“That’s probably why Daisy’s picking on you,” he said. “She thinks you’re an easy target. But you don’t want to go to all this trouble only to have people believe it’s all for show.”
“You’re right,” she agreed. “But the whole affection thing can’t be over the top either. We have to find just the right balance.”
“True,” he agreed. “And that might take a lot of practice.”
Betzy covered a grin. “You’re bad.”
“Actually, I’mgood. You’d know that if you gave me a chance.” Sawyer patted his chest once more. “C’mon. It’s cuddle time.”
“Okay,” she finally said with a nod. “Let me just take off my shoes.”
Sawyer dropped his gaze to where her delicate fingers fiddled with the strap around her ankle. And for a reason he couldn’t explain,thatwas sexy too. He cleared his throat and turned to look at the Christmas tree while residual heat flared low in his belly.
This is what you get for hardly dating. But really, one look at the woman by his side and the explanation was clear. Any man in his right mind would forgo dating a bunch of random ladies if he could skip right to the perfect woman of his dreams. And now, he’d get to put a ring on it. Even if itwasjust for show.
At last Betzy straightened up, shifted further into the seat, and then moved in closer. He was amused by her aversion to cozying up to him, but the humor faded away as he felt the warmth of her body against his.
Sawyer held very still, gulping as she turned in to face him. Gently then, Betzy lay a hand on his chest. His heart tried greeting it with three full beats out of rhythm.
At last, she rested her cheek just beneath his shoulder.
Yes.Sawyer could hardly believe how natural it felt to wrap his arm around her. “There you go,” he said under his breath. “This isn’t so bad, is it?”
She giggled, and the warmth of her breath grazed Sawyer’s jaw. Which meant that her mouth wasn’t far from his. She smelled good too. Like some sort of rose. Subtle, sweet, and decidedly Betzy.
The next breath he pulled in was tighter, almost jagged, as his pulse sped up a notch.
“No,” she said softly, as if it were an afterthought. “This isn’t bad at all.”
He turned the slightest bit, pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and smoothed his hand slowly up her back, and then along her shoulder, and down her arm. It was the second time he’d kissed her head that night, but he could hardly stop himself.
“You smell good,” she said.
He chuckled low in his throat. “I was thinking the same thing about you.”
Her warm body shifted as he held her in his arms, the tightness fading breath by breath.
“It’s going to be okay, you know?” he assured.
Betzy lifted her head off his chest. “What was that?”
“Life after the article. It’s going to be fine.”
She pulled back until he met her gaze. Boy, did he love that face. Fair, flawless complexion, wide, blue eyes. Her smile put dimples in her cheeks every time, but there was no hint of those dimples now.
“Do you think I’m doing the wrong thing? By asking you to do this?”
Sawyer held her gaze. Did he think it was necessary? No. But did he understand her reasons for doing it? Definitely. The tricky part lay in the benefitshe’dreap as they followed through with the plan.
“No,” he finally said. “I don’t think it’s the wrong thing. I don’t blame you for wanting to stick it to Daisy.”
The lines along her forehead softened, and the tiniest hint of a smile pulled at her full, pink lips. “Thank you.” She tucked herself back into place, a perfect fit.
“I felt like…maybe you thought I’d turned into a monster.”
“A monster?” His voice shot up an octave. “Why would I ever think that?”
Her fingers started a slow trail along his shoulder, lighting the fuse to that heat low in his belly.
