Chapter 55

Rafael presses his mouth against my ear and whispers, “Keeping my hands to myself is driving me crazy.”

A shiver skates down my spine, earning a little smirk from Dahlia, who sits across the cocktail table with Julian’s arm wrapped around her.

I had a feeling that heading to Last Call after the festival was a bad idea, mainly because everyone we know would be here, but the Muñoz sisters insisted on us going out while Josefina and Rosa took care of Nico. Most of the younger townspeople migrated to the bar once the festival shut down for the night, turning it into a high school reunion.

Lily, who was the main instigator of tonight’s plans, disappeared the moment we got here, leaving Dahlia, Julian, Rafael, and me on an impromptu double date at one of the high-top tables near the bartenders working tirelessly to keep up with the demanding patrons.

Rafael and I have done a good job so far of maintaining our distance, but the task is proving more difficult with every stolen glance and sneaky touch when no one is looking. I thought I would be happy keeping our relationship a secret, but with every passing minute, I feel more tortured than relieved.

This was your idea, I tell myself when Rafael reaches under the table and holds my hand while Dahlia tells a story about her earlier run-in with a fan of her interior design show. Julian is too focused on his girlfriend to pay us any attention, although Dahlia shoots me a knowing smile when she catches me giving Rafael’s bicep a warning squeeze.

Throughout the story, Rafael’s fingers brush across my thighs. Every soft stroke of his calloused hand sends waves of heat rolling through my stomach, and I’ve drained my vodka seltzer by the time Dahlia finishes recounting her story.

“Thirsty?” Rafael’s obnoxious smirk draws a glare from me.

Dahlia chokes on a laugh while Julian finally snaps out of his Dahlia-induced daze.

“I could use another round.” He looks down at Dahlia with a soft smile that he reserves solely for her.

“Same,” she answers with a grin.

Rafael’s thumb brushes across my spine before he rests his hand around the back of my chair. “And you?”

My reply gets trapped in my throat, so I only nod. Rafael’s lips curl at the edges as he gives my nape one more fleeting touch before pulling away.

“We’ll be back.” Julian drops a kiss on the top of Dahlia’s head.

Rafael’s squinted eyes swing between them and me, and something in my chest twists at the look on his face.

You’re the one who wanted to keep your relationship—no, more like situationship—a secret.

The more time passes, the less I like it. When I first suggested it, I thought it would give us time to navigate this new chapter without hundreds of people weighing in and gossiping about us, but after today, I’m not too sure.

Hiding our connection feels wrong.

Dahlia leans forward on her elbows and whispers, “So you and Rafael, huh?”

“What about us?”

She grins. “Still keeping everything a secret?”

My face flushes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve been there too.”

“Uh…”

Her smile expands. “If you ever plan on winning family poker night, we need to work on your game face.”

“I—” Words evade me.

She reaches out and gives my hand a little squeeze. “I’m just teasing you. It’s nice to finally see Rafael look happy, so thank you. For everything.”

I’m hit with itchy eyes. “You’re thanking me? Why?”

“For bringing him back to us.”

My throat swells from pent-up emotions. “I didn’t do anything.”

“And you’re humble too. No wonder he is obsessed with you.”

Obsessed? With me?

A tingle spreads through my chest before worming a hole into my heart.

“He is, by the way. During Sunday lunch—which we keep begging him to bring you to—he brought your name up three separate times.” Dahlia’s eyes brighten before they narrow at something behind me.

“What?” I turn and look in the general direction of her stare. It doesn’t take me long to find the cause of what disrupted our conversation.

Julian is busy speaking to the bartender while Rafael leans against the countertop, scowling at a brunette woman I recognize from his graduating class. She has her hand wrapped around his bicep, staking a claim that isn’t hers to make.

A spike of hot jealousy shoots through the center of my chest when she throws her head back and laughs. My hands clench beneath the table, and my shallow breathing can most likely be heard by Dahlia.

I know Rafael isn’t interested in this woman. That much is obvious based on the curl of his upper lip and the tightness in his shoulders, but I can’t control the jealousy raging inside, and it scares me.

I’ve never felt this way in my past relationships. I didn’t have a real reason to because I never cared for someone like I do for Rafael.

I want to be his just as much as I want him to be mine, and I want everyone, including the beautiful bombshell with perfectly painted red lips and a veneered smile, to know it.

“Ellie?” Dahlia asks as I rise to my feet.

“Be back in a second.”

“He doesn’t want her,” she says with a hint of panic.

“I know.”

She scrambles to her feet. “I could go over there and—”

I toss her a reassuring smile over my shoulder. “No need. I’ve got this.”

I may not know the woman well, but she is about to figure out exactly who I am.

Rafael’s eyes find me as soon as I start pushing through the crowd, and my cheeks heat as I follow that tugging sensation in my chest directly to the man holding the other end of my heartstring.

His eyes sparkle with poorly hidden amusement as he turns to face me. “Hi.”

“Hi,” I repeat back.

The woman glances over at me. “Can I help you?”

“Nope, but I have a feeling I can help you.”

