Hot SEAL, Heartbreaker - Cat Johnson Page 0,15
the kitchen by Jenny.
“Who is he?” Jenny asked, low and intense, the moment they’d cleared the kitchen doorway.
“Brian?” Alicia played dumb.
“Yes, Brian. Who else would I be asking about after you show up here with a strange guy?”
Alicia considered that. “He’s not that strange.”
Jenny rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. Who is he? Where did you meet him? And when?”
Alicia considered the questions. They were all pretty straightforward to answer, except for that when part. She’d love to tell Jenny she and Brian had been together for a while but that was too risky.
Better to stick as close to the truth as possible.
“He’s my boyfriend. We met at McP’s that night I was there to meet Shelly. Remember? The night you sent Jason’s co-worker Andrew there to stalk me.” Alicia lobbed that well-deserved shot at her sister.
Jenny didn’t even have the decency to look guilty about the Andrew thing. Instead her eyes popped wide. “Why didn’t you tell me you met someone?”
“I don’t tell you everything, Jennifer.” Alicia crossed her arms.
She eyed the bottles of wine, yet unopened on the counter, wishing she had a glass of something. Anything.
Jenny narrowed her eyes. “I don’t believe you.”
“What?” Alicia’s voice squeaked on the word.
“I don’t believe he’s your boyfriend.”
“Why not?”
“He’s too perfect. Handsome. Polite. A body like a sports magazine model, but he comes here dressed down, all casual and carefree. So he looks like he fits in but he doesn’t. In fact, he sticks out like a sore thumb. This guy makes Jason look like a gangly teen in comparison.”
Wow. The honeymoon must be over.
“That’s not true—”
“In fact,” Jenny continued. “I doubt you know him at all. What is he, some rent a date?”
Alicia blew out a nervous laugh as her heart pounded. “Where in the world would I rent a date?”
“There are websites and apps for everything nowadays.”
“Okay, I’ll give you that, but why would I hire a fake date?”
“To convince me to stop trying to fix you up.”
Was Jenny psychic or something?
How could this plan have fallen apart so quickly?
“Th—that’s not true. In fact, he even bought me flowers for Valentine’s Day. Red roses. Would a fake date do that?” Alicia asked, trying to not sound like she was lying.
It was harder than she’d anticipated. Meanwhile, she hated to admit that Brian had been eerily psychic to think to give those flowers to her.
Since she apparently lied so badly, it helped there were real flowers sitting in her sink to tell Jen about. But past that, she wasn’t sure what to say to convince her sister that her fake date was her real boyfriend.
“Hey, baby. I brought you a beer. Your brother-in-law had the kind you like to drink at McP’s.” One big hand planted a bottle of Orange Avenue Wit on the counter next to her, the same kind of Coronado Brewing Company beer she had been drinking the night they’d met.
She had to give credit to Brian. He paid close attention to details to remember which beer she’d been drinking. But more important than that was his impeccable timing.
He’d swooped in at the perfect, most optimal time for him to play the devoted new boyfriend in front of her skeptical sister.
Then, one strong arm snaked around her waist from behind.
Thrown by the contact, she barely managed to breathe.
She did her best not to stiffen at the feel of his palm resting lightly on her stomach. That could blow the whole charade.
Consciously relaxing her body, even if it did mean pressing backward against the brick wall that was Brian’s chest, she said. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome. Anything for my girl on Valentine’s Day.”
Just when she thought he was already laying it on a little thick, Brian leaned in and brushed a kiss against her cheek.
She drew in breath at the warmth of his lips against her skin.
“So, what’s going on in here? Need any help?” Unfazed, cool as a cucumber, Brian made the offer.
Hopefully, it distracted Jenny from the blush Alicia felt creeping into her cheeks.
That kiss meant nothing. They were both fully clothed. In the kitchen. With her sister. It wasn’t like they were naked in bed or anything. She swallowed hard at that thought.
She dared to glance at her sister. Jenny looked confused, but still not convinced.
Thankfully, Jason chose that moment to walk into the kitchen. “Hey, Jen. Did Brian tell you he’s stationed at Coronado?”
Jenny’s eyebrow cocked up high. “No. He did not.”
She narrowed her eyes at Alicia again, more skeptical than ever.
Damn,