5. Chapter 5

Chapter five

Cormac

N othing about Felix’s question computed in my brain.

“You’re straight,” I said carefully, trying to quell the anxious beating of my heart.

“I am,” Felix replied, and my chest sank. “But my client for the exhibit at the Art Museum thinks you’re my boyfriend.”

Fuck, I wish. I fiddled with the straw wrapper as something tangible to keep me from spiraling into madness. What was going on here? “And why does she think I’m your boyfriend?”

Felix licked his lips and leaned back in the seat, and like always, I was entranced. A few of his glossy dark curls drifted over his forehead, and the urge to reach over and touch them burst through me. “She told me I could have a plus-one to this gala. It’s an exclusive look at the exhibit. And I couldn’t go without you, you know? She kind of assumed you were my boyfriend.”

“And you’re okay with that.” Even though I could see the train wreck to my heart that pretending to be Felix’s boyfriend would be, a selfish part of me couldn’t bear to pass up the opportunity. The responsible choice would be to turn this down to protect myself. But Luke was still blowing up my phone, making the prospect of going out there and dating that much harder. And spending the night with Felix to see all the swords we’d been geeking out over was too much temptation avoid.

“What’s there not to be okay with? I hang all over you, and we get to check out a kick-ass gala together?” Felix said with a shrug. His casual acceptance tangled me up in knots. Was he really a chill straight guy, or could there be a chance of more? Is this what Liam had to suffer for years with my brother? How had he not murdered Ollie?

“What if we have to kiss?” I blurted out, and heat rose to my cheeks.

Felix arched a brow. “Because random people are going to ask us to prove our boyfriend status?”

I tugged on my beard. “Fine. When you put it like that…”

He snorted. “If our elaborate ruse is on the line over a kiss, we kiss. No big deal. Unless that’s a deal-breaker?”

I shook my head a little too enthusiastically. Fuck, if kissing Felix was on the table, I was so in. Even if I needed to orchestrate a ridiculous scenario to achieve that goal. Not like people demanded couples kiss outside of banging on glassware at weddings.

The waitress brought us our beers, and I grabbed mine and took a much-needed sip. The hoppy liquid glided down my throat, but it didn’t whet my appetite. Mostly because my mind and body tuned in on the fact that Felix had cavalierly said he’d kiss me.

Clearly, this was my best idea.

“Hmm, not bad.” Felix scrutinized his ale. “My brother’s been holding out on me with this place.”

“Your family lives in Kennett, right?” I asked. We got hung up talking hockey or swords rather than personal details, but I knew bits and pieces he’d dropped. I happened to memorize each one. Maybe I was as bad as Luke. My stomach sank a little, and I sipped at my beer again.

“Yeah, my folks are, and my brother ended up here with his wife and his girlfriend.” He ran his thumb across the rim of the glass.

My brows drew together. “His name wouldn’t be Marco, would it? Not that he’s the only poly person in Kennett, but…”

Felix’s eyes widened. “Yeah, that’s him. With Ruby and Kelsey? Wait…at the trailer last week, that wasn’t Liam, was it?”

“That’s my brother Ollie’s boyfriend,” I said, shaking my head. No fucking way. Amusement bounced in my chest. “Small goddamn world.”

“Shit, I think I’ve seen Ollie before when Liam’s dragged him out.” Felix grinned. “My brother throws far too many game nights, though I only make them once in a blue moon.”

“How have I known you for six months, and this is the first time we’re figuring out the connection?” An incredulous laugh escaped me.

“Clearly, we’re terrible boyfriends,” he said with a wink.

“Which I still haven’t clarified with my dad, ugh.”

“Don’t you work with him?” Felix asked.

“And saw him at Sunday dinner, but before I could tell him we weren’t dating, he started going off about Luke again.”

“Warranted,” Felix said. “You guys dated for a blink, and the guy was preparing for a wedding. Think he got a tattoo of your face?”

“Obviously.”

“On his ass, for sure.” Felix cackled, but when he calmed down, he fixed me with an intent look. “If you want another favor swap, come to the gala as my fake boyfriend, and I won’t ruin the ruse with your family. You can drag me out to this fabled family dinner, and I can bat my lashes and look pretty.”

“There’s no way it’ll pass muster with my siblings. They’re far too nosy and annoying. And that’s a supremely bad idea. I’ll just nut up and tell Dad.”

