Page 30 of Crashing Into You

I kiss her, a brief brush on the lips, unable to resist. “Yeah, I think so. Let’s test it out.” Before she can protest, I swing her up in my arms.

She squeals, laughing, her arms coming around my neck as I carry her over to the cardboard wave, dipping her low so she shrieks with laughter, planting another kiss on her because I can.

“This is great, Bryce, love it.” Jeff has his phone out, taking shots. The photographer is there too, snapping away. I look down into Claire’s smiling face, feel her body against mine, and emotion surges through me. Fuck.

We’re like, a week into this, and I might be catching feelings.

Damn.

ChapterFourteen

Claire

What the hell is happening?

Once again, I feel as though events are careering out of control. It seems to be my constant state of being since I met Bryce. Hard to believe it’s only been a week. He has turned my world completely upside down.

But as he swings me up in his arms, kissing me, all I can do is hang on and enjoy the ride.

It’s almost a relief when he has to relinquish me, a queue already starting to form at the table. I stand off to the side for a little while with Jeff, his agent, who seems nice enough. He’s busy posting photos of us to Bryce’s socials, so I’m free to watch what’s going on.

And once again I’m taken with how kind Bryce seems to be, taking time with each person, each smile sincere. He spends extra time with a small boy who is overcome, joking with him and talking to him gently until he’s laughing, pretending to ride a wave with him. Emotion bursts in my chest, and I try to push it down. I fell too hard, too fast last time. I can’t make the same mistake again. But again, there’s that feeling of destiny, of things happening because they can’t happen any other way, no matter how I might try to guard myself against it.

I like Bryce. A lot.

And I want to kiss him. Again. Somewhere where there aren’t people watching us, where it isn’t for a camera, for “appearances”. I sigh. I’m sure he’d be happy to go along with that, but how would l know whether or not it meant anything to him?

What does it matter? A more treacherous part of my mind rears its head– the part of me that makes my heart beat faster whenever he touches me.It’s been almost a year, this part of my mind whispers. You could do a lot worse than Bryce Maylands.

Yeah, I could. But I need to tread carefully. This is a relationship with an expiry date, and a purpose. He acts as a buffer against Simon and his nonsense and I make him look good for the cameras. Kissing, or anything else, is just part of the transaction. I can’t fall for him and get hurt again. I need to protect myself.

I touch Jeff on the arm. “I’m going for a wander,” I say, finding I need some space from it all.

He nods. “Be back by twelve.”

I make my way out of the store, ignoring the envious glances the staff throw my way. Outside there are more people waiting. The word that Bryce is here seems to have spread. It’s a strange feeling to know that they’re all waiting to meet him. And a couple of nights ago we were in a hotel suite together, alone.

I want to be alone with him again. Just the two of us. No pretending.

I try not to think about what that means as I wander around the shops, all the time wondering what he’s doing, whether some other girl’s hands are on him, and then telling myself it’s none of my business because a) this is part of his job and b) he’s not my real boyfriend. I buy myself a new swimsuit in one of the stores, a bikini, far more robust than the white one I wore while swimming, even though I don’t know whether or not we’ll go out swimming again. It doesn’t stop me looking at the rash tops, though, but I can’t find one I like. I liked the one Bryce loaned me, actually. It was navy, with a pattern of turquoise palm leaves down one side. I check the time and realise it’s almost twelve. I need to get back. I’ll see if they have a similar one in the Ocean’s Curl store.

But when I get back there, Bryce, after sweeping me into a hug that leaves me weak with desire, hands me something.

“Saw this and thought of you,” he says, with a grin.

It’s a rash top, even nicer than the one he loaned me. It’s deep green with a pattern like pale green vines down one side of the torso, a single curling vine pattern around the high neck.

“Really?” I smile at him.

“Really.” His voice deepens and he comes closer, so close his body is almost touching mine. He pushes a lock of hair back from my cheek, then bends his head. His lips meet mine, and he’s kissing me again. My arms come around his waist and I press myself to him, opening my mouth, tangling my tongue with his.

When we come apart, we gaze at each other. I’m dazed, my head spinning. Strangely, he seems the same, his green eyes darker and hooded, his full lips swollen with my kisses. I want to bite them, want to slide my hands under his shirt and lower, but I restrain myself. I know he said to do what feels natural, but that might be pushing it.

“Er, shall we get lunch? I know they’re expecting you next door.” This is Jeff. He’s looking at us strangely. I guess he’s wondering why we’re making a fake relationship look so real.

The really tough part is that it’s starting tofeelreal.

Bryce