Page 79 of The Fake Date (Brides of Beaufort 4)

And yet, Lyndi gently removed herself from under my arm and straightened her shoulders. “No, it’s no big deal. It’s just business. I know he’s able to separate fake dates from real feelings. He’s a master at it. Excuse me.”

She started to take off, but there was no way I planned to let her get away that easily. Not after we’d answered that question the same way half a dozen times already and she hadn’t reacted likethateven once.

But before I could say anything, a woman’s voice called out from behind us. “Oh, Lyndi, there you are!”

She turned, not even looking my way. “Yes?”

The woman held up her fancy camera. “I’m Joanie. Clara wants me to take photos of all of the couples so you’ll have a keepsake. Would you two mind posing?”

I considered telling her it wasn’t a good time, but then I saw Lyndi’s mom and grandmother watching from about twenty feet away with big grins on their faces.

Stifling a groan, I held out my hand to Lyndi, silently pleading with her to put whatever that was aside so all of this wouldn’t be for nothing. I shot my eyes toward her family, and when she spotted them too, she nodded and placed her hand in mine.

We stood together, straight as boards, barely touching. Smiling sure, but I knew without a doubt we looked like the life-size versions of Barbie and Ken.

“Great, that’s nice,” Joanie said, looking a little like she meant it looked terrible. “Can you do a little more? Maybe try to loosen up a bit? You look… stiff.”

Thinking on my feet, I grabbed Lyndi’s hand and twirled her, catching her in my arms and lowering her into what I knew would be a picture-perfect dip.

“Ooh,perfect. This is amazing,” Joanie called. “Why don’t you give her a smooch?”

I shouldn’t do that.

Definitely not.

Oh, who cared at this point? It already felt like we were at a tipping point, so why not take a leap over the edge?

But the moment my mouth closed over hers—finally, after what felt like years of wanting—I knew I hadn’t simply taken a leap over the edge. I’d fallen face-first out of an airplane with no parachute, sure that I’d meet my end as soon as I hit the ground.

And because of that, I decided to enjoy the scenery on the way down. I kissed her slowly and tenderly, taking more time to savor the connection than I ever had with anyone in my entire life. Then at the same time, the fury of desire for her raged inside of me, begging to be let free even though I wouldn’t let it.

Kissing Lyndi erased all the doubt and fear I’d bottled up my entire life. Her lips were warm and welcoming, and I’d never felt anything like this with any other woman.

Not with a fake date, where I basically had to step outside my body so I wouldn’t have to think about how weird it was that I was getting paid for it.

Not with a real date, when I’d always held back because I knew I’d never let myself feel more than the basics.

Not even with that cheerleader I’d kissed in high school on a dare, even though I knew it was the first time for both of us and I thought it was the coolest thing ever.

I’d always heard kissing caused people to catch feelings, but in all reality, I’d never experienced it on my end. It was just something I was trying to protect myself from in case the woman I was kissing decided to do so.

But this kiss? This kiss shifted something inside of me. If I’d thought kissing her was what would cause us to catch feelings, I was completely wrong. We’d already done that. But now those feelings had been set on fire, and there was absolutely no going back.