Falling Out of Hate with You (The Hate-Love Duet 1)

“Oh, really? What were you doing creeping around in the hallway in the middle of the night in your underwear, if not hunting me down for a booty call?”

She bats her eyelashes. “I got hungry and wanted a snack.”

I snort. “Laila, I saw you pressing your ear against a door. Obviously, you were trying to figure out which room was mine.”

“Maybe. But not for a booty call. I wanted to chew you out for leaving the party without saying goodnight to me.”

“In your underwear?”

“I didn’t think about what I was wearing. I was too drunk and annoyed. You’re the one who said we should always stay in character, whenever we’re not alone. And then, you left the party without so much as a wave goodbye to me? Ha! Would a real boyfriend leave a party without saying goodnight to his girlfriend who supposedly rocks his world? No way!”

I can’t help smiling. I should have known Kendrick would never steer me wrong. The guy is a king. I say, “I left without saying goodnight because I didn’t want to bother you while you were obviously having so much fun with your friends. Plus, the only people left at the party at that point were good friends who were associated with the show, so I knew you were in good hands.”

“You’re such a hypocrite! That’s exactly what I said about Colin!”

I bite back a smile. Pushing her buttons is so damned fun. “Let’s not rehash the Colin thing, okay? The bottom line is you flirted with him last night to make me jealous, because you’re evil, and it worked because I’m stupid and predictable. Can we agree we’re both idiot-assholes and move on, please?”

She looks extremely pleased with that response. “Yes. As long as we agree you’re more of an idiot-asshole than me, then I’m prepared to move on.”

“No. We’re tied.”

She pauses for a beat before exhaling and saying, “Fine.”

“Thank you. Now, admit you were creeping around the hallway in your underwear last night because you were looking for a booty call.”

“What about you? What were you doing in the hallway in your underwear?”

I grin wickedly. “Like you said, I was hungry and looking for a snack.” I lean forward. “And, lucky for me, the snack I found was even tastier than I’d fantasized it’d be. So damned tasty, I can’t wait to eat it again and again, starting tonight.”

She bites her lip but says nothing. And I know she’s on the bitter cusp of agreeing to fuck my brains out every night for the next three months.

“Aw, come on, Laila,” I coo in my most seductive voice. “Why fight it? Let’s have some fun.”

She exhales. “I don’t want it to get confusing.”

I furrow my brow. “In what way?”

She shrugs. “Won’t it be weird if we’re working together, living together, pretending to be head over heels for each other . . . and having sex every night? Doesn’t that seem like a recipe for disaster?”

“For who? Are you saying you’re worried you’re going to catch feelings, Fitzy?”

“Of course not. I’m saying I’m worried you’re going to catch feelings.”

I scoff. “I’m not the one we need to worry about, sweetheart. I’m not the one who went on Sylvia and couldn’t stop talking about me.”

“And I’m not the one who couldn’t stop talking about me to that Instagrammer.”

“Oh, come on. You don’t believe her stupid story. Not for a second.”

“I believe every word of it.”

“No way. You’re messing with me. You know I said I needed to ‘lay low’ because of the show.”

“No. I believe, with all my heart, you said you didn’t want her because of Laila.”

“Why would I turn her down because of you?”

“Exactly. Why would you do that, Savage? Tell me.”

I pause, my heart racing. “I didn’t. You didn’t even cross my mind in that moment. When you’re not physically in front of me, I literally forget you exist. Hell, I barely remember you exist when you’re right in front of my face.”

She rolls her eyes.

“Seriously, Laila. If you’re worried I’ll ‘catch feelings’ from having sex with you while I’m stuck with you anyway, then don’t. I’m perfectly capable of separating fact from fiction. The real question is can you?”

“Of course I can.”

“Even if you’re living with, and sleeping with, and working with, your fake boyfriend who’s an irresistible god-among-men rockstar who’s hung like a jury?”

She scoffs. “I won’t catch feelings, Savage. Under any circumstances. Honestly, I don’t even like you.”

“Perfect, because I don’t like you. We’re a match made in heaven, if you ask me.”

She bites her lip and I know I’ve got her. Finally.

“So, we’re doing this then?” I say.

Laila pauses. “We’d be fuck buddies only. No strings. And nobody catches feelings.”

“Of course. It’ll be nothing but fun and a whole lot of orgasms.”

She puts out her hand. “Deal.”

I feel like jumping for joy but manage to maintain a neutral face while shaking her hand. “Now give me our first sober kiss to seal the deal.” With that, I pull her toward me. And when our lips meet, the kiss hits totally differently than our drunken, animalistic kisses from last night. This time, as my lips open hers, and my tongue slides into her mouth and begins slowly tangling with hers, I feel every nuanced sensation. Every shudder of arousal. Every inhale and exhale that tells me her temperature is slowly rising, the same as mine.