Couldhe?
I said goodnight and went inside, wondering if things would make more sense in the light of day.
CHAPTER 17
LUKE
Kissing Clara had been a beautiful mistake. For the past two days, I replayed that moment over and over again. The memory wasn’t nearly as good as the real thing had been, but it still lit a fire under my skin that had me aching to hold her in my arms again and never let her go.
I should have never agreed to it in the first place. Clara had offered a shaky justification for it, and I let myself be convinced.
I wasn’t a robot. The tension rising between us had me on edge. I thought maybe the kiss would be like a release valve, venting some of the steam building up, making it easier to keep our deal professional for the next two weeks.
All it did was make things worse. For me at least. Clara seemed a lot better about keeping her feelings under control. Meanwhile, she was driving me crazy. Every smile, every look had me horny as a billy-goat. I did my best to give her some space so I didn’t pressure her into anything we hadn’t bargained for.
I didn’t want her to feel like she owed me or that I expected her to sleep with me for the money. Clara was attracted to me, but that didn’t mean anything on its own. I hadn’t been sure shewas feeling the heat until she had suggested we kiss again. Now I knew she was drawn to me the way I was to her.
We just couldn’t act on it. The kiss was already playing with fire, opening a Pandora’s box we might not be able to close. I certainly couldn’t. Looking at her sitting next to me in the limo, I could hardly breathe.
We were on our way to the library gala. It was a high profile red carpet event, so I had opted to rent a limo. When Clara and I stepped out in front of the flashing cameras, I wanted us to look good.
She didn’t need my help for that, unless you counted calling Francesca to dress her up in a designer gown and matching jewelry. That was the extent of my contribution. Clara glittered like a field of fresh snow in her silver sequined dress. Her red hair was a burning fire, keeping the cold at bay. I wanted to bury my face in it, breathe in her scent and run my fingers through it.
She caught me looking at her and offered a small smile in return. Since the practice kiss, she had been quieter than before, not like she regretted it but like she was lost in thought. Maybe she was as confused as I was.
What I wanted and what we had agreed to were two different things. If I wasn’t careful, I would make a move on her for real and ruin the whole arrangement. We only had two more weeks of faking it. I could last two more weeks. Probably.
The driver from the limo company wasn’t as good as Lenny, but the company insisted we use one of their drivers for insurance purposes. He braked too sharply at the curb and Clara and I both rocked in our seats. The man looked back at us in the rearview mirror. “Sorry, folks.”
I looked right into Clara’s eyes. “You ready for this?”
She looked down at her outfit and shrugged. “No, but I’m sure it’ll be fine once I get in there. It’s just regular jitters.”
“If it helps, you look amazing,” I said.
She smiled at me. “Thank you. It helps a little.”
The driver opened the door for us and I got out first, then offered my hand to Clara. She took it gratefully and joined me.
I leaned in close to her. “Just hold my arm and smile, and we’ll be inside in no time.”
Photographers and reporters lined the barriers on either side of the red carpet, leading up to the grand entrance to the ballroom where the gala was being held. Other couples dressed up like we were walked the carpet too.
My name was called and I angled us toward it, allowing whoever it was to snap some pictures. Then they started calling Clara’s name, and she turned to me, her mouth open. “They know who I am?”
I grinned at her. “After I introduced you on my show, you’re almost as famous as I am.”
“Yeah, right.” She giggled and glanced around.
“Try to have fun with it,” I said to her.
Clara leaned in close to me, like she was taking strength from my presence. “I feel like a movie star.”
I wrapped my arm around her waist and gave her a squeeze. “You certainly look like a movie star.”
We hung around outside for a few more pictures, making sure the world knew I was settling down. I briefly considered asking Clara for a kiss, but I didn’t think I would be able to stop at just a kiss. I would end up dry-humping her in front of everyone.
“Okay, I think that’s enough,” I said to Clara. “Let’s head inside. I don’t know about you, but I could use a drink.”
