5: In One Bedroom


    Addison


    I was just stepping out of the bathroom in only a towel when the door of my bedroom suddenly opened, making me let out a startled squeak, my hands going round the towel and my eyes widening in panic.


    For a fleeting moment, my mind hoped for it to be Marco… but it wasn’t. It turned out to be Zane, who sauntered in with a grin tugging at his lips as he closed the door after him.


    My heartbeat still picked up as our eyes locked and at once, I felt a wave of heate over me, one which suddenly made me feel naked when his dark eyes trailed over my entire body from head to toe.


    “What are you d- doing here?” I finally managed to ask after what felt like ages, my voice ridiculously high pitched even to my own ears.


    Zane began to close the distance between us and my eyes widened, making me instinctively take a few steps backwards, my heart jumping into my throat when he didn’t stop till my back was flushed against the wall behind me and he was only an inch away.


    “I’m here cause this is also where I’d be staying.” He responded and at once, I sputtered while staring up at him.


    “You can’t be serious! You’ll stay in here w- with me?? We’re practically strangers, and…”


    “As boyfriend and girlfriend, we’re supposed to stay together in the same room, no? If we stay in separate rooms, everyone would be able to see through our lie.” He pointed out as he leaned down so his face was on the same level as mine. For some reason, that made me feel so flustered since my lungscked some air.


    “Oh, I didn’t think that far.” I mumbled as I nced away from his eyes, suddenly feeling ridiculous. My heart was racing stupidly and I was feeling all hot on the inside, when I wasn’t supposed to be feeling anything right now since this man and I are gonna be putting on a show and nothing else in theing days.


    With that thought in mind, I cleared my throat as I nced up at him. “Why are you standing this close to me though? We’re not outside so there’s no need for any PDA.” I pointed out and he nodded, a low hum leaving his mouth as he slowly looked me over again, and once again, I felt my blood start to heat up.


    “You’re right, I forgot.” He drawled, just as one of his hands came up to rest on the spot at the side of my head.


    “I guess I got a little distracted.” He added and I felt my heartbeat quicken. That caught me off guard, and so I did the next thing that came to mind— I shoved at his chest and slipped away, then I clutched my towel tight while ring at him now that I was a few feet away from him.


    “A- are you trying to seduce me?” I asked, giving him a t look.


    He held his hands up, a grin still on his face. “What? Why would you think that?”


    I rolled my eyes as I folded my arms. “I don’t know, it just felt like you wereing off to me really strongly from nowhere.” I pointed out, hating that my heart was still racing right now.


    This time, he clicked his tongue. “Why would I do that though? Like, what would I achieve through that?” He asked and I frowned while thinking hard and trying to think of whatever ulterior motive he might have that might need him to seduce me, but nothing wasing to mind.


    “See?” He drawled and I huffed while ncing away.


    “J- just, no physical contact if it’s not necessary. Behind closed doors, we should keep our hands to ourselves.” I announced and he snorted.


    “But I didn’t even touch you yet. Why? Are you already this flustered without me touching you yet?” He asked and I felt my face fill up with heat as I found myself spluttering again.


    He was such a… tease, and a menace. A stark difference from Marco.


    “I wasn’t flustered, just caught off guard. And you were in my personal space.” I snapped, my grip tightening on my towel as he sauntered over again.


    This time, I held his gaze and tried to keep my face nk as he came up in my personal space again, but my heart raced again because something about him was making me feel breathless and hot on the inside, something which I couldn’t put my fingers on.


    “If we want to convince everyone we’re dating and can’t get enough of each other, you’d have to get used to me being in your personal space, and that can’t happen if we don’t practice once we’re behind closed doors… like right now for example.” As he spoke this time, he leaned down again and everything within me was urging me to duck my head but I still held his gaze despite starting to feel flustered again.


    And I hated to admit it, but what he just said made sense. I guess I just didn’t expect him to be this hot in person when I agreed toe to this wedding with him.


