Page 23 of Enemies Don't


Font Size:

“Shocking,” she deadpans and then frowns. “We’re going to have to compromise.”

“Compromise?”

“Like any good and true couple.” She bats her eyelashes and then rolls her eyes again, like she can’t even.

“Alright. What would a compromise look like to you, schnukums?” I wink again.

“First of all”—she glowers at me—“don’t ever call me that again.”

I grin. “What can I call you, then?”

“Not schnukums and not Noli-bo-boli.”

I rear back. “Um, God bless you?”

Noli shakes her head. “I know it sounds absurd, and believe me, it was. But that’s what you kept calling me last night.”

I feel immediate warmth radiate into my cheeks, becausewow,I was a train wreck last night. But I mask my embarrassment with a wolfish grin. “Noli-bo-boli. I like it.”

“No,” she says simply. “Can we focus?”

“Right.” I give her hand a squeeze. “The compromise. Go ahead.”

“You should only touch me for show—when we have an audience.”

I narrow my eyes at her. “What if we don’t realize we have an audience? That won’t work. People will be suspicious. Like I said, I’m a touchy-feely kind of guy, Kasper. If I’m into you, I’m going to let the whole world know.”

“Fine,” she grounds out, not meeting my eye. “Only in public, and we have to keep it professional. If you’re too handsy, I’ll make you pay for it.”

I smirk. “I kind of want to see what sort of punishment you’d have for me.”

“Don’t push it,” she threatens, zinging her gaze back to mine.

“Alright.” I laugh her off. “You have a deal.”

“Good. Then that’s settled.”

“Not so fast.” I shake my head, and Noli’s shoulders droop.

“What?”

“You have to promise you’ll act like you like being showered with my affection. Like when I do this…” I pull Noli’s fingers up to my lips and press a quick kiss to the tip of her pinky. She gasps, and her blue eyes narrow at me. “You have to act like you’re into me too. It’s the only way anyone is going to believe this is real.” I place a kiss on the pads of the rest of her fingers before lowering her hand.

Noli’s cheeks are rosebud pink, and she swallows in a way that I can see her neck move. It’s like I completely threw her off her game, and I amlovinghaving that sort of effect on this unflappable woman.

She blinks and opens her mouth but closes it again.

I hit her with a knowing smile, and that seems to snap her out of whatever haze I had her in.

She sighs overdramatically. “Fine. I can do that.”

“Good. Now what else.” I release her fingers, and she reaches for her coffee mug.

She takes another painful-looking sip. “I want to live with you.”

My eyebrows fly up. Before I can respond, she shakes her head and holds up her hands.

“That came out wrong. I want to stay in your guest house. You have one, right? I saw it over the garage last night.”