The idea of taking Felix to the family dinners for real made my heart ache something fierce. This crush was getting out of control, and I only had myself to blame.

“Think it over. I’m a pretty fantastic boyfriend.” Felix wrinkled his nose. “Although with my track record, maybe I’m not.” Despite the normal sarcastic flow of his conversation, his eyes darkened, and the sight lobbed a punch straight to my sternum.

“Hey, anyone would be lucky to have you.” I tried to rein back the emotion bubbling up within me.

“Well, you’re the lucky one right now,” Felix said dryly. “Because you’re stuck with me for this gala—as long as you’re willing to go. You realize you still haven’t told me if you’re in.” He fidgeted with another straw wrapper, winding it around his finger over and over again.

I would be in for a couple of bruises in the aftermath, but I couldn’t pass up the chance.

“Oh, I’m definitely in,” I said, my voice lowering on reflex.

Felix brightened at once. A grin rolled to his lips, and his eyes softened. He skimmed me over, a slow perusal that sent shivers down my spine.

Fuck, I was so out of my depth with this guy.

The door to Zodiac Brewery swung open, and I groaned out loud.

Luke strode in, big, broad, and not my type in the slightest. Why I’d agreed to date him mystified me. Maybe because I’d been a little lonely and tired of hooking up. Except he hadn’t been the solution.

His gaze landed on me and then shifted to Felix, and a scowl appeared. This was the problem with being in a town as small as Kennett. You were bound to run into each other.

“Ohhh.” Felix followed my stare. “That the ex? Can I throw a beer at him?”

A laugh burst out of me. Before Luke could stride over, another guy swept in behind him and guided him toward the bar. Thank god. Still, this dinner would be awkward as fuck if I had to fend off longing looks from Luke the whole time.

“Want to get our food to go?” I asked. “I could use a walk.”

“I’m serious about throwing a beer.” Felix picked up his glass. “Let me at him.”

“Nah, once he’s in a new relationship, this’ll all blow over. But if you want, I can drive us to Anson B. Nixon Park, and we can eat there.” I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling like a total coward. I should be able to finish my meal and not worry about my fucking ex, but Luke had been nonstop, I was tired from work, and I didn’t want anything detracting from my time with Felix.

Every extra moment I got with him was one I secreted away.

“You know I prefer eating outside.” Felix flashed me a grin, giving me the easy acceptance that smoothed over my embarrassment. And that—that was why this crush had been reaching new levels of ridiculous. Going to a gala as his fake boyfriend sure as fuck wouldn’t help that.

“Hey.” Felix flagged down the waitress. “Do you mind bringing our burgers to go and a check? Thanks.”

“Sure thing.” She nodded and hustled to the kitchen.

Even though Luke sat at the bar, he kept staring at me. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Yeah, we were definitely making the right call. The guy’s continued messages and occasional runs by my house were beyond annoying, and I wanted to toss him at someone new. It had soured me to try on a dating app again, and I didn’t know when I’d be ready to throw myself back out there.

Felix’s eyes danced with mischief. “I could sit on your lap to make him jealous.”

Before I could say anything, he slipped out of the booth and plopped right next to me.

“Come on, put your arm around me at least. Pretend you like me a little,” Felix said, leaning in.

Was he trying to fucking kill me? I was pretty sure I got hit in the head on the way here, and this was all a fever dream. However, I wasn’t going to pass up the chance. I wrapped my arm around Felix’s shoulders, drawing him close. He leaned against me, resting his hand on my thigh. The casual way he moved into my space was heady, and I breathed in the scent of him, all woodsy and delicious. Having his body pressed against mine was pure electricity, and my cock had firmed up in response. Hopefully, he didn’t look down, since my coveralls would do a shit job at hiding my situation.

Luke glanced my way again, and his scowl deepened as he spotted Felix. I took advantage of the moment, running my fingers through his curls. They were soft as hell, and he shivered. I bit my lower lip so hard it bled. How was this reality?

“You know, you’re comfortable as hell to lean against. I’m going to abuse the hell out of this while we’re fake boyfriending.” Felix tilted his head to offer better access to his hair.

Holy hell, he would be the death of me.

The waitress returned, carrying a plastic bag with two takeout containers. She popped it on the table and then whipped out the check. I reached over Felix and grabbed it with my free arm, not willing to let him go. If I only got a brief window of this, I’d savor every second.

