgy.

“All I’m saying is we need to be convincing. That means affection, common stories, and shared interests. Alden and I broke up not even two weeks ago, and it’s not a good look if we’re trying to convince them we’re serious and committed to each other while making your home life appear more stable.”

“Right. Buggar.” He drags a hand through his hair, and Fen wiggles his little butt as he tries to get out of Loomis’s arms. He sets him down, and we both follow behind him, letting him lead the way. “You’re a brilliant doctor. I’m an actor. We live in different worlds. How did we ever think this would work?”

The panic in his voice breaks my heart. “Because we’ve known each other for a year and a half now. It’s not like we justmet, and your best friend is one of mine. But we need to sell this, Loomis. No slip-ups.”

“I’m the actor, remember? And I won’t do anything to jeopardize Fen.”

“Neither will I,” I reassure him.

“Okay.” He sighs. “You’re right. I’m sorry if I’m being short. I’m just… scared. Let’s begin. I think we should have a history beyond this week.”

“Agreed. Maybe we started something when you were filming with Tinsley in Boston. That’s shortly after we met.”

“And it picked back up when you came out to LA this past fall.”

I look away, nodding absently and trying like hell not to blush or frown. “Perfect.”

“But then my schedule took over, and we parted ways.”

“And I reunited with Alden.”

“Yes.”

The grit in his voice has me turning back to him, but now he’s the one looking away.

“So how did we reconnect?” he asks after a long moment.

Fen is toddling about, ridiculously good on his feet for such a young boy. He veers right toward the small lemon and orange grove, and we keep up, the scent of the blossoms heavy in the air.

“Through Tinsley and Stone. We went to their house and saw each other, and it was like no time had passed.”

“Brilliant. Okay.” He reaches over and takes my hand, startling me. He smirks. “Now, see, that can’t happen. I’m going to touch you.” He stops since Fen is occupied with running around a tree and turns to me. His eyes are all over me, intense to the point where they make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “Like this.” His other hand comes up and drags along my cheek, his fingers featherlight. It’s as if he’s testing how much he can get away with.

I know exactly what he’s doing.

He knows exactly what he’s doing.