Something about holding Stella’s hand made him feel protective of her. He wanted to slay all of her dragons, especially a fire-breathing one named Rafe. He could sense she wanted to turn on her heel and leave, but it wouldn’t solve the issue at hand. Mistletoe was a small town, and she and her ex were bound to run into each other again. Stella needed to face this down and let Rafe know that she’d moved on.This isn’t real, he reminded himself.The two of you are a pretend couple.But Rafe didn’t need to know that.
It did feel good to be connected to Stella in this way, real or not. Luke hadn’t held hands with a woman in years. He’d almost forgotten how it felt.
“Oh, good grief. He’s looking over here.” She clenched her teeth. “Why is he staring at us?”
“Because we’re the best-looking couple here,” Luke quipped. “That’s why.” He puffed his chest out for good measure and stood up a little straighter.
The corners of Stella’s mouth curved upward into a smile. Aaaah. He’d lifted her mood with his corny comment. He liked seeing Stella happy. It bothered him to see her unraveling due to the presence of her ex-fiancé. He wondered if she was still in love with Rafe. He hoped not because she was a million times better than him.
“Maybe we should walk over to the stage area,” Stella suggested, shifting from one foot to the other. She glanced nervously in her ex’s direction. Who was this woman standing next to him? She’d shrunken down to a smaller version of herself. It made Luke angry to know that this joker still had a hold on her.
Luke shook his head. “We’re not going anywhere. The days of you running away from him are over.”
Stella looked at him with big eyes. “They are?” she asked in a low voice.
“Yes,” he said firmly. He moved a step closer toward her so that only an inch or so remained between them. He was going to seize the moment and build up some couple cred for the two of them. “Don’t hate me, Stella, but I’m going to kiss you.”
Stella’s lips parted as if she was about to say something, but no words came out. Her eyes closed as he dipped his head down and placed his mouth on hers. His nostrils filled with the sweet scent of her—roses. Her lips were soft and inviting. At first Stella seemed hesitant, but after a few moments she began kissing him back. Within seconds, their embrace shifted from obligatory to intoxicating. He hadn’t expected the kiss to escalate into one filled with so much depth and heat and fire.
As the kiss deepened and blossomed, Luke felt something awakening inside of him. Stella’s hands were wrapped around his neck, anchoring them together. Her skin was achingly soft as her fingers brushed against the hairs on the back of his neck.
The feelings being stirred up within him weren’t ones he was used to experiencing. The lines between reality and make-believe were blurring. The more he tried to convince himself that this kiss was for Rafe’s benefit, the harder it became to stay grounded in that reality. How could he remain in character when his lips were ablaze? Everything around them faded away until it was just the two of them kissing up a storm. He didn’t want this to end even though he knew it couldn’t last forever.
This kiss was one for the ages. Best kiss ever, bar none.It left him weak in the knees. He’d kissed Stella to put the pressure off her married ex-fiancé staring at them as if they were exhibits at the zoo. Hearing from Stella how badly he’d treated her made him instantly dislike the guy. He’d known several men like Rafe in his lifetime, and Luke had a hunch that he enjoyed seeing Stella as single and unattached. At least now he’d seen with his own eyes that she wasn’t sitting around playing Scrabble.
He just hoped Stella wouldn’t be upset with him for going rogue and staging an out-of-this-world kiss. Even if she was, Luke could honestly say he didn’t regret it. And it wasn’t likely he ever would.
***
Stella clung to Luke’s shirt as the pulse-pounding kiss ended. She needed something to steady her quivering legs. Had she ever had a kiss like the one Luke had just laid on her? It was doubtful. Her lips were tingling and her limbs felt jittery. Her body had a mind of its own, especially her lips. Not only had she enthusiastically kissed Luke back, but she’d wanted it to go on and on. Luke had been the one to pull away while every instinct had told her to keep on smooching him.
When she opened her eyes, Luke was peering down at her with an intense expression etched on his perfect features. For the first time she noticed a little scar by his eye. It only served to make him look more ruggedly handsome.No fair!This man was achingly sexy, flaws and all.
He knit his brows together. “Are you all right? You seem a little bit wobbly.” He was grinning at her, showcasing straight pearl-colored teeth.
Yeah, she was definitely wobbly, which was totally understandable. Who could blame her after a kiss like that? Maybe he was clueless about the way his kiss was affecting her? But Luke was looking a little too pleased with himself, as if he’d single-handedly cured cancer or eradicated hunger. Yep. He knew all too well that he’d left her completely flustered. She hoped the kiss had left him feeling a little bit woozy as well.
“I’m fine,” she said, smoothing back her hair. “W-what did you do that for?” she asked. “Now people are really going to talk about us.”
Luke shook his head. “Isn’t that a good thing? It’ll serve both of our purposes.” He seemed slightly put out by her comment. “I did it because of Rafe. He was staring at us like he’d never seen a couple hold hands before. We gave him a good show, Stella.”
Rafe.She’d completely forgotten about her ex. It was amazing what havoc a good kiss could wreak on one’s mind. Satisfaction surged inside her. She didn’t want to be petty, but it felt good knowing that Rafe had to watch her making out with another man. Rafe might not have wanted to marry her, but Stella knew him well enough to know it probably burned him to see her with someone else. He would much prefer her to be single and dateless, which is why he’d made the ridiculous comment to Carolina.Humph. Single as a dollar bill.It was quite satisfying to realize that if nothing else, Rafe would feel like a fool for running his mouth. And judging by the way the kiss had made her feel, she was certain it had looked like the real deal. No one would ever suspect that they weren’t a couple.
“So much for a heads-up,” she murmured, knowing she didn’t have a whole lot to complain about. Luke was an amazing kisser and he’d knocked her socks off.
“That would have spoiled it. You would have tensed up too much. This was perfect. Come on, Stella. Admit it.” Luke looked around them. “And no ex in sight. You’re welcome.”
He wasn’t lying. Stella didn’t want to embarrass herself by telling Luke how sensational their kiss had been. Granted, she hadn’t been kissed in a very long time, but by any standard it had been amazing. It had left her tingling from her head down to her toes. She’d killed a few birds with one stone. Word would buzz around town about their blazing hot kiss, which would effectively register them as a couple in the town’s eyes. It would take the pressure off Stella in so many different ways. It provided her with great cover.
“Okay. Thank you for thinking so fast on your feet,” she said, batting her eyelashes at him in an exaggerated fashion that imitated a damsel in distress. It immediately brought a smile to his face. “And for coming to my rescue once again.”
“It was my pleasure,” Luke said, bowing at the waist and reaching for her hand. He pressed his lips to it. “Might as well give them an eyeful.”
It was strange how in the moment Stella hadn’t given a single thought to Rafe or the townsfolk. It had been all about Luke and his red-hot kisses.
“By the way, I’ve been meaning to tell you something.” He waited a beat before continuing, his dark eyes twinkling. “I signed up for PT sessions at the suggestion of a doctor. I’ve only had two so far, but it’s a step in the right direction. Literally.”
Stella let out a whoop of excitement and threw her arms around Luke. A few seconds later she let go of him, fearing that her reaction had been over the top. At least it added credibility to their ruse. Anyone who’d just witnessed her throwing herself against Luke’s chest wouldn’t have a hard time believing they were a couple. He was grinning down at her as if he didn’t mind a bit.
