Page 37 of Scarlett and the Fake Boyfriend (Scarlett #2)

Monday

I looked up at the star on my ceiling. Jacob had given it to me to keep up appearances. It was a friendship star. So why did I keep staring at it?

I groaned and pulled my pillow over my face. I was so confused. It felt like my heart was torn in three.

Fake dating Jacob was way more fun than I’d anticipated. I thought it would be awkward, since our first kiss was so awkward. But it was anything but. And the line felt blurred. To me.

Axel had been so sweet to me the past week too, which just messed with my head even more. But he was so off and on. And it only really seemed like he was into me when he was wasted and forgot all reason.

And then there was my kiss thief. He was the only guy who I knew for sure liked me back. And I did really like him. Every time we texted I smiled. But he could be one of four guys... I sighed. Who was I kidding? He could be literally anyone. From Mr. Halifax to a drifter.

I just wished there was some kind of sign. To tell me what to do. I pulled the pillow off my face and stared back up at the star.

Sophie’s warning was starting to weigh on me. That if I didn’t tell Jacob the truth about how I felt, it might lead to another spin the bottle incident. But wasn’t I already too late? He clearly liked Olivia.

My phone buzzed. I grabbed it and stared at a text from my kiss thief.

“Congrats on being nominated for homecoming queen. You definitely have my vote.”

I smiled. I’d asked for a sign. And I couldn’t help but think that him texting me meant something. I texted him back. “Thanks. Were you nominated for king?”

“Nice try.”

“You know what would be fun?” I texted. “You telling me your name.”

“You know what would be a boss move?” he asked, ignoring me.

I probably should have ignored him back, but I was too curious. “What?”

“Going to homecoming solo.”

I laughed. “I have a boyfriend.”

“But we both know you’d rather be dating me.”

My heart started racing. “I literally went solo to homecoming every other year of high school. Where were you then?”

“Wishing I was your date.”

“Then why didn’t you ask me?” Seriously. Why? And why was he hiding now?

“Because I couldn’t.”

I swallowed hard. “Because you’re my teacher?”

“Lol. You really do have a teacher kink.”

“I do not.”

“So you say...”

“Stop it,” I texted.

“I already told you, you can call me whatever you want as long as no one else touches you. ”

My heart started racing even faster. “Just answer my question. Why didn’t you ask me to homecoming before?”

“I already told you. I couldn’t.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“Trust me, baby, I would do anything for you to be on my arm this weekend. But I’m playing the long game here.”

“The long game?”

He didn’t respond.

“What long game?” I texted.

No response.

“Why do you never answer my questions? You’re infuriating. What long game?! Torturing me? Because it’s working.”

My phone buzzed, but it was a text from Jacob: “I’m in your secret lair.”

And now my heart was racing for an entirely different reason. I climbed off my bed and went over to the trapdoor. I lifted it up as my phone buzzed again.

The kiss thief had responded to my question: “I’m not trying to torture you. I’m planning on making you my wife.”

His wife? My phone somehow slipped out of my hand and dropped onto the spiral staircase.

Crap. It fell from step to step and then slid off the back of one of the steps and slammed onto the ground with a sickening crunch. I hurried down the stairs and Jacob picked up my phone.

“Your screen cracked,” he said and handed it to me.

“Great.” I sighed and looked down at the damage.

“Do you often throw stuff down through the trapdoor?” Jacob gestured to the broken glass all over the floor. “Seriously, what happened here?”

I’d totally forgotten to clean up the candle. “No idea,” I said and kicked a bit of glass to the side. “Must have been Sophie. Looks like she dropped a candle.” I kicked a broken piece of wax to the side too.

“And can we talk about that for a second?” He pointed to the portrait of RJ.

I laughed. “Axel claims he painted that. The night he took Gemma to that portrait class that apparently we went to first.”

Jacob laughed. “There’s no way he painted that.”

“I know, right?”

“Have you asked RJ about it?”

“No, I want to see his reaction when he sees it. Should we invite him over?”

Jacob glanced at his watch. “I’m not sure we have time. Axel is coming over soon, right?”

“I have no idea. He loves making plans and then making me wait for him to show up all night.”

“Hm.”

I looked up at him. “What?”

“I think Operation Too Hot to Handle is working. Axel is definitely jealous.”

“I don’t know.”

Jacob laughed and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Seriously? He tried to crash our date tonight. The idea of us hanging out one on one is really starting to get to him.”

