Page 97 of The Work Wife

“Romance isn’t all on the men either. I noticed you brought him a bottle of water.” She gestured to Jamie.

“He’s a Northerner. He gets hot faster than me.” She joked it off, but he smiled at her. She’d brought him the water because she cared about him too. They were acing this thing.

Having made her point, the instructor moved on to pointers and tips. Pointing out that romance wasn’t one-sided. That the women needed to have game in that area as well. When she seemed satisfied that everyone grasped the goal of the project, they were told to break off and practice.

Wes turned his seat to face Jamie and took both of her hands in his.

“We don’t have to do this. I think you beat every guy in the room as soon as we sat down.”

“Still, it doesn’t hurt to brush up on my skills.”

He cleared his throat and looked into her eyes. She made them really wide in an effort to make him laugh, but then settled in to seriousness.

“Do your worst. I’m invincible.” She stretched her neck to each side and rolled her shoulders.

“Oh, you think so? I haven’t unleashed a fraction of my abilities on you.”

“That sounds like a challenge.”

“It’s on,” he threatened, and took a deep breath.

“Bring it.”

“Your hair glimmers in the sun like strands of gold,” he started.

“Please. It’s called light refraction. My brown hair has a hollow shaft which bounces light at a different angle on certain strands, giving it the appearance of being a different color than the rest. It’s an illusion.”

“I was just getting warmed up.” He shook out his hands as she crossed her arms in front of her. It reminded him of their relationship. Even before the fake wedding, they challenged one another to be their best.

“In the mornings when you come into the office all grumpy like a wet kitten, I like the way you soften up when I make a joke. It’s like I have the key to unlock you from the unhappiness of the morning. I feel like I have a superpower or something.”

“Morning Man?” She laughed.

He smiled, envisioning a spandex suit with bacon and eggs on the chest plate. “Maybe, but it works after bad meetings and stressful proposals too.”

“Your calmness makes me calm.”

“Hmm. I guess that’s not very romantic, is it?” He pulled his lips to the side.

“Actually, it is.” He looked up to see her arms unfold. “That you care enough to want to cheer me up in the mornings or want to reassure me when we sit down at a Romance 101 workshop. That’s more valuable than grand gestures.”

“I do a fair job at grand gestures too.”

“I see that,” she said, holding up her left hand to display the ring on her finger. “Very grand indeed.”

“You don’t like it?”

“Actually, I do. My muscles have strengthened enough for me to lift it, so it’s become easier to live with.” They laughed together and then she looked around before she whispered, “Plus it’s bigger than everyone else’s. Even if it’s fake.”

“You’ve turned the symbol of my commitment into a competition.”

“Everything is a competition.” She gave him that mischievous smile that made his heart kick up a notch in fear as well as attraction.

“You’ve already won the competition for having the most beautiful smile on the entire island.” He expected her to laugh at him. He’d laid it on a little thick, despite it being true.

She blinked at him. He’d obviously stunned her with his words. Time to move in for the kill. He leaned down to place his lips at the edge of her jaw in the place that made women breathless, but before he made contact she turned and kissed him. Not just a little kiss either.

A big, steamy kiss with promises of more to come. It was the same all-consuming kiss that had nearly overtaken them during the hike to the waterfall. It made him forget they were in a room with other people. At least for a moment.