“I’m fine,” she assured him, opening the door wider and going inside.
“You sure?” He closed a book and set it on the night table.
She shut the door behind her and nodded as she crossed the room. The floor was cold under her bare feet, so she perched on the end of his bed, pulling her soles from the floor.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“Kayla called.”
He waited.
“They saw footage of the flood. They’re coming back to Cheyenne.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“And they’re canceling the wedding.”
Evan drew back against the headboard. “Canceling it how?”
“They don’t want a posh party in Malibu while there are people in trouble in Cheyenne.”
“I guess I can understand that.”
Their gazes met and locked. Then his dropped to her left hand, and the engagement ring.
“So,” he ventured, “I guess our secret plan—”
“Was a very big waste—”
“Of time.”
“I was going to say effort.”
“That too.” He raked a hand over his short hair.
“Not to mention all the lies.” She reached for the ring, pulling it from her finger.
But he sat forward, his hand closing over hers, stopping the action. “Don’t.”
She looked up in confusion.
“Breaking it off now is going to seem very abrupt.”
“So what? It’s not like there’s going to be a better time.”
“People have enough to worry about already.”
“The two of us pretending to stay together is not going to help the flood reconstruction.”
“That’s true,” he agreed. But he didn’t remove his hand. “What about Lassiter Media?”
She felt her guard go up. “What about it?”
“You’ve already got trouble with Noah. You’re trying to build credibility and trust. How’s it going to look if you get reengaged for a few days and then change your mind?”
“Who says it’s me changing my mind? Maybe it was you who broke it off.”
“That’ll make them ask why.”
“Evan, for goodness’ sake.”
“If I break it off, you run the risk of people thinking I had a reason.”
“How is that fair?”
“Gossip’s never fair. And you’re more of a celebrity than me. Who do you think will be the target?”
She had to admit, he had a point. Not that she was agreeing with the idea. She rubbed her hands up and down her chilled arms. “We can’t just stay engaged.”
He shrugged. “We can for a while.”
“How long is a while? Or maybe we should just get married.” Her voice went higher as she spoke. “That would really throw them off. If we actually went through with the wedding, who would ever suspect the engagement was a sham?”
“There’s no need to be sarcastic.”
“Yes, there is. We have an honest-to-God problem here.”
“And we have an honest-to-God, if temporary, solution. I’m not saying forever, Angie. We can shut it down anytime we want. But not tonight. Not tomorrow. Let’s let a few of these other things work themselves out first. It’ll be easier that way.”
“You think this is easy?”
It sure wasn’t easy for her, spending time with Evan, talking to him, laughing with him, experiencing his little touches in front of Marlene and others to keep up the charade. Every minute of every day, she remembered more and more about their life together. She remembered why she’d fallen in love with him, and how badly it had hurt to lose him.
She shivered at the memory.
“Cold?” he asked.
She didn’t answer, but she was. Her shorts and tank top didn’t give much warmth.
He pulled back the covers. “Hop in.”
“Are you crazy?”
“You’re injured. You’re doped up. And you’re freezing. I think I can manage to be a gentleman for a few minutes.”
She hesitated, but the promise of warmth was too much to ignore. She scooted up to sit next to him, and he flipped the covers over her legs. They weren’t touching, but the warmth of his skin swirled out to her.
“Better?” he asked.
She nodded.
“We don’t say anything for a few days.”
“I don’t like it.”
“I know you don’t. I don’t blame you.”
“What about you?” she asked. “This can’t be any fun for you either.”
He angled his body to look at her. “I really don’t mind. It’s not like I have a girlfriend to worry about. And I like your family.”
“But you have to hang around with me. You have to pretend...”
“That I like you? I’ve always liked you, Angie. You might be kind of quirky and misguided.”
“Excuse me?”
“And you nearly got me killed today.”
“Okay, that part’s true.”
“But, all in all, you’re not that objectionable.”
She whacked him in the thigh, realizing too late she’d used her sore arm. She groaned in pain.
He was instantly concerned. “You okay?”
“No. I’m an idiot. Ouch.”
“It’s the drugs. You’re a bit addled right now.”
“Is that why I’m agreeing to stay engaged to you?”
“No, that’s the smart part of your brain talking.”
The throbbing was subsiding in her shoulder. “What’s in it for you?”
“I’m still hoping to help with Noah.”
“I’m not going to let you. Besides, that would technically be for me. And why do you want to do it anyway?”
He gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I was in love with you once, Angie. Very, very much in love with you. And feelings like that don’t just evaporate into thin air.”
She knew what he meant. She felt it too. She tried to frame it in words. “Ghost feelings.”
“That’s right. You’re haunting me.”
“You’re haunting me too,” she admitted.
He squeezed her ever so gently. “Maybe that’s why we made love.”
A flush warmed her body. It was the first time either of them had mentioned it.
“I guess,” she said.
His tone went low. “For a few minutes there, it was as if we’d never been apart.”
She was afraid to answer, because she agreed.
The air thickened between them.
He reached over to smooth back her hair. Then he brushed the pad of his index finger along her cheek. He looked deeply and intensely into her eyes. “No one would ever know.”
Arousal throbbed in the depths of her body, heating to life. She understood what he meant. If they did it again, no one would ever know. And what could it change? They’d already given in once. It hadn’t made things better, but then it hadn’t made things a whole lot worse either. She was as confused and conflicted before making love to him as she had been after.
He kissed her oh so tenderly on the lips. “Tell me if I hurt you. Tell me if I hurt you, and I’ll stop.”
Nine
With an arm around her waist, Evan eased Angie down into his bed. Her tank top shimmied up, exposing her flat stomach, her smooth skin. She was everything he’d ever remembered and loved.
“You’re so beautiful,” he breathed.
“And you’re so strong.” Her palms skimmed his bare shoulders, moving along his biceps.
He was wearing boxers, but nothing else.
She frowned as she took in his torso. “You really got hurt out there.”
“Just scrapes and bruises. They’ll heal.”
“They look painful. I’m afraid to touch you.”
“Please don’t be afraid of that.” He settled his palm against her bare stomach. “Because I’m dying to touch you.”
He brought his lips to hers again, hoping to reassure her. The last thing he wanted was for her to have second thoughts. It had been months since she’d been in his bed. And now that she was here, he realized how desperately he wanted her this way.
She accepted his kiss. Then she kissed him back. Her arms wound around him, her small, soft hands coming up against his back.
Conscious of her shoulder, he hugged her around the waist, bringing them together, her softness against his tension. He deepened the kiss, and her tongue answered his, sending sweeps of passion through his body, pushing every other thought from his mind.
Angie. This was Angie in his bed again, finally.
He let his hand slide up and skim the side of her breast, which was bare beneath the tiny tank top. Then he moved on to her shorts, running his fingers over her hip, the curve of her rear, the smoothness of her bare thigh. She curled her body against him. The sensation was so familiar his throat went raw.
“I’ve missed you,” he moaned.
Her hand framed his chin, and she kissed him deeply. “This is so confusing.”
“It’s going to be okay. I promise.”
On some level, he realized his words made no sense. But he wanted it to be true. He desperately hoped he’d never have to hurt her again.
She slipped off her tank top, a little awkwardly around her sore shoulder. But she’d revealed her beautiful breasts, and that was all he cared about. He settled her skin against his, absorbing her warmth and softness.
She kissed her way along his bruised chest. “Am I hurting you?”