“You don’t have to pay for me.” Felix tried to snag the check.

I moved it farther away from him and grabbed my wallet out of my pocket. Once I one-handedly fished out my card, I handed the check and card over to the waitress. “Nah, my treat.”

“You’re such a good boyfriend,” Felix cooed, wickedness flaring in his eyes.

“You guys are adorable,” the waitress said with an amused smile. She went to process the card, and I gave Felix an arch look.

“Having fun with this, are we?” I asked, not budging since he still cuddled against me. Even though Luke’s glare was burning a hole into the side of my head, as long as Felix played this game, I wasn’t going to move until we had to.

“I’m getting into the part.” Felix batted his lashes, the fucking minx. “Shit, I’ll need to go shopping for a suit. I don’t think I own any that aren’t for a funeral.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Same. The last time I bought a suit was five years ago, and I don’t fit in it anymore.”

“So add that to the agenda for next week. We can go together if you want.”

“Yeah, just tell me when.” It wasn’t like my social calendar was full, apart from my family’s five million gatherings. The Brannons were the neediest bunch on the planet.

The waitress came back, and I signed the check and pocketed my card. With a sigh, I pulled my arm away from Felix. It had been nice while it lasted.

“Ready to go?” I asked. Embarrassment prickled across my skin that I retreated rather than held my ground with Luke here, but I hated pointless confrontations.

“To this impromptu picnic you’ve planned for me? Of course,” Felix said louder than normal. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Yeah, he played this up because of Luke, but I loved it.

“You’re ridiculous.” I grabbed our burgers and took a last swig from my beer. “I’ll drive.”

We hightailed it out of Zodiac Brewery, and Luke glared but didn’t go any further than that. I got into the driver’s side while Felix settled into the passenger’s seat. Seeing him there relaxed something in my chest. Felix fit in a way I couldn’t explain, and I liked having him in my life far too much.

Too much to risk telling him about my crush.

I turned on the ignition, and the motor rumbled beneath me. As we rolled through town, the shops and restaurants of Kennett Square blurred on either side. Felix fiddled with my radio, which was on some random staticky station, and by the time he’d settled on something, we’d already coasted out of town and reached the sign for Anson B. Nixon Park.

“Can you explain to me what you saw in Luke? Apart from, like, big, burly guy. That’s your thing, right?”

Felix’s question came out of nowhere. I put the car into Park. Several factors percolated in my brain. My hands still rested on the steering wheel, and I stared out the window at the trees ahead of us.

“I hate to say Luke was interested, and that was it, but honestly, that was the main motivator.” I heaved a sigh, the admission tugging at my gut. “Hookups had been leaving me feeling invisible, and I thought a relationship would be the trick. But being in a relationship with the wrong person doesn’t solve that either. If anything, it makes you fade away a little bit more.”

Felix reached over and placed a hand on my thigh. I swallowed hard, everything in me stripped down right now. From the words that had escaped to his touch, my whole body vibrated.

“Been there,” he said. “Aria and I were okay—amazing but not bad—but I’ve been in those relationships that detach you even further from yourself. You deserve better, Cor. Don’t let Luke steal that from you.”

I made the mistake of looking into his eyes.

Those dark orbs pulled me in, a gravitational force I was helpless to resist. The gentleness, how he seemed to see right through my gruff exterior, was everything I’d been looking for. And the hope—oh, the hope—would be my undoing.

Because Felix was straight. Getting out of a relationship with one woman before getting into another…with a woman, not me.

I coughed and tugged my keys out, needing to break the moment. “And Luke’s not my normal type at all.”

Felix arched a brow. “Studly, big guy like that? Then what is?”

You .

Except I’d never admit that out loud. I opened the door and stepped out. “The guys I usually go for? Lanky, preferably smaller than me. Kinda pretty. Good sense of humor. Connection’s the biggest factor.”

I snagged our takeout from the back seat and hurried across the parking lot as if I could outrun my blush. The playground was nearby and a picnic bench in easy distance.

Felix slunk up right beside me. “Ah, so you won’t mind parading me on your arm, then. I’ve been told I’m kinda pretty.”

Fucking gorgeous.

I sucked in a breath, a little dizzy from the whiplash events of the day. “Anytime you want.”