Pretending She's His: A Hard Feelings Novella by Kelsie Leverich Read Free Book Online Page B

never had to test out that theory until now.
    He smiled, seemingly able to read or mind. “You want to tell everyone, babe?” he asked, reaching underneath the table and sliding his hand over Eva’s thigh.
    She stilled, her body going rigid to the sensual touch of Trevor’s fingers grazing the bare flesh of her thigh. She wanted to swat his hand away. She wanted to tell him to get his roaming hand on his side of the table before she dislocated it from his wrist. But she couldn’t. She’d wanted this, after all. He was playing his part. She feigned a smile, letting her lips curl upward and allowing her teeth to peek through the thin gap.
    Clearing her throat she sneaked a quick glance at Meagan, for a little reassurance, and she was absolutely no help whatsoever. She looked as if the vein in her forehead was about ready to burst from the laugh she was apparently suppressing.
    “Well, there’s not really much to tell,” she started, shifting her eyes to Trevor, hoping he would sense her discomfort and come to her rescue again—and he did.
    “Eva and I are together,” he announced.
    All the eyes, other than Meagan’s, Trevor’s, and Eva’s, darted to Luke. What the hell was that about? Did everyone know how he felt about her? When Eva finally chanced a glance at him she saw that he was watching her, that fucking smile from earlier screwed into his cheeks. His eyes flickered to Trevor who was doing what Trevor did best, standing his ground—emitting his own ounce of intimidation right back at Luke. When Luke’s eyes found hers again, his smile still firmly in place, he looked at her as if he didn’t truly believe it. Like he could see right through her little lie.
    Was that the reason he was so cool about things up at the pool? Did he think she was bullshitting him from the start? Fuck. He knew her better than she realized—which pissed her off beyond belief. Luke was the whole reason she was playing this little game of make-believe to begin with, and if he didn’t believe it, then what was the fucking point?
    Something speared through Eva. Something hot and cold at the same time. It felt a lot like anger, but it was completely different. She couldn’t find the correct word to convey the sensation she was experiencing in her veins, her chest, her muscles. She was revved up. Adrenaline coursing through her like she was about to dive headfirst into the black hole that represented the huge lie she was suddenly all about seeing through. Luke was challenging her, he was staring at her with a desire in his eyes as he watched her. She watched them skim over the thin skin at the base of her throat where her heartbeat was pattering rapidly. Then his eyes traveled to her mouth where her breath had started coming in quick puffs, and then to her eyes that were locked on his with a ferocity she hadn’t possessed in a long time.
    Yes, Eva was lying like a dog. Yes, Luke was correct in his bold, unannounced assumption that Trevor was nothing more than a friend. And yes, all of it was coiled into one giant clusterfuck of emotions that were spiraling around one another. Eva was suddenly pissed. Mostly at herself for getting into this fucking situation. But now more than ever she wanted to prove her little lie to be true. It didn’t make sense, and how in the hell did someone prove a lie to be true? That was the same as proving a lie with a lie. She was going around and around in a circle of lies but she didn’t care, that’s exactly what she was going to do.
    She felt Trevor’s hand slide up her leg and skim over the side of her stomach. The featherlight touch calmed the ball of heat that had accumulated in her chest, right below her throat, and she felt slightly more at ease—which was a gift Trevor had always seemed to possess. Eva had watched him calm Meagan down in all of her panicked Meagan moments with a simple, casual embrace, or with easy, calming words. But there was a difference in the way his fingertips