“Maybe because he’s used to hanging out with you all the time after school. ”

“That’s definitely not what’s bothering him,” Jacob said.

I shrugged. It seemed like just as much of a possibility as being jealous. “Is the operation helping you at all?”

“In what way?”

“By making Olivia jealous?”

“I think a lot of girls probably wish they were you right now, love.”

I laughed. “You’re very full of yourself.”

“I’m just kidding. But I have really been enjoying fake dating you, Scarlett.”

All I could focus on was that word fake . “I’ve been enjoying it too.”

“You know my favorite part?”

I smiled. “What?”

“You cheering for me at my games.”

“I’ve always cheered for you.”

“I know. It feels different now though.” He reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

“You’re sure I’m not ruining your senior year?” I asked.

“How?”

“You could have asked someone you had real feelings for to homecoming. Instead of me.”

“Scarlett, this was my idea. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t want to.”

“The sexual favors are probably a pretty decent perk, huh?”

He smiled. “Like I said, I think a lot of girls probably wish they were you right now.”

I lightly shoved his chest, but he caught my hand.

He stared into my eyes as he lowered my hand down his abs. I could feel his muscles through his t-shirt. It was moments like this that none of this felt fake.

I wasn’t brave like Sophie. She flirted with Mr. Halifax every day. She knew so clearly what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to go after it. Right now, I just wanted to get lost in this moment. Kissing Jacob made everything else disappear. I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him, but he pulled back.

“We need to turn around,” he said. “I don’t want to look at the portrait.” He turned us so that I was facing it. “Okay, where were we?”

“I don’t want to look at it either,” I said with a laugh.

“When you’re on your knees I’ll be blocking it.”

I laughed, but he captured my lips in a searing kiss.

Kissing him in public helped keep the line between fake and real. But kissing him like this in private made the line disappear completely.

It was just us.

No audience.

No show.

I didn’t think a fake kiss should feel this real. And there was nothing awkward about our kisses now. At least, not for me.

He stepped forward, making me step back. The back of my legs collided with the couch. He caught me around the waist and slowly lowered me down onto the edge of the couch.

“This time, let me return the favor first,” he whispered against my lips. He kissed the side of my neck as he knelt down in front of me. His lips fell to my collarbone as he pushed my knees apart.

I was so lost in his kiss. And the feeling of his hands sliding up my thighs.

God, I wanted anything he’d give me. But not because he was returning a favor. I wanted him to desperately want it. To desperately want me.

I tried to close my legs, but I just wrapped them around him and he groaned.

That guttural noise almost made me fold. Almost.

I put my hands on his shoulders just as his thumb touched the front of my thong.

“You’re so wet for me,” he whispered.

I swallowed hard. “I don’t want you to return the favor. I just want to practice on you.”

He pulled back a fraction of an inch to look at me. “Scarlett.”

“Jacob.”

His thumb was still against my thong. And I was doing everything in my power not to shift forward.

He looked down at his hand up my skirt. “You really don’t want this? Because it feels like you want this.”

I was practically trembling from my restraint. I tried to take a deep breath, but it caught in my throat. All I could manage was a shake of my head.

“If that’s what you want.” His thumb slid down the front of my thong.

God that feels good.

And then his hand fell.

This time when I took a deep breath it actually filled my lungs. “That’s what I want.” I leaned forward and kissed him again.

He grabbed my hips and wrapped my legs around his waist.

His hardness pressed against me where his thumb had been a moment before. And this time I didn’t force myself to be still.

“I’ve been dreaming of doing this with you again,” he said against my lips.

“I’m going to do a better job this time.”

His hands slid to my ass as he pulled me even closer. “You did a pretty great job last time.”

I could stay in this position forever. Grinding against him. But that wasn’t why we were here.

“Get up,” I said. “You’re driving me crazy.”

He chuckled as he sat back. “Then you should let me please you.”

“Up.”

“You’re very bossy in the bedroom,” he said. “I like it.”

I laughed as he slowly stood back up. He grabbed my hand and put it on the button of his jeans.

I knew what he liked now. I stared into his eyes as I slowly unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. “Is this fine? With me on the couch?”

“It’s hotter when you’re on your knees.”

Noted. I slid off the edge of the couch and looked up at him as I pushed his jeans and boxers down. This time I didn’t flinch at his cock springing up.

I looked up at him again as I leaned forward and swirled my tongue around his tip. “Can we practice me swallowing again?” I asked.

“That’s probably a good idea,” he said with a smile .