“About the shallow end of your gene pool?” He rubbed his eyes and then his cheeks.
“No.” She smacked at his knee. “But now I am, so thanks for that.”
He chuckled, the sound deep and intimate when surrounded by blankets and pajamas. The urge to snuggle up to his warm body and lay her head on his chest—just to hear that sound—was overwhelming. But only because she was still freezing from being out on the ice, and not because she wanted to, you know, cuddle.
“Diana?” He lifted his head off the pillow, his lips slightly pursed with concern.
She extracted herself from the lovely daydream. If he read her thoughts, he’d think she was nuts. He’d made it perfectly clear that he was here as her friend, not her boyfriend. Heck, he might think she was nuts after she said what she’d come in here to say.
“Okay.” She tucked her feet up under her on the bed and put her hand between his ankles to lean on. He glanced down. She fully expected him to tell her to get off his bed and out the door—his gentlemanly instincts shining like armor. When he didn’t, she forged ahead. “We need to act like we’re dating.”
He dropped his head back to the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. “Well, we’re in bed together—how much more do you want to do?”
“Cliff!” Her hands flew to her mouth and her cheeks burned. “That’s not what I mean.”
He lifted one eyebrow and smirked—looking all bedroom eyes and sexy in his rumpled tee shirt.
She laughed. “Stop teasing me!”Or I’m going to have a heart attack.Her pulse was out of control. Who knew Cliff could play the bedroom eyes? She’d fan herself if she wasn’t so afraid of scaring him off.
He broke into an easy smile, tucking his hand behind his head. The result was just as hazardous to her heart. His bicep was huge. How had she not seen that before? But his muscles were not the thing that drew her. “I can’t remember ever seeing you smile before this weekend.”
“I guess I didn’t have much of a reason to.”
She gasped. “You mean my unicorn cupcakes weren’t enough? I’m so offended!”
He tickled her side, making her jump and giggle.
She clamped her hands over her mouth and glanced at the door. “Stop! Or they’ll find us.” He let her go, and she settled closer to his hips, feeling warmth through the blankets. “So what changed?”
“I guess being a part of your little scheme.”
“Scheming makes you smile? I’m starting to wonder about the type of man I’m fake engaged to.”
He tapped her knee. “You thought this up—I’m just an innocent bystander.”
“I think the word you’re looking for isaccomplice.” She winked before she thought better of it. Being with Cliff had always been easy, but this side of him was intoxicating.
“Unwitting accomplice. And that’s what I’ll tell the judge.”
Feeling confident and bold and more comfortable with Cliff than she had with any man, she touched his beard. It was surprisingly soft. “I’m going to tell the judge you seduced me with your deep green eyes and your sweet-talking abilities.” She batted her eyelashes.
“No one will believe you. I’m too rough around the edges to pass as a Romeo.” He leaned slightly into her touch, inviting more.
She buried her fingers in his beard and ran her nails lightly across his jaw. He sighed happily. “You’re a good man, Cliff.”
His hand cupped hers, and she stopped moving. The air buzzed with energy and attraction, as if someone had stopped the wheels of time and they yearned to spin again but couldn’t, because there was only this moment. A moment that could change the course of their lives.
“We should kiss,” she whispered, her eyes dropping to his lips. A yearning to know what his beard felt like against her cheek took over, and she leaned forward.
The next thing she knew, she had a face full of pillow and Cliff was up on his elbow. “What?”
She sat back up and blinked, mortified. She must have been the only one who felt the earth stutter to a stop and wait for them to notice they were meant to be together. “Never mind.” She pushed back to sit on the far corner of the bed.
Cliff grabbed her wrist. “Tell me what you said.” He leaned forward, intent.
“I said …” She swallowed, willing her brain to turn back on after it shut down in a haze of desire. “We should kiss,” she whispered again. As soon as the words were out, the old noggin chugged back to life and she quickly tagged on an explanation. “We haven’t been acting like we’re together. I mean, we don’t hold hands or kiss or anything. If we’re going to sell the idea that we’re—in love—then we need to be more physical.”
He rubbed his lips together, thinking.
