Page 116 of Hoax and Kisses
“I don’t need to dress up, right?” he calls from the bathroom. “Can I stick to a shirt and jeans? Nobody will be looking at me anyway. You’re the star tonight.”
“Why are you asking me? It’s your town.”
He comes out, a towel wrapped around his waist, his chest still dripping wet.
I stare. I might even drool a little.
He rounds me, dropping a kiss to the slope of my neck. “Just making sure you weren’t expecting me to look as good as you do. Because that’s impossible.” He takes my hand and retreats a step, giving me a little spin, making my skirt lift softly around me. “Fuck me, you’re a goddamn dream.”
He pulls me to him, or maybe he’s pulling me in. I’m not sure anymore. Sometimes I can’t tell where his craving ends and mine begins.
With a hand molded to my waist, his mouth moves over mine. I might have protested and pushed him away if I’d already applied lipstick, but something told me to wait until the last minute to do that.
“Matt.” I dig my nails into his biceps, trying to extricate myself.
He only kisses me harder, tipping me back as he slips his fingers under my miniskirt and grazes my ass.
When he flattens both hands on my cheeks and squeezes, I bite my bottom lip to keep from moaning.
“Honey, hold on,” I force out, each word breathy.
The phrase sounded much more firm in my mind.
God, I’m so weak.
“I really like that skirt.”
I could have guessed by the way he grows hard against my belly.
“Your sister could walk in on us at any time. And we have to go.”
With a groan, he gives my ass a cheeky slap. Then he takes an exaggerated step back. “You’re not playing fair. At all.”
“I was told I should charm the people of this town.”
He steps into his underwear and slides them up. “You can cross that off your list. You’ve got everybody wrapped around your finger.”
I roll out my lipstick and shuffle to the mirror so I can apply it. “We’ll see.”
“Damn, the place is full.” I scan the faces in the crowd. So many are now familiar to me, which is a weird concept, considering that after ten years, I still don’t know my own neighbors in Vancouver. “Daph, you might want to put your headphones on now.”
I wipe the sweat off my hands. If Matt gave me my water bottle right now, it would slip straight to the floor.
Matt waves at Mia, who’s twisted in her seat next to Rosie, wearing a wide grin. I can’t decide whether her smile soothes or spikes my nerves. The expectation shining there settles heavy in my gut.
“Is that a good sign?” I ask, voice tight.
Matt lifts an eyebrow, his mouth kicking upward. “It’s a lot of people, but if they’re here, it means they’re interested, right?”
“Or they strongly oppose the project and are ready to riot,” I mumble.
“I swear I didn’t put them up to it this time,” he says, wiggling his eyebrows.
It takes everything in me not to roll my eyes. “You think it’s smart to remind me right now that you’re the one who started this?”
He angles in, his lips brushing my ear. “Anything to get you to relax.”
As he straightens, a dark-haired woman with tattoos covering her right arm appears behind him.
