Page 74 of Keep Me Close

My pulse picks up for no reason.

Or maybe it’s for all the reasons.

We stop near the railing of another enclosure, and when I turn, I find him closer than before. Close enough for his masculine scent to wrap around me, making it difficult to think.

When he stares, I shift, uncomfortable with the scrutiny.

“What?”

Instead of answering, his gaze drops to my mouth. The world seems to pause for one suspended second as his hand settles on my hip before tugging me closer. His grip is firm but careful as his lips hover over mine, and the warmth of his breath makes my stomach twist.

From the corner of my eye, I spot a man standing a dozen feet away with a phone angled toward us. My brain barely has time to register it before Knox kisses me.

The first press of his lips is hard and fast. A mixture of heat and pressure that feels like it’s been building for days. His hand on my hip tightens while the other slides up to cradle the back of my neck, holding me still.

For just a second, I remember the camera.

That’s what this is all about, right?

Our fake relationship.

Making sure Dakota understands that we’re over.

His lips move against mine, slower this time, before the kiss deepens. Whatever part of this started out for someone else’s benefit disappears completely, until the only thing I’m aware of is Knox.

The taste of him.

The way my fingers curl into his sweatshirt, only wanting to pull him closer.

And the worst part?

Somewhere between noticing the phone and getting lost in his kiss, I stopped caring about our audience altogether.

Fake or not…

This no longer feels like acting.

26

Knox

By the time we return to the building, Chey looks different. Not in any obvious way. She’s still in the same leggings and sweatshirt, her hair twisted into that messy bun that kept coming loose every time the wind kicked up at the zoo. But her shoulders aren’t drawn tight anymore. Her mouth is softer, and her laugh comes a little easier.

She’s still chuckling at something I said about one of the goats trying to eat my sleeve, her eyes bright in a way they weren’t this morning.

Happy.

That’s what she is.

And, Christ, I like it.

More than that, I like knowing I’m the reason that tight, watchful look has eased from her expression. I like that somewhere between the petting zoo, her naming a goat Kevin, and the two of us arguing over whether alpacas are creepy, she started to relax.

Spending the day with her felt uncomplicated in a way I can’t explain.

The elevator dings, and the doors slide open to the penthouse.

Chey steps out first, still smiling, before swinging toward me. “Just so you know, you’ll forever be that guy who took me on a zoo date.”