He turns his head to look at me. There’s something contemplative in his expression.
“What are we doing, Archie?”
The question lands heavier than I want it to.
“I believe they’re called blowjobs. I can draw you a diagram if?—”
“You know what I mean.”
I do. That’s the problem.
“We’re…blowing off steam,” I say carefully. “Enjoying the perks of cohabitation. Having fun while the fake relationship lasts.”
“Fun,” Leo repeats in a skeptical voice.
“Fun.” I nudge his shoulder with mine. “You don’t need to make it weird. We’re two adults. We’re attracted to each other. We’re stuck in a fake relationship anyway.” I shrug, going for casual. “Why not enjoy it?”
It’s time to admit defeat. There is no way Leo Brennan and I are going to be in close proximity and not do that again and again.
It’s just too good.
He meets my eyes, his dark gaze serious. “Archie, if we’re going to continue, there’s…uh…something I need to tell you.”
Panic stirs inside me.
Shit. He’s going to tell me about Vaughn and the reasons behind my accident. I should have guessed that Leo’s moral compass won’t allow him to continue hooking up with me if I don’t know the truth.
But if he’s being honest with me, then I’ll need to be honest back and tell him I already know that he mistook me for Vaughn, which will lead me to tell him about my relationship with my brother. And that would open a Pandora’s box that needs to stay firmly shut. Locked. Buried under concrete. Possibly launched into the sun.
I need to put a stop to this. Fast.
“You don’t need to tell me anything. We’re just having some fun, okay? We’re not in a real relationship. We don’t have to spill our guts to each other. There’s nothing that you could tell me that would change the fact that I want to do this.” The desperate words tumble out of my mouth too fast.
Leo’s forehead creases, his dark eyes not leaving mine as he studies my face.
“Seriously, you could tell me that you’ve been writing fan fiction shipping Sparkle McHornface and Snugglesaurus in your spare time, and it wouldn’t change the fact I want to get off with you,” I say quickly. “I mean, if you’ve murdered someoneand buried them under a pile of unicorn onesies, we might have issues, but anything short of murder, you’re all good.”
“‘Anything short of murder?’ You don’t have particularly high standards for the people you sleep with.”
“I have very specific standards, actually. Must be breathing. Must be willing. Must look good in an inflatable dinosaur costume.” I tick them off on my fingers. “You meet all three criteria. Congratulations.”
Leo gives a reluctant snort. “I’m honored to have cleared such a rigorous vetting process.”
“Speaking of vetting. I got tested at the start of the year. Nothing since. Happy to send through the results.”
“Same. I was tested last month. I’ll forward mine.”
“Excellent. Then we can dispense with the latex situation.”
Leo nods. “And we’re…exclusive? While this is happening?”
There’s something about the way he asks it. Too careful. Like the word exclusive costs him something.
“Makes sense from a health perspective,” I say, keeping my voice light. “But we’re getting off together. Not making any kind of commitment.”
He continues to study me for a long moment. I can practically see the thoughts churning behind those dark eyes.
The expression on his face is hard to read. Relief mixed with disappointment?
