Page 33 of The Deadbeat Next Door

CHAPTER SEVEN

Carrie

I pushed down my embarrassment, because he was right. I’d felt things when I’d had my arms around him, things that would only make this more complicated than it needed to be. He wasn’t the right guy for me and whatever I felt for him was nothing more than irrational hormones. “Maybe you could pick me up after work, tomorrow? We could stop in and talk to Missy.”

“Sure. And I’ll take you out to dinner after.” He stood and carried our plates to the kitchen. I took them from him, rinsed them, and stuck them in the dishwasher. “Tonight, we should go for a walk around the neighborhood and make sure everyone knows what’s up.”

The nerves that had been rolling through me ever since I lied to my boss and arch-nemesis did not let up like I thought they would. I hated lying, I hated pretending, and the fact that Cody hadn’t laughed in my face and told me I was crazy was making me more than a little worried. He was being way too nice and understanding and I needed him not to be understanding, I needed him to be a jerk. Even him pushing me off his lap had been sweet and considerate. A real jerk would see how far he could get with me with no consideration for my feelings. “Great.” I turned to face him and found him way too close to me, so close his breath tickled my cheek. I slid along the counter until there was a bit more space between us. “I really appreciate you being so understanding about all of this,” I said. “It was wrong of me to lie to Missy.” So, so wrong. “And you could have easily told me to get lost.”

He shrugged. “You’re helping me out, too. If you hadn’t shown up on my doorstep with this crazy idea, I’d probably be looking to move somewhere with a more readily available property.”

Somehow, his words didn’t make me feel better. The web of lies was spreading. I knew we’d have to make it seem real, but—

All my thoughts froze when Cody’s hand cupped my cheek and he looked into my eyes. “It’ll be okay. We’ll just have to pretend for a week or two, and then we’ll have a massive break-up and everything will go back to normal.”

I wanted to believe him. “I hate lying,” I said. “I know this town can feel oppressive, with everyone prying into your business, but people here, they really care about me. They worry about me and I…I just…”

“I’ll be the asshole, okay,” he said. “When it’s time to break up, it’ll be my fault and no one will ever think any less of you.”

“I can’t let you do that. I’m asking you for a favor.”

“You’re not letting me do anything. I’m insisting.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

“I’ve always been nice to you,” he said. “You just didn’t take it the right way.”

His words should have pissed me off, but I couldn’t stop the smile that ghosted my lips. His brown eyes crinkled at the edges as he smiled back and I felt the breath leave my body in a needy little sigh. Shit, what the heck was wrong with me? His eyes darkened and he leaned in a bit. I looked at his lips, his soft, full lips and my body heated, need lancing through me. It had been a really, really long time since I’d had a good kiss or a good anything, and I —

Somewhere, a lawn mower started up, the sound making me jump and bringing me to my senses. I backed up and slid out from between him and the counter. I marched toward the door. “We should probably take that walk before it gets too dark.”

He cleared his throat and followed me out into the evening.

We took a leisurely stroll through the neighborhood, our fingers laced together, and made sure everyone saw us together. Norma Jane was out on her front porch and we told her we were engaged. She was thrilled. Betty, of course, also asked us what was going on, but she was less than impressed. She suggested we were moving way too fast and that the whole thing would end in disaster. I tended to agree with her, but I forced a pleasant smile and suggested it was love at first sight between me and Cody. She said that, judging by the way we fought, she just might believe it was. She had a twisted view of love.

Back at Cody’s driveway, I dropped his hand and headed toward my house. “Thank you for a lovely walk,” I said. “And for dinner.”

He grabbed my hand before I got too far, the tingles I’d felt all over my body during our walk turned to a raging inferno. I pulled my hand out of his, just to be able to think. I didn’t appreciate being manhandled. I just didn’t.

“What are you doing?” I hissed.

“I think it would be more believable if I spent the evening with my fiancée,” he said in a low voice, his teeth gritted. He looked over at Betty, who was watching us, and gave her a smile.

“I have papers to grade.”

“Great,” he said in a louder voice. “Then I’ll come to your place.”

I wanted to stamp my foot and scream, but I couldn’t. I didn’t think I’d be able to focus on anything with his large presence in my home, but I didn’t have any choice if I wanted our fake engagement to look real. I narrowed my eyes, until I remembered this whole thing was my fault. “Fine,” I said. “Come—”

He grabbed me and pulled me in tight against him, his hard, big body fitting just right against me. He pressed his lips to mine with a soft growl. I was so startled, I froze. He didn’t give up. He licked and nipped until I opened to him, and then he kissed me with such fierceness that my whole body lit like a live wire and I kissed him back like I was trying to get closer to him. I wanted to get closer to him.

He pulled away and I followed him with my lips, wanting more, but he chuckled, his eyes dancing with amusement. “I think we’ve given Betty enough of a show.” He appeared to be completely calm and…Amused? How could he be amused? Had the kiss made him feel nothing?

I put on a serene smile and pretended I felt nothing either. “Let’s get inside then.”

He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and we walked into my house together.

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