Her smile was slow and sexy. “Close your eyes.”
When he did, he heard her rooting through the basket, the crinkling of a wrapper, felt the nearness of her body when she came closer.
“Open,” she whispered.
She put something in his mouth, the taste not registering as easily as the feel of her finger against his lips. Before he could close his lips around her finger, she pulled back and more flavor exploded on his tongue. Tangy. Or downright sour. His cheeks quirked, puckering. Lexi giggled.
Will opened his eyes, looked at the wrapper, not surprised to see she’d given him a Warhead. His mouth watered. Then his eyes. He grabbed her hand and yanked her closer, loving the way she laughed.
“Cruel.”
“Yeah, don’t give me one of those.” She settled her upper body on his, fitting against him in a way he knew he could get used to.
“Truth or treat?”
Nestling her head into the crook of his arm, she tipped her head back. “Truth.”
He wanted to know everything. “What makes you happy?”
She grinned, her finger absently stroking his chest. “Coffee. Tea. When my mom has good days. Maisie’s pep talks.” She lowered her chin, stared at her hand on his chest. “And lately, my fiancé.”
He could feel the box digging into his thigh. The timing seemed right and she seemed so at ease with the whole ruse aspect of their relationship. So what was holding him back?You’re giving a woman a ring. It’s okay to be a little freaked out.What really fucking set his brain spinning,however, was the idea that he didn’t mind the idea of slipping a ring on her finger. At all. “Speaking of… my sisters seem to have thought of everything. They’re having way too much fun with this.”
Lexi looked up again. “What do you mean?”
Will shifted, grabbed the box, and flipped it open with his thumb, held it out to Lexi.
She sat up fast, nearly smacking his chin with her head. “Holy shit. Is that real?”
Will laughed. “I don’t actually know. Would you wear it? I mean, I suppose you would only need to when we’re at events or with family.”
Lexi looked like a kid in a candy store with too many options, like she wanted to snatch the offering and run just in case it was taken away.
“Okay, but what if I lose it?” Her eyes shifted from the ring to his gaze.
“Do you think you will?”
She laughed, touching it with exquisite gentleness. “No. But will I owe you like two point three million dollars if I do?”
Will plucked the ring from its case, feeling like the smile she brought out in him warmed him all the way through. “That’s a very specific number.” He set the box down beside him, held the ring between his thumb and his forefinger. “Alexandria Danby, I think you’re amazing. You make me smile and laugh. I like who I am when I’m with you and I want to learn every one of your secrets. You take up a lot of space in my brain. Enough so that it should worry me. It would be my honor if you’d wear this as a symbol of our fake engagement. Doing so does not hold you liable should the ring be lost, stolen, or damaged.”
Moving so she was on her knees, she held out her hand, spreading her fingers. “I like this pretend life of mine.”
Will slipped the ring on her finger, keeping hold of her hand, and made sure she was looking right into his eyes when he spoke. “Just remember, it’s not all pretend.”
Her eyes widened but he didn’t give her a chance to respond. Instead, he reached up, curled his fingers around the nape of her neck, and pulled her down for a kiss. Whether it was the intimacy of being on his bed, the simple allure of her, or the unexpected satisfaction of having her wear a ring that symbolized their connection, his need went from a simmer to a boil in the space of a few heartbeats.
She gave him her weight, settling against him, her soft curves aligning to his hard edges with a rightness he’d always thought would overwhelm him. Truly, he’d never expected to feel the things he was starting to feel when he was with her. That shouldn’t surprise him since she’d thrown him off balance from their very first meeting. Even more surprising was how much he liked it. He just wished he knew his fiancée well enough to know how real it felt to her.
Twenty-three
The game had changed. Instead of taking turns asking truth or treat, they snacked on the candy while entwined with each other, asking for truths. They were still fully clothed and Lexi had never felt more naked. As much as it scared her, it felt right, and for once she didn’t want to close herself off from possibility. It’d been so long since she’d felt it for anything.
“Second favorite color?” he asked.
It seemed like such a trivial question after asking about dating and fears. “Blue.”
“There’s a lot of blue in the world.”
