Forever Summer - Melody Grace Page 0,24

pretty,” she commented. “Is that your ex?”

Noah quickly shook his head. “We only went on a couple of dates,” he explained. “I tried to let her down gently, but she’s still calling.”

And sending late-night texts. And showing up at the firehouse with home-baked cookies.

“Aww, must be tough to be so irresistible,” Evie said, teasing, but Marisa was already crossing the room towards him. Noah gulped. He didn’t want to have to give her the brush-off again, especially not with Evie hanging around.

Something told him Marisa was the kind of woman who tried not to take a hint. He was finding out the hard way that as long as he was the most eligible bachelor in town, it was open season.

Unless …

Noah turned to Evie and dropped his voice. “I need a favor,” he said.

“What is it?”

With Marisa approaching, there wasn’t time to explain, so Noah just came right out with it: “Will you pretend to be my girlfriend for the next ten minutes?”

6

His girlfriend?

Evie stared at Noah in disbelief. What did he just say? But before she could ask, a stunning dark-haired woman appeared next to him, dressed in skin-tight jeans and a silky blouse.

“Noah Montgomery,” she said, with a flirty, scolding tone. “Have you been hiding from me?”

Noah cleared his throat. “Of course not.” He slung his arm around Evie’s shoulders, drawing her closer, and as her mind short-circuited from the sudden warmth of his body against her, she dimly heard him introduce her. “Marisa, meet Evie. My girlfriend.”

“What?” Marisa looked stunned. “I thought you’d sworn off commitment. At least, that’s what you said to me.” She gave a little pout, and Noah chuckled.

“What can I say? I had the best of intentions, but just one date with Evie here made me take it all back. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”

He gave her shoulder a subtle squeeze, and Evie realized this was her cue.

Because it was a ruse, she reminded herself. A favor. Getting him out of a very shapely jam.

“Right,” Evie said, finally finding her voice. She smiled and leaned into Noah’s embrace. “We just clicked, didn’t we, pumpkin?”

She felt Noah trying not to laugh. “That’s right, sugarplum,” he drawled back. “Like two peas in a pod.”

“Well, congratulations!” Marisa cooed, flashing them a fake smile.

Then Noah traced an idle circle on her shoulder, and Evie’s mind went blank. She couldn’t think, she could barely even breathe. All she could focus on was the slow caress of his fingertips, burning through the thin cotton of her blouse, sending ripples of heat ricocheting through her body. A thousand tiny electric currents sparking to life in her bloodstream. Making her body tighten with awareness.

With desire.

Evie found herself leaning closer. For the act, she told herself. After all, it was perfectly innocent—or at least as innocent as pretending to be a man’s girlfriend in public could be. The conversation was still bouncing around her, Marisa chatting away about some work drama, as Noah nodded along with an easy smile. Evie was the only one silently melting into a puddle of lust because a man happened to be touching her.

“Sweetheart?”

Evie realized Noah was talking to her, and dammit, the endearment sounded too good on his lips. His smooth, full lips …

She snapped out of her lustful haze. “Excuse me,” she managed to say. “I’ll be right back. Bathroom!”

“Don’t leave me alone too long,” Noah said, giving her a wink. “You know I’ll miss you.”

“Uh huh!” Evie ducked from under his embrace and hurried through the crowded pub, pushing people aside and mumbling apologies until she found the small restroom.

She slammed the door shut behind her, locked herself into a stall, and caught her breath, her pulse still racing.

Why did he have this effect on her?

It was just simple human contact, she told herself firmly. After all, it had been so long since she’d been really intimate with a man. Sure, she’d been on a few dates since Glen passed—she’d even spent the night with a nice, well-intentioned man to get it over with and officially move on. But nothing like this.

Nothing real.

Except it wasn’t real. This whole thing was just an act!

Evie bit back a hysterical laugh. Yup. Her hormones were really working overtime if, somehow, she had been reduced to a puddle over one wise-cracking, arrogant, too-handsome man. A man who was only pretending to like her because his ex-flings were cornering him at every turn!

First thing Monday morning, she told herself, she was going to get herself a new vibrator—before she really