many sensations of their first physical contact. How strong and warm his hand was. How his palm was rough.
His touch was soft but not wimpy. His grip was firm but not painful. Like he had nothing to prove by crushing her hand, but also as if he wasn’t about to let her hand slip from his until he was ready.
She raised her gaze and was struck with the intensity of his gaze.
His eyes were warm but at the same time there was almost a laughing amusement broadcast from them. As if dating him, for real, would provide both orgasms and belly laughs.
She imagined one more time what his hands, his mouth, and other parts could do to her if they were dating.
Lucky for her she was on that hiatus from men.
This man wouldn’t be hers. And thank goodness for that. Because any pleasure she might have derived from him would be followed by the usual break-up and of course the ever-lasting pain.
The visceral memory of her last heartbreak set her feet firmly back on the proper path. No dating. No pain.
Fake dating for Valentine’s Day to deceive her sister would have to be pleasure enough for Alicia.
“To our fake relationship,” he said with a firm shake.
She pumped his hand one more time to seal the deal. “May it fulfill all of our dreams.”
FOUR
Standing in front of the closet in his socks and jeans, Brian tossed another shirt onto the pile of rejects.
Why the hell was he finding it so hard to pick something to wear?
He’d like to think it was because he was most comfortable in camo and body armor. But he’d be lying to himself. He had no problem getting dressed when he was heading out to the pub, or to the bowling alley with the team. Or hell, even when he was going out on a date.
Tonight’s plans weren’t any of those things. Tonight he faced a whole new challenge. A fake date.
His first fake date ever, to be exact.
Judging by how much he’d enjoyed concocting this plan with Alicia at McP’s, he hoped it wouldn’t be his last one with her. She was too fun to shock and tease.
In fact, he could picture this being the start of a beautiful, long term fake relationship that would keep his teammate’s off his back for the rest of the year.
He checked the time on his cell phone. The phone that now had Alicia’s number programmed into it.
That had been fun, getting her to give her digits to him.
Of course they’d needed to exchange numbers to coordinate this farce he was enjoying much too much. He’d need a way to contact her in case the team got called in and he had to cancel.
It was only logical they have a means to communicate, but she’d still hesitated. Her reluctance only made him even more determined to get her number.
And it had made him want her—for real—not just for pretend. But that could just be his long sexual dry spell talking.
He didn’t know why, but Alicia had definitely been on the defensive. Reacting to every suggestion he’d made for their fake dating with an overly-thought-out internal deliberation that amused him to no end.
It was intriguing. What had this woman weighing every little detail so carefully? He hoped to find out. Maybe even tonight.
He also hoped this meddling sister of hers wasn’t as easily deceived as Alicia thought she’d be, because he’d love to have to up the game a bit. Throw in some PDA to convince—Jenny, was it? He should probably learn her sister’s name since he was fake dating her and all.
He smiled at the thought of what Alicia would do if he reeled her in for a big kiss in front of her sister. She’d probably lose her damn mind and want to slap him, but she wouldn’t be able to or she’d risk blowing the lie.
Of course she’d be uber pissed at him. A thought which didn’t do much to discourage the idea in his mind.
This was going to be fun.
February fourteenth—fun. Huh. He was pretty sure he’d never thought that. Not even back in first grade while trading the paper valentines he was forced to pen, even to kids he didn’t like.
Shaking that memory from his head, he reached deep into his closet and pulled a long-sleeved red Henley off its hanger.
The color was right for the occasion. And the weight was good for this time of year. February nights in Southern California could get cool enough