Page 191 of Faking the Goal

Then his eyes find me.

The scowl disappears.

His entire expression brightens as a slow smirk curves across his lips, and there's something so ridiculously charismatic about the way he starts toward me that for one embarrassing second, I forget I'm supposed to be performing for anyone.

Fuck.

No wonder these girls are bitter.

I'd hate me too.

He closes the distance between us without even acknowledging the four people standing nearby, and the second he's within reach, one arm snakes around my waist and pulls me against him.

"Hey, babe."

"Hey, baby," I say, making sure my voice carries just enough of an alluring lilt for everyone nearby to hear. I fling my arms around his neck and give him my sweetest, most shameless smile. "You came at the perfect time."

I peek over his shoulder while he settles both arms around my waist, and sure enough, all four girls are still standing there. The baffled looks on their faces are so fucking satisfying that I have to press my lips together to keep from laughing.

Kentaro notices where I'm looking and follows my gaze, his arm tightening slightly around me before his attention returns to my face. "Were they bothering you?"

"Oh, nothing serious." I run my hand slowly over his chest, smoothing my palm over the front of his shirt as I give him a little giggle. "They were just curious about our relationship. You know, people still seem to have a hard time believing I managed to snag someone as perfect as you, babe."

His brow lifts at perfect, but I keep going before he can comment.

"And they seem to think I threw myself at you until you finally gave in." I flutter my lashes up at him. "I was just explaining that they have it completely backward. You were the one who did all the chasing."

Kentaro's eyes flick toward the girls before returning to me.

I smile up at him while silently begging him with every ounce of telepathy I possess to please, for the love of God, follow my lead.

I should probably tell him about these little additions to our fictional relationship before I start announcing them to strangers.

Too late now.

"Isn't that right, baby?"

Something shifts in his expression as he looks at the girls again. The warmth that had appeared when he saw me vanishes beneath the cold, intimidating stare I'm much more accustomed to, and judging by the way their smug little smiles disappear, they understand exactly why most people think twice before fucking with Kentaro Azuma.

"My relationship with Taylor is none of your fucking business. You don't know what goes on between us, so don't stand there making assumptions and running your mouths about something you know nothing about."

"And yes." His mouth curves into the faintest smile. "I chased her." His thumb brushes absently against my waist. "I fell for her while she was working on that feature about me. We were spending so much time together that it was kind of hard not to, especially once I started getting to know who she actually was. The one with the smart mouth who always has something to say, especially when she probably shouldn't. The one who can make fun of me with a completely straight face and somehow make me laugh when I'm trying my hardest to stay pissed at her."

There are a few quiet laughs around us, but Kentaro doesn't look away from me.

"She's funny. She's stubborn as hell. She argues about everything, and even when she knows she's wrong, she'll keep arguing just because she hates letting me win." His smile grows a little. "And she notices things. Little things. Things most people don't pay attention to. She listens when you talk, even when she pretends she isn't interested. She cares a lot more than she lets people see. And once you spend enough time with her, you realize there are all these parts of her she keeps tucked away unless she decides you're worth letting in."

Something in my chest pulls tight.

His thumb moves once against my waist.

"By the time I realized how much I liked being around her, I was already a goner." He gives the smallest shrug, like there was never anything particularly complicated about it. "So yeah, I chased her. Unfortunately, she wanted nothing to do with me." His smile turns faintly amused. "But I'd already fallen for her by then, so that wasn't exactly enough to make me give up. I just kept at it until she finally said yes."

Okay.

I know this is a made-up story.

I know he's giving them a version of our relationship that never actually happened.