dressed more comfortably than I’ve seen her, but put together enough that I know she made an effort for me, the breath gets knocked out of me. And I have to drag all my good intentions back to the forefront of my brain. It’s easy to tell myself that keeping our relationship strictly business is disappointing but ultimately for the best when she’s not standing in front of me. It’s much more difficult when she looks like she belongs in my house and in my bed, like this is a real new relationship where you’re comfortable enough to be yourself, but you care enough to clean yourself up for the other person. I can’t tear my eyes off her, tracing the lines of the slinky top that clings to her willowy form and the leggings that beg for me to touch them and see if they’re as soft as they look.
She gives me a bright smile that looks a little forced, her lips pink and glossy today. “Hey. How was the drive?”
“Good.” I step closer and dip my head for a hello kiss.
She freezes up, but I don’t linger, and the kiss is over before she can even react. I step past her, setting my case on the floor next to her couch.
“Colt,” she says, her voice full of censure. “Last night—”
“There could be cameras,” I butt in, cutting her off. “Outside. You never know when someone’s hiding in the bushes or in a car across the street. Better to be safe, right? We don’t want them thinking there’s trouble in paradise. Not with an engagement announcement waiting in the wings.” It’s true, even if it is a flimsy excuse to kiss her. The odds of us being monitored away from celebrity hot spots are pretty low, all things considered. But there were a few pictures of us circulating online today with follow up comments about us being together again after our appearance at the party a few weeks ago. They’re starting to buy the story that we have a real relationship, and me going home with her and staying for a while plus coming back the next day doesn’t hurt anything. “If we’re going to sell the story that we’re in a real relationship, we have to act like we’re in a real relationship. And that means hello and goodbye kisses.”
Her brow is puckered and she has her arms crossed as she takes in my words, and I’m not sure if my explanation convinces her any more than it convinces me. I’m not wrong, but just because couples kiss hello, doesn’t mean we have to do it in the open doorway.
“We could be kissing inside for all they know.”
Bzzzt. There it is. The sound of the buzzer from the game Taboo that my parents liked to play when we were growing up goes off in my head. She guessed the answer.
I shrug, sitting on the couch and laying my case flat. “True. But isn’t it better to show them what they want to see?” I ask as I flip open the latches.
She holds out her hands. “Who? Who is seeing this?”
Another shrug and I pull out my guitar. “You know how this works, Alexis. There’s always the possibility of someone watching.”
Crossing her arms again, she studies me before sighing. “Fine. But the blinds are closed and the curtains drawn, so none of that while we’re inside.” She waggles a finger in my face.
In response I give her a wide grin and check the tuning on my guitar. “Naturally. You made your position clear last night.” And the fact that I want to convince her to change her mind is beside the point. I’m not going to push or try to coerce. But I’m also not going to apologize for taking advantage of the opportunities that present themselves. It would be different if she really weren’t into me. But that’s not the problem. She’s just scared.
She’s still standing by the door with her arms crossed. I drop the smile and rest my hands on my guitar. “Look, Alexis. I get it. I do. But I’m also very attracted to you. And you’re attracted to me. And that makes it easier for our relationship to be convincing. It also makes it easy for one or both of us to forget that this is just business. So I understand your need for clear boundaries. I promise that my hello kisses will be just like that unless you make it clear you want