Page 12 of The Christmas Cover Rule
I push the door open, peeking around the room, finding the coast is still clear. For a split second, I wonder if I did, in fact, have my fake boyfriend’s thigh caught between my legs like a boa constrictor and now he’s hiding from me…or worse, ditched me. When I spot his suit still hanging in the closet and his rows of shoes that line the floor, I quickly banish the thought.
Focus.
Without hesitation, I pad across the suite, the tile cool under my feet. I make it halfway to the dresser before the front door swings open, freezing me mid step.
Holy fucking leg tattoo.
I don’t have time to be embarrassed that I’m standing here in nothing but a towel when I realize my jaw has detached itself from the rest of my body and is now resting on the floor.
Jonas’s chest rises and falls rapidly with each breath he takes. His tongue swipes along his bottom lip, and I stare for a beat too long. A drop of sweat catches my attention as it trickles a slow, lazy path over the large planes of his pecks, down his abs, and disappears into the extremely low waistband of his running shorts. His running shorts that cling to every curve of muscle in his Viking legs.
I knew Jonas was attractive when I first saw him in the airport, but this version of him steals the breath from my lungs and makes me yearn for some sort of friction between my legs.
My skin heats, despite the artificial air blowing on my bare skin, when a slow smile pulls at the corners of his lips becausefuck,I’ve been caught staring.
I tighten and adjust my hold on the towel while forcing myself to swallow.
“If this is your new look, I could be into that,” he drawls.
My legs feel like Jell-O beneath me, and my brain must short-circuit because I say the only thing I can think of. “Same.”
His biceps flex as he runs a hand through his messy hair, before a laugh ripples through the space.
And dear god, that laugh is somehow sexier than all eight of his abs.
CHAPTER8
jonas
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
I briefly take in Stella’s questioning eyes before I shift gears and turn down the dirt road parking lot.
“It’s just you’ve been really quiet all morning, and I know you came here for business, so you must have some work to do, since you’ve done nothing but spend time with me and my family, who I know can be over the top sometimes, and have I mentioned how sorry I am that I dragged you into this?”
“Stell—” I cut her off as I put the truck in park.
“I know.” She holds up her hands in a defensive manner and rolls her eyes. “I know you said we’re in this together, but it feelsreallyone-sided right now and—” she pauses as if assessing her next words with extra caution, “—I’m also pretty sure I might have gotten too close to you in my sleep last night.”
The image of her full breasts almost spilling out of her tiny satin pajamas as her warm tan body was tangled around mine this morning hasn’t left my head since the moment I opened my eyes. Hearing her say the words, though, has me pressingmy tongue to my cheek, hiding a grin that’s far too wicked to show.
“But I swear it was an accident. If I made you uncomfortable, or I don’t know, if you want to just drop me off, I promise I wouldn’t?—”
“Stella.” She finally exhales when I take her hand, our fingers tangling before I lower then to her lap. Her legs are unbelievably smooth, and my gaze lingers a moment too long on her legs before I squeeze her hand and lean in closer to her. “First of all, I meant what I said. We’re in this lie together. You helped me not look like an idiot in front of a potential client, and I’m sure if I need you to make me look good again, you’ll be there to do so.”
“I will.” She nods her head adamantly with wide eyes.
God, she’s so fucking cute.So eager to please.I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and trail my fingers down her neck to where her pulse hammers wildly at the base.
Her breath hitches in her low-cut tank top, giving me a show of the plump swells of her breasts.
“And second, I’ve been quiet this morning because when I came back from my run and found you in nothing but a towel and some droplets of water, I had a raging fucking hard on.”
Her mouth falls open, and I have to adjust myself in my pants at the image of her lips parted like that while talking about my fully bricked-up cock.
“Oh.”
“So please stop worrying about me. I’m not in the habit of doing things I don’t want to do.”
