Chapter Eight
Alyssa glanced pointedly at his plate. “You haven’t eaten your asparagus.”
“Green vegetables aren’t really my thing,” Jay told her.
“Is dessert your thing?” she asked.
His head lifted. “What’s for dessert?”
“Strawberry and mascarpone tart.”
He looked at his plate again, stabbed one of the spears with the tines of his fork and tentatively nibbled on the end. “This is...not bad,” he decided.
“Hardly a rousing endorsement, but I’ll take it,” she said.
He had another bite. “FYI, for future meals, you can stick to meat and potatoes.”
“FYI, in my kitchen, you eat the healthy and balanced meal that’s put in front of you or you don’t get dessert,” she told him.
He finished off the asparagus.
She pushed away from the table to clear his now empty plate along with her own.
“Do you want coffee?” she offered, reaching into the cupboard for dessert plates.
“No, thanks.”
But he did want a sneak peek at dessert—and another beer—so he followed her to the refrigerator. “That looks really good,” he said as he reached over her shoulder for a bottle.
She bobbled the pan she was sliding off the shelf.
“Easy,” he said, catching the bottom of the dish.
“I didn’t... I thought—” She glanced at the table, where she’d expected him to still be sitting, then blew out a breath. “Sorry—you startled me.”
“I would have been really sorry if you’d dropped that tart,” he said.
“I’ve got it,” she assured him.
He took it from her and turned to set it on the counter, but he didn’t step away from her. And standing so close, he could see the pulse point at the base of her jaw—and how fast it was beating.
He pushed the door of the fridge closed, forgetting about the beer that had been his reason for getting up in the first place. “I have a confession to make.”
“What’s that?”
“Even before we sat down to eat, I’d decided to give this fake dating thing a shot.”
“Why?”
“Because of the kiss,” he admitted.
“The kiss?” she echoed.
“Since that kiss across the bar at Diggers’, I’ve found myself thinking about kissing you again.”
“You have?”
He nodded. “It also occurred to me that I’ve been a lousy boyfriend if that was our first kiss after three months of dating.”
“Except that we haven’t actually been dating for three months,” she pointed out.
“But if we’re going to convince your parents that we’ve been dating for—Actually, it would be closer to four months by Memorial Day weekend, wouldn’t it?”
“I guess it would,” Alyssa confirmed, albeit with obvious reluctance.
“Then you’re going to have to get used to me kissing you.”
“My parents are only going to be here for a weekend,” she reminded him. “I’m sure we can manage to keep our hands off one another for that brief period of time.”
“What if I don’t want to keep my hands off you?” he asked, setting those hands on her hips.
“I thought you wanted dessert,” she said.
He could see the nervousness in her eyes, but there was attraction there, too. She might deny that she wanted him to kiss her, but they both knew that she did.
“I do,” he said and lowered his mouth to hers.
It was true that he’d been thinking about kissing her again, but he hadn’t intended to make a move this soon.
Sure, her dating charade would necessitate sharing some touches and kisses, and he certainly had no objection to getting up close and personal with his sexy neighbor. But he’d expected to be able to exercise some restraint. He hadn’t anticipated that being close to her would stir him up so much that he didn’t just want to kiss her—he needed to kiss her.
He needed to know if her mouth was as soft and sweet as he remembered. The barest touch of his lips to hers confirmed his recollection—and made him want more. Desire, sharp and needy, clawed at his belly, urging him to take everything she offered.
Her hands slid up his chest to hook over his shoulders, holding on as he continued to kiss her. Her lips parted beneath the pressure of his; her tongue danced with his, following his lead.
Their first kiss had been a teasing and tentative exploration. This kiss, from the first touch of their mouths, was different. More urgent. More intense. And much hotter.
His hand slid around her waist, over her bottom, pulling her closer. She gasped as the evidence of his arousal pressed against her belly, but she didn’t pull away. In fact, she pushed her hips against him, making him burn with a desire that he held firmly—and painfully—in check.
When he’d lowered his mouth to hers, he’d been certain that he was in control of the situation. But the press of her soft body against him made him realize how slippery his grasp was on that control. And the soft, sexy sounds that emanated from her throat threatened to break even that tenuous grip.
