Maid for Each Other(34)

“Excellent, excellent,” I said, sliding my fingers up into his thick hair to anchor him in place. “Because this is way more fun than holding hands.”

“Hey, can you guys break it up? This is a public place.”

I gasped and pulled away, turning around to see a very attractive man smiling at us. I looked back up at Declan, who had cleared his throat and smoothed his hair before his eyes flashed with recognition.

“Roman,” Declan said with a sheepish grin, grabbing my hand and pulling me with him toward the guy.

“Hey, Abi,” the guy said, smiling in such a genuine way that I was dying to know who he was and how we supposedly knew each other. “It’s so nice to see you again.”

“You, too,” I said, my cheeks on fire as I wondered how I was supposed to play this one.

I was also mortified that he’d caught us making out in the hallway.

“How the heck have you been?” I asked with a smile, trying to sound breezy and light.

“Good,” he said. “My sister was going to come with me but she’s home with the baby tonight.”

“Ah,” I said, shrugging and going for it, laying it on even thicker. “Lucky girl.”

That made the stranger and Declan smirk at each other, confirming my suspicion that this guy was fully aware of what was going on with the whole fake-dating act.

As if hearing my thoughts, Roman leaned in and said, “Thanks for doing our boy this big favor, by the way.”

“Anything for our boy,” I muttered, wondering what Roman thought of me and what exactly he knew.

“We were just about to head out,” Declan said to his friend. “Are you bailing as well?”

“I wasn’t going to, but now I feel like I must,” Roman said with a dramatic eye roll. “You’re the one who gave me tickets.”

“You can stay all night; I don’t give a shit.”

Apparently permission was all Roman needed, because a minute later, when the three of us returned to the crowded showroom, he waved a hand before turning away from us and joining the shoppers.

“Let’s say goodbye to Warren,” Declan said, and as we approached the old guy to say our farewells, I actually felt guilty lying because I liked him so much. He seemed like a genuinely good human, which was a little confusing when he was a billionaire.

There was no way for me to make that work in my head.

“We’re going to take off,” Declan said. “Abi’s got to let the dog out before he rips up the place.”

Oh right, my dog.

Did he have a name? I couldn’t remember.

“Have a great night, Abi,” Warren said, giving my arm a little pat. “And that necklace looks beautiful on you; Dex did good.”

“Thank you,” I said, looking down at it. “He really did.”

I was surprised when Warren went in for a hug.

I was equally surprised that I didn’t hate it.

As soon as he let go of me he said, “You’re running in the 5K tomorrow morning, right?”

Declan had explained to me that the Shareholder 5K was a big family event that Hathaway employees really turned out for. There were a lot of runners who registered because they liked racing, but there were just as many attendees who walked with kids and strollers.

He’d told me the last part as if he thought I couldn’t run, which had prompted me to trash-talk about how I could actually run circles around his ass.

Even though I couldn’t.

“Of course I am,” I said, uneasy at the thought of it. Still, I said, “Any opportunity to embarrass Dex in public by beating him is my favorite thing in the world.”

“She can’t beat me,” Declan corrected, shaking his head like I was adorable. “She wishes.”

“We shall see,” I said, feeling lightheaded when he shot me a teasing smile.

With that mouth that I now knew was incredibly skilled.

The odds of me beating him were slim. I ran every day, but I’d seen Declan with no shirt and dear Lord, the man must spend every waking hour that he wasn’t in the office at the gym. When I’d seen him in those low-hanging pants with the buckle not fastened, I’d nearly fainted dead away.

That being said, it sounded like a fun, wholesome activity, and I was a pretty good runner so I knew I could hold my own.

We said our good nights and were approaching Declan’s car in the parking lot when Roman reappeared, jogging toward us.

“Hey, Dex,” he said as he ran up. “Hold up.”

“Yeah?” Declan turned toward his friend, and I couldn’t stop myself from stealing a glance at his profile.

Had that man really just kissed me?

I just couldn’t get over it.

“Sorry, Abi—quick work question.”

I shrugged. “No worries.”

“I’m going to forward something that just came in like an hour ago,” Roman said, looking more serious than he had since I’d met him. “But I don’t want to wait. Take a look at it as soon as you get home and let me know ASAP if it’s got your approval.”

“I didn’t know you worked for Hathaway, too,” I said. It was a little impressive that they’d been friends for so long and worked together. “I thought you were just a personal guest.”