Andrew, remembering our flash cards, fills in the rest. “Ellie works as a barista at one of my properties. Three months ago, I came in at the end of her shift, and it was raining, so I offered to give her a ride home. We ended up getting drinks, and the rest is history.”

Dylan snorts. “Sounds like the perfect meet-cute.”

I don’t think about two hands reaching for the same book.

And then I can’t think about anything, because Andrew is suddenly reaching for my chin. I’m not sure why Dylan’s clearly sarcastic comment has prompted this moment of intimacy, but before I can sort it out, he tilts my face toward his and kisses me. In the middle of the dining room. In front of Jack. While Michael fucking Bublé is playing, Andrew kisses me on my mouth.

On-the-mouth kissing was not negotiated on the napkin contract. The surprise prompts my mouth to drop open in shock, and Andrew seems to interpret this as an invitation for his tongue to occupy that space, and now we’re kissing with tongue.

I realize some part of me wants it to be a good kiss. I’m being kissed by a beautiful man, who is funny and charming and sweet to his mother, and I wish that was enough to make me feel something toward him.

Unfortunately, this is a terrible kiss, and I feel nothing, though I am not sure if the problem is with Andrew’s skills, my mild horror, or the fact that he tastes like sangria.

Even more unfortunate is my knowledge that Jack is an exceptional kisser. That she once kissed me like this in the snow, and it had actually meant something.

At least, it had meant something to me.

Andrew finally detaches himself from my face, having proved with a few aggressive strokes of his tongue that we’re madly in love, I guess. I wait a few seconds before wiping his saliva off on the back of my hand. Dylan doesn’t look appeased. Jack looks, well…

I can’t actually stand the thought of looking at Jack, so I blurt, “Bathroom!” and I don’t even wait for Andrew to point in the right direction before I take off at a brisk pace.

And I can’t… I can’t do this.

I can’t stay here in this cabin, pretending to be Andrew’s fiancée, when it turns out he’s Jack’s brother.