Leo stiffened. “Uh-uh. I’m paying for this trip.”
Her eyes widened. “But why? It’s my family reunion, Leo. There’s no reason you should pay.”
This was one point he wouldn’t bend on. “I’m paying, Amanda.”
She frowned and smacked him on the arm. “I hate when you take that tone. Pay for your half then if you must, but I’m paying for mine.” He started to protest, but she held a hand in the air. “Or you can just stay home and I’ll go alone. Or with T.J.”
No way in hell was she going anywhere with Mr. G fucking Q. Not after that kiss. Leo wasn’t letting this woman anywhere near another man, not until he figured out what the hell was going on between them. “Fine. Just remember I’m staying with you in your cabin. We’re lovers, after all.”
“Pretend lovers, and I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this. How do I let you talk me into these things, Leo?”
He heard the vulnerability and Leo couldn’t stand it. He closed the distance and wrapped his arms around her. “It’ll be fine, sweetheart. Trust me.”
She nodded, and Leo let out a breath. He prayed he was right. Because losing Amanda’s friendship would be like using a butter knife to cut off his arm. Not a pleasant thought.
Chapter Two
Amanda couldn’t get the kiss out of her head. She’d been thinking about it day and night. Leo had kissed her. It’d been fake, of course, but then why had it affected her so? They were friends, and he was going to help her out. He wasn’t actually attracted to her. If that were the case then why had he had an erection? She’d felt it. Heck, there’d been no way she couldn’t feel it. The man was huge.
And he was her best friend. She so shouldn’t be thinking about the size of his cock. Right? It was Friday, and she was on her way to his office to take him to lunch. For the first time since first meeting Leo, Amanda was nervous. They’d talked since the kiss and he’d texted her a few times, but tomorrow they would be on their way to Lake Tahoe and he’d be treating her like a lover. A make-believe lover. The notion sent her heart racing.
Pulling into the parking lot of Prentice Construction, Amanda looked around for Leo’s black four-wheel drive truck. She noticed it close to the back and pulled her white VW bug into the spot next to it. She shut off the engine and checked her makeup in the rearview mirror. She retouched her pale pink lipstick and glanced at her hair. She’d pulled the long, blonde, unruly mess into a ponytail. It was too hot out to wear any other way. And she’d gone without her suit jacket, opting to only wear the peach silk sleeveless blouse and dark gray skirt. The skirt was nice, a little tight through the hips and a touch shorter than most of her other skirts, but she always thought her legs looked long whenever she wore it. Considering she stood all of five foot one, long legs were a big deal.
Stop it, she chided herself. She should not be worried about her looks. It’s lunch with your best friend, not your boyfriend. Amanda stoutly ignored the little voice in the back of her head that reminded her of the hard erection Leo had gotten while kissing her Wednesday and shoved open her car door. As she made her way to the front entrance, Jordan Lane came striding out. Jordan was a nice guy, a little too flirtatious but still sweet.
He held the door for her and grinned. “Hey, pretty lady. Picking up the boss?”
She smiled. “Yep.”
He leaned closer and whispered, “Be warned, he’s been a real grump lately.”
Amanda clutched her purse tighter. “Oh?”
Jordan shoved a hand through his hair. “Yeah. Not sure what’s got him riled but something’s been eating at him.”
“Thanks for the warning. I’ll see if I can’t get him in a better mood.”
He chuckled. “Lunch with you always puts the boss in a good mood.”
“You planning on talking to my employees all day or are we going to eat?” Leo stood a few feet inside the room, staring at Jordan as if he wanted to commit murder. She’d never seen Leo so short-tempered. Well, there was the one time when he’d had to go to the dentist. The root canal that followed had put him in a very sour mood. She’d ended up playing nursemaid until she’d gotten so fed up with his lousy attitude that she’d threatened to leave him to his own devi
ces. If she remembered correctly, he’d straightened up pretty quick.
Jordan winked. “See what I mean?”
Leo moved closer and took hold of the door. “Don’t you have somewhere to be, Lane?”
Jordan held up both hands as if in surrender. “I’m already gone.”
Amanda watched Jordan head toward his work truck. With his six-foot-plus muscular frame, hazel eyes and dark hair, Jordan was a good-looking man but not really her type. She heard Leo clear his throat. She swiveled around only to be glared at. It set her on edge.
“If you’d rather skip lunch, that’s fine with me. I’ve got some things to take care of anyway before I can leave the store to Robin for the weekend.”
“I don’t want to skip lunch,” he bit out. “I’m starving.”
Her temper got the better of her. “Fine, but if you plan on snapping at me the whole time then I’d just as soon you eat alone.”
His gaze darkened. “I’m not snapping.”