"Yes, Gina?" I stiffen as she places her palm against my chest and squeezes my muscles.
"What are you doing?"
"What do you want me to be doing?" I blow into her ear and harden as she lets out a low moan. She suddenly growls at me, and before I know what’s happening, she’s got her hand on the back of my neck, her lips against mine. I kiss her with every fiber of my being. She runs her fingers down the side of my arms, and I feel her breasts crushed against my chest as my tongue tangos with hers. The kiss starts sweetly. It’s tender. And then it deepens and becomes more passionate. I want this woman. I want more. I want her far more than I should. I finally step back, and she gasps the same remorse I feel. She looks around nervously and swallows hard.
“There is no one who’s going to be upset at that kiss, right?”
I stare at her for a couple of seconds, not answering. "What?" I say finally.
“There’s no one who’s going to be upset by us kissing and pretending to be together?”
“There’s no one that matters who will be upset,” I say softly. Her eyes narrow slightly, and I wonder what she’s thinking. But I don’t care. She doesn’t get to know my secrets. I suspect she has secrets, as well, and I'm not going to pry. I’m attracted to her, and this is going to be an interesting experiment, but I’m not ready to tell her what’s happened to me in the last year. I’m not ready to share the hurt, the pain, everything that has occurred in my life in the last twelve months. I’m not going to let sexual attraction make me believe that she’s someone I can trust until I really know that she is.
“You want to come back to the cabin with me?” I ask her softly. “We can start putting together a list of suspects.”
“Only if that’s all we’re doing,” she says, her eyes twinkling.
“Why do I feel like you want to do more?” I ask her teasingly.
“I don’t know what makes you feel that way, but it’s not true. Just so you know, Hunter Waverly, I’m not that sort of girl.”
“You’re not what sort of girl?”
“The sort of girl to hook up with a guy because he wants her to be his fake girlfriend.”
“Do you think that's what I want?"
“I don’t know what you want. I just know that it seems complicated, and I don’t do complicated.”
“You’re the very last woman I would expect to do complicated,” I say sarcastically, running my finger across her lower lip. And then we burst out laughing because both of us know that neither one of us believes that.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Gina
The office is bustling as I hurry to the meeting. I haven't been gone that long, but I almost feel like I'm back in a foreign land. Working at the Waverly Estate is so different from being in my cubicle at theWhisper Cove Guardianevery day. "Hey, Gina." Louise rushes over to me with a wide smile as she sees me. "I haven't seen you in a while. I was worried."
"I've been working on a top-secret project," I say in a low voice and give her a quick hug. "How's everything going?" I search her face to make sure she's okay.
"Not bad," she says softly. "We should have a good gossip sesh soon. I've heard the Bond Brothers are in talks to sell the paper."
"Yikes." I let out a deep sigh and then groan as I see the time. "I have to go, but I'll talk to you later," I say quickly and run towards the meeting room. I had to sneak out this morning, and I hope that Preston, Enid, and Hunter don’t ask me where I've been because there is no way I could tell them that I had to check in at my real job. Especially considering how much Hunter hated journalists. My heart sinks at the thought, but I can't focus onhis dislike of the paparazzi right now. It's not as if I’m a bottom feeder like they are.
"Oh, wow. Look who decided to join us," Jenny S. says loudlyas I enter the pitch room. I don't know why I thought she wouldn't still be a bitch. I look around the room and spy Emma, who gives me a warm wave, and I grin at her as I head over to take my seat next to her.
"Hey," I say as I put my hair up into a bun. "Glad I'm not late."
"Too fancy to greet us plebes?" Jenny shouts, and everyone turns to look at me.
"What do you want me to say, Jenny?" I speak even louder to hopefully embarrass her, but I can tell by the expression on her face that she's not embarrassed whatsoever.
"I just want to know why it's okay for you to miss multiple meetings, whereas the rest of us have to be here all the time."
"I'm on a top-secret assignment, Jenny," I say, glaring at her. "Maybe if you did a better job, you could also get a top-secret assignment, as well."
"Top secret, haha. It's so top secret that we all know that you're working at the Waverly Estate."
"Ignore her, girl," Emma whispers and makes a face. "Holly told everyone where you were at Monday’s meeting."