With sincere regret, he loosened his hold on her and took a careful step back.
Alyssa blinked up at him—confusion and arousal churning in her veins. She drew in a slow, deep breath and willed her rubbery legs to help her remain standing.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Jason asked, after several seconds had passed during which the silence was broken only by the sounds of their ragged breathing.
She didn’t need to ask what “it” was. Not while the heat of the kiss they’d shared continued to simmer in the air between them.
“No.” She turned away to reach into the drawer for the pastry cutter, tightening her grip on the handle when she realized her hands were trembling. Truthfully, her whole body was trembling, but she had no intention of letting him know it. She sliced into the tart. “Except to say that you can’t kiss me like that anymore.”
“How do you want me to kiss you?”
She didn’t have to look at him to see the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth—she could hear the amusement in his tone. “I don’t want you to kiss me at all,” she said as she transferred the slice of tart to a plate.
“Liar.”
She huffed out a breath. “I’m not denying that there’s a certain...attraction,” she decided. “But I’m not going to sleep with you.”
“I’m not asking you to sleep with me,” he told her.
“Well, that’s good, then,” she said, torn between relief and disappointment as she added a dessert fork to his plate.
“Not because I don’t think we could have a lot of fun naked and horizontal together,” he clarified. “But because, under the circumstances, having sex would only complicate the situation.”
“The last thing I want right now is another complication,” she assured him.
He nodded. “There is one more thing we need to be clear about.”
“What’s that?”
“This phony relationship isn’t ever going to lead to anything more, because I don’t do relationships.”
“I don’t want anything more,” she promised him.
Because that had been the absolute truth in the beginning. All she’d wanted was a pretend boyfriend to convince her mother that she was settled and happy in Haven—so that Renata would stop trying to set her up with other guys.
But now that she’d spent more time with Jason—now that he’d kissed her senseless—she found her heart yearning for more.
* * *
Alyssa Skyped with Nicolas on his birthday, enjoying a fun—and long—conversation with her now five-year-old nephew, who insisted that she watch while he assembled the Lego set she’d sent to him. His little brow furrowed with concentration as he worked, and she was grateful for the technology that allowed her not just to talk to him but actually see him. It wasn’t quite the same as being there, and she missed the feeling of his slender arms around her and the baby shampoo scent of his hair, but the visual connection helped.
She was looking forward to talking to her sister, too. She could always count on Cristina to listen to her woes and offer insightful advice. Not that spending time with Jason Channing was a cause for distress by any stretch of the imagination, but she needed someone to tell her that she hadn’t made a huge mistake in the bargain they’d struck.
Except that when Cristina took the iPad from her son, Alyssa was greeted by a barrage of questions about her new boyfriend—because, of course, Renata had already shared the news. In fact, Alyssa wouldn’t be surprised to learn that her mother had ended the call with her and immediately dialed her other daughter’s number.
“This is the hunky guy who’s been your running partner over the past few months, right?” Cristina asked, then forged ahead without waiting for a response. “I so hoped something would click between the two of you.”
“You did?” Alyssa asked, surprised. “Why?”
“Because it was obvious from your very first mention that you were attracted to him.”
“It was?”
“And shared hobbies and interests always help build a stronger relationship.”
“Well, I wouldn’t exactly call what we have a relationship,” Alyssa hedged. “In fact—”
“I know you’re a little wary,” Cristina interjected. “And I understand why. But it’s past time for you to open up and let somebody love you the way you deserve to be loved.”
“But—”
“I know the relationship is fairly new and you probably think I’m jumping the gun, and maybe I am a little,” her sister acknowledged. “But I want you to be happy. And, of course, a woman doesn’t need a man to be happy, but sharing your life with someone really does have its rewards. And it’s such a relief to know that I can stop worrying about you now.”
That gave Alyssa pause.
She knew that her parents worried, which was why she tried to spare them the details of her darkest thoughts and deepest concerns. But she’d never held back with Cristina, and she hadn’t realized that sharing her doubts and insecurities had caused her sister to worry about her, too.
So when Cristina stopped talking long enough to take a breath and Alyssa finally had the chance to tell her that the relationship with Jason was a charade, she couldn’t do it. Instead, she only said, “Now tell me what’s new with you.”
