7. Killian #2
Hell, I hadn’t thought about that either.
Frankly, the idea of being able to touch Isla in public or better yet, kiss her, makes my dick stir in my pants.
She’s not an unattractive woman at all. On the contrary, she’s quite beautiful.
The kind of beauty that sneaks up on you instead of demanding attention.
Long bright-red waves frame her face in messy contrast to the oversized sweatshirt she’s drowning in, hints of gold catching beneath the dim restaurant lighting.
Her freckles dust across the bridge of her nose and cheeks like they were painted there intentionally, and her green eyes—Christ—those eyes are bright and alive and always look like they’re one second away from laughing at me.
Which, to be fair, they usually are.
And then there’s her smile.
Easy. Real. And fucking dangerous as hell if I’m being honest. She has the kind of smile that makes people relax without realizing it. The kind that softens a room. The kind of smile that softens me.
Even sitting here half-asleep in the middle of the night with a burger and a plate of fries in front of her, she somehow looks effortlessly radiant. Comfortable in her own skin in a way I’ve never quite figured out how to be.
“Uh, well, we’re adults, so I’m going to say yeah, the world is going to assume we’re intimate.
Enough that it would probably be weird if we weren’t at least holding hands when we’re together.
” I swallow an unexpected lump in my throat before I say, “Maybe a few kisses here and there. You know, if that’s okay with you. ”
My gaze falls to her plump pink lips as they part slightly and now I can’t get the idea of kissing her out of my head.
What does she taste like?
Are her lips as soft as they look?
Does she like to use tongue?
Does she make those little whimper noises when she’s being kissed?
I watch as a small smile forms at the corners. “So, you’re saying you want to kiss me? But just for the cameras?”
I shift in my seat, suddenly very aware of how warm I’ve become. “That’s not what I—I mean, if it helps sell the story, then yeah, probably. But only if you’re okay with it.”
She laughs, the sound light and teasing. “You’re really bad at this whole fake dating proposal thing, you know that?”
“Give me a break,” I groan, running a hand through my hair. “I’ve never done this before.”
“And you think I have?” She raises an eyebrow, popping the M&M she’s been holding into her mouth. She leans back against the booth studying me. “And what happens when you catch feelings for me?”
“Excuse me?”
“Come on now,” she says with an amused expression. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen enough romantic comedies to know that’s usually how these things go. Plus, I’m a catch.”
“Me? You think it’ll be me catching feelings?” I scoff with a goofy smile. “Not happening, Coach. What about you? You do realize women flock to me like—”
“Skanks to a truck stop?” She nods. “Yep. Fully aware. Which is another thing.” She sits up and brings her elbows to the table. “If we’re doing this, I don’t share. If you’re seen flirting with even one little cleat chaser I walk…and I talk. If we do this, you’re mine.”
“Mine?” I repeat, unable to keep the smirk off my face. “Possessive already, Coach? We haven’t even kissed yet.”
Also, I don’t hate that she just called me hers.
She’s laying claim to me and I’m totally here for it.
She rolls her eyes, but I catch the slight blush creeping up her neck.
“You know what I mean. We need to make it believable. And nothing screams ‘this relationship is fake’ like Killian Haynes being spotted with multiple women. I will not be humiliated because you can’t keep your dick in your pants. ”
Wiping the smile from my face, I tell her sincerely, “I’ll never hurt you, Isla. If you say yes, I’m yours, one hundred percent. And you’re mine. We’re a team. You and me.”
“And no sex,” she adds, her voice firm.
I nearly choke on the Reese’s Cup I was about to eat. “No sex? Like at all?”
“That’s usually what ‘no sex’ means,” she says dryly.
“But what if—“
“No.” She holds up a hand. “This is a business arrangement, not a hookup. We’re helping each other out, that’s it. Sex will just confuse everything.”
“Not for me,” I say, before I can think better of it.
Her eyes widen slightly, and I realize I’ve just exposed myself.
I quickly recover with a playful wink. “I’m just saying if a fake relationship with extra benefits is something you want, even down the road, I’m happy to be that guy.
That is…” I lean forward and whisper, “if you can handle piercings.”
I watch her jaw unhinge and her cheeks flush knowing I just put a spark of curiosity into that cute little head of hers. “But don’t worry, Coach. I’m a professional. I can handle a no-sex clause.”
Isla tilts her head and looks at me the way someone looks at a puzzle they’ve already solved. “Right. Because you’re so good at handling things.”
I could handle you sweetheart.
“I am when I want to be.”
She laughs, the sound making something warm spread through my chest. “We’ll see about that.”
“So, is that a yes?” I ask, trying to keep the eagerness from my voice.
Isla takes a deep breath, scanning my face like she’s looking for any sign that I might be playing her. “Will the organization be upset if you’re dating one of the team’s flight attendants?”
“I don’t think so,” I answer honestly, leaning back in the booth. “They just want to see me with someone. They don’t care who. Plus, I’ve dated people in the organization before.”
“Really?” She raises an eyebrow. “Who?”
I wave my hand dismissively. “Someone in marketing. It didn’t last long. It was years ago. She doesn’t even live in Portland anymore.”
She taps her finger against the table. “And what about your brothers? What will they think?”
“My brothers?” I laugh, shaking my head. “Hell, they’ll probably throw a fucking party. Bishop’s been on my case about finding someone ‘stable’ for years.”
“And they’ll be okay with the whole fake relationship thing?”
“Honestly, I think it’s better if they don’t know. They can’t act natural if they know we’re faking it.”
“So, we’d be lying to your family?”
“I mean...” I run a hand through my hair, suddenly feeling like I might be in way over my head. “It’s not lying, exactly. I can tell them we’re trying to keep things kind of private.”
“And they’re not going to figure us out? You know…that twin, or in your case, triplet telepathy thing?"
“Nah. I can play them off.” He cringes. “But we’re pretty close. They’ll definitely expect me to bring you around on the regular. Would that bother you?”
She shrugs. “I suppose not. Will it bother you?”
“Not at all. They’re cool and most of the time I actually enjoy hanging out with them. Plus, Shepherd has Sutton now and she’d definitely appreciate another female in the mix.”
“What’s our timeline? How long are we doing this?”
“The gala is in August, right? So, we’d need to be ‘solidly together’ by then. So basically, we start…now. And we should probably stay together through the end of the season, maybe a little after.”
“Through the end of the season,” she repeats, nodding slowly. “That gives us about four months.”
I’m suddenly very aware of how long four months is…or rather, my dick is aware of how long four months is.
Four months with no sex?
How the hell am I going to survive?
I wonder if her no sex rule means no making out.
Maybe some dry humping?
Fuck, I don’t want to spend the next four months with just my fist.
I can’t worry about that now. I’ll figure it out, but right now I just need Isla to say yes so I can get the front office and Harper off my back. I’m Killian Fucking Haynes. If I can get Isla on my side, I can make this charade work in my favor.
Isla’s expression turns serious as she considers my proposal. I watch her closely, noticing the way she bites her bottom lip when she’s thinking, and how her eyes narrow slightly when she’s weighing her options.
“Alright, Haynes. You’ve got yourself a deal.”
“Wait, seriously?”
She just said yes?
Like, really fucking yes?
She shrugs her shoulders and grins at me, her smile growing wider by the second. “YOLO, right?”
I throw my head back and laugh. “Damn right, Coach. YOLO.”
She offers me her hand to shake with a confident yet playful, “Let’s do this.”