Page 8 of Pretend You're Mine
“What do you like to do now?”
“Be a lawyer. Walk my bearded collie. Win my client’s cases. You?”
“I like to cut hair and occasionally hang out with my brother.”
“Great. Sounds like we’re soulmates then.”
“Do you have to be such a dick about it all?”
I sighed. “You should know I come by it honestly.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning my dad’s a dick, his dad was a dick, and his before him. Big dicks, all of them.”
“You weren’t joking,” she said, but there was finally something of a smile in it.
“Nope. Say hello to your husband, baby.”
She couldn’t help chuckling at that. For those few moments, it almost felt like things were normal. Like we were just a regular man and woman getting to know each other.
But then Naomi said, “So when would I have to see them first?” and I remembered.
“In a week, most likely. That’s when their plane is due to arrive. I’ll give you lots of notice, of course.”
“Fine,” she finally said.
“Really?” I asked, not bothering to hide the surprise in my voice.
“Really.”
On the floor, through his shaggy hair, Walter was eyeing me as derisively as I probably deserved.
“Thank you, Naomi.” I said and hung up.
On the floor, Walter didn’t react, just kept on staring.
“What are you looking at?” I asked.
The phone call had woken me up, got me all energized and restless. So, I went to the door and slipped into my Nikes. It was time for a run.
Even though I’d gotten an agreement of sorts out of Naomi, that didn’t mean the problem was solved.
The real question wasn’t what my family would do when they met Naomi. The real question was what Naomi would do when she met my family.
5
Naomi
I woke up to a knock on my door. As soon as it opened – I knew.
Xander was shirtless and looked fully aware of the fact. His blue eyes pierced me. Yeah, the chances of this being a dream, were a solid one hundred percent. And yet… the scent of him. Pure male musk curled around me.
“What is it?” I asked Dream Xander.
“You know what,” he said, and the next second, he was showing me.
He mounted my bed like he owned it, and then did the same to me. All I could do was groan as his lips claimed mine. He tasted like honey and his movement was fluid. Lip twisted on lip and the rightness of it all clashed with the way my heart was somersaulting.
Pulling away was only part of the dance; the give and take. Pulling back a few inches, I took his lower lip with me. His hands toyed with the tie on my pajama top. Opening it gave him permission to enjoy its contents, and next thing I knew his palms were rolling over my nipples. He tweaked one and grinned. And then, he put his hand where we both wanted it to be.
My pussy sang as his fingers pressed between my legs. So, this was what it was to give into pure desire. He pulled down my pajama bottoms as I reached out to stroke the impressive length of him through his boxers.
We kissed and touched and fumbled with clothing, trying to get as close to one another as we could.
His muscles seemed in constant movement, tensed and flexed. My bed was creaking, and I had to remind myself that it didn’t matter anymore, that I’d finally gotten rid of that nosy roommate two months ago.
As if sensing my momentary distraction, Xander took my chin between his fingers and angled it to face him.
“Eyes on me,” he said. And that was when he entered me.
My eyes snapped open and I groaned. I was alone in my room, wet, panting, and overheated. My fingers inched toward the ache between my legs.
I stopped halfway there, wrestled myself out of my covers and into the over-air-conditioned air. I’d be so uncomfortable that I’d have no choice but to get up and out of bed.
Staying there and touching myself while thinking about Xander was not an option. I was so not going there. So what if Xander was hot? He was also a complete jerk who was asking me to lie to his entire family.
Why had I agreed to it again?
Getting up, I staggered over to the bathroom where I pressed a cool washcloth to my face. As I let the soft droplets seep into my pores, I inhaled deeply, then exhaled. Then did it again. Teren used to get panic attacks when we were going through puberty, and that was what the school therapists had told him to do. As it turned out, it worked pretty well when my mind was spinning too. Like now.
I was agreeing to do this because it seemed easier than fighting it. Xander struck me as the type of man who did not accept losing. And honestly, it was probably much easier than fighting over an annulment that would most likely take as long as this whole stupid plan of his anyway. If I played along, he’d give me the annulment in a few weeks and I’d save myself the headache of a daily argument. I had a business to run, a life to lead. And while pretending to be someone’s wife for Christmas was on my hell-no list, I wasn’t exactly flush with better options right now.