And for the next half hour, they talked about other things while Alyssa felt the tangled web drawing tighter around her.
* * *
Jay was shutting down his computer late the following Saturday afternoon when Hayley poked her head into the room. Kevin had taken the day off to help a friend move, Nat and Carter were throwing darts in the office-slash-lounge and Matt was texting on his phone.
“After back-to-back preteen birthday parties, I could really use some adult company tonight,” she said.
“There’s a new Daniel Craig movie playing at the local theater,” Carter said.
Hayley nodded. “That sounds good to me.”
“I’m in,” Nat agreed. “But I want food first.”
“Matt?” Carter prompted.
The other man shook his head. “I promised to help Carrie work on the seating plan tonight.”
“Has she turned into Bridezilla yet?” Hayley asked.
“Of course not,” Matt denied. “Though she did ask me to prompt you for the name of your guest for the place card.”
“You know my guest,” she said. “I told you that Carter and I are going together.”
“But you responded with plus-guest on the reply card,” Matt reminded her.
“Well, yeah, ’cause I’m not showing up to your wedding without a date.”
The groom-to-be looked at Carter. “You responded with plus-guest, too.”
“Because I’m going with Hayley,” he said.
Matt shook his head. “Carrie was worried about how we were going to split you guys up—because the tables only seat eight, and if you all brought dates, you couldn’t be seated at the same table.”
“Well, now that problem’s solved, isn’t it?” Hayley said helpfully.
“Except that Matt and Carrie probably ordered two extra meals for guests who aren’t going to be there,” Nat—who’d spent six months planning her own wedding for a marriage that didn’t last half that long—pointed out to her friends.
“Oh.” Hayley looked at Matt, obviously chagrined. “I didn’t think about that.”
“It’s fine,” he said.
“Kevin have a date for the big day?” Jay asked.
Matt nodded. “He’s bringing Sydney, the girl he’s helping move today.”
“But don’t think that means he’s forgiven you for the whole Alyssa thing,” Nat warned him.
“There was no ‘Alyssa thing’ except in his mind,” Jay said.
“Note to self—do not seat Kevin beside hot bartender,” Matt said, moving toward the door.
“Kevin would probably worry more about Jay being seated near Sydney, in case he decides to steal another girl he’s got his eye on.”
“I didn’t steal Alyssa,” Jay said, just a little defensively.
“She’s your date for the wedding, isn’t she?” Hayley pressed.
“Only because Nat forced my hand.” Which was true, and yet not nearly the whole truth.
“And all this time you’ve been spending with her in the interim—that must be a real hardship, huh?” Carter said.
Of course, it hadn’t been a hardship but a pleasure. He sincerely enjoyed hanging out with Alyssa and was grateful that their charade gave him a ready excuse to do so.
“Can we forget about Jay’s love life and focus on our plans for tonight?” Nat suggested. “Preferably the food part.”
“I’m sick of pizza,” Carter said.
“Diggers’ it is, then,” Hayley decided.
“You in, Jay?” Nat asked.
He shook his head. “Alyssa’s making dinner for me tonight.”
“This is getting to be a regular thing,” Hayley noted.
He shrugged. “She likes to cook.”
Nat smirked. “Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”
He shook his head. “Get your head out of the gutter.”
“You’re not sleeping with her?” she challenged.
“Of course I’m not sleeping with her.”
“Why is that an ‘of course’?” Carter wondered.
“Because we’re only pretend dating.”
Nat frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Thanks to your interference, I had to ask Alyssa to be my date for Matt’s wedding, in exchange for which I agreed to be her pretend boyfriend when her parents come to town.”
Hayley smirked. “You had to bribe a girl to go out with you?”
“We entered into a mutually beneficial agreement.”
“I don’t think this is what Kevin had in mind,” Nat said.
“You mean it’s not what you had in mind.”
She didn’t dispute the point.
“Obviously I missed something,” Hayley said.
“That’s right—you weren’t here last week for the big confrontation after Jay kissed the girl Kevin had his eye on and Nat had to play peacemaker.”
“Peacemaker or matchmaker?” Jay wondered.
“And now you’re going to meet her parents?” Hayley pressed.
