“You’re right,” I say and step closer. “We’re just a couple of neighbors who have phone sex and pretend it never happened.”
His eyes go wide and his jaw clenches.
“And those messages are exactly why I didn’t warn you,” he says in the low tone he used the other night.
“Ha, sure.”
I push off the counter, but he reaches his hand out to stop me. His palm meets my stomach, slowly moving to my waist to pull me closer. “I’ve been avoiding reading them because they’re all I can think about. Hell, Greer, if I even looked out my bedroom window this week, all I could hear were your moans. The way my name fell from your lips when you came apart. If I so much as smelled your shampoo or heard your laugh this week, I was imagining all the things I’d do to you if we were alone. If you think I’m pretending it didn’t happen, that’s because I’m not sure how much longer I can keep my hands to myself. But don’t for one second think that I’m pretending it never happened.”
I suck in a big breath, my eyes now locked on his lips. With every word he spoke, I swear he leaned closer and closer. He’s so close now that I could just twitch, and our lips would be touching.
The images that played in my head that night would become a reality, and I’ll never have to dream of what he feels like again. I’ll know. I’ll go to bed knowing what it felt like to be in his arms without stopping.
His gaze drops to my mouth. I close my eyes, ready for it.
But the front door slams and a voice calls out, “Grey! Grandma is here.”
“Shit,” Simon says and backs away. “Shit.”
“Your parents. Oh my god. Simon,” I whisper shout. “What the hell?”
It’s Grey’s birthday. Of course they’re coming. Which means Calla too.
“Too many people will know we’re faking it. Oh god. This is bad. This is?—”
“So we sell it. We sell it hard, Greer. Please.”
I groan.
“Let’s just tell everyone the truth. This is too complicated. I want to date for real, not fake date.”
He grabs my hand.
“I’ll help you then.”
“With what?”
“Dating.”
“Right, that wouldn’t complicateanything.”
“I’m not saying I’m the guru of dating, Greer, but I do enough research for my books that I could help you. Please, help me. Dating advice, no dating advice—please!”
The panic in his tone stops the words on my lips. I don’t have time to ask him about it before his mom and dad step into the kitchen.
“Oh, Simon, hi. Where’s Grey?”
Simon waits for my nod. Whatever his reasoning for wanting to fake it for his family, I’ll have to wait to find out. All I know from the look in his eyes is he needs this.
“He’s in the back with a friend who showed up early,” I say and rub Simon’s arm as he turns around.
“Speaking of early, you two are as well.”
“Well, I was anxious to get here,” his mom says. “It’s lovely to see you again, Greer.”
Her eyes dance between me and her son. Then Simon moves closer to me, and once again rests his hand on my back and on my hip. I swear his mother’s eyes pop out.
“What’s happening?” she asks and points. “Honey!” She slaps her husband’s stomach. “Look!”
