“Uh- what’s good. I mean, you said this place was good. You’ve probably been here before. Do you have anything that you’d recommend?”
“Chicken. Or ham. Unicorn poop?”
“What?” She slapped the menu down.
“Just checking to see if you were actually paying attention. I know you didn’t read a word on this menu.” Trace’s mouth curled into a confident, sly smile. Which of course was absolutely sinful. And yes, she’d worn panties under her dress. And yes, they were currently on their way to combusting. And yes, her hoo-ha might be trying hard to put out that fire.
“Well- honestly, it’s hard to concentrate with you sitting there watching me the whole time,” she admitted. God, it was another one of her failings. Her tendency to be completely blunt and say whatever was on her mind.
Trace laughed. She liked the deep, sexy sound of it. Her entire body liked it. She had to pretend that her nipples didn’t just pebble at the sound of it. Or maybe that was because Trace’s wonderful scent kept drifting across the table to her. Or maybe it was because he’d worn a black dress shirt with black jeans and damn, black was definitely the man’s color.
Maybe it was because she still thought of him as Mr. Nightshadow. Sex incarnate. Okay, she’d tacked that last part on when he’d picked her up in a sleek black sports car looking and smelling like… well- sex come to life.
“Good. I like that. I like that you’re distracted. If we’re attracted to each other, that means we won’t have to act.” He lowered his voice and leaned forward, and her panties melted off under the table. “I promise by the end of this week, we won’t be acting at all.”
“What- what do you mean,” she panted. “I’m not looking for a relationship.”
“I mean, you wanted a boyfriend for the week, you got one.”
“I wanted a fake boyfriend for my reunion.”
Trace shook his head, all sexy confidence and quick charm. And god, it was working, because she was melting slowly in her chair, until all that would be left was a puddle of her former self. How dignified.
“Well, you got me. And to sell those asshats that you’re worried about, we have to be on the same page, and I don’t think fake is going to cut it. Plus, I have this sneaking suspicion that you have no idea how beautiful and incredible you really are.”
“And you plan on what? Showing me?” Ash’s mouth dropped open.
Trace nodded slowly and then he smiled that wicked smile. She nearly let out a groan of sheer pent up sexual frustration when she realized that he had a dimple on his right cheek. Fuuuuccckkkkk me.
That was what he was suggesting, she realized. She’d seen other men look at other women that way. Like they were imagining them naked. She’d just never really had a man look at her that way. Then again, she had spent the past ten years of her life working at a comic book store, where the men who came in there were more excited about the newest comics and board games than they were about the girl who worked there.
Not that she blamed them one bit.
She was absolutely the same way.
“I- so you really- uh- shouldn’t we have some ground rules? Isn’t that inappropriate?”
“What? Having a mutually beneficial physical relationship where both parties give and receive pleasure? I don’t see how it’s at all wrong. We’re both adults. We both know what we want.”
“Uh- do we?”
“We both have a common goal in mind.” Trace continued like he hadn’t even heard her. “My goal is for you to walk into that reunion and for the whole place to see you as I do. Including yourself. I think you need a little… convincing. And what’s the problem with us having a little fun so that we don’t have to act? If the whole thing falls flat at the reunion and it’s obvious that it’s fake, that’s not going to do you any good. It’s going to make things a whole lot worse.”
Ash pursed her lips. “So really, you’re just… well, this is actually about business, in a way.”
“We don’t have a business agreement.” Trace shrugged. “So, we met in an unorthodox way? Big deal. I’m open to a physical relationship if you are. I think it will help, but also and more important, I think you’d enjoy it.”
“I- I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Her vagina had other ideas. Currently said member was doing a pissed off, finger waving, screaming tantrum at her. Oh my god why don’t I just say yes already? Oh right. Probably because he’s the kind of guy who ruins you for sex forever.
“Why not?” Trace slid the menu away from her. “I’ll order for you. If you like what I order, then you have to trust me. After dinner, instead of just driving you back home and dropping you off after grilling you about details from your past so I don’t fuck up when it counts, I’ll come in with you. I’ll follow you up to your apartment and I’ll give you a taste of what’s possible. If you like that, then I’ll give you more. How is that for a compromise? Because we might have met because you needed a fake boyfriend, but how does that have to stop us from having some consensual fun that you look to be in dire need of?”