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“I mean,” he said, pulling her closer, “do you think we’ll succeed in pretending to be a couple?”
Before her muddled brain could make sense of his words, his warm, wet mouth was on hers again. Oh, my goodness, the man knew how to kiss. She caught her breath; his tongue quickly plunged into her mouth to where her own was eagerly waiting.
Before she realized what she was doing, her hands were on his torso, enthusiastically stroking his muscles before she slipped her arms around his unfamiliar body, exploring his broad shoulders and reveling in the feel of him. She hadn’t been this near to a man since Adam...
She was a widow and had no business kissing another man.
Bewildered, she dropped her arms and stepped back. For a moment, Gavin looked as stunned as she was feeling. He rubbed his face. “That...I didn’t expect that. I haven’t been with someone for a while.”
Brooke nodded and tried a smile. “I haven’t been with someone either, since my husband died. That’s probably why we’ve nearly, well, combusted.”
Gavin looked incredulous. “You haven’t been with anyone? What is wrong with the men in this town? You’re so beautiful.”
Wow. No man had called her beautiful in quite that tone of voice since... Well, never. Adam had loved her, she’d never doubted that, but he hadn’t been one for corny lines or frilly words.
“Don’t be silly.” She laughed. “I’m a mess. Look at my hair.” She combed it back with her fingers. “Frumpy is probably a more accurate description. Anyway, pretending to be a couple is a preposterous idea.”
Gavin lifted a hand and touched her face—just briefly, but she felt the touch right down to the very core of her being. “You’re gorgeous, whatever state your hair is in.” He bent down. “Let me just check if we haven’t been mistaken.” And then he kissed her again.
This time the kiss just about threw her off her feet, and she had to cling to him to stay upright.
He slowly lifted his head. “I think we could be quite convincing. What do you think?”
The fogginess in her mind finally cleared, and she stepped back quickly. “Forget about it. I’ve had my chance at love. Adam and I were very happy, and I certainly have no intention of ever getting married again.”
“Neither have I. My last girlfriend would be all too willing to tell you how hopeless I am at any kind of relationship, so I know for sure I’m not marriage material. But don’t you see? This is exactly why this could work. Neither one of us is interested in anything more permanent. A fake relationship is the perfect way to get our families off our backs.”
Chewing her lips, she stared at him. It made sense. It was really getting so boring to keep explaining to everyone that she and Gavin were just friends. It was such a bizarre idea, it might just work.
Gavin groaned and she looked up at him. He was staring at her mouth.
“If you keep doing that, I’ll have to kiss you again.”
Her mouth was suddenly dry and she slipped out her tongue to wet her lips. He pulled her close. “This...this drives me crazy,” he whispered before his mouth descended on hers again.
By now she knew what was coming, but she was still unprepared for the sheer joy streaking through her body. She shouldn’t be doing this—she’d been married—she’d loved her husband. Besides, she wasn’t a giddy teenager anymore—she had responsibilities—things she should be doing.
But instead of listening to her brain and pushing him away, her hands grabbed hold of his shirt, and she lifted herself on her toes. Desire had her reeling, and getting closer to him was her only goal. He angled his head, deepened the kiss, and oh, my. Were her toes actually curling?
From far away, the sound of a phone ringing penetrated her befuddled brain, but she ignored it. She wasn’t ready to give up this moment of bliss just yet. He pulled her close, the heat of his throbbing desire pressed invitingly against her body. Oh. My.
Gavin was the one who finally lifted his head. His eyes were sapphires, liquid with want, his face slightly flushed.
“Your phone is on the table,” he muttered before he dropped his hands.
Blindly, she turned around and reached out to pick up her phone. As usual, she hadn’t remembered where she’d put it. It was her mother calling, but before she could answer, the ringing stopped. Thank goodness.
Taking a deep breath, she grabbed onto the chair to steady herself. “That,” she said without turning back to him, “can never happen again.”
It was quiet behind her, and after a few moments, she twisted around to face Gavin. He was bent slightly forward, still breathing hard.
“Did you hear me?”
“Yeah, I heard you.”
“You have to go. Now.”
“Just give me a minute, damn it.” He adjusted his pants.