Rafael’s small smirk turns into a full-blown smile.

Bastard.

A crease appears down the center of her forehead. “Meaning?”

“He’s taken.”

“You are?” Her hand falls away.

Rafael glances down at me, giving me the power to determine how much I want people to know about our relationship.

I nod. “Yeah, he is.”

The woman’s wide-eyed gaze swings between the two of us. “Oh.”

I lift my hand and wiggle my fingers with a smile. “Now, if you don’t mind…” I keep my tone light, not wanting to cause unnecessary drama with someone who lives in town.

After a quick apology, the woman turns in a rush and abandons the bar altogether.

Rafael grabs on to my hand and drops a kiss across my knuckles. “Jealousy looks good on you, Elle.”

I brush my palm down his arm, erasing the invisible stain left behind by the other woman. “You’re not…upset?”

He chokes on a laugh. “What? Fuck no.”

I exhale. “I didn’t like her touching you. It made me…”

He curls an arm around my waist and pulls me against him. “Possessive?”

“Murderous.”

His lips twitch. “I’d apologize, but seeing you stake your claim was hot.”

“I was…” Totally staking a claim.

Shit.

He tucks his hand beneath my chin and raises it. “Now it’s my turn.”

His eyes drop to my lips, and I sway on my feet. “People are looking.”

“Good.” A small smile breaks out across his face before he crushes his lips against mine. I can hardly hear the people around us hooting and hollering over the sound of my heart pounding in my ears, but I don’t care.

This man is all mine, and come tomorrow, everyone in town will know it.

With time quickly running out before my trip to Europe, I want to take advantage of every moment with Nico, so I decide to spend Sunday morning with him and Rafael despite usually having it off. After breakfast and a morning ATV ride around the farm’s property, I head to Main Street and meet up with Willow at the Early Bird Diner. With most of the town still recovering from yesterday’s Strawberry Festival, the diner is relatively quiet and empty for a weekend.

Willow props a menu up to cover our faces and beckons me forward.

“Are we hiding from someone?” I look around the restaurant.

“Jessica is good at reading lips.” She tilts her head in the direction of the older woman seated at the countertop. “And Cami is an eavesdropper.” She tips her chin in the direction of Alana Castillo, Callahan Kane, and their daughter, Cami, eating brunch a few tables away from us.

My gaze swings back to hers. “What’s going on?”

She glances around one more time before whispering, “Remember Operation Fake Fiancée?”

“Hard to forget given the growing stack of possible candidates on your coffee table.”

She makes a face. “Well, good thing I won’t have to interview anyone else.”

“You found someone?”

She nods.

“Who?”

Her nose scrunches in distaste. “You’re not going to like it.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m going to have to ask you to keep the whole thing a secret from Rafael.”

“It’s always been a secret—” I pause and stare at her for a few beats. “No.” There is only one reason Willow would want me to keep Operation Fake Fiancée from Rafael in the first place, and it can only be because…

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Please tell me you’re not thinking of her.”

Her lips purse. “She wasn’t my first choice.”

“That’s a perfect reason to pick someone else.”

“I did.”

“But?” I ask.

“Lorenzo refused everyone else.”

“Of course he did. Rafael is the least of your worries because once Julian finds out…”

“Lily knows that.”

“But she applied anyway?”

“Not exactly.”

“Willow.” I say her name with a groan.

“I know this isn’t ideal.”

“Ideal? I like her way too much to subject her to that kind of torture.”

“Lorenzo isn’t the worst guy out there.”

“Does he use that slogan on his dating profile?”

My best friend glares. “With the election fast approaching, we’re out of options.”

I drop my head into my hands and groan. “I can’t keep this from Rafael.”

She takes a brief pause before speaking again. “Can you trust him with a secret like this?”

“I hope so because omitting the truth isn’t happening.” There is no way in hell I could pretend to be unaware of Lily and Lorenzo’s fake relationship, especially if it means Lorenzo spending time around the Muñoz and Lopez families.

Her head falls back against the vinyl booth. “If he tells Julian…”

“I know.”

“Lily doesn’t want her family to know the truth.”

Why would she choose to do this in the first place? It’s not like Lily needs the cash, seeing as Dahlia, Julian, or Rafael could bail her out in a heartbeat, so I’m not sure what her reasoning is for fake-dating Lorenzo.

“What is she getting out of this?” I ask the question aloud.

Willow drops the menu. “Honestly? I have no idea.”

“Does Lorenzo know why she wants to do this?”

“Nope, but he told me that he is determined to find out.”

The next day, while Nico is at summer camp, Rafael asks if I want to take Penelope out for a lap around the property together during his lunch hour, and I agree. Rafael has been taking longer breaks from work, both because of Nico’s summer vacation from school and because he wants to take advantage of the little time we have left before I head to London. I appreciate his sacrifice, especially when he has to stay awake later to make up for the time spent away from his computer.

