Rosa lifts a hand. “I had the same thought.”
“They’re probably just being respectful,” Isabella defends quickly, but then looks at us. “Right? You two are just being modest?”
Suddenly, it feels like we’re failing a critical Marco family test.
“Well, um…”
“Of course we are,” Brendan finishes for me. I can’t believe how calm he’s acting, while I’m sweating buckets over here.
“Then just thank her, so they’ll stop talking about it.” Isabella gestures between us like she’s directing a play. “Go on now.”
Of all the things we expected—the handholding, the dating questions, the story of how we met—this certainly wasn’t one of them. We’d somehow skipped over the “kissing in front of family” part in our fake dating agreement.
I lean toward Brendan. “Just do it quickly and they’ll move on.”
But he doesn’t move, not right away.
Instead, he slides his sunglasses off slowly, and for a moment, I can see something stormy behind his eyes.
“You sure?” His voice is low enough that only I can hear it.
No. I shouldn’t be doing this. Worst idea ever.
“It’s just a kiss, right?” I whisper.
His eyes search my face, and there’s something in them that makes my body turn molten.
Because if it werereallyjust a thank-you kiss, we’d have it over and done with by now.
He hesitates before his hands come up, giving me every chance to change my mind. But I don’t. I’m frozen in place, aware of his family watching and the afternoon sun on my skin, and the way my heart is beating like a full drum line inside my chest.
Brendan cups my face with both hands. He kisses one cheek,then the other, then pauses to gaze into my eyes, just long enough that my breath catches.
When he leans in and kisses me on the lips, my entire world cartwheels, and I totally forget that this is supposed to be pretend. His mouth is warm and soft, just like I remember it from high school. Only this time, I don’t try to block out the memories. They come rushing back like a tidal wave.
Oh, boy. He’s really selling it.
But my body isn’t getting the message. I lean into him instinctively, my arms wrapping around his neck?—
“There,” he interrupts, pulling away.
My eyes flutter open.
“Was that quick enough?” he asks.
I stare at him. That wasn’t enough at all—that was devastating. It’s what I’ve been trying not to remember aboutus.
Isabella beams at us. “See? I knew it.”
He looks in my direction, and I can’t help but feel like there’s tension growing between us as he takes me in one last time. Then he slips his sunglasses back on, and just like that, I lose him again. “I need to go. Work emergency.” He heads inside the house.
I brush my fingers over my lips, where I can still feel his kiss. Something deep in my bones tells me that moment was never pretend. Not for either of us.
TWENTY
Brendan
I had to get out of there before she could see what that kiss did to me.