Page 60 of Single Dad's Fake Bride
"Yes." The word came out too quickly. He practically spat it out like he didn't want me in his bed, or maybe it was just nerves on his part. I was so flustered I didn’t take time to think. "If you prefer, I can set up the guest room for you."
But his tone suggested he wasn't entirely comfortable with that arrangement either. I glanced at him, trying to read his expression, but he was studying his hands.
"The license will take a few days to process," I mumbled, realizing how fast this was actually moving.
The idea of shacking up with him so quickly felt ridiculous, but it was what I had agreed to. I stood abruptly, needing distance from his desk, from the intensity building between us. "Let me make you coffee," I said, moving toward the small kitchenette before he could respond.
My hands shook as I measured grounds and filled the water reservoir.Moving in. Livingwith him. The words kept repeating in my head. I would pack my few belongings, leave the apartment I had called home for three years, and go live with a man I barely knew. A man who was now my future husband but felt more like a stranger than ever.
"You seem hesitant," Harrison said from behind me.
I kept my back to him, watching the coffee begin to brew. "It's a big step."
"We can make it work, Sadie. The guest room would give you privacy."
Something in his tone suggested he wasn't thrilled with the idea of keeping me at arm's length. I glanced over my shoulder to find him studying me carefully, as if trying to read my thoughts.
"Would it?" I asked, surprising myself with the question.
His eyes darkened. "Would it what?"
"Give me privacy." The coffee maker gurgled, filling the space between us. "Because it sounds like you're trying to convince yourself as much as me."
He stood from his desk, moving closer. "You're right. This is all happening very fast."
I focused on finding mugs in the cabinet, grateful for the distraction. "But we don't have a choice, do we?"
"No." His voice was gentler now. "We don't."
The coffee finished brewing, and I poured it into two mugs, adding cream to mine and leaving his black the way I had noticed he preferred it. When I turned to face him, I found he had moved much closer than before. Close enough that I could see the flecks of silver in his eyes, close enough to catch the scent of his cologne.
"Here," I said softly, holding out his mug.
His fingers brushed mine as he took the coffee, and I felt a spark of electricity shoot through me. Neither of us moved away.
"Thank you," he said quietly. "For the coffee. For agreeing to this. For all of it."
The gratitude in his voice made my chest tight. I started to pull my hand back, but he caught my wrist gently, his thumb finding my pulse point.
"Harrison," I whispered, though I wasn't sure if it was a warning or a plea.
"We should discuss boundaries," he said, but his voice had dropped lower, rougher.
"Yes." I didn't step away. My throat was a solid lump of emotion. "Boundaries are important."
"Very important." His free hand came up to cup my cheek, and despite every rational thought in my head, I leaned into the touch.
The air between us grew thick and charged. I could feel my pulse racing under his touch, could see the way his eyes had darkened as he looked down at me.
"We need to be clear about expectations," I managed.
"Crystal clear." He stepped closer, eliminating the last bit of space between us.
Every sensible part of me screamed that this was a mistake, that we were crossing a line we couldn't uncross. I knew what had happened before was in the heat of the moment, under the influence of alcohol, but this wasn't that. I was sober. I wasn't emotional. It felt jarring, but my God, did I want it.
I rose up on my toes and kissed him.
This wasn't tentative the way our first kiss in this office had been. This was hungry, desperate, full of all the desire I had been trying to ignore. He groaned against my mouth, his arms coming around me, pulling me closer until I could feel the rapid beat of his heart against my chest, hear the clink of him setting his coffee mug down.