Thankfully, Rafael didn’t let Lily and Dahlia get rid of his cowboy boots and favorite set of flannel shirts when they were helping him with his closet. His pair of scuffed boots combined with a black T-shirt, faded blue jeans, and a backward ball cap is really doing something for me, especially when he bends over to grab a sugar cube I accidentally dropped while hopping on to Penelope’s saddle.

I’m caught in the act of checking him out, and he climbs onto the saddle behind me with a deep chuckle. My heart squeezes in my chest as his arms circle me and his body presses against my back before he grabs Penelope’s reins.

I lean back against him with a sigh. “Have you thought about adopting another horse?”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because then we can ride together.”

“Do you even know how?”

“No, but you could teach me.”

His thighs press against mine. “And miss out on you sharing a horse with me? Hell no.”

I laugh. “Fair point.”

“Plus, I like to do this.” He kisses the sensitive spot on the curve of my neck. “And this.” He brushes a hand up the inside of my thigh, making my lower half heat up.

“Focus on the trail.”

He chuckles in my ear before making a clicking noise with his tongue. Penelope increases her speed, and my fingers dig into his arms.

“Warn me next time!”

He laughs again as we head off toward the short trail he had made around his property.

“So…” I finally work up the nerve to broach the Lily–Lorenzo subject after mulling it over for five minutes. According to Willow, she plans on announcing their relationship soon, so it’s best for me to get ahead of the news.

His arms wrapped around me tighten. “What?”

“I have something to tell you.” My hand chokes the saddle’s pommel.

“I assumed as much.”

I blink twice. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve hardly said anything since yesterday.”

“Oh.” Maybe Dahlia was right, and I do need to work on my poker face.

“I thought a quick ride could help clear your mind, but I guess not.”

The way he reads me so easily is both unsettling and impressive.

“I—” I pause when he shoots me a look. “I’m nervous.”

“Is everything okay?” His grip on the reins tightens.

I stare at his hands. “Kind of.”

“Then why are you nervous?”

“Because I want to trust you, but—”

“But?”

“You may want to tell other people.”

“So long as Nico isn’t affected, you can trust me with anything.”

The finality of his words makes me relax against him. “You promise?”

“I promise.” He kisses my shoulder. “You can count on me.”

My chest constricts painfully. “Okay.”

I focus on the trail for a few moments before I work up the nerve to speak. “Lorenzo has been searching for a fake fiancée.”

“What for?”

I sink against him again. “The election.”

“A small-town mayoral campaign means that much to him?”

I shrug. “I don’t know why, but it does.”

“All right…”

“Willow’s been searching for a while, but they haven’t had any success until now.”

“What changed?”

“Lily.”

Rafael accidentally pulls on the reins. “What?”

“I know. I had a hard time believing it too.” I sneak a quick glance over my shoulder to find his face looking paler than usual.

“Is this a joke?”

I flinch. “Afraid not.”

“I can’t believe she would go through with something like this. Marriage is a huge mistake. Fake or not.”

My heart feels like Rafael rammed a thousand needles through the soft tissue.

Thankfully, he can’t see my face, but I still take a deep breath and clear my pained expression just in case.

I understand his reservations about marrying someone, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less. If anything, it feels worse, because the more time we spend together, the more I consider our future.

I don’t want a dead-end relationship. I want a never-ending highway of possibilities, and I want to go on the journey of a lifetime with him.

Give him time to work through his issues.

I understand that dating someone who has countless reasons not to trust someone else isn’t supposed to be easy. We’re going to go through hurdles, and marriage happens to be one of them.

I clear my throat and the tight ball that formed there. “I’m not sure why Lily agreed to this, but according to Willow, Lorenzo has known her for a while.”

He brushes a hand down his face with a curse. “Julian is going to be so pissed when he finds out.”

“I thought as much.”

“Why would she agree to this?” He sounds so damn confused.

“No one knows.”

“Not even Willow?” he asks.

“No.”

“And Lorenzo?”

“He doesn’t know either.”

He grunts something to himself before speaking again. “So Lily just agreed out of the blue to become his fake fiancée?”

“Yes.”

He drops back with a sigh. “I don’t like this.”

I cover his hands holding the reins with mine. “Lorenzo isn’t a bad guy.” Manipulative and self-serving, yes, but he did help Rafael with Darius and protected plenty of future women from suffering like I did, so I have a soft spot for him.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I want him engaged to someone who is like a sister to me.”

I sigh. “She won’t know that you know.”

“I’ll make sure she doesn’t, but if I sense something is off—”

“Then you and I will kick his ass.”

He wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me tighter against him. “I appreciate you trusting me.”

“I couldn’t not tell you.”

He shakes his head. “That’s not true. You could’ve stayed quiet, and I wouldn’t have known.”

“That wasn’t an option.”

He stiffens behind me. “Why?”

“Because I don’t want to keep secrets from you.”

He turns my head and kisses any lingering worries away until I’m only thinking about him and how I’m helplessly falling in love with a man who could end up breaking my heart one day. Hopefully, he chooses to protect it instead, but it doesn’t matter.

I’d willingly choose to repeat every single moment, so long as it may end with me spending forever in his arms.