Page 69 of Rule 3: Never Fake Marry the Coach's Son

It’s still strange to realize that I have a husband, even if he’s the pretend kind.

I take a sip of champagne and distract myself from the sudden ache in my chest that occurs whenever I remember that all of this is fake.

The lights sparkle and the penthouse gleams. Finn is on the top of the hockey game, but he’s also from a super-rich Boston family. In fact, his cousin Cameron is supposed to be a very big deal in tech circles and is already a billionaire.

I smile happily into the crowd, then I feel Dmitri’s arms slink around my waist. He nuzzles his cheek against mine, and when he speaks, his breath is warm.

Team members soon surround us, because this might be Finn’s and Noah’s apartment, but it’s our party. Everyone is here except Jason, but from the unfriendly looks he shoots me, I’m not wildly surprised, though I thought he and Dmitri got along.

“I hope no one else is going to have a wedding without inviting the team,” Troy says, elbowing Luke hard.

Luke laughs, but his face reddens a bit, and he clutches his boyfriend to him.

“I promise,” Luke stammers.

“We should set up a poll for when they marry,” Troy says, whispering to me.

“Stop whispering to my husband,” Dmitri says. “Is inappropriate.”

Troy’s eyes widen, then he starts to giggle. “You got it.”

“Is our wedding celebration,” Dmitri says.

“You going to dance for us?” Troy asks.

Heat burns my cheeks because this isn’t that kind of marriage, and I hate that everyone is pretending that it is.

“Of course,” Dmitri says, and in the next moment, he’s dragging me to the middle of the room.

“You want to dance?” I ask.

“Is happy occasion,” Dmitri says, and a frown appears. “Is time for dancing, right?”

“Um, yeah,” I agree. “I guess that’s normal.

His shoulders ease, and I swing my hands around his neck. He’s taller than I am, and I crane my neck up to find him right there, smiling into my eyes.

Something romantic is playing, but Dmitri doesn’t grimace. Instead, he stares into my eyes, then pulls me closer to him.

I guess he truly wants to convince everyone this is for real.

“Enjoying the party?” he asks.

I nod. “You?”

“I enjoy every chance I get to spend with you.”

This man is going to ruin me for anyone else. He already has. It was ridiculous he was jealous of Blaine the Canadian. I’ve been Dmitri’s all along, whether or not he cared.

He doesn’t care, I remind myself.

This is all for pretend.

I tighten my grip on his neck because I want to pretend a little longer that all of this is real, even though I know it’s absurd. I close my eyes and inhale his masculine scent, letting myself feel the warmth of his skin against mine.

DMITRI

The music thumps, and I clutch Oskar tightly to me. I smile and run my fingers through his silky blond locks, and something in me warms when he emits a groan. I suddenly wonder what he would be like in bed. He’s so responsive to my touches, even when he pretends not to be. He’s cute and cuddly and compact. He fits easily beside me, like he’s always supposed to be there.