“For you, I’ll take the day off. It’s no big deal,” he shrugs.
Oh no, I’ll be stuck with my parents for longer than I need to be, and I’ll be forced to spend that time with Stone, who’s only being nice because he wants to get in my pants.
“My parents have to get back home,” I say in a sing-song voice, hoping he picks up on my not-so-subtle hint.
“Nonsense,” Dad interjects. “Tomorrow’s Friday, I took the day off for a long weekend.”
“I know you’re busy, honey.” Mom chimes in. “Give me the name of the restaurant you want to go to, and I’ll make reservations for dinner.”
“Actually, we have plans for tomorrow night.”
“We do?” Stone asks, clearly not picking up on my displeasure.
“Yes, we promised Raven and Cayden we’d be at the dance-off.”
“Oh, that’s right.” Saved by Stone’s superb acting abilities. “They’d be very disappointed if we don’t show.” He sighs, like he’s actually upset. “What do you say to breakfast together at your hotel?”
My parents exchange a look. “I think that sounds like a plan.” Dad extends his hand to Stone once more, before taking hold of my shoulders and pulling me in for a kiss. Mom hugs me, then says goodbye to us.
“See you in the morning.”
“Great! See you in the morning,” I repeat with feigned excitement.
“WHAT THE HELL WAS THATabout?” I spin around to face Stone after unlocking the door to the storefront and turning the lights on. “Do you know—”
With one large step, he closes the distance between us, reaches his hands behind my neck, and leans in to kiss me. Thesoft, sweet brush of his lips against mine is at odds with the possessive, demanding way he holds me.
“Stone,” I mean to protest, but the sultry sound of my voice sounds more like a plea.
“Shh.” Like the delicate touch of a butterfly wing, his lips meet mine for another quick, gentle kiss. “To make it believable. In case they come back,” he whispers, touching his forehead to mine, wrapping his arms around me, and holding me against him.
For a moment, I take solace in his embrace, in how I seem to fit perfectly in his arms and how natural it feels to be held by him. I lean my head against his massive chest. I knew the man was strong and cut beneath his clothes, but I’m still surprised by how solid he feels against me. I yearn to reach under his shirt and explore the lines defining the muscles that I know are there.
I pull away and take a deep breath to regain my bearings. I need to focus, and it’s impossible while being so close to him. I don’t speak yet; my throat is dry. It was one thing whenIkissedhim. I knew it was coming because I initiated it. I was in control. But his kiss came out of nowhere and knocked me off kilter. It was too sweet, too gentle, and left me wanting more.
“Why did you do that?” I ask, hoping I sound a lot stronger than I feel.
“You did it first,” he answers with a smirk.
“To convince my parents that we were dating. Not because I wanted to.”
His brown hair falls in front of his eyebrows as they furrow together. “Let me get this straight. You’re telling people we’re dating. You kiss me like you can’t get enough of me, and then you’re upset when I take a deep dive into the character?”
“I’m not telling people we’re dating,” I say, turning from his gray eyes before I lose control and kiss him again. “I told my parents.”
“Parents are people.”
“No, they aren’t.”
“Last time I checked, they were.”
“Not mine.”
I squeeze my eyes shut as I feel his hands move gently over my shoulders. Something about being touched and held by him makes me feel grounded and protected. Not that I ever felt I was in danger. But his sure and certain touch makes my heart feel safe, like I can hand it over to him and he will enshrine it someplace safe and guard it with lock and key. This is the scariest feeling I’ve ever had.
“Camilla,” Stone says my name as if it’s something holy. He turns me around to face him, and I feel fissures in the hard outer shell I’ve been using to protect myself. “Is there something about your parents you want to tell me? Something that makes them different? I promise, I can handle it. And it will never leave this room.”
I look for the sarcastic jerk I know he is, but all I see is sincerity in his eyes. I shake my head. He’d never understand. No one who looks like him, with a body that makes Mr. Universe look like a couch potato, could ever comprehend what it feels like to be a disappointment to the people who are supposed to love you the most because of something you can’t control. I fight to hold the tears stinging my watery eyes right where they are.
