All Chapters of Pretend to be mine : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

As she sank into the pillows, he rose above her, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. She couldn't help but feel impressed - he had every right to be proud of himself. He showered her with gentle kisses, tracing a path up her body, from her stomach to her breasts, her neck, and finally, her lips. He settled in beside her, and she turned to face him, her hand drifting to his side. She marveled at the firmness of his chest and the trail of hair that disappeared beneath his waistband. This guy was incredible. "That was... beyond words," she admitted, still breathless. "You left me speechless." He leaned in, his lips meeting hers in a deeper, more passionate kiss. "I'm glad I had that effect on you." Her fingers toyed with the waistband of his boxers. "These need to go," she whispered, her eyes locked on his. "And something else needs to come into play," she added, her voice husky. He didn't hesitate, swiftly removing his underwear and rummaging through his bag for a

"I guess that's the whole story," he said, his eyes drifting away. "We dated, I messed up, I apologized, and now she's married to Josh – a great guy." She pulled the sheet tighter around herself and turned to face him. "So, attending the wedding was a way of making amends?" He leaned back against the pillows and finally met her gaze. "I suppose so. Maybe that's why I was dreading it – and craving a sandwich." He hoped to coax a smile from her, but her expression remained serious. Her eyes dropped, avoiding his. "Hey," he said softly, touching her arm. "I'm sorry. I should have been honest with you before you came over last night, instead of letting you find out another way." She met his eyes and nodded. “Okay,” was all she said. "Are you upset?" he asked, not wanting to prolong the conversation but concerned about her feelings. They didn't have much time left together. "I'm not upset," she replied, holding his gaze for a moment before her smile became more genuine. "I

They joined the end of the line, which was surprisingly long considering it was a cool evening. But Lucia was undeterred, bouncing up and down with excitement. "Come on, come on," she muttered, tapping her foot impatiently. Avon laughed. "Patience, my dear." Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they reached the front of the line. The ice cream lady, a friendly woman with a warm smile, called out, "Next in line!" Lucia and Avon stepped forward, scanning the colorful array of ice cream flavors on display. "I'll have a scoop of strawberry, please," Lucia said, her eyes shining with anticipation. "And I'll have a scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough," Avon added, handing over his money. The ice cream lady efficiently handed over their cones, and they stepped aside to lick their ice cream in happy silence. As they walked back to the car, licking their cones, Lucia turned to Avon with a contented sigh. "This is the perfect day." Avon smiled, his eyes crinkling at the

She sprang back to life, her digital presence humming as she continued with her tasks. "Okay, resuming routine," she whispered to herself. Lucia began puttering around the house, checking on various smart devices. She adjusted the thermostat, dimmed the living room lights, and started a load of laundry. She changed out of the dress he’d almost torn off her and into yoga pants and a tank top (and underwear), unloaded her dishwasher, went through the rest of the work emails that had come in this weekend, and made a to-do list for the workweek. As she worked, she also tackled her virtual tasks. But all the time she thought about Avon. The way he’d laughed whenever she’d laughed; the way he kept touching her, like his hands belonged on her skin; the way he’d smiled at her in the middle of the night like he was so happy to have her there with him in his bed; the way he ate his burrito with tortilla chips as utensils and blushed when she teased him about it. The whole time she hoped s

Lucia’s fingers flew across the keyboard as she typed out a response to Avon’s text. She had barely contained her excitement, trying to play it cool despite the butterflies dancing in her stomach. "I'd love to check the flights," she replied, trying to sound casual. "What time were you thinking?" Just as she hit send, a voice interrupted her thoughts. "I'm shocked you're not spinning around in your office chair," Nolan said, standing by the door with a hint of amusement. Lucia’s heart skipped a beat as she jumped in her seat, her eyes wide with alarm. How did he know about Avon’s text? Had he been watching her? But Nolan's next words put her at ease. "I mean, I've never seen anyone so thrilled about writing a memo," he continued, chuckling. "You must be really passionate about at-risk youth." Lucia let out a sigh of relief, laughing awkwardly. "Oh, yeah. I just... really care about this project." Nolan nodded, his expression serious once more. "I can tell”. Nolan paused mid-r