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She snatched the pump thingy out of his hand and went back into the bathroom, presumably to reattach it. When she came out, she was tightening the belt on her robe. “I don’t see what good it will do.”
“It will take Ms Schultz’s eye off Colin and it will take Tamara’s eyes off me.”
“Oh. You know about…”
“It’s pretty hard to miss. I’ve been the only man in her life, apart from her father, since Colin was born. I didn’t realise being nice to her was risky until the last couple of visits.”
“If it’s any consolation, I doubt it’s serious. More hero worship. She’s still very young, for all that she’s a mother.”
“Which is why it’s important to let her down gently. If she sees I’m interested in someone else, she might be a little hurt, but not humiliated. I haven’t given her any deliberate encouragement. She’s like a kid sister.”
Bonnie perched on the end of the bed, near his foot. “That’s your plan? To pretend we’re romantically involved?”
“It shouldn’t be hard. We’ve been involved before.”
“Not romantically. I was your ‘friend with benefits’ buddy for when you were home. The romantic involvement was with all those women you were with at awards nights and after-parties.”
If she only knew. He reached for her hand, resting it on his thigh. “I know you’ve probably moved on. For all I know you’ve got someone waiting for you in Canada. Would it be a problem, for a few weeks?”
“There’s no one.”
His heart leapt as she answered the question that had been bugging him for the last four years.
She bit off the words as if annoyed with herself for revealing as much. “You don’t expect…”
“Sex? Only if you want it. I’m a guy. You know I’m always up for it.”
She glanced down at his crotch and raised a brow. “So I see.” He grinned at her and, for once, she returned it. “Not on the menu, Xander Mac.”
“Pity.”
“Seriously, you don’t need me. You could pick them off the trees.”
“Not if I’m supposed to be in a relationship with you. I may lack commitment in your eyes, but I never cheat.”
Her nose wrinkled. “Awkward. Why don’t you pretend with one of your other playmates?”
“I trust you. You’re a friend. You’ve been my friend for fifteen years. Who else could I trust to do this for me?”
Ruddy colour stained her cheeks. He was getting to her. Rolling his shoulders, he eased the tension in his back and neck. This was too important to push.
She rubbed at the colour in her cheeks, making it worse. “You really think this is the best option?”
“It kills two birds with one stone. Keeps the reporter from looking around and putting two and two together to make five about Colin, and eases me out of any danger with Tamara. I don’t want her hurt. She’s been through a hell of a lot.”
“I guess I could do it for a couple of weeks, until the concert is over. By then the reporter will lose interest and Tamara will have got the message.”
Gripping her hand, he studied her face. “Are you sure? It has to be all in. We can’t allow any talk to get back to the reporter that might arouse her suspicions.”
“I did do drama at school. I’m sure I can mimic your devoted fans and gaze at you adoringly when we’re in public.”
“Show me.”
She leaned forward and the freshly washed scent of her reached his nostrils, kicking his heart into a gallop. Her face was so close he was having trouble focusing. The green in her eyes sparked up at him and she fluttered her lashes. “How’s this?”
There was laughter in her voice and he quelled it the only way he could think of, with the pressure of his mouth against her lips. She tasted of mint toothpaste. He didn’t force it, reining in the urge to taste her with his tongue, letting his lips explore the softness of hers, nibbling at her pouty bottom lip. She sucked in a breath, and he pulled back so he could see her face. The clear skin still had a pink tint, her mouth rosy and swollen. Bonnie Callaghan was so damn beautiful, she made him ache in a dozen different ways.
He tilted her chin up with his knuckles. “Are you sure you don’t want to go for broke?”
