Then his mouth is on mine, one large hand cradling my face, the other at the small of my back, pulling me flush against him. The kiss is nothing like the chaste, public display I expected. It's deep, possessive, his tongue sweeping into my mouth with confident skill that makes my knees buckle.
I respond instinctively, fingers clutching his shirt, pressing closer as heat explodes through my body. He kisses like a man staking a claim, not like someone putting on a show.
When he finally pulls back, I'm breathless, dizzy with want and confusion. His eyes have darkened to storm clouds, his breathing uneven.
This is an act, I remind myself frantically. A performance for onlookers. A business arrangement.
But as Sylvie pushes through the door with a squeal of excitement, I touch my tingling lips and wonder if I've just made the biggest mistake of my life. Or the best decision I've ever made.
CHAPTER FOUR
COLT
Ihadn't planned to kiss her. That's what I tell myself as I watch Savannah get bombarded by her friend's excited questions. The kiss was just part of selling our story. Making it convincing, like I said we needed to.
But I'm lying to myself.
I kissed her because I wanted to. Because her full lips and wide eyes and the way she said "yes" like she meant it hit me in places I thought were long dead. The taste of her coffee-flavored mouth is still on my tongue, and I already want more.
This is borderline ridiculous. She's the sheriff's daughter. Twelve years my junior. A woman with plans and dreams that don't include an ex-con with a GED and a reputation that makes mothers pull their children to the opposite side of the street.
"You two are so cute together," her friend gushes, grabbing Savannah's hand to examine the ring. "Girl, tell me the truth, that was not fake. How long have y’all been sneaking around? I can't believe you kept this from me."
"It happened fast," Savannah says, her acting impressively smooth despite her still flushed cheeks. She looks to me with those big brown eyes. "Didn't it, baby?"
Baby. The endearment in her mouth does things to me.
"When you know, you know." I move beside her, sliding my arm around her waist like it belongs there. Her body is soft and warm against mine. "Some things you can't fight."
That part isn't acting. I tried to talk myself out of agreeing to this insane plan. Spent all night listing reasons it was a terrible idea. But here I am, playing the besotted fiancé in a coffee shop, already addicted to the way she feels in my arms.
"Wait until your father finds out." Sylvie's eyes widen. "Sheriff Parker is going to lose his mind."
Savannah tenses against me. "He'll just have to accept it."
"Or shoot me," I mutter, only half joking.
Savannah squeezes my hand. "He won't shoot you."
"Try telling him that."
As if summoned by our conversation, the radio on the belt of a deputy at the counter crackles to life. "All units, Sheriff Parker requesting backup at The Grind. Code three."
Code three. Lights and sirens. Because his daughter got engaged.
"Someone called him," Savannah whispers, her fingers tightening around mine.
The deputy, a young guy named Rodriguez who's never given me trouble, eyes us with a mixture of sympathy and amusement. "Congratulations on your engagement," he says, paying for his coffee. "Also, you might want to prepare yourselves."
"How bad?" I ask him.
Rodriguez winces. "He was in the middle of a meeting with the mayor when Mrs. Jenkins called to tell him she just saw his daughter accept a proposal from Colton Reeves."
Savannah's face pales slightly, but her chin lifts with that stubborn determination I'm coming to admire. "We haven't done anything wrong."
"No ma'am, you sure haven't." Rodriguez tips his hat. "But I'd suggest having that conversation somewhere less public than a coffee shop patio."
He has a point. I don't need another public confrontation with Sheriff Parker. Not when I'm trying to improve my reputation.
