Page 21 of Sweet Surrender
“I’ll be your fake girlfriend.”
He stiffened; the wide expanse of his back tensed at her words. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from it.Fine, I’ll admit I want to see him shirtless, is that such a crime? I mean all that muscle being covered up, surely that’s the true crime here?
Finally, Beau shook his head. “It’s not a good idea.”
“Beau, I really think it’s the only thing that will work.”
“No, Taylor. Find another guy.”
“I tried last night!” she cried. “It’ll take too long to make it convincing with a complete stranger and we need to do something now. Look what he’s done, God knows what we’ll be burying next!”
He leveled a look at her. “That’s not exactly convincing me.” His wry smile had her heart beating wildly.
“I…I’ll owe you big time, anything you need and I’ll do it, I promise,” she said. She knew she needed him. She was being stubborn before, her hatred of him getting in the way but this incident with her fur babies had set her priorities straight.
“You’ll owe me what? A favor? A boon?” he asked, eyeing her closely.
She shifted under the intensity of that stare. “Y…yes,” she stuttered. He continued making a drink. “You’re the best man for the job,” she added when he didn’t say anything more. He set the drink down on the counter, a strawberry milkshake.He still remembers, after all these years.
“Oh yeah, what makes you say that?” He planted those big hands on the counter and leaned towards her.
She pointed to the drink he just made. “Because of this. Because you know me.”
He stared at the glass for a long time, then dragged his eyes to hers. “This is a mistake, Taylor.”
“I know that. But help me Obi-Wan, you’re my only hope,” she replied, trying to appeal to his inner geek.
He swiped a hand over his mouth, groaning. The sound punching her in the gut, leaving her breathless. “Jesus, don’t say shit like that to me.”
“Sorry,” she nibbled her lip, and his eyes followed the movement.
“I’ll do it, for a favor.”
“What do you want?”
He ran a hand through his hair, her eyes following the way his bicep curled and flexed. “I don’t know, nothing right now. Maybe in the future though, to be named at a later date.”
She felt like she was being led into a trap only she didn’t know what the trap was, and she didn’t really have any choice except to follow blindly. She nodded in agreement and a breath whooshed out of Beau.
“If we did this, you would actually co-operate?” he asked.
“We’d need rules. No kissing, no touching and absolutely nothing sexual, obviously,” she said, narrowing her eyes.
“My, my what a convincing couple we’ll make.” His sarcasm had her fighting a smile,damn him!
“Okay fine, we can hold hands, casual touching but absolutely no kissing.” She definitely didn’t want to go there.Yes, you do…her brain taunted.She told herself,shut the hell up!
“Kissing on the cheek at least, I wouldn’t greet the girlfriend Ilovedwith a fist bump or a snappy high five,” he snorted.
“Fine, but cheeks only,” she growled.
“Then you have yourself a fake boyfriend in exchange for a favor to be named later, agreed?” He held out his hand and she stared at it, hesitating a moment. She had possibly just made a deal to sell her soul but right now she didn’t know another way. Her palm slid into his, the heat skating up her arm.
“Agreed,” she replied, and they shook.
“Holy shit, we’re actually doing this.” His words hung heavy in the air between them. She reached for her drink, but he swiped it out from under her and downed it in one.
“Get the others here, we need to update Blake on Dale’s recent activity, and let them all know the plan so they’ll be ready,” he said. Her eyes were drawn to the muscles on his forearm as he swiped the back of his hand across his mouth. She swallowed hard.
