It’s nice and it’s getting under my skin.
“Fake fake fake fake,” I quietly chant to myself. Now if I can just make my body’s reactions to jump on board that would be great.
I walk to the door and open it with a smile. “I’m ready.”
Jasper takes a moment to look me up and down. My cheeks flush pink when he licks his lips as if he’s just seen something delicious he wants to take a bite out of. Fake. The reminder means nothing when he’s looking at me like that though. It makes me wonder if he’s struggling with his own attraction for me or if I’m just seeing things that aren’t there.
“You look beautiful, sweetheart.”
I run my hands over my blue babydoll dress, preening just a little under his praise. A girl could definitely get used to hearing that from a man as handsome as Jasper. I give him an up and down look, admiring him in his dark jeans and black t-shirt. He might not be dressed up, but he’s fine as hell just the same.
“You look nice too,” I say shyly.
Jasper smirks at me but says nothing. I take a cue from him and silently walk toward the front door and my escape from all the hormones flying around in my house. Lord knows I need a break from those before I go radioactive and detonate like a bomb.
Just like every other time we’ve left the house, Jasper locks up for me, keeping his hand on my lower back as he leads me to his truck. He helps me up into the tall vehicle and buckles me in. I try to hold my breath so I’m not overwhelmed by the spicy scent of his cologne and that thing that is solely Jasper, but I can’t.
Goosebumps pebble on my flesh as he straightens the belt across my lap and my breath stutters out of my lungs as I breathe him in. The whole thing takes maybe five seconds, but it feels like a lifetime. A panty melting lifetime.
Fake fake fake.
Thankfully I get my libido back under control as he circles around the front of the truck to the driver’s side. Tonight is going to be interesting.
The club is packed when we get there. Busier than it’s ever been the few times I’ve come. Jasper puts a claiming hand on my lower back as he leads me to the bar area where we always meet up with our friends before everyone heads off to play. The man from last time is here and gives me a heated look, but then notes Jasper’s hand on me and shrugs, turning back to the group of people he was chatting with.
Part of me is disappointed because he seemed nice enough and it’s been so long since I’ve had a good scene—hell, a scene at all. Now that I’m fake with Jasper, the possibilities of that are zilch. I let out a little sigh, and Jasper gives me a questioning look. I just smile up at him and shake my head letting him know it’s nothing.
Darlene and Colt are sitting at the bar chatting with Tessa when we get to them. Colt spots us first, and his eyebrows raise in question at how possessively Jasper is holding onto me. My heart skips a beat when he nudges Darlene, and she turns to take us in. Her mouth pops open, and her eyes widen.
I smile and give a little finger wave as we close the distance between us. She hops off her stool and grabs me up in a hug.
“You have to tell me everything!” she hisses into my ear.
And so, it begins. The lie to end all lies. Guilt eats me up inside because I hate lying to my best friend, but this is the best way for Jasper to protect me and have the fewest questions asked.
Colt stands from his seat and offers it to me since the bar area is just as packed as the rest of the club, and there are no other seats to be had.
“You don’t have to give up your seat,” I say.
“Take the seat, sweetheart, and say thank you,” Jasper growls lowly in my ear sending shivers of desire down my spine.
“Thank you, Colt,” I say, sounding meek as a little girl.
“You’re welcome,” he says, looking back and forth between Jasper and me as if he’s trying to puzzle out what exactly is going on with us.
The boys stand directly behind us, almost like a couple of sentries protecting our backs as we chit-chat about everything and nothing. I ask Darlene how her summer class is going and as many other benign things that have nothing to do with Jasper as I can.
“Okay, enough beating around the bush. Tell me what is going on with you and Jasper.”
I take a deep breath and nearly just tell her the truth of what’s really going on, but then I remember her own stalker and her attack and decide that the lie is really for her benefit so she won’t worry about me.
Yeah, I’ll just keep telling myself that this lie is all for her. I mentally facepalm myself with a brisk chastisement because I know that Darlene would want to know the truth, not some made-up story that I’ve concocted.
“Well… I mean…” I clear my throat, trying to find the words to explain. Jasper’s warm hand finds my back, and he leans in and kisses the side of my neck just below my ear.
“Tell her whatever makes you happy,” he whispers, giving me permission to bail out on our agreement.
That just solidifies that what I’m doing is right. In this instance, the lie is better than the truth… especially since I like the lie so dang much.