17. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Susie

Every inch of my face that Adam’s eyes touch leaves a trail of heat behind it. The butterflies are back in swarms, and my heart responds with a slow, steady thrum vibrating through my body.

This is not what I thought would happen when I agreed to meet up with Chase—having it be Adam? It's an even better plot twist than I’ve ever written about.

I mean, I have fake dating and marriage-of-convenience tropes down pat. But a secret identity that affects the heroine’s life like this? Wasn’t even on my radar. How was it never on my radar? It’s so good!

My author brain is working overtime and all the possibilities are running free.

I take a slow inhale filling my chest before slowly releasing it.

Focus Susie. The man, the really attractive man, in front of you just proposed. Kind of.

Married first and then dating…another possible trope that I never thought about.

I think I really like that Adam is—

“Susie?” His gruff voice disrupts my inner dialogue and runs through me like a warm knife cutting through butter. “Are you open to including me in the conversation that’s going on in your head?”

A smile slowly crawls across my face. “I’m not sure you can handle the crazy conversations that happen in my mind.”

“If they’re anything like the babbling, I’m pretty sure I could without issue,” he teases. His smile widens and his dimple pops. “Either way, they’re a challenge I’m happy to take on.”

Reality slams into my gut.

Am I actually thinking of saying yes to all of this?

Can I marry a man I like and could one day possibly love, but am pretty sure I don’t love right now?

I know the moment Adam realizes what I’m thinking. He pulls his shoulders back, and leans fully against the bench. “It’s okay if you decide you don’t want to do this. It’s definitely one of the crazier things I’ve ever considered.”

“Why did you consider it?” His eyebrows shoot up at the abruptness of my question. “With ‘Amelia’ I mean.”

His face relaxes. His eyes however become so earnest that my stomach cartwheels. “Because she enchanted me. I think I would’ve wanted to meet her at some point anyway.”

His chocolate brown gaze pins me. The room around me blurs and the only thing I can hear is the pounding of my heart.

“The fact that you are her is the icing on the cake I didn’t know I wanted.”

“Oh.” The simple word barely blows past my lips, and his words flow over me like honey on a spoon in hot tea.

He leans his body forward and takes my hand, gently turning it in both of his. All I can do is watch as his large hands swallow my small one whole. That little action has me feeling protected and cherished.

If he’s this gentle with my hand, he’ll be gentle with my heart too, right?

I look up to see him watching our hands together, and my heart melts with a look of such tenderness. I know with certainty how I’m going to respond.

“Yes,” I say out loud, surprising myself. I didn’t quite mean to respond right this second.

His head whips up, eyes wide, and the sweetest grin on his face. He reminds me of the boy whose jersey he signed earlier. “Yes? Are you sure? I don’t want you to—”

“Yes,” I say firmly, cutting him off. “I want to help you.”

“This is more than helping.” His eyes continue searching mine intensely. “It’s taking my last name.”

“I know.” My lips lift at the corners as I think about my newest Maverick gear sitting at home. “I bought your jersey and was going to wear it to the next game. Guess it’s safe to say I’d already decided to wear your name.” I lift my right shoulder.

“Susie,” his voice gets raspy, sending tiny tingles down my spine. “I think that may be the most enchanting thing a woman has ever said to me.”

“Yeah, Yeah.” A flush creeps up my face. “Come on. You have people wearing your jersey all the time. I’m sure it’s not that big of a deal.”

“But none of them are my wife.” He tightens his grip just a tiny bit on my hand and the bench catches me as my knees give way. How could one man make that simple sentence so seductive?

His eyes hold mine and I see a spark behind them. He grins before he pulls his hands away and folds them on the table. An eyebrow quirks. “Are you really sure that you want to do this? What about Josh?”

“Yes, and what about Josh? What’s he going to say?” I wave a hand in the air completely dismissing my brother. His eyebrows knit together and the corners of his lips dip. “Okay. What if we kept it a secret for the time being?”

Adam narrows his eyes and lets out a slow breath. It’s obvious he’s not happy with not being truthful.

“If anyone finds out, I’ll take responsibility. Besides, it’s written all over your face that you don’t like the idea of keeping this a secret, but I’m not sure I’m ready for people to know yet.” I sigh. “How about a compromise, we’ll only tell the people who need to know and worry about the rest later.”

His lips tighten, but he doesn’t respond to anything that I’ve just said.

“Tell me what you’re thinking right now?” I ask quietly. The struggle he’s waging is written all over his face.

“I am pretty open and honest with my family; I’ve already filled them in. Steve is even completing the necessary paperwork to petition for me to stay in the country. So I’d want them to know.”

“Okay. Then we’ll let them know. Anyone else?” I see Adam’s shoulders drop as the tension around his eyes loosen.

“Finn, and he will let anyone else at the Mav’s organization know. He had to tell them about my expired visa once he learned there wasn’t anything that could be done.”

“Okay.” A colossal breath escapes me, and my pulse picks up pace. I can feel a thumping around my body. My stomach starts to swirl and my breath is coming short and fast.

“Susie, look at me.” Adam places a hand over both of mine and the touch slows my heartbeat. I look at his hand and then meet his gaze. “You don’t have to do this. It’s not the end of the world or the end of my career. It’s just the end of the season.”

His smile is lopsided and his eyes are soft, but behind them I see lingering disappointment.

I can’t even imagine what it must feel like to have your life turned upside down, only to have it flipped over and shaken even more.

Every part of me is drawn to this man. Whether he’s Chase or Adam, I’m drawn to him. So much so that I felt torn between two men.

I shake my head and chuckle.

“Want to fill me in on the joke?” He chuckles with me and a full fledged grin crosses my face. I must look crazy because Adam’s eyebrows pull together.

“We’re getting married.” I slide out of the booth and stand next to the table.

“We are?” I grab his arm and pull him toward me. “What are you doing?”

“Leaving. And you’re coming with me.” I laugh at the confusion on his face. I move closer to him and whisper. “We have to iron out some details that would probably be best done without an audience.”

He glances around as if for the first time noticing all the eyes on us. His expression is priceless. “Probably a good idea.”

When we reach the exit, I put my hand out to open the door only to not find anything. I look over my head and see Adam’s arm is already pushing open the door. “Ladies first.”

“Thank you.” Brushing lightly into his chest a shiver runs through me. Before the door closes I hear the murmur in Thanks-A-Latte increase. My stomach drops.

I pray that Tea Time is way too busy with Josh and Brie to write about me and my soon-to-be fake husband.