“It’s not a big deal. Her mom and dad are going to be in town for the long weekend, so I’ll spend some time with them, play the boyfriend role, then they’ll go back to California and the status quo will be restored.”
“And you and Alyssa will just be friends and neighbors again?” Nat asked skeptically.
“Why not?”
She shrugged. “What if all this pretending leads to the development of real feelings?”
“That’s not going to happen,” he said confidently.
“Maybe not for you,” Carter acknowledged. “But what about Alyssa?”
“No worries there,” he assured him. “She isn’t interested in a real relationship right now.”
“I still think you’re playing a dangerous game,” Hayley warned. “Then again—games are what you do best, aren’t they?”
* * *
Alyssa seasoned the pork roast with garlic, rosemary and thyme and served it with wild rice and green beans with dried cranberries. She’d considered doing carrots instead of the beans but couldn’t resist the challenge of putting a green vegetable on Jason’s plate again.
While they ate, he talked about his plans for the grand opening of the go-kart track and his intention to do a test run before the end of the following week. In fact, he was so caught up in his excitement over this prospect, he ate the beans without protest.
After dinner, Alyssa carried the platter of meat and vegetables to the counter to wrap up the leftovers. Jason followed with their plates and cutlery and began loading the dishwasher.
“You don’t have to do that,” she protested, as she did after every meal they shared. And every time, he insisted on doing kitchen duty.
“It’s the least I can do to show my appreciation.”
“You’re going to be paying with fake love and phony devotion,” she reminded him.
“A hefty price,” he agreed. “Maybe I should have held out for a couple extra meals.”
“Too late now—the bargain’s been struck.”
He moved away from the dishwasher and opened the fridge, scanning the contents. “Where’s dessert?”
“What dessert?”
“You really didn’t make anything for dessert?”
He looked so sincerely disappointed, she almost felt guilty for teasing him. “Of course I did,” she said. “It’s in the oven.”
He immediately reached for the handle of the oven.
“Don’t.” She shoved him back and slapped her hand against the door before he could pull it open. “Letting the heat out will affect the baking time.”
He dutifully tucked his hands behind him. “The baking time of what?”
“Chocolate lava cake.”
His eyes lit up. “When will it be ready?”
“When the timer goes off.”
He glanced at the numbers ticking down on the clock. “Three minutes should be just long enough.”
“Long enough for what?”
“To kiss you.”
She took an instinctive step back. “Or to finish clearing the table.”
Jason shook his head. “That doesn’t sound like nearly as much fun.”
“Sometimes fun has to wait until the work is done.”
“You’re right,” he decided, returning to the table. “And if I wait until later to kiss you, I won’t have to worry about being interrupted by a buzzing kitchen timer.”
“I’ve been thinking about the kissing thing,” she admitted.
“I’ve been thinking about it, too—to the distraction of all else.”
“What I was thinking,” Alyssa said, determined to take control of the conversation, “is that there’s really no reason for you to kiss me. I mean, it’s not as if we have to demonstrate our technique to convince my parents that we’re dating.”
“Maybe not,” he acknowledged. “But couples who have been dating for several months are usually pretty comfortable around one another. And aside from that night when you grabbed hold of me and practically hauled me across the bar to kiss me, every time I get close to you, you back away.”
“Sorry,” she said automatically. “I guess I’m a little protective of my personal space.”
“If you expect anyone to believe that we’re together, you’re going to have to let me in.”
She nodded. “You’re right.”
He watched her, waiting.
She drew a deep breath, as if shoring up her courage, and took a deliberate step toward him.
“I’m not so scary, am I?”
“Of course not,” she said.
“So why is your heart racing?”
“It’s not—”
“It is,” he insisted, lifting a hand to touch the pulse point at the base of her jaw.
“It’s just that... Actually, I don’t know why my heart’s racing,” she admitted.
“I think you do know,” he said. “You just don’t want to admit it.”
“Admit what?”
“That the attraction between us is getting harder and harder to ignore.”
She swallowed. “But we agreed that we are going to ignore it.”
“That would be the smart thing to do,” he agreed.
But it wasn’t what he wanted to do. For the first time, he wanted to ignore his own rules, take her in his arms and—
The buzz of the timer severed his thought.