Faking Forever (First Wives #4)(33)

They both turned to see Shannon and Victor walking back to their table, his hand on her arm and both of them smiling and out of breath.

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Dylan said.

Avery felt a slight doubt in the back of her head. “I do.”





Chapter Twelve

“I know what you’re doing,” Shannon said once the two of them were down to their birthday suits and floating in the pool under the light of the moon. The sidewalks rolled up early in Tulum, and the party below was down to a few die-hards at the bar after the band had finished for the night.

Dylan and Erasmo said their good nights, and Victor bowed out shortly after.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t even try and pretend. Dancing with Victor, invites to dinner . . . I’m surprised you didn’t suggest he join us in the pool.”

Avery looked down at her reflection. “Good idea.”

Shannon splashed water at her friend. “He isn’t the right guy to sleep with.”

“I never suggested he is. But he is the right guy to flirt with.”

Which was exactly what she’d done all night. Avery’s words swam in Shannon’s head continually about the man’s attraction to her. Her hyperfocus on his actions made it hard to see anything but the soft brown of his eyes or the way they smiled when he laughed at how clumsy the two of them were while attempting to salsa dance. If she were honest with herself, and right now she was doing her best to lie, the man was slowly tugging on her inactive libido. Men had led her on and off the dance floors in social situations many times in the past few years . . . since Paul . . . but she hadn’t paid attention to how their palms molded into the small of her back, or how they lingered on her shoulder. Probably because those dances were obligations during her friends’ weddings or the occasional fundraising event where saying no would have proved awkward. Again, the people pleaser in Shannon would come out, and she’d dance with strangers she felt nothing toward.

Just thinking about Victor’s long fingers and laughing smile warmed her. He was different.

“Look at it this way,” Avery started. “Victor is safe, right? I mean, he just broke it off with his fiancée, and the chances of you really falling for the guy are pretty slim, right?”

Shannon instantly agreed. “He’s not the keeping kind.”

“Exactly. But he is a decent transitional guy. You haven’t put yourself out there in forever. And yet you somehow expected you’d be able to come here, pick up a stranger, have sex, and move on. C’mon, Shannon. You had to know you’d stutter a few times before your sexual engine starts to hum.”

Shannon lifted her chin, wanting to deny Avery’s claim. “I’ve been running low on fuel for a while.”

“Men like Victor are the gas station. Let him flirt. Flirt back. Enjoy his attention and learn to cut it off. Something I don’t think you’re all that practiced on. He’s on the rebound and can’t be looking for more than the same thing you are. Positive opposite sex attention.”

“I’m not sleeping with him.”

Avery was quiet.

“I’m not.”

“Fine. Don’t.”

“Avery. I’m as fertile as they come.” She’d taken her ovulation tests over the past few months and mapped out her best days to conceive.

“Condoms still work.”

“I know, but no. I’m not going there. If something happened and I did end up pregnant with Victor’s . . .” She shook her head, unable to let the image continue in her head. “That would be wrong for everyone.”

“Relax. No one is getting pregnant tonight. Enjoy the attention, Shannon. That’s all I’m suggesting. When was the last time someone looked at you the way he did tonight?”

His eyes did hold hers a lot.

“It’s been a long time.”

“The man was undressing you with his eyes every time he thought no one was looking.”

“That sounds sleazy.”

“If he was open about it and added a ‘hey baby, your place or mine,’ then yes. But he only looked when he didn’t realize anyone watched. Know the difference between him and the ‘your place or mine’ guy. That is the guy you were looking for this week. Mr. Temporary. Mr. Hot Attraction Baby Daddy Material. Not Mr. Jilted Groom Bleeding Heart Guy.”

“I don’t see a bleeding heart.”

Avery sighed. “Me either. Whatever. It doesn’t matter. Consider Victor a practice run.”

Practice run . . .

She could do that.



If it made a difference, Victor looked away when Avery stepped out of the pool.

The heat of the day had disappeared with the sun, but the warmth of the Caribbean kept the evening temperatures well into the low eighties.

The only thing that would make the habit-forming ritual of watching Shannon skinny-dip better would be if he could eavesdrop on her conversation. She felt their attraction, even though she seemed to squirm away from it whenever he leaned in close. Avery was making it easy, pushing it, even.

He had to respect a friend who approved enough to create opportunities for him to seduce. Which was why he looked away when Avery stepped out of the pool.

The moon didn’t offer much in the way of light, but that didn’t stop him from finding his perch moments before the women slid into the water.