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Ava was also right. Now was the moment to announce their fake romance to the world. If it was the plan, she should just do it. Waffling and pussyfooting was stupid.
Ava had gotten her into plenty of trouble back in the day, true. On the plus side, most of it had been a blast. The most fun she’d ever had. Before or since.
She looked at Drew, who looked back without smiling, arms crossed over his chest, and her ex-fiancé flashed through her mind. Rupert, who was currently planning his honeymoon with Kayleigh, the twenty-three-year-old intern. She of the big blue eyes that went blinkety-blink like an anime waif. Pouty lips always dangling a little bit open.
The hell with it. Her love life was in a shambles anyway. Empty and sterile and stupid. So why not put it at the service of a friend? Besides, she could use a little goddamn distraction right now. And Arm’s Reach needed a good push.
“I’m in,” she announced. “Let’s go downstairs.”
“Yessss!” Ava bounded up to her feet, jubilant. “Go, go, go now! I’ll call a car to pick you up out front so they’ll have time to get some nice shots of you two together. Don’t walk too fast across the lobby. And remember to smile. Oh, and be sure to look up into his—”
“You’re micromanaging,” Drew said. “Back off. We’ll take it from here.”
Despite her brother’s tone, the irrepressible Ava didn’t stop beaming as she herded them down the hall and into one of the elevator banks. She waved excitedly as the doors slid shut.
Suddenly Jenna was alone with Drew Maddox, every angle of his big, stunning self reflected in the gleaming, reflective silver elevator walls, all the way out into infinity.
Whew. That was a whole lot of Drew Maddox to process.
He smelled so good. She was hyperconscious of how well his pants fit. The width of his shoulders. The bulge of his biceps, filling his jacket sleeves, and they weren’t even a type of sleeve designed to showcase great biceps.
Say something, Jenna. Speak. “Ah, wow. That was...intense.”
“Sure was,” he agreed. “Too intense. Ava’s classic bulldozer routine. Sorry.”
“I’m familiar with it,” she told him.
“Yeah? Has she dragged you into her crazy schemes before?”
“All through college,” she admitted. “I was a big nerd, trying to squeeze mechanical and electronic engineering into my head, and Ava wanted to save me from myself. It was her sacred mission to get me into a respectable amount of trouble.”
He laughed under his breath. “Respectable?”
“Oh, yeah,” she assured him. “Only lame-ass losers never get into any trouble.”
His teeth flashed, gorgeously white. “Sounds like something Av would say.”
“She likes to challenge me,” Jenna said. “Get me out of my comfort zone.”
“I imagine that’s usually a good thing. But seriously. If this makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to do it. No pressure. Are we clear?”
Aw. How sweet. She nodded.
His smile made her legs wobble. “Good. Door’s opening. Last chance to bail.”
The decision made itself on some deep, wordless level of her mind, just as the doors started to slide open.
She went up onto her tiptoes, cupped the nape of his neck and pulled him down into a forceful kiss.
Drew stiffened for a fraction of an instant—and then leaned into it.
His lips were so warm. She registered the silken texture of his short hair. Touched his cheek with her other hand, exploring the faint, sandpapery rasp of beard shadow, his warm, smooth, supple skin. She was vaguely aware of flashes of light from the cameras, hoots and whistles. They seemed far away. Irrelevant.
Drew swayed back. “Whoa,” he murmured. “You took me by surprise.”
“Sorry,” she whispered back. “Snap decision.”
“Don’t apologize. I’m there for it. Anytime.”
