Chapter 12

Chapter

Twelve

Ruune

O livia’s lips were soft against mine as my fingers coiled in her hair, pulling her closer. The world around us faded away, and all I could focus on was how right this felt. How real. Which was exactly the problem.

Olivia was supposed to be my fake girlfriend, and she’d just outlined all the rules of our fake relationship—right before she’d kissed me. The human was as bad about breaking rules as I was. Not that I was complaining, as I deepened the kiss and felt her melt into me.

Then a honk brought me back to reality, and Olivia broke our kiss as we both pulled away breathless. We were no longer in the quiet of Central Park. Traffic flowed around us as the horse and carriage stood behind a row of other carriages, horns honking and engines revving. People were openly staring, many holding up devices to record us.

“Now I know how Caroline felt.” Olivia slid lower in the carriage and pulled the blanket over her face.

“That’s it, folks.” The driver twisted to grin at us, displaying a missing tooth on one side. “Time’s up.”

The human must not have a solid grasp on space-time because time was never up, but I was too busy worrying about Olivia to correct him. “Would you like me to escort you back to your work?”

She shook her head. “There are enough photos of us together already.”

“Isn’t this what we wanted?” I asked. “Isn’t that why we’re doing this?”

She peered at me from above the edge of the blanket. “I guess so, but I’m not sure I know how to fake being a girlfriend.”

It felt all too real to me, but I did not want to scare her. Also, I’d been honest when I’d told her I was not looking for a mate. I wasn’t, so I could offer her nothing but something fun and fleeting. “My fondness for you is not fake nor is my attraction.”

She held my gaze for a beat before bursting into laughter. “I guess I’m fond of you and attracted to you, too.”

“Then we aren’t faking everything.” I ignored the carriage driver’s exasperated sighs. “Why don’t we start with that?”

She nodded and sat up. “Sorry about telling you the rules and then breaking them. Maybe we just play it by ear.”

I glanced at her ear, and she giggled.

“It means we won’t worry about what comes next. We’ll just roll with it.” She put a hand to her mouth as she laughed harder. “But not actually roll around. We’ll just do what feels right in the moment.”

“That sounds like a better plan, although I can promise you that I will never surprise you with flatulent livestock again.” I stepped from the carriage and held out my hand for her.

“Deal.” Olivia started to descend the carriage and stopped to snap her fingers. “There are more Valorians looking for mates, right?”

That was not the question I was expecting. “I am sure there are many males of my species looking for suitable mates.”

“Do you think there’s any chance you can bring one here to go out with Pippa?”

“The female with flame-colored hair?”

Olivia nodded. “I might have promised to hook her up with one of your guys as my way of apologizing for stealing you.”

“Since I asked you to steal me, I suppose this is partially my responsibility too.”

“Oh, it’s mostly your fault.” She grinned as she turned and looked down at me from the carriage steps. “You owe me one, big guy.”

I took her by the hips and lifted her to the ground so that her face passed so close to mine I could feel the warmth of her breath. “Then I will get you one big guy.”

When her feet touched the sidewalk, she tipped her head back, giving me a half smile. “You’re funny, especially for an alien.”

“You are almost as funny as a chortling Vendellen.”

She smacked my chest as she backed up. “See? Funny.”

I was being honest about the chortling Vendellens, but I didn’t clarify that the species was known throughout the galaxy for their hilarity.

“Thanks for the banana pudding,” she called out as she ran toward the street and threw her arm in the air at the approaching vehicles. “This was a good first date. Top five, for sure.”

As I watched her jump in the back of a yellow car, I exhaled loudly. I had expected to enjoy being around her and I had expected to desire her. I had not expected to feel a pang of longing as I watched her leave. I rubbed the heel of my hand on my breastbone. “Odd.”

“Buddy,” the carriage driver swung around to look at me, “this is New York. Odd is our bread and butter."