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“Pretend…?” she whispered, feeling a stab of pain within her at his choice of words.
“Whatever you’ve got to do to get through this and realize that I’m here to help you, that Iwantto help you, and…”
Madison reached up to touch his cheek, immediately silencing him as his eyes searched hers. Her thumb brushed over the coarse hair of his neatly kept beard and felt his warm skin, marveling with shock and awe at the differences between him… and Asher.
Her ex-husband had been a boy, a fool.
Eric was a man, who looked at things differently, and was playing a much longer game – a game that she silently wanted to be part of.
“I know this is all to help me, a fake marriage to make things easier for Max, but…” her voice trailed off as she met his eyes, refusing to move her hand from his cheek, and seeing his throat work as he swallowed.
“Butwhat?” he breathed.
“What if we started with the basics,” she murmured, using his words again, and was rewarded by a soft smile that was enchanting.
“Another hug, my favorite pretend-wife?”
She saw his tender smile as he gazed at her, both of them growing quiet.
“I want you to remember me when you leave,” she breathed, her eyes searching his. “I want you to miss our friendship, to reach out to me like you would a real wife, and for us to…”
“Iwillmiss you,” he admitted huskily. “It’s already eating me up on the inside. Now, are you going to hug me, or should I start this?”
“Can you just hold me?” she whispered openly.
“Yup,” he said softly, moving slightly and pulling her into a hug against him, before laying down. “Rest… okay?”
“Just two friends hugging, right?” she whispered in the darkness.
“It’s whatever you need it to be,” he breathed against her hair. “I’m here; just rest and try not to overanalyze things. Just know that I’m here.”
As she lay there for several minutes, feeling his arm around her waist and his chest at her back, she realized how comforting it was to be held… to feel safe, protected, and not alone.
She was not alone!
He had given her his name, his friendship, would step in and help, all in the guise of a marriage of convenience… but somehow, she suspected it was much more than that for both of them – and each was afraid to admit it.
“Eric?”
“Go to sleep, Madison…” he breathed and gave her a slight squeeze as if to silently say, ‘it’s okay’. Closing her eyes, she gave into the warmth and security, trying to take it all in while she could, and treasuring this undefined moment for what it was.
She smiled.
* * *
Madison was sowarm and comfortable. She was lying on a beach in the shade, on the warm sand, and feeling a breeze caress against her skin as she looked up to see the palm trees waving slightly.
… Man, I’ve always wanted to see the ocean, she mused lightly, and felt something touch her cheek. Brushing it off, she heard Eric laugh softly from beside her and closed her eyes, sighing happily.
“Madison?” she heard Eric whisper softly, feeling his breath against her lips, and arched up to kiss him… and felt him respond.
His lips fit hers just perfectly, sliding across hers and sealing the space between them as he kissed her deeply, tasting her… and she tasted coffee instead of the piña coladas they were drinking with the pink and orange umbrellas.
She broke the kiss and felt something touch her cheek again, only this time she alarmingly ‘slammed’ into her consciousness and jerked awake painfully – only to bump noses with Eric.
*crunch*
“Owww…” she winced – and he grunted. “What are you doing?”
