Now came the part Gillian would have to pay extra close attention to, their story—the story of how they went from disliking each other to falling madly in love and moving in together. “Would you like to give it a shot?”
“A few months after the investigation wrapped up, I got your number from Alex and gave you a call. I asked you to meet me for coffee. At first, you thought this was related to the case and agreed. You were surprised when I showed up holding a single red rose.”
“A rose? Isn’t that a little corny?”It was kind of sweet.
“Okay, forget the rose. You were shocked when I showed up and told you that I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” he said in a husky voice.
Her heart pounded. Even if this was a ruse, just hearing him say the words made her a little giddy inside. “How did you convince me to give you a chance?”
“We shared coffee and some conversation. We took a walk and watched the sunset.” He gestured to the sun shining brightly through the windows.
She reached for a couch pillow and placed it in front of her body. “Sounds romantic. It seems as though you’ve given this some thought.”
“Undercover work makes me good at my job, Gillian.” This was the first time he said her name, and it made her skin flush. “I think it’s time we start calling each other by our first names.”
“How did you get me on my good side, Garrett?” His name sounded funny on her lips, and the moment she said it, he visibly tensed. Damn, she’d give anything to find out what he was thinking.
“After I did some heavy-duty groveling for the way I treated you during the last investigation, you agreed to go out with me on a real date.”
“I think I like the groveling part. Where was this alleged date?” she asked, curious at what he’d come up with.
“I took you to hear live music.” Garrett smiled, showing a flash of straight white teeth and a hint of fangs. “I found out where your favorite band was playing, and then, we went to a vegan restaurant and talked for hours.”
“I’m impressed by the level of your deceit,” she said sarcastically.
“You were devastated by my charms and how attentive I was.” He moved from the chair to the couch. His sexy male scent invaded her nostrils, and she forced herself not to sigh. “I couldn’t keep my eyes off you.” His gaze filled with heat. This is all a game, she reminded herself. “I was the perfect gentleman, which intrigued you even more.” Lust gleamed in his blue eyes. “As a matter of fact, you told me late one evening when we were on the phone that when you went to bed you were aroused the whole night.”
Heat shot to her core. “There’s quite a level of detail to this story.”
“We want it to be convincing, don’t we?” He moved closer still.
“Is that you what you do, move in for the kill? No hesitation?”
“None,” he said with conviction. “Especially when I see something I like, and when I do, I go after it full-on, no holds barred.”
“What happened after this momentous date in which you swept me off my feet with your charm and good manners?” she murmured, swallowing hard.
“Don’t forget attentiveness.” His big body filled the small space between them. “I called you every night. I needed to hear the sweet sound of your voice.”
Her breaths came out in short little puffs of air. She wondered when this had become real. Or was this still part of the charade? But the truth was, she wasn’t sure anymore. She knew one thing—she didn’t want it to end. “What about the second date?” she whispered, hanging on his every word.
“By then we were both pretty worked up, being so attracted to each other and denying ourselves.” He glanced at her lips. “After all those late-night calls, we became desperate to see each other, but we were both busy and couldn’t get together right away.” His voice sounded pained now. “But I knew, as we both did, that once we gave in to our desires there’d be no turning back for either of us.”
His words made her warm all over. “You assume a lot.”
“I couldn’t wait to be alone with you. Naturally, I invited you here so I could cook you dinner. I bought your favorite wine and cooked your favorite foods, and then, after a fabulous dinner—” He stopped and simply stared into her eyes, not saying a word. His hand moved to rest on the arm of the couch. He was so close now all she had to do was lean back and he’d be touching her.
She swallowed and wondered if he could hear the wild thump of her heart. “What happened after this fabulous dinner?”
“I explained the power of sex with a vampire and that it can be irresistible to some.” He cocked his head to the side, as though trying to gauge her reaction, and she found herself falling deeper into his gaze.
“Do vampires ever just have sex without the blood bonding thing?” she whispered, and the air grew thick with sexual tension.
“Sure, some do, yes. Not all vampire blood’s addictive. When the technology became available, I made sure to have mine tested and found out that it’s not.”
Gillian tried to collect her scattered thoughts. Everything was happening so fast. She could barely keep up. “Getting back to this fake relationship. How did things progress so quickly? I’m still not sure anyone will believe it.”
“At first, we agreed to take things slow, but we couldn’t resist each other anymore. So, after we peeled each other’s clothes off and made love until the sun came up, I couldn’t bear to be away from you a moment longer. I asked you to move in with me.”
