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He got onto the mattress and I climbed on the other side. It was a twin, so we really had to squeeze in. He lay back against the headboard and opened his arm to let me snuggle up next to him and my whole body melted at the contact.

This.

This was what I needed. I could have stayed here forever.

He settled into the pillows, and I got adjusted against his chest. He smelled warm and familiar, and I could see why he could convert dogs who hate men and lure timid cats out from under sofas.

Jacob made me feel safe. He was like a living lullaby. A softly spoken word. The smell of coffee and toast in the morning or a cozy fleece blanket. The rain pattering on the roof on a day where you don’t have to go anywhere or do anything.

I wondered if sex with him would feel like slipping into warm water. All enveloping and just right. I bet kissing him would feel that way too. He was so gentle and careful. I bet he’d kiss me softly. And then hard. I’d put a hand on his jaw to feel his five-o’clock shadow and then move it to the back of his neck to pull him closer. I could picture the feel of his lips and his tongue and his teeth. His breath on my mouth and his chest rising and falling against mine the way it was right now…

I was so in my head I had to remind myself what I was supposed to be doing. I cleared my throat again and angled the camera, taking longer than I needed to, just to have a second more in his arms.

He didn’t look at the lens, though. He tilted his head so his nose was in my hair and closed his eyes. It looked great for the picture. Like this was a private moment with a man who was in love with me and we were catching this in a candid photo.

I had the strongest urge to set down the phone and tip my head up to his and see what would happen.

Instead I took the picture and hopped off the bed.

I had to pretend to be busy putting the picture on Instagram so I wouldn’t have to look at him while my heart rate went back down.

It really was a good picture. Tender. Intimate.

Then I realized that Amy would see this and all it would do is make the situation between them more tense. It might even be the thing that tipped the scales.

Jacob’s family seemed pretty chill. If Amy did switch brothers again, I knew they’d get over it. They’d have their moment. Jewel would probably be the most vocal. She seemed like she didn’t have a lot of time for drama and bullshit and she’d definitely give her two cents. But then they’d all probably just shrug and accept it and move on.

I honestly didn’t see her wedding to Jeremiah happening.

I mean, I’d do what I’d said I was going to do, which was to be his girlfriend in the meantime. But then I’d get dumped. Again.

I was glad he’d come today. Because we only had so long to keep pretending.

Chapter 30

Jacob

Would you punch me in the face for one billion dollars?” Briana asked.

We were at the VFW in Wakan. It was nine p.m., and we’d been here for a few hours after dinner at Jane’s, the little diner on Main Street. We’d spent the day wandering the town, going to antique stores, getting ice cream, checking out the farmers’ market. We were sitting in a booth at the back of the bar with Alexis and Daniel.

Briana waited for my answer like this was a serious question.

“If we were married,” she said again, “and someone offered you a billion dollars to punch me in the face, as hard as you could, with my permission, would you do it?”

“No,” I said. “I would not punch you in the face.”

Her eyes got wide. “You’d better punch me in the face, Maddox. I’d punch you in the face.”

“For a billion dollars I’d actually be okay with that,” I said.

She gasped. “Oh, so you can get punched in the face, but I can’t? That is so sexist.”

“It is not the same thing,” I said. “I’m stronger than you. I could shatter your jaw.”

“And I couldn’t shatter your jaw? This is one billion dollars we’re talking about. Xfinity needs to go to college.”

I barked out a laugh.