    How was I supposed to know that he’d be this tall and broad shouldered?


    At the end, I averted my gaze while clearing my throat. “I- I guess you’re right.” I mumbled reluctantly and when I nced back at him, he had a sinful grin across that tugged on something in my stomach.


    “See?” He drawled and I scoffed while rolling my eyes, instantly hating his cockiness.


    “So, can I touch you right now?” He asked and I was so taken offguard that I almost dropped my towel.


    “W- what? Why?” I squeaked out as his eyes dropped to my towel and back to my face, whine the sides of his lips twitched.


    “Well, for practice, duh. You have to get used to me constantly touching you for our n to work.” He pointed out and I shook my head as I stepped back, my grip tightening even more on my towel.


    “I- I should probably change then.”


    He took a step closer, narrowing the space between us again, and then he ced his hand on my waist, making my breath instantly hitch.


    “That won’t be necessary, bunny.”


    My brain shortcuited at the nickname and the feeling of his hand burning into my skin through the thick material of the fluffy towel.


    “B- bunny?” I spluttered and he hummed while nodding.


    “That’s the nickname I’ll be calling you in public to make our rtionship seem more believable.” He informed me and I spluttered again.


    “But—“


    “Most people in rtionships have nicknames, it would look more believable that way.” He affirmed, but that wasn’t what was on my mind anymore. What was on my mind was the feeling of his hand still on my waist.


    I ced a hand on his chest, intending on shoving him away, but the feeling of my hand pressing into firm muscles made my heart rate to spike up once again.


    “See? It wasn’t so hard.” His voice ended up pulling me out of my thoughts and I nodded awkwardly while ncing away.


    He thankfully dropped his hand and stepped away from me in the next moment, and I was finally able to breathe again.


    When I bolted into the bathroom in the next moment, I slumped against the door while trying to wrap my head around the interaction that just went down between my fake boyfriend and myself.


    I couldn’t stop thinking about how his hand felt on my waist, or how hard his muscles felt beneath my hand. That made a sigh leave my lips as I walked up to the wash hand basin to ssh water over my face.


    I was feeling extremely relieved that he ended up showing up. At least I won’t have to stand out again by being the only one without a date. His presence should hopefully reduce the teasing that mighte my way in theing days, and I hated to admit it, but I was already looking forward to how he was gonna make me get noticed by Marco, and make Marco yearn for me.


    That was very pathetic, but I couldn’t help it.


    The thought of Aisha and Marco getting married still filled me with so much pain that I almost couldn’t breathe.


    When I exited the bathroom, I was still in a towel because the outfit I nned to sleep in— arge worn out shirt that actually belonged to Marco, and a small sleeping shorts— wasn’t in the bathroom, I came to an abrupt stop shortly after leaving the bathroom, because of the sight in front of me.


    Zane was shirtless.


    That wasn’t just it.


    He was alsoying in the middle of my bed, his hands beneath his head.


    The sight made me splutter and color instantly filled my cheeks. His entire skin was covered with tattoos, that made him appear dangerous, like someone I shouldn’t even be in a room with. His abs look so outlined and strong, and the way his biceps were bulging…


    “What are you doing in my bed?” I finally manage to get out, my hands back to clutching my towel.


    He arched a brow my way, and my face flooded with more heat, but I refused to look away.


    “I was waiting for you to get out, so we could get to know a little about each other before going to sleep.”


    I found myself sputtering again.


    “Y- you seriously don’t expect to sleep in the same bed as myself, did you?”


    This time, his raised eyebrow felt annoying.


    “Where else am I supposed to sleep? On the couch?”


    I nodded fast, my heart pounding hard against my ribs. “Yes, of course! No way am I gonna share a bed with you.”


    “But what if someonees in when we’re asleep and sees me on the couch? Our cover would instantly be busted, so we have to share a bed no matter what.”