out a snort. “Definitely no sex.”
Alicia frowned. “You didn’t have to say it like that.”
He laughed at her scowl. “Sorry. No offense meant.”
Offense taken. In fact, she was quite offended.
She didn’t want to get involved with this man for real on an emotional level. Nor on a physical level. But he didn’t have to act like being with her for real would be the worst idea in the world.
What if she had wanted to scratch an itch with him? Would he say no?
“Am I not good enough for you?” she accused.
His brows rose. “You have nothing to do with it.”
Seriously? He was using the, it’s not you, it’s me defense?
“I’ve taken a vow of celibacy until after Valentine’s Day is over,” he continued. “No dates. No sex. No women . . . except for this party with you. But that’s fake. Although that brings up another point. Do we have fake sex?”
“What do you mean, fake sex?” she asked, torn between being shocked and intrigued.
What did he mean? Cyber-sex? Video sex? Sexting? There were lots of options—and that she was even thinking about cyber, or any kind of sex at all with this man, was dangerous.
She was on a man hiatus.
“I meant do we talk about our sex life, fictional though it is, with our friends and family?” he asked.
Alicia shook her head. “No. No fake sex either.”
“Don’t you think the story that we’re dating might go over better if the people we’re lying to think we’re having sex?”
She considered the validity of what he’d suggested. “No. Because even if I were . . . you know . . . having sex . . . with you.” She cleared her throat before she continued, “The chances I’d tell my sister about it are slim to none.”
He tipped his head. “That’s where men and women are different, I guess.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Are you telling me you men discuss the women you have sex with, with your teammates? Specific details?”
“Not specific details, no, but, it comes up sometimes. And even if we did talk, what would be wrong with that?” he asked, looking like he honestly didn’t know.
She frowned deeper. Obviously she couldn’t trust this man’s silence, even with regard to fake sex.
“Nope.” She shook her head vigorously. “No discussion of sex, even fake sex, with anyone. Okay?”
Brian the hot SEAL lifted a shoulder. “Okay. Fine with me. We’ll just let them wonder. That might be better. Our keeping quiet will drive them all nuts.”
He was probably right. Her sister would imagine what she liked, no matter what they did or didn’t say.
“What about kissing?” he asked.
“Kissing?” She drew back as the sudden image of his lips covering hers hit her hard. Swallowing, she shook her head. “No. No kissing either.”
“All right. But what about other things?”
“What other things?” Her mind went to all the other places his mouth could be on her before she shook those images away.
“You know. PDA. Holding hands. Hugging. Normal couples would have some sort of public displays of affection.”
“We’ll see,” she conceded, even as the thought of his big strong hand wrapped around hers made her feel uncomfortable. She hadn’t held hands with anyone since . . .
Nope. Not going to think about him.
And she was definitely not going to compare her ex to Brian. Mostly because Brian was not her boyfriend.
“You are full of questions, aren’t you?” she commented.
He shrugged again. “I like knowing the ground rules before going in. Makes things easier if everyone knows the ROE.”
“ROE?” she asked, already frustrated with this plan and having no patience for his speaking in riddles.
“Rules of engagement.”
Military men and their acronyms.
She could only hope he didn’t speak in military time. She didn’t need to be doing math conversions in her head just to make sure they arrived at the party at the right time.
Fake dating a SEAL was going to be challenging.
Fake dating a man who looked as good as this guy was going to be even harder.
“Okay. No kissing. Just good old fashioned fake dating.” He extended his hand. “Shake on it?”
He grinned at her and she couldn’t take her eyes off him, or his lips, or that dimple. Then there were those muscles . . .
She eyed his hand like it was a poisonous snake before deciding that in lieu of a written contract they should at least have a handshake deal to bind this verbal agreement.
She clasped his hand with hers . . . and was hit with the