Chapter 4

Zayn’s POV

"He's gone now." I stepped back, finally releasing her. She gasped, still catching her breath. Her cheeks were flushed, and she slapped my hands away, hopping off the car in one swift motion.

"Do you have to be so close to me like that? Without warning?" She shot me a glare, clearly uncomfortable.

I fought the urge to laugh. The way her little nose scrunched up made her look impossibly cute.

"Of course," I said, keeping my tone casual. "For this to work, we need to stay in each other's spaces. You know, make it believable."

"Not everyone in relationships should be glued together all the time," she grumbled, crossing her arms.

I raised an eyebrow. "You're right. But if I was in a real relationship, I'd want to be close to my girl all the time. I wouldn't be able to get enough of her." I made it sound simple, logical even.

I'd never actually been in a real relationship, but I assumed that's how it would be. And for some reason, the thought of her as my girl didn't feel completely off.

"Just next time, give me a heads-up before you get all handsy," she insisted, brushing her curls out of her face.

I noticed her then, in a way I hadn't before. She wasn't dressed for a club, but I wasn't about to call her out on it. I had a feeling it would lead to an argument.

"So, should we head back to the club?" she asked, her voice uncertain.

I shook my head, pulling my keys from my pocket. "Nah. We'll go back to the island."

Her frown deepened. "Wouldn't that be weird?"

"No. Going back to the club would be weird. People will think we're sneaking off to..." I cut myself off, watching her face turn bright red.

"You don't need to be so crass." She coughed awkwardly, eyes darting away from mine.

I smirked. She blushed easily. Interesting.

I unlocked the car, and we got in. As I started the engine, I glanced over at her. "What? You don't cuss?"

She rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her chest. "Of course I cuss, but I'm not crass. There's a difference."

I grinned, easing onto the highway. "Are you saying I'm crass? That's a pretty rash judgment, don't you think?"

Her expression turned deadpan. "You're teasing me."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Of course I am."

She huffed, her eyes narrowing. "I really didn't expect you to show up. You ignored all my calls. I was annoyed. Disappointed."

I stiffened, glancing away. "I didn't ignore your calls. I was just unavailable. Wouldn't bail on an agreement without notice," I lied smoothly, barely feeling the sting of my own words.

The truth was, I'd ignored her calls, along with Connor's, this morning. I had second thoughts about showing up, but after a talk with my grandfather, everything changed. Now, I was stuck in this ridiculous game.

I glanced at Adriana again, letting my eyes linger a second too long before turning back to the road. She wasn't just pretty. She was striking. Her face was soft, round, her lips fuller than I expected. Her beauty was dangerous in a quiet way, the kind that crept up on you.

I quickly shifted my focus back to the road before she caught me staring.

When Connor asked me to help his best friend, Adriana, by pretending to be her boyfriend at the wedding, I was ready to say no. It sounded stupid, like a waste of time. But then I saw her photo, and I recognized her. She'd been in Enzo's life five years ago.

I never met her, but I'd seen the picture. Our parents didn't approve of her then. I remember them trashing her over dinner. "Not good enough for Enzo." "Too poor, too plain."

Apparently, they made her cry when she visited. Enzo never brought her around after that, and two months later, he dumped her without explanation.

My family cut me off years ago, leaving everything to Enzo. Even the private island I owned was practically his now, contingent on his marriage. But I wasn't done. I had a plan, and whether she knew it or not, Adriana was part of it.

I glanced at her again. The air hit her face, and her hair danced around her shoulders. The memory of our kiss earlier flashed in my mind, the soft sound she made when I pulled her close.

I didn't expect to find her alluring.

I thought it would just be a job. Help Connor, pretend, and leave. But now, I wasn't so sure. She was funny, grumpy, silly. And yeah, pretty damn cute when she was flustered.

The island came into view, and I pulled into the drive, parking by the mansion. I glanced at her again.

"So, how did you manage without a date?" I asked, opening my door.

She frowned. "Horribly. I stood out. Everyone else had someone, but I didn't."

