Page 33 of Faking the Shot

“Okay.”

God bless him. The man couldn’t be more obliging.

* * *

This pretending to be herfriend thing was killing him. He was doing his best to act like he was cool, but he wasn’t much of an actor, and he wasn’t sure she’d been fooled. It had been nice to have her company, and he’d seen how Ainsley’s presence had stopped most of the usual approaches from random women, apart from the jogger who’d soon stopped when Ainsley had ridden past. If he’d been the jogger and Ainsley had ridden past, he would’ve stopped too. Honestly, it should be illegal for women with legs as great as hers to be wearing long black leggings. It made a man… think things.

And it was made harder when she kept smiling at him, kept dropping crumbs about her life. He really needed to watch some of her movies now. Which was bad, because apart from playing in the same team, he had zero desire to have anything in common with Logan.

“What do you want to do now?” he asked, as they neared the path for Lost Lagoon.

She paused, glanced at him. “Are you hungry? I’m sorry. I should’ve asked before.”

“I could eat.”

“Something healthy, right?”

“Always.”

“Are you vegetarian?”

“Mostly. I’m kind of careful about what I eat.”

She nodded. “Gotta be careful of too many carbs.”

“Yeah, that’s not really my problem.”

“Oh.”

He guessed from that tone that it might be hers. He gestured to the nearby lake. “We could ride that way if you want to get home, or that way, past the golf course if you want the pub.”

Around them, he noticed a couple of people slow, and a teenager take out his phone. “I think you’re getting photographed.”

“I think he’s taking that of you,” she murmured.

Oh. “You, uh, want to make it look like we’re together?”

Her head tilted, then she glanced around. “I’m happy if you want to get a snap.”

“Uh, excuse me, are you Zac Parotti?” the kid asked.

Zac nodded, glanced at Ainsley.

“Go on, Zac. Sounds like you’ve got a fan.” She smiled at him. “I can get a picture of you both together if you like.”

“Would you?” The kid’s eyes were huge.

“Sure.” They propped their bikes up, and she took a few pictures on the kid’s phone, then checked he was happy.

Zac liked how she was so obliging, not diva-like at all. Her easy ways today showed just how wrong he’d been to judge her at the White Night event. Ainsley Beckett was no princess-wannabe, but down to earth.

“Thanks!”

“You’re welcome.” She smiled, took off her helmet, pushed her sunglasses on her head.

“Whoa. I’ve seen you before,” the kid said. “Are you that actress?”

By now a few others had stopped, were looking at them, murmuring among themselves.