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"How long has this been going on?" the douche asked.
I kissed the side of Reese's head. She was a genius for preparing a game plan before we arrived.
"Three weeks," I said.
Malcolm frowned and then looked incredulous. "That’s not long at all."
"Feels like we’ve known each other forever." I took Reese's hand, kissing the back of it. I turned it around and planted a kiss there too. Then I held her palm against my cheek, tilting so I could make eye contact with her. The smile on her face wasn't fake. Not even one bit.
I looked back at Malcolm. He seemed stricken.
Tough luck, pal. You let a good woman go, and now you can suck it.
"And how exactly did you meet?" The guy was unbelievable.
"Reese, you tell the story. You always tell it better. I was too preoccupied thinking how to ask you to go out with me to pay attention to what was happening.”
That wasn't even a stretch. If she had indeed walked into my store, and I hadn't been idiotic enough to think she might want to fish me, I would have definitely asked her out.
"I went into his store because I needed a dress for an event. It wasn't for this one... I don’t think. I can't actually remember. Anyway, we started off on the wrong foot. He thought I was a gold digger. Then one thing led to another, and he asked me out." She was good at this—the pretend pauses, the frown.
A weight pressed on my chest. My ex was good at telling stories, too, and that didn’t sit well with me. But Reese wasn’t my ex. And even if she turned out to be like her, it wouldn't matter. We’d get through this weekend, and that would get us what we both wanted.
"I see," Malcolm said after Reese finished talking. "Dominic, are you good at archery?”
"No, but I'll cheer Reese on." I needed to get rid of this guy.
We were putting on a good show, but it was taking a toll on Reese. I knew exactly how to get him out of the way. "Isn't that right?"
I turned her slightly to me. She pushed her tongue out, licking her lower lip. I followed my instinct, tilting over her and capturing her mouth. She was soft against my body, and it just fueled me on. She gave me access, molding herself against my chest.
I didn't need any further invitation. I cupped the back of her head and deepened the kiss, exploring her. I'd fantasized about this exact moment, and it was even better than I'd dreamed up. She tasted delicious, like cinnamon and an underlying sweetness I liked too much. Her body was soft and on edge at the same time.
A light buzz filled me. It was electrifying. Could she feel it too?
I wanted to touch every part of her. I wanted to make her mine.
***
Reese
How was this kiss so amazing? It wasn't fair. I was putty in his hands, my body more alive than it had been in years. I felt the thrum of his heart in his chest. All I wanted was to sink my hands into his hair.
Oh, why not? We might be pretending, but this kiss is so good that it can't be anything other than real.
I rose onto my toes, needing to get rid of some of the vibrant energy filling me. I wrapped both hands in his hair, threading my fingers through it. He groaned, a deep, guttural sound, and lowered his hand from the middle of my back down to the small of it, pressing me against him.
"Now, I think everybody is here," a voice cut through the air.
Noooo! I didn't want this to stop.
Reluctantly, I pulled away. Dom and I made eye contact for a split second, and then I quickly looked away.
It was only a few seconds later that I remembered Malcolm was next to us. His face was a few shades paler than before. Hell yes! We'd managed to stun him. Good. He'd always said I was a stick-in-the-mud because I wasn't into big public displays of affection. Truthfully, I usually wasn't, but that kiss had given me life.
"Reese, I was hoping you’d be here already," Monika said.
She looked from me to Dom and sighed. My God, he hadn't been joking. He was truly a magnet for women, and they didn’t even know he was a fantastic kisser. And a good person. Maybe he wasn’t as grumpy as I initially thought? He certainly was playing his part as the devoted boyfriend well.