I laughed. "Well, now you've got me. We'll make quite the show. But hey, standing out isn't always bad. Sometimes, it's exactly what you need."

I reached for her hand, but she jerked it away.

"No PDA. Not yet." She was stiff, all business.

I smirked and slid my hands into my pockets. She was feisty, building walls faster than I could knock them down.

Her arms folded tighter as she gave me a sharp look. "Listen, Zayn, I'm serious. Don't play games with me. I know you have an ulterior motive. I'm not stupid."

I leaned back against the car, watching her closely. The moonlight caught her face, and for a moment, I saw the hurt there. The girl who'd been rejected, humiliated, cast aside. She was protecting herself, and I couldn't blame her.

"I'm not gonna pressure you to tell me anything you don't want to, Adriana. Just don't get caught up in anything you don't want to be part of." I let my tone slip into something less friendly, almost cold.

With that, she turned and walked toward the mansion. I caught myself staring at the sway of her hips, but quickly looked away. I was here to use her. Nothing more. But damn, she had a way of making it hard to stick to that plan.

I followed her inside, but before I made it up the stairs, Enzo appeared, furious, practically radiating rage.

"Why are you here, Zayn? No one wants you here. You don't belong."

I smirked, leaning back against the bar. "This is my island, Enzo. I can be wherever I want."

He sneered. "Yeah, sure. Last I checked, our father left everything to me. Even this island."

I laughed in his face. "Not yet. You still have to get married first."

The vein on his forehead bulged. "You're here to ruin my wedding, aren't you?"

I rolled my eyes. "Trust me, Enzo, I've got better things to do than sabotage your perfect little ceremony."

He narrowed his eyes, stepping closer. "What's your deal with Adriana? You really think you can just waltz in here and make her your girlfriend?"

"What's it to you?" I shot back, dropping the playful act. "She's just my girlfriend. I don't owe you an explanation."

His eyes turned ice cold. "You've never been in a relationship. And now you're with my ex? Cut the bullshit."

I raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know she was your ex. Believe me, I'm just as surprised as you are."

"You think this is a coincidence?" he sneered, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.

"Believe whatever you want." I shrugged, finishing my drink in one go. The burn felt good, grounding me.

"I see through you, Zayn. Whatever plan you're cooking up, it's not gonna work. You've always been jealous of me, of what I have."

I smiled, slow and deliberate. "We'll see, won't we?"

He was practically shaking with rage, but there was nothing he could do. Not here. Not now.

I turned to leave. "I'm going up to meet my girlfriend now. Goodnight, brother."

Enzo opened his mouth to shout something, but I was already gone, taking the stairs two at a time.

Alicia was waiting at the top of the stairs, swaying slightly. She blushed when I kissed her cheek out of politeness, and I offered her a brief hug.

She was drunk, her eyes unfocused, her perfume overwhelming.

"Want me to show you to your room?" she asked, her voice soft, slurred around the edges.

I shook my head. "No need. I'll be staying with my girlfriend."

Her face fell for just a moment before she recovered, forcing a smile. "Right. Of course."

I climbed the remaining stairs, feeling her gaze on me the whole time. When I reached Adriana's door, I paused, my hand hovering over the handle.

Inside, I could hear movement. Soft footsteps. The rustle of fabric.

I knocked gently. "Adriana? It's me."

Silence.

Then, slowly, the door cracked open. Her eyes were wide, uncertain, and she'd changed into an oversized t-shirt that hung off one shoulder.

"We need to talk," I said, my voice lower than I intended.

She hesitated, then stepped aside to let me in.

The door clicked shut behind us, and suddenly the room felt smaller. More intimate. The air between us charged with something neither of us wanted to name.

"About what happened tonight," I started.

But before I could finish, her phone buzzed on the nightstand. She glanced at it, and her face went completely pale.

"What is it?" I asked, stepping closer.

She picked up the phone with trembling hands, and when she turned the screen toward me, I saw it.

A photo of us on the car hood. My hands on her thighs, her head tilted back, our faces inches apart.

And beneath it, a single text from an unknown number.

"I know what you're doing. And I'm going to make sure Enzo knows too."