Page 48 of Summer Kisses

"I don't think either of them could handle a baby, much less a committed relationship. They're too self-involved."

Hudson shook his head. "You're negative about your brothers tonight."

"Relationships take a certain amount of work, and I'm positive they aren't interested in that."

"Are you the expert now that you're engaged?" Hudson asked carefully.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Not at all. I just know how dedicated I am to making things between me and Hazel work."

"It should be easy, you know. Once you get over the hump of admitting that you love her, which you've already done."

He didn't need to know the truth. No one needed to know how pathetic I was. How I'd concocted a plan to help my business and to acquire the woman of my dreams at the same time. So far, the results were tepid at best. She hadn't taken me up on my offer, and I didn't think she would.

She wouldn't want to cross the friend line with me, and I couldn't blame her. What guarantee did we have that it would work out in the end?

"You're an inspiration to us. You're friends with a girl most of your life. Then you put a ring on her finger."

Hazel tipped her head back, laughing.

"I'm so lucky that she's mine." What would it feel like for her to be mine for real? How would I act? How would she? Was that the key to winning her over? Pretending she was mine already and acting accordingly?

I gripped Hudson's shoulder. "Thanks for the pep talk."

"I don't think I said anything?—"

"You said more than you know," I said before I squeezed his shoulder, then handed him my beer. I stalked toward Hazel. "You want to dance?"

Her eyes lit up. "Of course."

We moved off to the side, our hips swaying to the music. She turned so that her back was pressed against my chest, her ass nestled against my dick. I kept a grip on her hips, relishing the way she moved effortlessly under my palms. "You look beautiful tonight."

Her breath hitched. "You don't need to say things like that. No one else is listening."

"You're listening."

Hazel turned, and I hooked her wrists around my neck. "You can't say things like that."

I raised a brow. "And why is that?"

"This is an act. This is pretend."

"What if I want it to be more?" I asked her.

She frowned. "That wasn't part of our agreement."

I growled as I dropped my head so that I could talk directly into her ear. "I want to go by feelings. And right now, I want to feel your body pressed against mine. I want to tell you howbeautiful you are, and I want you to accept it for what it is. A compliment for a gorgeous woman."

"Thank you."

I pulled her closer to me and dropped my forehead to hers. "I want to feel you in my arms. Your body brushing against mine. I want everything."

"What about our friendship? Aren't you worried about what this would mean?"

"Playing your fiancé is messing with my head. I want things I hadn't considered before. And I want to take advantage of our situation. Everyone thinks we're in love. Maybe we should act like we are."

A crease appeared between her eyebrows. "I don't know."

"I'm going to convince you." She wasn't saying no, which told me that she was attracted to me. That this wasn't one-sided.

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